BeachChik

We will be on this cruise in February. We have two young kids so I’m a bit nervous about all the sea days, but I specifically picked it for the ABC islands. 

44 minutes ago, aborgman said:

 

Not really... when comparing average income to cost of living index the least affordable states are:

 

#1) Hawaii
#2) Mississippi
#3) Louisiana
#4) New Mexico
#5) West Virginia
#6) Maine
#7) Arkansas
#8) New York
#9) Kentucky
#10) Alabama
#11) Massachusetts
#12) California
#13) Montana
#14) Alaska
#15) South Carolina
#16) Oregon

#17) Florida

 

Florida is really pretty middle of the road - not one of the most expensive, not one of the cheapest relative to average income. In fact - Florida is about as "average" in cost of living as you can imagine.

 

The overall COL index for the USA is pegged to 100 (US average COL =100). Florida is 100.7

 

Hawaii the average income is 34% higher than Florida.

Hawaii the average cost of living is 79% higher than Florida.

Your own list has Florida as number 17 out of 50. So you think that is middle of the road. Okay sure. 

16 minutes ago, skywalkr2 said:

 

Well to be fair:

 

1) I only ever book when there is a sale going on, and 

 

2) I do live in Philadelphia, so prices are probably much higher than in FL.

Doubtful. Florida is one of the least affordable places to live when you compare costs vs income. 
 

But regardless, I doubt you are spending the cost of a three day cruise for two on a single night out. Maybe back when you could book a 3-4 day cruise for $150. But those prices, even sales, don’t exist anymore. 

1 hour ago, Joebucks said:

 

Marketing is a powerful tool. There are people out there who will choose to spend $5000 with a company because of a $200 "free item." Even if the next company was $4000 and charged the $200, WHO WANTS TO BE NICKLE AND DIMED?!

That logic is mind blowing. I see it all the time on another board regarding hotels. People will pay $250 a night for a room but refuse to book the hotel that charges $200 a night plus a $50 a night resort fee. 
 

7 hours ago, MtnSeaGirl said:

 

Yes, there are options but that does not make me want to act on those options. I stated that we have great  memories on Carnival and it would be like leaving family.  Just not a fan of the carrot always being moved.  For those who are already Diamond or Platinum it probably seems silly.  You "made it" long ago.  You see the perks as not being hardly worth it or too many in the level already watering the benefits down. For those of us who can cruise less and set a goal, it is nice to be able to finish something we started without the goal being moved or being made to feel we will never be don't quite belong. That is the hard part about message boards.  My frame of reference or someone else's can be totally different than yours or yours or yours.  Maybe you have unlimited vacation time or you live closer to the ports or you live in an area that pays higher wages so cruise prices seem dirt cheap. Maybe you could cruise during the PHE and rack up points while some of us had to go in most every day.  Doesn't make one person's reality right or my own reality right. It is just what it is.  I have loved these boards because I have learned so much great information and tips. I have read post trip reports with pictures and had a mini armchair vacation.  You guys  on CC are the best to learn how to cruise. I have also read posts that were pretty harsh ( not the ones referenced above ).  I wonder why the condescending attitudes.  CC began as a way to share information, to help the newbies and sometimes even the seasoned cruisers so we all have a  better experience. Thank you all for the advice you have given on many different topics. I rarely post but I do read this forum several times a week.  Now, everyone have a GREAT MONDAY!  Let's choose to make someone's day a bit brighter.  

I don’t know if the condescending comment was to me or not. But I wasn’t being condescending at all. I was simply stating that it’s weird to me. You are free to do what you want. But I personally have no loyalty to any brand in any area of my life. 
 

I love Disney and we go often because we live right there. But I am under no illusion that Disney would prefer I don’t go. I don’t buy souvenirs, we often get in for free because I know a cast member, we don’t spend a lot eating but we add to the crowds. Disney gets no value out of my being there. 
 

Cruises are the same. They don’t want the person that has cruised 27 times and stays in a lower tier cabin, doesn’t book cruise shore excursions, doesn’t spend a fortune on pictures. They want the new cruiser that will drop tons of money because it’s new to them. They will buy the photo package, booked the cruise line excursions, buy all the onboard souvenirs, eat all the for fee foods. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t cruise with them but it does mean you shouldn’t expect anything regarding loyalty to the brand. 
 

I totally get why they have to keep changing the rules. How many people are hitting these milestones? Even doing cheap stuff it probably still costs the line quite a bit of money given the numbers of people. 

Loyalty to a cruise line just to have a certain status and a few “perks” that aren’t worth much is so bizarre to me. Especially when you read something like what was posted above where they say other lines go to ports they prefer. 

Is there a different schedule for the daily activities in the kids clubs? The last time we sailed on carnival we didn’t have kids so I didn’t pay attention to how that worked. 

1 hour ago, jsglow said:

I'm not so sure Blerk. While I understand the strategy of needing to attract new, letting existing get away to the competition seems foolish. Any I do think I remember JH acknowledging that recently.

