Jasonsterling

23 hours ago, mondello said:

@Jasonsterling yeah, I looked at my planner and it doesn't say if tip is included. I'm inclined to agree with Saint Greg as I think I've seen it posted before.

It's definitely possible. I'm going by the FAQ section on the Steakhouse at Carnival.com but it might not be updated. Although if it's not it's sure to lead to a lot of confusion. It could be a measure partially rolled out as well ship to ship. 

I was on the Breeze a couple of weeks ago. I feel like the description when I booked the Steak House stated gratuity was included, however there's also a tip line. I think, though, there's always been a tip line there but that might be because I've always order the wine pairing or a bottle of wine of something like that. In any event, I've always tipped in addition to the "included" gratuity and I did this time as well as though I were tipping on a meal at home. 

On 8/21/2021 at 11:15 PM, Elaine5715 said:

 

The CHEERS receipt does NOT show a recommended gratuity amount.  The 18% on a full price CHEERS package works out to be about $9 per day will would be spread over all beverages ordered a day.  On a typical day, I had three bottles of water, three lattes,  8 alcoholic beverages.  If I did not add extra, I would have tipped 68 cents per drink under the CHEERS program.  I always add $1 

I think about it the same way as shown here. I have PAID an 18 percent gratuity in the first fifty dollars of drinks when buying the plan but typically my bill would have been around one hundred dollars for drinks without the plan so, in a sense, the staff has only be tipped half of usual, plus I usually tip twenty percent not eighteen. For that reason I add an additional dollar or two or even more to each drink I order based on effort involved. 

It would have to be a very good deal to risk it I think and so far I've never seen a deal that good. There are some really bad locations on every ship. That said I've booked a really bad room all on my own and paid the regular amount so choosing yourself is no guarantee either, lol.  

On the Breeze I'd say the buffet was "lighter" than on a fully booked ship which is to be expected. We were sailing at only 45-50 percent and I can't imagine the waste if they tried to provide the full experience of a max capacity ship. As well, I think the wide variety of other places to eat is cutting into the buffet quality and necessity. I haven't used the buffet for true dining in years, I might grab some dessert there but even though an upcharge there's several other places to try in the evening and I still enjoy the MDR at night. I'd say that there was as varied a selection and option at the buffet as the MDR though despite not feeling as extensive as before COVID. 

4 hours ago, grumpyjr88 said:

How did i get screwed? 😳

Ha ha- I was just joking cause your offer was ten dollars more than the one posted on FB so you had to pay more so they screwed you over- lol, I wasn't being serious. Obviously your offer was very good. I meant it in a light hearted "I'm jealous" way. 

9 hours ago, sheri117 said:

When are reservations available?  We are booked on the Vista in January and I don’t see any dining reservations available. Is it too early?

They don't have it on the Vista yet I think. I keep watching as well. On the Vista you pass through the kitchen to get to the Chef's Table dining room and maybe due to the risk of spreading Covid to the kitchen they've not restarted? That's just a guess but maybe. 

I did it on the Breeze about two weeks ago- it was great as always. I was so glad they offered it. Here's the menu and a couple of shots. I very much hope the Vista opens the table for my upcoming trip in December- if not I'll be fine but it would be nice. 

On 9/2/2021 at 7:03 PM, naxer said:

OK, got the announcement from  Carnival today.  It's all getting real.  We're scheduled to cruise on the Mardi Gras, leaving Thanksgiving weekend.  With the testing, and wearing masks indoors, I'm questioning how enjoyable it will be.  I like the Playlist Production type entertainment, and the live music at the bars in the evening.  

 

For those who sailed with the masking policy, was it as fun?  Originally, I didn't think it would bother me, but now I'm wondering if sailing in November with these guidelines might be like a death by 1000 cuts.  Would you sail again with the masking?  The alternative would be going to Disney.

