ldlewis45

Signature suite is your best bet...no point in paying for Nepfune perks when all you want is a lovely size cabin...large bathroom with two sinks, shower and tub...nice Windows, large balcony, etc...our favorite cabins. You and your parents will do fine on HAL...just took our kids and grandkids to AK and they ALL loved it.

 

 

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That's what I'm leaning towards, but the mimosas, breakfast service, and high tea service that come with the Neptune Suites are calling my name, though!

You were [probably posting as I was, so I'll repeat -- the HAL suite experience is very nice.

 

Additional info missing from my other post. Sitka is a lovely port!

I'm not sure which suite to get. I've got holds for both a Signature Suite and a Neptune Suite. I'm just not sure that we'd make enough use of the extra perks of the Neptune suite to justify the extra cost.

Great!!!! Just don't stick your parents on Carnival. :)

I've taken several Carnival cruises, and I've been very happy with them. My mom has gone on one of them with me, too. The key with Carnival is not to expect more than what you're paying for, lol.

For that price difference I would choose HAL for sure. The age demographic changes dramatically in Alaska.

 

You will find families, young couples, etc nicely mixed during the summer on HAL sailings.

 

Second choice is Princess.

 

Personally I think that HAL has the best menus and food of any that you listed.

 

Warning: Your parents may enjoy themselves so much that they will want to go again! :D

 

Final hint: Go in August. Daylight grows shorter and shorter as September approaches. And September can be more rainy and foggy than the summer months.

Right now, I'm definitely leaning towards HAL, especially because of the price difference and because they only require a $375 deposit (the others all require at least $1200 deposit). The one I have on hold is for August 26 through Sept 2.

I'm looking at Alaska cruises in August/September of next year, RT from Seattle, and there are just too many choices. I've got holds on Carnival, Holland America, and Princess, but I just can't make up my mind. It would be for me and my elderlyish (early 70s) parents, so I'm looking at sharing a suite. Holland America is running $1300-1500 cheaper than the other two lines, so I'm really tempted to do that one. My only hesitation is that Holland America has a reputation of being "old and stuffy" and more formal, and while my parents are technically elderly, I'm not sure they would be completely comfortable with that (and I'm in my early 30s, so I know I wouldn't be, either).

 

So, suite on Carnival, suite on Holland America, or suite on Princess? The ports are basically the same, other than HA going to Sitka, and they are all RT from Seattle. I personally would prefer a Vancouver to Seward or Whittier cruise on Princess if I were going by myself, but Seattle is an easier and less expensive commute for my parents.

Does everyone think is really worth the money???

 

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For me, yes, but value is entirely in the eye of the beholder. For example, I don't see the "worth" in spending $400 on Cheers, since I would never spend that much on drinks (even considering that it can now be used on coffees, water, and milkshakes). Therefore, it's entirely NOT worth the money for me, whereas it would be for other people who might be able to consume enough to come out ahead.

 

For me, a major aspect of the "worth" in buying FttF is in being able to put my stuff in my room immediately. I sail solo most of the time, and trying to lug a tote bag or backpack, rolling carry-on, a drink, silverware, and a plate of food through the buffet area is just not my idea of a good time, especially since they got rid of trays. (Not to mention having to lug all my carry-on stuff around on the decks and into the restrooms.) So that, combined with priority tendering, and being able to get in the priority line at guest services, makes it worthwhile for me to get it.

 

Bottom line, though, is that Carnival isn't forcing anyone to buy it. If it isn't "worth the money" for you, don't get it. Simple as that.

We had it in April. What a giant pile of dino turd. But It's such a great value, the sheep will continue to fight over it.

 

10 cruises. How many times to guest services??? Once. Big Deal.

 

Lucky. I had one cruise where I had to go 4-5 times on just the first night, since I was having trouble with actually getting into my room (turns out the lock's battery was dying) and then with the hot water supply to the shower (the temperature control was stuck on scalding and I couldn't get it to go cooler). Had to stand in line for several minutes each time, and after that decided that FttF wasn't such a bad idea, lol.

Like I said on the other thread, $80 is barely a drop in the bucket when I've already dropped $2k on the cruise itself. And since I don't drink or go to the steakhouse, and I don't buy many souvenirs, it's as justifiable a purchase to me as those items are to the people who make those other purchases.

I went ahead and got it for my cruise in a couple of weeks. I don't HAVE to have it to cruise, but I do like the perks of having the priority guest services line, priority tendering, and being able to drop my carry-on in my room ASAP. When you think about it, $80 isn't much more than a drop in the bucket when I've already spent a couple grand on the cruise. It's not like it's taking funds away from other stuff, since I can't drink alcohol or eat at the steakhouse anymore, due to having gastric surgery, and I don't buy much in terms of souvenirs. For me, it's as justifiable a purchase as someone else getting Cheers or eating every night at the steakhouse.

FYI, you're going to need more than a couple hours for the WWII museum. I live in the NOLA area and just took my folks to the WWII museum yesterday while they were visiting me. We were there for almost 3 1/2 hours, and we only got through the sections on the Pacific Theater and the Merchant Mariners. It's very in-depth.

