Leo's Rule

Hi all,

Are you able to apply for status match after your first cruise? We gain platinum status on ncl one day before our first ever msc cruise so would need to wait until after the cruise to apply with the higher status.

Thanks

 

 

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Are you saying you gain platinum status on NCL the day before your cruise with MSC? I take it you'll be finishing one cruise and taking another the next day or two.

Does NCL not automatically state you're the next level if the level will be gained while on the cruise?

At any rate, MSC's site states that you must apply for a status match no later than 7 days before your cruise [with MSC]. It will take 4-7 days for them to process your claim. Once you apply for the status match you can't request another one. Hope that helps.

MSC site used ti be terrible. Now, except for some glitches, mostly what you can or can't do, the site is pretty good.

This is my 1st cruise with MSC....their site sucks! If it's terrible now; I surely don't want to imagine what the people who posted 6 years ago experienced the site.

Ibwas going to say it's too many when you can't afford to go, but yet you still book, but that's off the table now. [emoji1]

First let me say.....we are retired, we love to cruise and we never book anything we can't pay for in full.

 

That being said....this year we cruised in January, March and are booked to cruise in November. Found a great deal on another one in October that hubby wants to book.:o:o.

 

I have always been the conservative one in the family and had to handle all the bills and save all the money. While I am very tempted, a part of me still wants to be that conservative one, even though it's not necessary anymore.

 

Anyone else start getting cold feet when you think you have booked "too many"......:confused::confused:

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Will I need to pay to access this app.... And is this "social media" bit seperatable? I did see mention of a $5 activation fee, which I have no issues with.... But reviews I've seen, then don't make it clear if that does mean a one off payment for the duration or each day.

 

Hopefully you have the answer to that.... And if the guy knew what he was talking about when he suggested I used my personal phone internet to give me access.

 

Ta in advance.

Since you won't be using the Social, Value, or Premium internet service, simply having the app is free; if you wish to utilize the chat feature then you'd pay $5 for the entire length of the cruise. What I don't recall is if everyone pays the $5, I would think they do, but every cruise I've gone on I happened to be solo with the exception of 1 cruise and I can't recall if the other party purchased it too.

I have always booked my cruises through a cruise agency. However, due to various posts proclaiming the "benefits" of booking directly through Carnival, I decided to give it a try.

 

Upon booking, I made it clear to the Carnival representative that I wanted cancel for any reason insurance, since my cruise was near the Thanksgiving holidays and things can always change depending on family members' decisions. I was assured that this was what I had, and my card was immediately charged for the insurance plus deposit.

 

When I book through other cruise agencies, I always get cancel for any reason insurance. I've had to file a claim in the past and never had any problems with receiving payment. So I assumed it would be the same with Carnival and their insurance. Boy, was I wrong!!

 

Although I received an invoice for the cruise, I never received a copy of the insurance policy. Since that was my first time booking with Carnival, I had no idea to even expect to receive one. So just a few weeks after booking, something arose where I needed to cancel the cruise. When I called Carnival, they said I needed to contact the insurance company and file a claim. So I did that, only to receive a form from the company saying I had to qualify for refund of my money under one of the "covered reasons." I called the insurance company and explained that I had cancel for any reason insurance and did not fall under any of their "covered reasons." Imagine my surprise to be told that I DID NOT have cancel for any reason insurance and that I would have to call Carnival to work it out!

 

Upon calling Carnival, I got nowhere. They told me that the insurance I had purchased was only cancel for one of the covered reasons and that it was stated in the policy. I explained that the booking agent had not explained that to me and that I had never received a copy of the policy so I could review it. All I got from the person I spoke with and the one or two others she checked with was, "Sorry, that's our policy." So I am out my money with no recourse!

 

I will NEVER book with Carnival again and probably will never sail with them again either. If someone is going to work in their employ, they need to train them in the products they sell and how to explain them to the customer. And they should take responsibility for the failure of their agents to provide such explanation and failure to send a copy of the policy to the customer.

 

I'm sure all the Carnival "loyals" will flame me and say this is all my fault. All I can say is...if it were you and your money, you would sing a different tune!

 

I am posting this simply to WARN others. If you book through Carnival, INSIST on getting a copy of any insurance policy you purchase through them and make the agent read/explain it to your total satisfaction before you get off the phone. Then watch to be sure you actually receive the policy and READ it! If it's not what you agreed upon, WASTE NO TIME in calling Carnival to speak directly with a supervisor! And keep your fingers crossed that they will even believe what you say!

While I sympathize with you, I must ask; why didn't you contact them when you didn't receive the document? I've made some foolish mistakes before and fortunately I've been lucky (blessed) to have someone correct my error for me. Had they not corrected it, I would have had to live with the fact that I was out of money, but I don't think I would have said I'd never utilize the services of that establishment again.

I haven't read through other comments yet, but hopefully you were able to speak to someone else. If the phone calls are recorded, perhaps they can play back the tape and hear that you specifically asked for Cancel for any reason insurance.

As a side note, I've never booked direct, but I do go on and see what I want. I've looked at Carnival's insurance and don't ever recall seeing a Cancel for any reason option. But I could be wrong.