Honestly I didn't find it to be a big deal. It was depend for everybody but outdoors it wasn't required and indoors it was mostly around food, like the buffet, tight areas like the comedy club/elevators. Walking around hallways, stair wells, sitting and drinking at the bars, sitting at a table and eating, the spa, ect. was all mask free. I found the pre-testing to be a bigger deal due to the stress, lol. The mask never bothered me and several of us played it up with fun adaptations- the picture here I wore a typical disposable mask underneath. It was actually fun and can be if you take it in the right frame of mind. Not only would I go again but I am going again on NYE in a couple of months and I expect largely the same policies in place as now. 

On 9/6/2021 at 8:31 AM, grumpyjr88 said:

It was $45...i got the offer and instabooked. Lol

Sorry you got screwed- lol- the person in question posted a screenshot of the deal and it was $35.00 Ha ha- been seeing prices all over the map actually and who knows maybe her's was four day and your's five. 

17 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I'm going to quit booking carnival for a while and see if I get some of these discounted offers people post they are getting for like $200 plus taxes. All I get is full priced as if I was a  newbie. 

Ha ha- no kidding someone was posting like a 35.00 VIFP deal they got for a four day on the Breeze for September/October. Really? Meanwhile same prices as always on my page. Carnival needs to drop the lottery system and what they offer one VIFP person they offer them all.

20 hours ago, jet228 said:

Hey cruisers! Just for a little background, I've cruised twice with each of Carnival, Royal Caribbean (after next weekend), and NCL. My cruises on Carnival were 7 and 4 years ago. 

 

I'm constantly dreaming and test booking cruises from a bunch of different lines,  and weighing the pluses and minuses of all. 

 

Carnival never seems to win when it comes to straight up value,  and I'm wondering from the die hard Carnival fans: why do you book Carnival? Is it itinerary,  ship amenities,  or something else?

 

I'll likely go on a Carnival cruise again soon as I want to see how the product has changed in the past 4 years so just curious for input from fans.

 

Thanks!

Value is very subjective, lol but for a long time I booked Carnival because the port was close (Galveston) and the itinerary was good and the schedule fit and then yeah it seemed like a good value- size of cabin, dining choices, atmosphere, included amenities that I was apt to actually use tied to price for the dates in question at the port in question. Eventually it just became what I know and enjoy although I do think the model is shifting some, especially with the new class of ships, to more equal the RCL model. In addition RCL is moving a 220,000 ton liner to Galveston to a brand new terminal. I'm certain I will sail that ship as Carnival has nothing like it- even their newest class. It'll be my first cruise outside Carnival and we'll see what I think from there. 

8 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

Well, once you are aboard as we are currently I can tell you that cruising now isn’t far off from normal. Besides a mask, everything else is the same. Service has been wonderful . 

This is true and even masking wasn't that invasive. The pre-test was a little stressful but at least I could find out before traveling down to the port. The ship itself was fantastic, everyone was having a great time and it really felt just like it was, except fewer people, lol. I'm headed out again for NYE and can't wait to get back.

On 8/30/2021 at 11:02 AM, tallnthensome said:

 I immediately got up and went out to the spa desk and told them. They were in shock and apologized profusely and ran in and got them out of there. 

You made the right decision. I really can't imagine what some people are thinking. There's not a lot of areas on the ship that are adults only- I'm sure they could find somewhere else to go.

On 8/17/2021 at 1:09 PM, firefly333 said:

That's what I keep thinking. Carnival is all about their casino pax. Feeling left out. It does make me feel like I'm not carnivals target or wanted. 

 

Good thing rcl is making it up with the best ever prices for solos I've ever seen. ..and I thought I already had good solo prices. Now im wishing I didnt book breeze. Rcl treating me better. 

I’ve started to think that as well, lol. There’s definitely a focus there from what I’ve seen. Admittedly not my deal to gamble so okay I guess all the money I spend elsewhere on the ship is just not balancing the scales. Ha ha. I’m looking forward to RCL moving their mega ship o Galveston. That’ll be my first jump from Carnival. 

