Mavrick_RN

We just purchased specialty dining on Carnival Panorama (Tappenyaki) for 6 persons.  18% gratuity was automatically added.

I thought Carnival Security can always check your bag for contraband.  I found that out when my wife and I tried to sneak sealed bottles of Pre-mixed Margaritas on board in each of our checked bags.  Hers made it through.  My bag got searched and bottle seized and kept in Security for the duration of our trip.  They did leave a printed note that said I could retrieve my "item" from Security upon debarkation. Got it back and we had Margaritas in the hotel post-cruise.

In April on Carnival Spirit $10 minimum on Roulette Table.  Up from $5 pre-COVID.

On 1/6/2022 at 6:32 AM, chengkp75 said:

Well, actually the purpose of a canal transit is to get from one ocean to another.  😉

For cargo the time of day doesn't matter.  Cruise ship passengers wanna see stuff.

On 11/29/2021 at 9:14 AM, K&RCurt said:

We use a "Cooler Bag" we got at Costco.  It is designed to bring home cold / frozen food from shopping, but is larger than the "cooler" permitted by Carnival, doesn't look like a "cooler" so isn't questioned, can hold the 2 12 packs to bring onboard and will keep beverages on ice cold over 24 hrs.  We keep it in the shower and have our Steward keep it supplied with ice.  A pre-tip for the extra work has assured our drinks are always cold!

Brilliant.  I am officially gonna copy this idea and call it my own!

Fun topic for remembering.

Started on the Pride in 2009 with aft balcony as recommended by our "Cruises Excusivly" agent.  Always do balconies now.  We like the smaller ships, Freedom, Glory, Legend, Spirit.  Returning to aft balcony on a bigger ship, Carnival Panorama next year. We'll see.

We always do a steakhouse night.  Never dress-up for formal night. At least two soft serve cones per day usually with smallest amount of chocolate frozen yogurt cuz I like the cone part the best! Guys Burgers is my go-to.  Two cheese burger/bacon patties, no bun and potato sticks, no fries. Always have Melting Chocolate Cake with orange sherbet (give the vanilla to my wife).

Wash my own quik-dri clothes by wearing them into the gym shower and rolling them dry in a towel. I splurge on the Bottomless Bubbles package and make out like a bandit cuz I have a (soda) drinking problem. Tried all the sports/slide venues putt-putt, corn hole, basketball, chess, Green Thunder, even ping pong!  Looking forward to air cycles and ropes course on the Panorama. Have one ship-on-a-stick and won the Casino Fire Raffle and Hot Seat. In a group slot-pull we won the $10,000 Jackpot. Are regulars at the non-smoking Roulette Table and can go through 4 or 5 croupiers while still breaking even.  Our strategy is to "lose slowly" and sometimes we win. My wife plays and I'm the banker.

We take the dance classes and I'm not bad (for a man) as they say. Been on two Journeys cruises and my wife has been selected each time for the 50's style Dancing with the Stars Show and been the best dancer. The audience goes wild.  I am NOT making this up!

I am a big fan of the Bottomless Bubbles program and buy it everytime. 

What I have experienced:  Does not come with a refillable cup.  Buy or bring your own.  It varies whether you get a can opened or unopened or a glass filled with ice and accompanying the can.  Some bars will fill the glass from the dispenser they use for mixed drinks.  The "glass" from the pool deck bars is plastic.  Casino, atrium, theatre, lounge bars etc. are real glass.  Purchases must technically be 5 minutes apart so you can't keep refilling a container.  You can get soda with your meal in the MDR.  Get it somewhere else if you eat at the Buffet.  When in port you pay the tax, soda is therefore not "free".  4 sodas a day is about "break even".  Don't force yourself to finish a warm/ice melted soda.  Get another one!  Carnival now serves Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Zero, Starry Zero and others that I don't drink.

Now I want to go on a cruise!!!!!

1 hour ago, JenCruise710 said:

With all due respect, I asked for stranger's opinions on the best way to set up her sign and sail account, not on my parenting style, but the internet is full of experts so I'm not surprised either. 

You keep responding to opinions on your parenting style like it was the original question so I'm not surprised either that the internet experts chime in.  

It's tempting to chime in on the parent who keeps giving the overspending kid in the arcade more and more money to blow.  What does that teach?

And now, I'm moving on ..........

3 hours ago, dmet0225 said:

Pretty sure you don't need to explain your parenting techniques to strangers in an online forum.  Speaks more to them feeling it necessary to comment to you about how you're raising YOUR child.

I believe OP did ask for strangers' opinions.