Congratulations! That is a good deal I think. I got a call last year too after we booked but I didn't think it was worth the money for what they were offering. We also started getting calls from Carnival when we hadn't booked for this year. She stayed with it and called back a couple of times when we couldn't book right away and then of all time, when we were online about to book lol... Somehow I think they must know you are looking at it. So we gave her the business and she actually did get us a good deal.

If you log in with your VIFP number, they do know when you access their site. Next time don't use your VIVP number or don't log in if you don't want the phone calls.

All I care about the FTTF for on this cruise is embarking and debarking. There are no tender ports and it isn't worth $60 for the possibility I may need guest services..

It's $60 now? It wasn't worth it to me at $50, so I never paid for it.

And congrats to those of you with the upsells.

 

And the crowd goes wild...

 

 

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I almost peed my pants from laughing at that photo.

Now that you are cruising, isn't it time to step it up to the finer wines - like Wild Irish Rose, Night Train, Thunderbird, Ripple (red OR white), or my personal favorite, Bali Hi. Ummmm.

 

But to impress the ladies, the old favorite of an S S and Kool. Italian Swiss Colony's Silver Satin with Kool-Aid powder poured in the bottle.

 

I'll stop now; I'm feeling a bit nauseous.

You are silly!!! LOL :p

Crazy question, anyone ever get hassled for bringing on a bottle of MD 20/20? It's wine, right?

 

Ben

I didn't know that was still made. Wow! Isn't it a malt liquor? Or was that the St. Ides or whatever that stuff was back in the 90s. It's either "wine" or a beer. If beer, you're not bringing it on.

That sounds like a lot to do in one day. There is also the /roman House just outside of the gates of old Mdina which is interesting too.

Yeah, it was a lot to do in one day. I've made some adjustments to my activities.

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I don't understand all this worrying everyone does over what their final will look like.

 

The day I decide to book the cruise, I have the money. Maybe that is the difference. I don't thunk gee, I better use this money to pay for tips instead of having to worry about where the money will come from to pay the tips after the cruise.

 

If I pay it now our pay it later, the money is there. No reason to try to juggle it.

 

I don't care when you pay it, it just puzzles me how many post say they do it do so they don't have to worry about it later.

 

 

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For me, I save as I go to pay for my cruise and excursions.

Unlike some of you who have no debt, I do.

Should I not travel? Probably, but I'm not going to spend my time not enjoying life.

I make sure my debts are paid, money in my savings for a rainy day, and any trips I plan are saved for.

Additionally, the only thing that gets paid for upfront is my cruise deposit; the balance, which includes the gratuity, is paid by final payment.

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Just wondering if there is an advantage to including gratuities in original booking or should I opt out? Thanks to anyone who has any advice on this.

For me, I prepay simply because it's one less thing to worry about in the end. Who wants to have an extra dollar amount added to their S&S account at the end of a cruise? I don't, but that's just me.

I know at the end of the day it's the same money that is going to be spent, but I would rather have it paid off before my vacation begins.

I just booked my second Carnival Cruise out of Galveston on Triumph (cabin 2445, our fav) using gocrv after sitting through Timeshare offer again :)

Previously I put deposit down on cruise and weekend getaway we 'won'. Decided against hotel get away and requested refund per terms of agreement and received it no questions asked.

I have to pay $179 per person for taxes etc at time of booking but hey, 5 days four night cruise for just the taxes and port fees, awesome deal. We usually have to pay that PLUS per night Cabin fee of $279-319. Usually my cruises are $1,000+ . Through gocrv promotion it is only $358

Absolutely, pay the $100 deposit!

Now I hate I let mine go to waste. I knew they were ripping me off with the port taxes, so I assumed there were other hidden costs and opted not to go. Now I wish I had. Darn!

I will be sailing on my first ever carnival cruise in March aboard the Glory, and we paid a lot of money for this trip since we have to fly all the way from California. After reading all the negative reviews of the new menus, I am very nervous for the food. I'm not a very picky eater, but still nervous, especially for my family members. We sailed on Princess last year, and some of the members in my group, it'll be their first cruise and I really want them to fall in love with cruising like I did!

 

I know the food isn't going to be nowhere like it was on my Princess cruise, but I'm still going to give the menu a chance, still very nervous Lol!

Don't be nervous. You'll be able to find something on the menu to eat. I personally wasn't a fan of the new menu; not because of the selection of food, but because the food to me wasn't as tasty as past dishes.

Go into it with an open mind because food is subjective. I know people who love the new menu.

Before I had it I was skeptical because of all of the negative comments I'd read about the American Table or whatever it's called. It wasn't doom and gloom like I had read, but it wasn't the best either. You may love it. And you also have to consider that each ship has different chefs and they do rotate. Maybe you'll have an excellent chef when you cruise.

Happy cruising

Thank you Cruise Mom.

I just wanted to make sure I wasn't being left to my own devices, as in trying to figure out if I was at the correct site.

I'm interested in visiting Valletta, Vittoriosa, Mdina, and Marsaxlokk.