On 8/13/2021 at 7:39 PM, Iplayslots said:

We just canceled our cruise for next week.  Too stressful to take a vacation with all these rules. Not the right time. 
stay home, stress free, no mask, no testing, no islands with restrictions, no flying with a mask on for hours.  
never thought canceling a vacation could feel so liberating. Strange, but true.  

I understand your position here and I thought about cancelling as well, partially because the measures feel designed mostly to CYA the corporation and little else. The situation wasn't dangerous enough to immediately roll out masking across the fleet and I'll bet part of that was not wanting the videos and marketing being created with the Mardi Gras launch to be forever covered with masks which was more important than the Delta outbreak obviously. Nor was it dangerous enough for Carnival to provide the option of testing at the port which would have financially put more of a strain on them versus my showing them that I was negative three days before boarding which means nothing by the time I actually get on board. So, you know I don't see the implementation of these measures as very effective and I don't see a true danger there or everything would have been rolled out at once. That said in the end I decided to go on the 21st, I might regret it. We'll see but if I do regret it on this five day voyage then at least I know well enough in advance to cancel NYE's 8 day and maybe the Sailabration next March if it seems like this is just going to drag out forever. I have a friend looking to cancel NYE as it stands and expecting me to convince her why she should go, lol. Hopefully I'll still feel like she and I should when I get back.  

I don't know how many people caught it at Walmart yesterday or the local Tex-Mex restaurant packed wall to wall or the Back to School night or the airport I'm about to use in five days or the hotel following that and I didn't know Disney World numbers back in January before I could even get vaccinated. I don't know the numbers anywhere else in the country so why would I care overly much about the ship? It's the same as everywhere, I'm vaccinated, I wash my hands, I'll wear the mask where required or where I feel I need to otherwise and that's it. There's no real need to know I think. It wouldn't change my mind.

Ha ha ha ha- okay. I've never hit my 15 drink limit on the Drink plan but I can't imagine how much I would spend on first fifteen drinks and then more past that versus the cost of the drink plan... maybe buy a bottle for the cabin as a future hedge against the risk of getting sober along with the drink plan- LOL 🤣

They got some at Walmart. They need me to bring along? Lol. 

You can get Covid literally anywhere and I challenge people to find a vacation spot acting as stringently as cruise lines are. I don’t consider a half dozen or even a dozen mild to asymptotic cases to be a big deal and hardly an “outbreak” or in any way contributing to the Delta surge. I’ll keep saying this, we are not going to get to zero. We just need to get to manageable and I think cruise lines are trying harder than any other travel segment to get there. Go to an airport, airplane, hotels or destination activities like sports fields, restaurants, shopping etc. Those are a free for all.

8 hours ago, RnB said:

**Unfortunately, we are unable to accept guests who are dependent on oxygen or dialysis on sailings during our restart phase (through December 2021). This includes guests who use oxygen cylinders and concentrators. We will remain optimistic that our approach on future sailing will become more flexible.**

 

Carnival hasn't announced this.  We were cancelled because we advised them of the wife's disability when we booked.  how many will show up to be denied boarding?

They have you do health screenings before you board online at home. Does it not ask those questions? If so then it would inform the passenger at that time, so they wouldn't end up going to the port and finding out there. That said I'm sorry to hear about your inability to go. There's nothing to be done about it in either the long or short term I think but you have my sympathies. It is a form of discrimination just as any measure implemented to impede or prevent a group from anything is but discrimination is not necessarily illegal or even a bad thing. If a private beach insists that you be certified in swimming to a certain level in order to swim they are discriminating against everyone below that level but it undoubtedly is due to the dangers of swimming in the area and the skill required. I hope you are able to find some resolution here and find an even better time on a different type of vacation.

