CruiseExplorer

Just wanted to share I WON!!! The Carnival Auction: $300!!!

It took over 170k points but I literally have never won anything worth this much! If it wasn’t for this site I wouldn’t have even known about the auction.

Thank you Cabo Bob for posting about the Auction! Carnival here we come...well when everything opens back up:-)

Does it have to be for a specific Amex card?

I've called & tried to add myself however they have no idea what I'm talking about.

I would really like to book cruise today.....

The ecard is received quickly via email. I used to get the plastic gift cards which take longer to receive, between 1-2 weeks in my experience. I book direct with Carnival so I cant help you with the 3rd party question. If I were booking with a 3rd party, I would just give them the card number and pin no different than providing your credit card info. Not sure if you get them from Verizon but they are available all the time now. They used to be sporadic and would sell out in a second.

Thank you Woodfaerie! You answered my question.

Would someone please explain the pros/cons of the eGift card over the mail order? We are wanted to book a cruise a month away & wanted to see if we purchase the eGift card would we be able to book the cruise immediately? Also, from anyone's personal experience, if we purchase eGift cards do we have to book directly or can we go thru a third party?

Thank you!

How were the ship's Playlist Production shows? I have read mixed reviews about Playlist Productions.

Hmmmm.......I want to make sure I answer this politically correct. They weren't bad but they weren't good either. We were a little disappointed with the actual singing....However, please understand that it was the exact same show from 4 years ago on Ecstasy so my comment may be jaded because we were expecting something a little different.

BUT, the party after the Motown Show was SO much fun in the Atrium, my husband & I danced & laughed so hard. This is where a very good Cruise Director comes in handy-we thought Benjamin was great!

What were the Platinum gifts this time ?

I know you asked about the Platinum gifts, but I just wanted to mention that the VIPF party was REALLY nice. Probably not even 20 people there. They had 3 games, won a plaque for one & the 3 winners took pictures with the ship's officers. It was a nice gesture that they surprised the winners with the pictures in our cabin on the last night.

1st party since the change & it was very enjoyable for us......

Whoomp there it is !!!!!!

Just bought 5 cards. Go get 'em!

Please excuse my lack of knowledge on these type of cards......We typically just book our cruises with our cc directly to Carnival.

However, seeing the excitement on this thread we must be missing out :0

So are there any cons of using a 3rd party for these type of giftcards?

We are looking at 2 cruises (August & Jan. '17), do ppl purchase for the whole cruise amount or is this more for onboard credit?

It's a little confusing with the different types of giftcards-some refundable, some not. Can someone give a simple explanation of how they remember the differences?

We have over 120k points with Verizon, it would be nice to finally be able to use some of these points for cash:)

TY in advance for your response.

We just came through MSY a day ago for business, we flew Delta & made it through in about 15 mins. We did arrive at 2:30pm, however within minutes we did see a long line.

As other poster mentioned, it is really dependent on airline carrier & time of day.

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Don't forget to save a little time to check out the Riverwalk. Also, there is a Cafe de Monde there for the beignets:-)

My wife had the replenish package and the few times that she wanted an alcoholic drink she just ordered a shot on the side and mixed it in herself.

Hi Ken,

Typically how much is a shot on the side?

That's what I am concerned about. We sail in 2 weeks and really wanted to buy a drink package with my onboard ship credit. Buying now would guarantee the current rate, but I have a $650 credit. I guess that can cover gratuities and a couple ship excursions. Was not planning on doing excursions this time. :rolleyes:

I'm a lot newer to cruising than most of you, but how do you get a $650 onboard credit? I'm about to book a RCL & I would love to get the best deal. Looking online can become so overwhelming......

Regarding the drink packages, does everyone in the room have to purchase the package?

Thank you for your help!

Hubby and I are avid cruisers, but I have a popular home décor/construction blog that I used to review our trip last week on the Carnival Breeze. We had an amazing time and wanted to share our experience and photos. The staff was absolutely amazing, as is always the case on Carnival.

 

http://ourbarbiedreamhouse.blogspot.com/

Wow!?! Nice review! I won't spoil the end.....Happy Belated Anniversary!

You all take great pictures. We are on the Breeze in 2.5 weeks, we cannot wait!!!

Thank you for taking the time to do your review.

I should have said refills on FunShip Specials?

Having been on the Dream in October 2011, I already knew exactly what would be offered on the Lido deck during embarkation day. Sure enough, long lines outside at the poolside grill (burgers and hot dogs) and Pizza Pirate, as well as inside the Gathering buffet, which was Italian themed on embarkation day. We skipped past all of this and headed up the staircase behind the dessert station and up to Deck 11 to the Pasta Bar, now named Pasta Bella on Carnival ships.

 

 

I had penne with pomodoro, shrimp, spinach, and mushrooms with a side of bread. The bread at the pasta bar is the best; fresh baked rolls with a hint of rosemary and olive oil.

 

My friend had linguine with alfredo, chicken, and spinach, I think.

 

After lunch, we were off to explore the ship for a bit. It didn't take long for us to settle in at the Blue Iguana Tequila Bar for our first drink of the cruise.

 

 

 

One thing that I found missing on this cruise were the classic FunShip specials being delivered by all of the bar waiters on embarkation day. Carnival has done away with the classic hurricane glass and Drink of the Day promotion; replacing it with feature drinks in different areas of the ship. The Blue Iguana Tequila Bar and RedFrog Rum Bar each had their own mixed/frozen drink special every day, which was always $1 off, and a draft beer special that was $2 off for a 101 ounce beer tube (about $26 + gratuity). They have several different collectible cups, ranging from swirl sport bottles to plastic parrots, to tiki totem pole cups, but all were significantly more expensive than the old FunShip Special in the hurricane glass. FunShip specials are now served in a regular plastic tumbler on embarkation day.

Great Review! Looking forward to more:)

Do you know if Carnival still allow refills on DOD even though its in tumbler cup?

Thank you!