Sea Raven

36 minutes ago, Rudyard said:

 

What's funny is that they usually tell you about it in a thread where someone's asking about phone plans in other countries, can they text on the ship, etc. They have this weird air of superiority that compels them to tell you they don't use their phones, even when the thread is about the opposite. To paraphrase the old joke, how can you tell someone puts their phone in the safe on a cruise? Wait five minutes and they'll tell you. 

Back in the old days of flip phones and low tech, I guess people could lock up their phones. After all, they were only missing actual phone calls, not emails, texts, stock market updates, apps, etc. And, I have long suspected that lots of folks who want to get away from their phones on a cruise, are ACTUALLY trying to get away from the people on the other end, not the technology. 

1 hour ago, odyssyus said:

Agreed.  I'm a Gen X'r and while I could easily pick up my phone and push buttons, I'm not accepting of this very lazy practice by Carnival.  Treat me like a guest with some class.  Take me when I show up and find me a table, hand my wife and I a menu in our hands properly, and don't try to take my whole food order before you've offered and delivered drinks.  I'm not at Denny's....

My only question about this is regarding the ordering process. I always thought that when a single menu presented multiple courses and beverages, that is has always been customary to select from each of the courses and verbalize those selections in order and in their entirety in one request. At least one from each course. The exception is when an establishment presents you with a separate dessert menu before the dessert course. Am I mistaken? 

2 hours ago, RoperDK said:

Does Carnival have burgers on room service now!!!!  Can someone post the menu for me?

Don't have the menu handy, but it's listed as Beef Burger. One option and it's essentially a good bacon cheeseburger. Comes with fries. I've never tried to customize it or anything, so not sure about that. 

33 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

I attended a Carnival event where this was featured.  There was nothing about pricing on this was discussed. 

My sailing in October 2025 lists Pearl Cove prices as $99.99 for general access, $139.99 for access and open bar, and $179.99 for all inclusive access. We will probably book the all inclusive option. Its in my cart. I'm still deciding on excursions for other ports. 

1 hour ago, TN Roz said:

Whether fresh cut or frozen, Guys is still the best burger and fries at sea!

I use to agree until I ordered one of the room service burgers a few cruises ago. They are huge and wonderful. (But not free). Not sure if the accompanying fries are hand cut or not but they are tasty. So far the  room service burgers were the best on the Magic, and second best on Mardi Gras. Next time I will have to get a Guys burger to do a more in-depth analysis and comparison!

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32 minutes ago, dbrucern said:

I'm sort of happy about this because every time we have rented a Cabana someone was always pulling their clam shell right in front of the path they had for us to get to the water

 

This is actually a good thing. Last time we rented a cabana, clam shells were in a semi-circle around us.They also blocked our path to the water. Not a HUGE deal breaker but as much as the cabanas cost now I would prefer more privacy. 

Years ago, we booked one of the aft corner suites on deck 5 of the Sunshine. It was very nice and super quiet.One of the quietest cabins I have ever booked on any ship as a matter of fact. I remember no smell of smoke at all. The casino is further away than it looks on the deck p!ans.  It was nice to be so convenient to the coffee shop and at the time they served a small breakfast buffet in the ocean plaza area. Would book back there again. 

12 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

I am confused, which did you dislike more?

The old vinyl is perfectly fine with me. It has served Carnival well for many years.  I was just surprised by the wear and tear already evident on the Mardi Gras sofa since it was so new. I feel like it may be an ongoing battle to keep them fresh and clean looking. Maybe they could go with a gray or blue vinyl instead of fabric.

My cabin on the Mardi Gras in May had a smaller, but still noticeable, stain right up front and center. At the time I thought it was a bit tacky for them to leave the sofa in that condition, but maybe they do?? I suspect the old "orange" vinyl furniture was easier to keep clean than the cheap looking upholstery used on the Excel ships. 

4 hours ago, PlanoTim said:

I don’t really understand why someone would cancel someone else’s cruise like was described here.  Did the person who canceled the cruise receive a refund from Carnival somehow?  Was it an acquaintance of the cruiser with a big axe to grind?  Wouldn’t the individual that canceled the cruse want to get some benefit from doing so?  What would that benefit be?  Thanks,

Tim

They could have cancelled the current occupants to book the suite themselves or for another interested party who seized an opportunity when all the pertinent required  information was right in front of them. There is only one presidential suite to book, and possibly someone willing to get it this way.