On 7/14/2019 at 9:19 PM, bfree32 said:

Our family cruises often and on various lines......RCCL/Norwegian/Carnival. Recently returned from the Breeze and I wanted to comment on the lack of stations to watch in staterooms. In the past few years, I have become used to having ESPN International and usually 2 news channels. I enjoy watching sports and have watched NCAA tournament games, football, NBA, Ryder Cup and baseball playoffs in the past. 
Unfortunately, on the Breeze we only had access to CBS News channel (I've heard of Fox News and MSNBC, but never CBS News Network). No ESPN. No Fox Sports. Nothing. The US Women's World Cup final was not shown anywhere on the ship. For some reason, Wimbledon matches on ESPN were shown in the casino, but not in staterooms. How can they have an ESPN feed to show in public places, but not in Staterooms?
The news channel issue was just as concerning....never heard of CBS cable news network. Why cant Carnival give us CNN or FOX or MSNBC?

My guess.....money. There obviously is a cost to providing those networks to staterooms and Carnival opts not to pay it.

I may upset some Carnival fans with this post and I would like to know if there is a history to which channels are offered or other explanations for the low number of channels. (but please don't say that a person should be on vacation and not want to watch news or sports) 

That person should be on vacation and not watch new or sports. LOL- but no really I'm sure it's cost tied to use. By and large most people on a cruise or vacation away from home in general just don't watch a lot of TV and the cost required to supply it to one thousand rooms whether they use it or not versus the handful of people that will make use of it doesn't balance in the end. Every access point for a channel cost money- so one thousand access points is MUCH more expensive than say three in the sports bar. Not to mention if you have to go to the sports bar to watch sports chances are you'll buy something there as well, so that side of the money picture exists in addition. 

2 hours ago, travelplus said:

I booked the Chef's Table for the  February 26th Cruise at $95 plus gratuities. I wanted to know what is the difference between the $75 and $95 price? Do we get more courses,cocktails etc? 

 

Also I booked the Steakhouse for night one and Cuchina Del Capitano for the last night will they work around my Specialty Dining or reschedule it if need be?

 

Am I guaranteed a spot for the Chef's Table as I booked it online?

 

I am a foodie and love wine etc. I watch all the Food TV shows including Gordon Ramsay and love Fine Dining. Is there an email address for the Panorama to let them know about my birthday?

 

Any tips? I am open minded and love learning about the behind the scenes!

 

Thanks 

Someone mentioned that they were charged 75 dollars and told it was discounted by 20 dollars because they weren't doing the galley tour- so maybe. When I booked it last Spring it was 95 dollars then as well. My Steakhouse reservation did coincide with the Chef's table and the Steak House rearranged for another night but you have to go visit it them to have it done. Nothing automatic kicked in there. I don't know what the Steak House would do if they were just completely full and couldn't take another diner for the rest of the cruise, except just refund your money. If that happens, the Chef's Table, for what it's worth is better than the Steak House. It's an exceptional offering. I have it booked on my upcoming cruise on the Breeze and was so glad they finally opened it up to book.

On 8/5/2021 at 1:33 PM, tbone77 said:

Hello all,

 

Have any of you solo cruiser dined in the steakhouse?  Were you seated with a group on anyone else? Were you seated by yourself?  I've been cruising solo for the last 9 years after my divorce and am used to dining alone, but I don't want to get the awkward stares from other diners.  

 

Thanks in advance

Robin D

Never have but I am on my next cruise- I assumed as others have confirmed here that it would be a table for one which I'm okay with. It's an early dining time that night so I can get on to other stuff so it might not even be that crowded yet. Can't wait to get there!

Nice, glad you liked it. The rooms seemed smaller (narrower) to me when watching videos. Glad to know it wasn't a problem. I don't think Carnival cares about frequent guests either, lol but it is what it is I guess. I wasn't surprised when reports were saying the lounge was reserved for Suite guests only as a consequence. The "Reunion" party looked fairly lame as well. That said, glad overall you enjoyed it. It looks like the first BIG departure for Carnival in ship design in decades.