We got back from a 16 day cruise fully expecting to get COVID.  We packed our own tests and had our Drs write a prescription for Paxlovid.  I also pack a mini pharmacy for colds, pains and seasickness.  Just add sunblock and bug spray.  Being fully prepared we suffered NO ills.

My experience has been if I order a soda while in port, I am initially charged $3.24.  $3.00 is subtracted as part of the package. $0.24 is not.  Card has been swiped, I sign the receipt and account is charged $0.24 for that soda.  When at sea,  the receipt is initially $3.00, $3.00 subtracted for $0.00 balance  charged to account.  Each transaction will show up on your folio statement.  Sometimes they don't swipe the card, give me the soda and it never shows up on the account statement.  Once they did swipe and tried to charge me but my ever-vigilant wife caught that and it was corrected.

We had ours in the mail slot like clockwork on the Spirit for our April Panama Canal Transit.  The phone app is invaluable for YTD sign in and on-the-go activities but it is so fun to catch up on my reading and planning for the next day while visiting the loo.

Yep, 4 sodas per day is just above break even since they charge $3.00 per can or glass. I always make out like a bandit since I can drink 8-9 sodas a day and then get a couple for my wife if the purchases are at least 5 minutes apart.  No "Sprite" since the switch.  It's "Starry".  Pepsi Zero, Diet Pepsi and Starry Zero are no cal choices.  Also juices at any bar.  They're supposed to open the can even if they hand it to you with a glass of ice..  But if they don't, you can take the can back to your room and put it in the fridge for later and save a room service charge.

I seriously think they just forget or don't know how it got turned on in the first place.  I don't want to believe people are being rude on purpose.

Au contraire, once your eyes adjust there is always something to see like the glow of a critters' retina looking back at YOU! Or stars that were essential to guide sailors.  Or ship lights in the distance. Or that one UFO everybody missed .......

Sometimes depends on storage all those years.  Heat wreaks havoc on medications. And off subject, diet beverages stored in a garage in an Arizona summer are just not the same!

More innocent reasons for name changes:  Divorce, Adoption, Gender Transition, Career enhancement.

If going on a cruise reveals your witness protection status better stay home (and alive) but check with your supervisor on that. LOL

On 4/14/2023 at 10:08 AM, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Why should your desire to sleep with the curtains open trump someone else's desire to have their balcony light on?

They had no desire to have their balcony light on.

As previously stated, don't buy this stock for the actual investment.  If you cruise a lot or take longer cruises (We got $250 OBC for a 16 day cruise) that's where the pay off is.  No matter what the stock market does, as long as you cruise Carnival, you win.  Of course, no one is absolutely certain of the future so we assume Carnival stays in business and continues stockholder benefit, a calculated risk.  We take a calculated risk like this every time we fly or drive to the cruise port.  The vast majority of us make it and have a splendid holiday!

And it's reuseable.  EVERYTIME you cruise you can use that one stock purchase to get OBC.  Buy now while it's cheap.

We are planning a 3 day cruise out of Long Beach in January 2022.  Any suggestions for a hotel with reasonable parking and shuttle to the cruise terminal?  Or is it easier/cheaper to pay for parking at the Terminal?

Thanks for any feedback this far out but we gotta make plans.  Been out of the cruising loop waaay too long!

Mav & LuLu

The "Ides of March" would be Sunday, March 15.

Plastic bottles with lids could contain anything that's why you are only allowed to bring cans of soda and not plastic bottles.  Too many dishonest/sneaky peple before you came along.

On 1/28/2020 at 3:31 PM, capecruzer said:

Do I understand correctly that you cannot bring on plastic water bottles?  I've never seen individual cartons of water, or any size actually.

VIFPs get 2 complimentary 1 L bottles of water.  Just like the ones already in your stateroom that they charge $3.95 for only they're free.  We put them in the mini fridge and just add ice for an Arctic Cocktail!

On 1/28/2020 at 3:31 PM, capecruzer said:

Do I understand correctly that you cannot bring on plastic water bottles?  I've never seen individual cartons of water, or any size actually.

VIFPs get 2 complimentary bottles of water.  Just like the ones already in your stateroom that they charge $3.95 for only they're free.  We put them in the mini fridge and just add ice for an Arctic Cocktail!

On 1/15/2020 at 10:36 PM, matymil said:

Weird how in no part of the OP did it ask for an opinion on texting on board, or your opinion specifically yet you still felt in necessary to interject it. Must of missed that part 

As did you.  There is no way to win this. (must of ????)

Check out the size of the bathroom.  I think it looks a little bigger. We really liked the bath tub and double sinks the Ocean Suite offers.  Will have to check out that Jr. Suite.  Is there a price difference?