Best:

• Indian Vegetarian Entrée
  
• cold fruit soups
  
• gazpacho
  
• steakhouse filet
  
• steakhouse lamb chops
  
• steakhouse onion soup
  
• cream of mushroom soup "amuse buche" served in the steakhouse
  
• build-your-own omelet
  
• steakhouse rosemary focaccia bread
  
• the "new" pizza
  

 

Worst:

• MDR prime rib (it's been tough every time)
  
• MDR flat iron steak (again, tough and gristly, and tasted like the oldest, cheapest Walmart steak you can buy)
  
• every single thing from Mongolian Wok (tasted like nasty high-school Asian food, every single time I've gotten it, blech)
  
• avocado cream soup
  
• many of the entrée items served in the buffet at dinner and lunch
  

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it, unless you are or plan to become pregnant relatively soon. People are so freaked out by this disease, and I honestly don't see why (unless you're planning on having a family soon). It's basically a mild flu. There's a million and one other common mosquito-borne diseases out there that are just as bad or worse, and no one seems to be freaking out over those.

For me, Carnival is a decent value for the money, as long as you aren't expecting too much. By that, I mean it's great for a relaxation cruise, and the food ranges from generally okay to very good (depending on venue), but it is far from luxury and the entertainment generally sucks. As a solo cruiser, though, the value isn't as good as it used to be, and there are often better deals available on other lines, especially since many of them don't require a double deposit for solo cruisers.

 

Pros, for me:

• cheaper for many "standard" Eastern Caribbean, Western Caribbean, and Mexico cruises
  
• easier to get on/off ship in port, due to limited ship size
  
• "Serenity" is great, on the ships where it's positioned well (Ecstasy, for example)
  
• great "new" pizza
  
• great steakhouses
  
• Indian food in the MDR!
  

 

Cons, for me:

• double deposit for solo cruisers
  
• lots of irritating announcements
  
• terrible live entertainment
  
• mediocre to just plain bad buffet (other than the delicious omelet station at breakfast)
  
• meat items in MDR tend to be low quality
  

 

The yet to be determined:

• Cloud 9 Spa quality in comparison to NCL's Breakaway-class spa (to be evaluated on my next cruise!)
  

 

When I'm searching for a regular relaxation cruise to the Caribbean or Mexico, Carnival is the first place I look (but not the only place). When I'm looking for a "special" cruise, though, I look elsewhere.

Thanks! I think I'm just going to either get the soda package or just budget a certain amount. Even if I get bottled water, coffees, and milkshakes every day, I don't think I'd come out ahead by buying the Cheers package, unfortunately.

Anyone have one? I'm trying to decide whether it will be worth it for me to get Cheers. I wouldn't drink enough alcohol to make it worthwhile just for that, but I'm trying to decide if I would drink enough coffee drinks, milkshakes, and bottled water every day to make up the cost of the package.

DHS runs checks on the passengers during the cruise and the kid in the OP's story had the misfortune of calling on a US port first. Otherwise he would have been escorted off at the end too.

 

Yep. It happens very frequently, too. (I work for CBP.) This is why, like someone else said, you make sure that any potential legal problems are cleared up BEFORE you go on a cruise and you need to carry documentation of that with you. Even something like a warrant for a bad check can get you escorted off in handcuffs.

To be honest, I find solo cruising more fun than if I were going with someone, since I'm only focusing on having fun myself and not having to accommodate the wishes of the other person. I take my Kindle, book whatever tours (through the ship or independent) I wish, and just relax. You'll always run into people to talk to on the cruise. Just go with the flow of things and you'll be fine.

[quote name='RC Dancers']I hope they don't start banning people from bringing their own tea. I wonder if it shows up on the scanners?[/QUOTE]As a CBP employee who x-rays things, I can assure you that it does. They are never going to ban tea, though, as there aren't enough tea drinkers to make it worthwhile.

 

 

 

The specialty teas before were Bigelow brand; now, the new teas they are charging $1.95 for are not Bigelow but a new specialty tea brand with lots of interesting flavours.

Sounds like an upgrade, then, at least IMO! As a tea drinker, I'd rather get decent tea for $2 than have mediocre tea for free. And I do consider Bigelow to be mediocre. It's like the coffee on-board: I'd rather buy coffee at the coffee bar than drink the free dirty dishwater they call coffee. Of course, I'd much rather they offer good stuff for free, but if the option is either free and mediocre or up-charge and good, I'll take the up-charge, lol. I'll just have to bring along some of my cheap-as-chips but surprisingly delicious Turkish loose tea, just in case I dislike the available options.

While I understand the upset at yet another cut back, I kind of have to laugh at the outrage over the "good" tea bags being an up-charge now. I think just about anyone who was actually into tea was already bringing their own, as the "good" tea was barely better than the Lipton.

Thanks Bookbug53. Those portions are not very big at all.

 

HMMM, anyone have pictures of the meat portions? Specifically the ribeye and/or the filet?

 

Thanks!

 

I don't have pictures, but the filet is definitely a good size portion. Remember, you're also getting an appetizer, salad (or another appetizer), side dishes, bread (far better than what is served in the MDR), and dessert. You are not going to leave hungry. In fact, most people leave feeling stuffed to the gills.

I was just reading the rules for Cheers, and I never realized that it included coffees from the coffee bar. Is that a new change, because I could have sworn that it didn't include them when it first started.

Great! That means there's still some hope!

I've sailed on the Fascination (my first cruise), and while the experience was great, I wouldn't sail on a Fantasy-class ship for a long cruise. You're still spending more than half of your time on the ship, even on a port-intensive cruise, so to me, the amenities available on the ship are very important. For me, the Valor was the perfect size for the San Juan itinerary. It was large enough that it had more amenities than the Fantasy-class ships, but was small enough that it didn't take an age for everyone to get on/off while in port. I personally would not do this itinerary on the Fascination, and it's why I haven't even considered that itinerary lately.

I want to get it for my cruise on the Dream in September, but it's listed as being sold out. I remember that they used to open up some more slots within a few months of the cruise, but since it's been 3 years since I've cruised with Carnival, I don't know if they still do that.