beachbum53

3 hours ago, BarbieGee said:

Is getting off the ship (disembarkation) as soon as possible the best idea or would it be better to allow the bulk of passengers to leave and wait till later? We all live close to the port (Tampa) and there is no time crunch for us to leave the ship which is scheduled to dock at 8am. We could then have a leisurely breakfast without rush and avoid the crush receiving our baggage. 
Good idea or bad?

Or does the staff require all passengers to be off by a certain time?

Unless Debarkation is delayed for some odd reason, it typically starts about 8:00 a.m., and all passengers have to be off of the ship by 10:00 a.m. 

On 9/1/2022 at 7:19 PM, Donniss said:

So wait did Carnival switch to Pepsi? Can someone link me an announcement? If so I may have to buy the bottomless beverages, because goodness I love 7up.

If I remember correctly, Carnival switched from Coke to Pepsi back in 2019. Before you purchase the Bottomless Bubbles, do keep in mind that 7Up is NOT a Pepsi product (nor is it a Coca-Cola product). 

On 6/17/2022 at 12:44 PM, sthrnbll said:

Which do you prefer? I would prefer a band. I refuse to wear a lanyard (I said what I said) and it would reduce the need for me to carry a purse. I'm sure if you are male or have pockets its not a big deal but I like to wear sundresses and they usually don't have pockets.

I have seen a few people use something like this:  https://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Line-Wrist-Coil-Chain/dp/B072Q366PP/ref=asc_df_B072Q366PP/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198110873947&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7487208191953283328&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9052324&hvtargid=pla-350766579111&psc=1  Since you're not in favor of wearing a lanyard, this might be an option worth considering. 

Same here. As I watch the little arrow go around and around and around, I start humming "Pop! Goes the Weasel". 😊

We're both retired and live on a fixed income. We have a vacation savings account at our bank that we're able to put money into twice a month. We consider ourselves fortunate to be able to afford a cruise once a year, plus have money for our air fare. We prepay the gratuities, but the only staff member we give extra cash to is our cabin steward at the end of our cruise. Neither one of us drink much alcohol, and since drink prices already include an 18% gratuity, we see no need to pay more. We rarely dine at one of the specialty restaurants, and have never had dinner at the Chef's table. So, to answer your question, (with the exception of the cabin steward), no, we do not double tip. 

3 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Cruise lines like to advertise ports - and Nassau is probably the easiest port to reach on a short (3 or 4 day) from a Florida east coast port.  there is NOTHING there really worth seeing.  Atlantis is worth a land visit if water parks and casinos are your thing ---- but you can't do it justice while on a cruise (and pay heavily for trying.

 

To stay on topic:  there is no good reason to book a cruise because it stops at Nassau.  The only positive about a port call there is that a lot of the unthinking mob who crowd your ship will likely go ashore, leaving you with a better chance to enjoy the ship.

Nassau is one of the ports on our itinerary for our next cruise. We've already been there four times, and needless to say, it's not one of our favorite ports. As you've already mentioned, we plan to stay on the ship and enjoy some quiet time on board. 

33 minutes ago, sharon&family said:

Some people sailing on the upcoming Magic cruise are saying that due to new Bahama regulations

Half Moon Caye may not even allow people to get onto the island.  New regulations are saying you

have to have a negative PCR test within 2 days of visiting to be allowed onto the island.  Is anyone

getting to go there this week?  Please keep us updated.

I would suggest that you contact Carnival directly and ask someone there about Half Moon Cay and don't listen to what may be false information. 

40 minutes ago, CruisingViper said:

what's the midnight buffet like? 

If you do a search on Youtube, you'll find several videos posted of past midnight buffets that will give you some idea of what one is like. 

23 minutes ago, thatoneguyyouknow said:

Mardi Gras last week.   Off the ship by 8:15 (self assist), through customs and on our shuttle to the airport by 8:30.  Went very smooth till we got to MCO which was a zoo.  

The MCO airport was a zoo for us too. It looked like 90% of the people flying out were booked on Southwest Airlines. Thank goodness we were at the airport about 2 1/2 hours before our flight was scheduled to leave. 

