getupgo

I guess I get a kick out of price drops because I cruised for years without knowing there was such a thing. I had even booked early saver for the lower price. CC has taught me a lot.

It may be $50 per person penalty. I always book early saver until my next cruise in 2016. There are no cabins available in my category and only $60 difference in the price so it wasn't worth the restrictions to me.

There is a penalty to cancel and no refund on deposit. You get a $50 penalty plus you have a limited time to use the credit for your deposit. But if you are absolutely sure about your date and time its a good deal because you can get price drops up until 2 days before your cruise. One more thing, there has to be a cabin available in your exact category to get the price drop. Maybe you are looking at a Super Saver. There are different rules for everything. Just make sure you understand before you sign up.

Thank you. Now, that doesn't look so bad. Very encouraging.

I hate to appear totally dense but I need clarification. Am I right in concluding that if you sign up when you get onboard, you are stuck with that time every night? We eat a different time every night which is why we enjoy Freestyle and YTD so much. It sounds like if you sign up, you are stuck with it, but you do have the option of just showing up. Is that right?

I would check out reviews on the kid's clubs on both ships. Kids seem to love Carnival, but I have no personal experience.

I was hoping to go back yo RCI, but what you describe is not Freestyle or YTD. We just show up any time we want on MCL and Carnival and have never waited.

I haven't sailed RCI in 5 years once I discovered Carnival's Your Time Dining and Freestyle with NCL. I cannot ever go back to assigned dining agsin. Now, I have heard that RCI offers a similar program. Is that true? Vision of the Sea has some itineraries out of Tampa that I'm interested in if they are offering an Anytime Dining option.

I can't believe y'all are being so unsympathetic. I cruise twice a year and one of those cruises is Carnival and none of the things happening to OP ever happened to me. Other than not being able to dock, the ither complaints reek of poor management and I think it should be pointed out and future guests warned. Thank you.

I think it's very expensive so call and be sure to ask what the resort fee and tax is.

I am now convinced that the Sunshine is a great ship and we will have a wonderful cruise. I am very excited about being able to sail to Aruba out if Port Canaveral. I did change to a 4j cabin which is a first for me. So I am no longer discouraged and really appreciate all the encouraging words.

Found it. You are really a very nice person to take your time to help me. I am now feeling very positive about this cruise. Thank you very much.

Helpful hints: During breakfast and lunch go to aft section. Havana Bar area (huge area) to eat breakfast and lunch and you have two speciality restaurants back there that serve omelette's in the morning and during lunch serves items (free) from pay dinner menus. Never crowded......the ship does get crowded by we laid out by the water works....usually no chair issues. The shows and comedy, need to arrive early. Casino smoking area is crowded....nuisance but no big deal. Loved it last year and booked again this year. YTD dining you get better dining room in my opinion...aft...always request table in very back....

I cannot find the Havana bar on the Deck Plan.. Have they renamed it? I appreciate your hints and instructions very much.

I called Carnival and CV she said the 4j's on Deck 7 are handicap cabins. Seems like an odd place for handicap besides too small for a wheelchair. I'm sticking and will bring a mirror with suction cups. Thank you to all who offered advice.

No. I have never taken food off the ship other than prepackaged snack bars. Please read before you jump me. I said they have never checked.

Still not clear from these helpful comments if there is a desk with a mirror that I can use for makeup table. I can live with no couch if I have a desk. It's just 2 of us and we are pretty easy to please. The low cost with a window is making me stick right now.

The guy was not on any excursion. So not booking with the ship excursion was not an issue. Any online vendor will get you back to the ship on time. That is their #1 priority.

Thank you. Thus is an 8 day cruise so I may rethink my decision. I was encouraged by the positive comments about the ship.

The rule is no food, but they never check. I' be thought about taking a sandwich off in a zip lock bag which we always carry. Never have but do carry snack bars.

I don't understand why you think a trio excursion thru the ship would have made a difference. I never book thru the ship and every vendor I have ever used knew the first priority was being back before the ship leaves. The ship uses fear tactics to get people to pay them big bucks for same thing you get online. Half the time you are there with people from your ship

I have booked 6103 on Sunshine for March 2016 because I need a window and do not expect any drops since there are few ships that go to Aruba out of Port Canaveral. I am concerned that all the diagrams I have seen of the cabin look very small with no couch and I'm not sure there's a desk. Has anyone stayed in that room? For the first time, I did not book Early Saver so I can cancel with no penalty. All 4js are booked so no chance of price drop with Early Saver so I chose not to go that way. I hope someone can help me.

Has anyone stayed in Cabin 6103? Looking at the deck plan, I cannot tell if there is a desk or not. There doesn't appear to be a couch. It looks very small and I'm getting a little concerned.

Did anyone mention that there has to be a cabin in your category open to get the drop? I have always booked ES and benefited greatly, but next year I am in a 4j and all cabins in that category are filled so no chance of a drop so no reason to live with the restrictions.

For us its really not itinerary because most of your time is on the ship and in ports your only there for a handful of hours and not everyday your at a port anyways.

 

I take more than one cruise per year plus I do take land vacations too...

 

My main cruise must be all about the ship. I want big, variety and better food. I want it all a combination of entertainment, casino, activities, and better dining/food. Usually my main cruise is on RC, Oasis/Allure of the Seas because these ships are the best overall...but I have taken Carnival as my main cruise and the Dream, Magic and Breeze are the only ones I would consider. I do cruise on Carnivals older ships but it has to be my second/third cruise for the year.

 

This coming May I was booked on the Oasis of the Seas but Carnival offered us a premier casino offer which meant it would be half the cost of the Oasis and is still a balcony cabin on the Valor plus we get $900 cash back in the casino..... we don't need to purchase airfare we can drive to Pt. Canaveral and it goes to the southern caribbean and is a 8 night cruise, an extra night, plus we are getting 4 1/2 sea days which we love. If we didn't get this promotion we wouldn't been going on the Valor in May. With the extra money we just saved we decided to go to Aruba for 8 nights in July lol.

 

Go for the ship if its your main cruise but you mention you haven't cruised yet so it really doesn't matter which ship you go on because its nice to work your way up as you take cruises so figure out where you want to leave from then which ships depart from that port and then you can consider the itinerary.

I have to go out of Tampa or Port Canaveral so Port is #1. #2 is itinerary next year because i want to go to Aruba. Then any ship ad long as I don't have assigned dining seating. We are stuck with Sunshine because its the only one that fits all requirements. I'm not thrilled with that ship, but that's it for next year. We sail twice a year and the only ship I have ever hated was Triump out of NO in 2009.