Not really. A frequent cruiser spend bare minimum. They don’t buy souvenirs, pictures, ship sponsored shore excursions etc. All those things that are pure profit for the cruise line. Plus they want freebies. 
 

I don’t know why anyone would be shocked by this. It’s the same with Disney. They don’t want the local, the annual pass holder, the person using comp tickets. They want the overseas visitor that will stay three weeks and never leave property. 
 

New visitors/cruisers will always be the people that bring in the most revenue. 

On 2/19/2024 at 4:51 PM, Kevin135i said:

This refund is for the flights. It was paid via Westjet and since Westjet isn't affiliated with Carnival, they will send us a cheque to cover the expense loss, which is where we provided the supporting documents of flights/bookings/names and etc. 

The weirdest part is that, they are extremely cooperative and helpful in terms of agreeing to pay for our flights reimbursement and such. It wasn't an argument at all, hence why we're taken back at how questionable the entire cheque process and the random "request for change of address" came about. It's almost like someone was like "Oh your claim is legitimate so we will go ahead and approve that and send the cheque... to ourselves MUHAHAHAH"

 

I guess I’m confused. You state in this post the refund wasn’t even through carnival, it was a company unaffiliated with them. 
 

why would carnival issue a refund for flights that weren’t booked through them? 
 

And who was the issuer of the check you tried to deposit? Was there a letter with it or just a check? 
 

I feel like information is missing. 

We haven’t cruised in a few years so I haven’t been around. But it’s good to see that nothing has changed and tipping debates are still here 😆

So I booked the Family Harbor Suite on the Horizon. It’s room 2404. Now I’m reading that the noise from above is so bad people can’t sleep at all. 
 

We are two adults and two kids. We all sleep with ambient noise so silence isn’t needed to sleep. 
 

Switching rooms doesn’t seem to be an option since all the balcony rooms appear to be under the galley. We would have to switch to a regular suite. 
 

can someone give me a real idea of the noise in these rooms? 

So our last two cruises were on Royal, the Freedom and Harmony. Prior to those we sailed the Carnival Legend and one of the Disney ships. Our kids were with us on the Harmony cruise, the others were just two adults. 
 

I primarily pick the cruise based on the ports and price. I always do searches on Carnival, Royal and NCL to find what fits us. 
 

This time I impulsively booked on the Carnival Horizon for an ABC cruise. These ports really appealed to us since they would all be brand new. I ended up going with a Family Harbor Suite. 
 

My kids will be 8 and 11 and when we cruise. On the Harmony, honestly we spent a lot of time in our room relaxing and swimming. We only saw one show, ate at one specialty restaurant. It was a great vacation for us. 
 

Obviously the Horizon is a smaller ship vs Harmony. Those that have sailed on bigger and smaller ships with younger kids, how did your kids enjoy it? Opinions on the Horizon with younger kids? 

We sailed the Harmony last year right before everything started to shut down. We paid $350 ish for a cabana on south beach. It ended up being our favorite day of the whole cruise. 

7 hours ago, rtazz17 said:

Lol,this crap with everyone thinking they know whats going to happen has to stop. The 8 week distancing isnt something every business has to do. Its a guideline. Imagine what this economy wouldbe like if this goes past march 31st? Stop with the crystal ball crap. You are guessing plain and simple. Dont add to the panic.

This👆
 

Any timeframe at this point is pure speculation and only causes panic. I’m so tired of the people that act like they know exactly what’s going to happen. 

8 minutes ago, karena1 said:

I think it is very unfair to require this.  My husband will get the form signed by his doctor, but I think it is nuts to think only people over 70 are prone to sickness.  Just plan stupid in my opinion.  He is healthier than many 20 year olds, so why don't they make every single person supply the note???? Talk about discrimination.  You are over 70 so by age you are going to infect someone.  Really????????????????????????????????

It’s not about infecting anyone. It’s older people are more likely to have more severe complications to this virus. 

4 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

 

I can express my opinion in a civil way just like you are doing.  You just don't like my opinion.  I think the people hell bent on going on a cruise right now are the epitome of entitled, selfish, and ignorant.  

Yes name calling is very civil. Your opinion means nothing to me. I don't have a dog in the fight since I have no plans to cruise. But what I do see is someone that can't express themselves without name calling and being rude as if that will make people listen.

16 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

 

I don't know what they are waiting for; many of their clientele on social media are HELL BENT on getting on board WOOOOOOOOOOO WOOOOOOOOOOO MY VACATIOOOOOOOOON.  Dumbest adults I've ever encountered in my life.  "It's just the flu"  and anything you show them is "Well, you have YOUR facts, I have mine." ugh.  Someone needs to actually save these people from themselves before they clog and collapse the healthcare system. 

You do know you can express your opinion without constantly being rude? Maybe give it a try.

9 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Nope, and this after the fact requiring a last minute doctors note, not me.