Post Thanksgiving cruise on the Mardi Gras. Dec. 4th Debarkation. Off of the ship by 9:00 a.m. 

On 9/5/2021 at 9:16 PM, Bases5 said:

So what is this all about. I read a little bit somewhere but can’t seem to find it. 
The ships come together or something?

Go here for the information:  https://www.carnival.com/carnival-sailabration-cruises

I may be in the minority here, but I liked the seasoned fries at Guys. On the other hand, the fries at the Big Chicken were more like thick cut potato chips. They were okay, but they barely qualify as French fries. 

Some excursions, both those offered through Carnival and those through independent tour companies, have a limited capacity. If you come across one that says sold out, you have two options. Keep checking to see if there's been a cancellation (rare, but it does happen), or choose a different excursion. I don't believe Carnival holds back any slots, but, if there's enough of a demand, especially if it's some type of bus tour, it's possible that an additional bus may be added. Regardless, it's always best to book as early as possible. 

I know this isn't recent. Our last cruise was on the Magic, which was the first week of March of 2020, right before everything started to shut down because of the pandemic. If I'm not mistaken, the Magic went into dry dock during the shutdown for a much needed sprucing up. Although her sister ship, the Breeze, is our favorite ship, I wouldn't hesitate to book the Magic some time in the future. 

1 hour ago, Aplmac said:

I don't miss these..

 

There is an alternative to this. I don't know why Carnival has never thought of it. Instead of having people put their trays on the floor by the cabin door(s), why not have carts with shelves at certain locations, like the elevator lobbies on each deck, where people could put their trays? 

2 hours ago, Zhaan said:

I'm extremely sensitive to air fresheners and perfumes. Has anyone noticed if Carnival has any of those types of smells in the cabins? It would be great if another sensitive person has cruised and can answer because a lot of times an air freshener with bother me and my husband won't even notice it. I can handle smells right after cleaning as long as they dissipate, but for example, Hilton owned hotels like Hampton Inn have air fresheners in their HVAC and all the rooms smell. It makes me feel sick to breathe that in all night while sleeping.

 

Thanks in advance!

We've never encountered any smells like you're describing. If you do, try this. Ask your cabin steward to bring a bowl roughly the size of a soup bowl with fresh unused coffee grounds in it. The coffee grounds will absorb the odors. However, it may make your cabin smell like coffee, if that's acceptable.

Lots of comments and/or complaints about the limited TV channel choices, but no comments about the very limited choice of music to listen to. We wish there was more to pick from than hip-hop or pop music. Maybe it's time to make use of the Spotify app on our tablet and create a playlist to listen to. 

Something else to keep in mind. Whenever the crew is scheduled to wash down the sides of the ship, and you are in a balcony cabin, you will get a letter ahead of time notifying you of this. Your cove balcony may not get wet from the waves, but they will definitely get wet when the ship is being washed. Fair warning! Do not leave any foot wear on your balcony, or you'll have wet shoes to deal with. I speak from experience. 😉

1 hour ago, dedalus said:

I’m currently on my first cruise (on MSC from Trieste) and I’m not sure why anyone would ever choose it. It took 3-4 hours to board much of that in the sun. Then you’re not allowed to leave the ship except with their own excursion, you can’t even buy water and definitely no souvenirs from a shop. To me at least one  charm of travel is to be able to wander and discover places. Last, they don’t seem at all concerned with fire safety as there are a couple of designated smoking areas but these are ignored by both staff and cruiser. I hope it doesn’t cause a disaster some day. So anyway, can someone tell me why they would choose this over flying to a resort, exploring the island and maybe taking a ferry or charter to another? It would certainly be cheaper, better value and less trouble.

Cruising is not for everyone. That's why there are so many choices for what to do or where to go on vacation. I love cruising. I love being out on the ocean, seeing sea life (such as dolphins and flying fish), smelling the salty sea air, and occasionally feeling the salt spray on my face. On the other hand, I have absolutely NO desire to ever go snow skiing. Just the thought of slamming into a tree while skiing downhill, or getting buried in an avalanche is enough to cause me to say "No thank-you!" You've discovered that cruising isn't your most ideal vacation, and that's okay. No one will hold that against you. 