And seeing the Church of St. Lawrence, Inquisitor's Palace, Upper Barrakka Gardens, Auberge de Castille, Dingli Cliffs, St. John's Co-Cathedral, and Grandmaster's Palace.

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I found a tour provider for Malta, but their site says a licensed tour guide was not included in the cost of the excursions.

Is a licensed guide really needed?

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide.

Hey Kim; I loved the review!

I was supposed to read it on my lunch break 2 weeks ago, but that never happened and I'm glad it didn't because I wouldn't have gotten any work done.

Grenada and Martinique are two ports for me that I've planned nothing in and you've given me some ideas. As much as I want to do the catamaran to see the underwater sculpture park, I'm not sure I want to book a 3rd one for my upcoming cruise.

Anyhow, I wanted to say that your outfits, shoes, and hair were gorgeous! I remember when you posted the Vera Wang dress in the group; I just don't have the patience to dig in Ross. If it's not where it's supposed to be; forget it. All of the Ross' I've gone to are disorganized and the better one is 45 minutes to an hour away...and I'm not doing that. Houston traffic is horrendous.

You're a brave soul; I'm not exactly sure I could do that excursion in Dominica, but I need my head examined anyhow because I'm skydiving on the 25th of this month! :eek:

I'm going from memory, so I hope I've remembered everything.... you mean to tell me some fast a$$ twerked with no underwear on? How does one forget they're not wearing panties? Gross!!!!!

I remember your other post about cornbread....this one looks worse. It looked like it was wet, but maybe the fact it was vegetarian is the reason it looked that way.

Your videos from your Dominica excursion didn't load; the page said you either renamed the files or removed them.

I hope to sail with you in the future. I learned you were in my backyard this past June??? when I saw your post about being first or trying to be first in the RFP.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something because you covered a lot. I laughed and giggled and was in agreement with your critique of your tour guide in Dominica. Though I'm being chicken, I just might book it just to see him. LOL

I need to get back to my land vacations; it's just been cruises, comedy shows, and concerts for me....though I will travel for concerts; that's not foreign to me.

Maybe I won't be a CC stranger for much longer. I'm just trying to get back into coming here. Thanks for sharing your trip with us!

Hi there, I would suggest contacting Johanna at Sunsation tours as they can offer you all the options of land tours and they also work really closely with Suzanne at Grenada Seafaris who have the best snorkel guide and tour to the sculpture park coupled with an information/sightseeing tour from the sea. This could give you the best full day experience of our lovely island.,:D

Thank you. I will contact them today.

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Does anyone know of any tour provider that can offer a land vacation and include a stop to see the underwater sculpture park? I don't want to snorkel alone; I need it to be provided through a reputable company as well.

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide.

What is the best port to zip line and why?

 

 

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I've ziplined in St. Lucia via TreeTop Adventures and Jamaica via Mystic Mountain and I loved them both.

Can you price match any liquor? how is this done, purchase from online fun shops and then when do you compare prices?

You price match any alcohol they sell on the ship. And no, it's not alcohol from the fun shops; it's the "store" on the ship.

They're getting better with trying to make sure you purchase from the ship; usually the 1st two days they offer 10% off the price of liquor you purchase.

Once on the ship, go to the "liquor store" and check out their prices. Once in port, if you find it cheaper, take a picture of it and once back on the ship; show it to an employee and they will price match. Make sure you have the size of the bottle listed on the photo. They must match.

Cruising from SJ in may, we booked the FTTF for hopes of getting on board a lil earlier.

Is it really worth it?

I personally don't see the point in spending money for it, but a lot of people love it. But to answer your question; I feel you wasted your money for the San Juan port.

The ship doesn't leave the port until 10 pm. What's the rush? What you're paying for is 1) faster boarding on the ship, 2) priority for tender boats, but there are no tender ports on that itinerary, 3) use of the Platinum/Diamond line at Guest Services and that's beneficial if you're not Platinum or above.

Save your $50 and spend it on something else.

36 cruises on Carnival... 55 total...... NEVER have received an upgrade call..nor upgrade..

I don't get those either. I figure I don't receive them because by that time I've transferred my booking to my TA.

The only thing showing currently is the Vista $749 offer. Several months ago it showed the 2 or 3 day cruise from the west coast for $25 per person which did us no good whatsoever being on the East coast.

Do you currently have a cruise booked with Carnival? Or did you have one booked when you had the $25 per person offer?

Other than that we have never had any of these so called free cruises or casino offers and we are Diamond with 35 CCL cruises.

I wasn't looking for a casino offer; I'd never expect to get one when I don't play. But if you play and haven't received one, that sucks.

Strange that my PVP said she has never received any of these offers either but I can't see why she ever would being a CCL employee.

I agree with you. She shouldn't get them; her cruises should be dirt cheap to begin with.

I am a new cruiser saw carnival fun hub and I am curious do you have to have wifi on ship to use it looks like it could be a great thing for us because we are traveling with a large group

Bumping this up. Is there a link for it on my kindle? I thought I had it on my old kindle but I upgraded

 

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I doubt there's an app for the kindle, but don't quote me on that.

To my knowledge it's only available for IOS and Android.