 

Once this cruise is over I wouldnt be cruising again until its removed. Not worth it to me to have to get on terms with a doctor (which I dont have presently) to cruise, nope nope nope.

 

I'm with op, I'll be done until this note garbage goes away. 

 

Praying they dont cancel my cruise, and then I can walk away and not have to worry about rebooking.

 

I'm not cancelling if rcl does, refund time and bye bye for a while.

So you won't cruise because you don't want to have a doctor?  It's not very smart as an adult to not be an established patient with a primary care doctor.

7 minutes ago, luv2sailAgain said:

I love Disney.  I love to cruise. I am not a scientist or doctor. But I'd have to agree. I am much closer to people much more of the time at Disney World. The words that make me cringe - "fill in all available space." You are seriously shoulder to shoulder and face to face with people in tiny pre-show areas and lines. People are sneezing, coughing, and breathing just inches from you. The only time I have been that close to people on a ship is muster drill on the deck of Liberty and walking out of Studio B from muster drill. 

Exactly. You are much more in people's personal space at the theme parks.

I don't think anyone takes shutting down lightly. Disney World employs over 70,000 people in central Florida and Universal over 25,000. That is a lot of people, that didn't make a whole lot to begin with, to suddenly be without any income.

8 hours ago, flvol77 said:

We went to Disney 61 times last year, and 45 times the year before,  

 

I started to get sick from someone in line at Disney one time,  went home ( yes I am a local) went to bed and was fine the next morning. 
 

been on 25 plus cruises and we clean the walls, ceiling, drapes, bathroom with Clorox wipes and lysol the room multiple times the first day and we always end up getting a sore throat or cold on a ship.  
 

we clean our hands like crazy, don’t do the buffet, and don’t touch hand rails, but we still end up getting sick. 
 

I personally think Disney especially with the new precautions and cleaning methods put in place is a much better alternative then a cruise. 
 

we love to cruise - but, we need to face it, this will change that industry for years to come. 
 

This is crisis management, and I keep asking how are they going to react, like BP or Tylenol. 

Again if large gatherings are being stopped then Disney should be as well. Regardless of cleaning Disney isn’t wiping down every ride vehicle between each guest, or every line handrail or door handles. 
 

Im not sure what the number of times you have been to Disney has to do with anything. I live in Orlando so we go often as well and I 100% disagree that you are better at Disney. Being shoulder to shoulder with 50k people for 12 hours there is no way to prevent germs from spreading regardless of how much they clean.  

11 minutes ago, John Reid said:

If the reports are accurate, and they certainly seem to be since they are acknowledged by the cruise lines, how is this unfair? Don't you want to know the risks? Risks of this type are always elevated in enclosed environments. Seems to be a pandemic in our country to consider truth unfair. Would you rather the information is hidden from us, as some are trying to do?

I’m in much closer contact with people at Disney then I ever am on a cruise. Standing in lines for hours over the course of a day, touching all the rides that aren’t wiped down. 
 

Ive no doubt there are many more people in the US that have the virus but haven’t been tested. Wouldn’t shock me at all if some of those people have been to the theme parks. 

1 hour ago, gatour said:

The Disney parks in China, Shanghai, Hong Kong were closed done weeks ago

Disney isn’t the majority owner in those parks so I doubt they had any say in them shutting down.
 

They 100% control the US parks and no doubt will keep them open as long as they are able. 

I find it amusing that cruises are being singled out as if shutting down would make any difference. 
 

Magic Kingdom at Disney has 50,000 -60,000 + people per day there. People in very close contact, more so than a cruise, and touching everything. Yet no calls to shut down theme parks. 🧐

50 minutes ago, marci22 said:

This whole thread relates to the virus.

 

He's not saying 'adult only' cruise, he's specifying an age group. There are many threads discussing that 60 and over are more susceptible to the virus. As one poster said,  'I got an article in my iphone news feed this morning that the CDC has warned US citizens over 60 not to frequent crowded places and not to fly.' So yes, I think the 'cruising with no one over 60' comment was a bit rude. 

 

People are posting over and over that the virus only affects 'older people' and people with 'underlying disabilities'.  They are marginalizing these groups of people. They're not disposable.

No they aren't marginalizing anyone. It's stated in an attempt to gain perspective. Just like the regular flu the elderly and those with compromised immune systems are most at risk. Given that people are panicking and getting into fights over toilet paper I think it's a good idea to point out those that are more at risk.

And no where did anyone say those groups of people are disposable. Don't create drama where none exists.

3 hours ago, marci22 said:

This is different. I keep reading posts saying 'why worry, the virus is only bad in older people'. It's being posted again and again. It's not a comment about a group being noisy and/or taking up resources, it's about a group that is more prone to getting sicker and dying. The virus is not 'ok' just because it is hitting seniors harder.

My comment had nothing to do with the virus.

There was a comment about being ok with sailing without people over 60, then someone else commented on that basically saying it was nasty. My comment is that someone saying they don't want to cruise with elderly people is no different then someone saying they don't want to cruise with children.