11 hours ago, sunshower9 said:

My husband and I typically like beaches and walking around exploring the port.  The only one on this list that I’ve been to is Cozumel.  I don’t know anything about any of the other ports except that Grand Turk is basically a free beach day.  I picked the last two because they’re during my wedding anniversary (they’re also more expensive), but I’m willing to go with the first one if the ports are nicer.  Any input is appreciated!

 

Mardi Gras - Nov 11-Nov 18 - Cozumel, Costa Maya, Mahogany Bay 

Mardi Gras - May 6-May 13 - San Juan, Amber Cove, Grand Turk

Celebration - May 7-May 14 - Amber Cove, San Juan, St. Thomas
 

The first one listed is the same one we chose for our upcoming Mardi Gras cruise. Mahogany Bay has a very nice beach. We haven't been to Mahogany Bay or Cozumel for 8 years. Never been to Costa Maya, so that will be a new port for us. San Juan is one of our favorite ports, and we always enjoy a visit to St. Thomas. Amber Cove is just okay, but not really all that great. We're kind of burned out on Grand Turk, since we've been there several times. We've learned to head down to Jack's Shack, just to get away from the obnoxious vendors on the beach nearest Margaritaville. So, based on the itineraries you've listed, I would choose #1 first, #3 second, and skip #2.

7 minutes ago, CTKath said:

Don't know where to put this question, so I'm dropping it here.  Please feel free to move it Admin.

 

So, now with the start up of cruising (Yay!) I'm enjoying the few port cameras on PortCams.com.  What I am missing is ALL of the cameras around the world that Kroooz-cams has(d).  The website doesn't seem to be operational.  Does anyone know anything about it?

 

TIA!

Back in 2019, long before the pandemic and the halt of all cruises, there were several Krooz cams that weren't working. I don't recall ever seeing any "official" explanation about it, but I suspect it may have been due to needing an upgrade in the transmission equipment on certain ships. If that is so, I doubt that we'll see any improvements any time soon. Since there have been no cruises for the last 15+ months, and no money coming in to the cruise lines, it will probably be a while before we see the Krooz cams come back on line. I suspect that that's pretty low on each of the cruise lines list of priorities right now. 

On 6/26/2021 at 8:41 AM, xtraquispe said:

I personally prefer the vista type ships.  We went on the magic last year and are going back on her in October, so I obviously didn't HATE it, but def loved the newer bigger ships more.  Magic is much nicer than some of the older ships.  I think you will be very happy with the magic!!!  I'm excited to see some of the updates they did to it.

 And we're just the opposite. We prefer the Dream class over the Vista class. The Magic is okay. We've cruised on her twice. The last time was last year on the first week of March, right before the pandemic shut everything down. The ship needed a little dry dock time for some sprucing up. Simon London was the CD. I know a lot of people seem to like him, but he's not my favorite. The Breeze is our number one favorite ship. Since it's the newest of the three in that class, it has a few amenities  that the Magic (or the Dream) does not have. Would we cruise on the Magic again? Probably, depending on the itinerary. 

 Consider how the TSA has changed some of their security procedures over time since 2001. It will be the same way with cruising. Certain protocols currently in place will either be modified or dropped altogether when deemed as no longer necessary. For those of us that have been cruising for 20 years or longer, the protocols currently in place will take a little time to get used to. For those about to embark on their very first cruise, it probably won't seem like such a big deal. Will prices change? Possibly. Who knows? But, I don't believe it will be a huge increase. While I can understand each of the cruise lines trying to recoup some of their losses due to the pandemic, they also need to be careful not to scare off potential new cruisers on a tight budget.

It's probably too much to hope for that Carnival will ban the vendors from the beach area at Grand Turk when it reopens to cruises. 

10 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

You could get lucky and end up with La Romana!

 

 

 

 

I hope you're being sarcastic.