And, just as I suspected, she is now combining her posts about Carnival with information about her Reiki and crystal healing services.

I just watched an interview with her and she says she is looking for monetary compensation to include all her related expenses for the trip and a public apology from Carnival. She expressed that she no longer wanted to book a cruise vacation with any cruise line at all right now, citing trust issues. Was this their first ever cruise? Also, I have a suspicion that, if indeed the cancelling party did get her booking number from Facebook, they are either the people who turned around and booked the cabin,, or they know who did.

On my last several cruises on the Magic, the cabin temperature ranged from comfortable to downright chilly if you didn't watch it. Public areas were all comfortable except the theater, which was actually cold. I worked for a mechanical contractor for 43 years, so I am always somewhat interested in the HVAC workings on the ships. I am looking forward to my first Excel ship experience with my b2b on Mardi Gras in a couple of weeks.

Yay!! Following this since I will sail my first ever b2b on the Mardi Gras in May. 

52 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 PLEASE DON'T TAKE MY EGGS BENEDICT AWAY (hearing Paul Simon in my head now)...

I actually have never ordered an omelette on Carnival, but I have eaten my fair share of Eggs Benedict. In the MDR, I order them without meat and get a side of bacon. Their hollandaise is always fresh and surprisingly pretty darn tasty. Next time I may order a cheese omelette just to try one.

Last couple of cruises, we simply walked right to the muster station upon boarding, chatted with the crew member for a moment, watched her don a life jacket and she told us to meet there if called to do so in an emergency, and we were on our way. Easy peasy. After we got to our cabin, we watched the video that was playing on repeat on the television.

Thanks so much for this review and all the pics. You have helped me make the decision to book the Venezia Journeys cruise I had my eyes on for 2026. Plus, I couldn't resist the chance to go back to Tortola. 

Afternoon tea is alive and well. This past May aboard the Magic, tea time was very well attended. 

7 hours ago, iheartmarshall said:

I board her this coming Sunday and will be happy to report back!  

I did notice in our cruise group that there's a ton of first-timers on board.  I wonder if that's throwing some of the reviews as well, just simply not knowing what to expect?  This will be my 5th or 6th cruise on Carnival and while I wouldn't call myself an expert, I would say I'm experienced and know what to expect and what is/is not the fault of the ship/staff. 

This is a valid question, and I believe that sometimes new cruisers can have unrealistic expectations for their first time. If every bite of food is not life-changing, and every show or excursion not awe-inspiring, they can feel let down. Research and reading everything you can about any new experience is very helpful. Having said that, I have sailed on the Magic three times and enjoyed each one immensely. In my opinion, she has one of the most organized dining staffs I have encountered and told them that on my last sailing. 

They did this on my 10 day Journeys cruise on the Magic back in June out of Norfolk. It was listed as a Throwback to 1987 Captain's Gala. The Cruise Director, Captain, and other officers attended and made speeches. Drinks and canapes were served. It was held in the main theater and after the presentation, everyone was encouraged to come up and dance on the main stage to live swing and jazz style music. 

1 minute ago, Linsuesue said:

Will there be different ports on your second cruise, or are you doing the same cruise twice?

The first cruise is an Eastern Caribbean with the ports of Nassau, Grand Turk, and Amber Cove. The second one is a Western one with Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Mahogany Bay as the ports. It will be my first time on the Mardi Gras!!

Just simply book two adjacent cruises on the same ship and you are doing a back to back. I have two consecutive trips booked on the Mardi Gras next May. The first leg is in a balcony cabin and the second leg is in the Ocean Suite next door. They are booked as two separate cruises.

The outside deck area of the Red Frog Pub has a couple of wooden swing type seating areas and they tend to be pretty quiet and centrally located on Deck 5.

There was a post 8 hours ago on Carnival social media that showed a young couple enjoying their cruise on the Sunshine and participating in activities around the ship. They made mention of  the fact that despite the crew having to brave previous rough weather,they were able to board and have a great time. They made no comments that would lead one to believe that the ship had in any manner been "destroyed" as some news accounts quoted.

1 hour ago, carrieluvsgreg said:

 Now, looking at the posted picture it looks so dated... Like, 1980 called and they want their tablecloths back... 🤣

I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels this way, especially when you see the pictures from the ships that had the beige or slightly pink tinted ones. I feel like they are in the same category as lace doilies under Grandma's lamps.