Pellaz

Of course, if you print your boarding passes and luggage tags in advance AND in color, you WILL be offered an upgrade or an upsell. So then you might have to reprint it all...in color. 😄 --Although printing in color is not required, it really DOES help them identify the deck because they are color-coded. We once found someone else's luggage outside our room and sure enough, they were in the same room, with a similar number, on the next deck up...but they had printed their luggage tags in grayscale.

It is virtually always on the last sea-day, and always around 9 am. If it were early in the cruise you wouldn't be able to tour, e.g., the soda and beer cold-room because...it would be FULL of soda and beer. 🙂 Also, no cellphones or cameras are allowed. Security will "wand" you before you start, and a security officer will "shadow" the group on the tour, for obvious reasons. Booking the BtF Tour is one reason why I have always tried to get FTTF, because the tour almost always sells out...sometimes very quickly. On the newer ships, the crew-area staircases have been almost the same "pitch" as the guest-area stairs, and are fairly wide. They are utilitarian in design and appearance but not overly hazardous. However, on the Fantasy-class there WAS one "staircase" that was basically a ladder -- very steep. (I think it was from Deck A down to Deck B...it's been 11 years. 🙂 )

I'd have suggested the Cucina or Chibang, as both are free for lunch, but unless something's changed since last fall neither is open for lunch on embark day on the Mardi Gras. (We were bitterly disappointed since the pasta bowls and stir-fry, respectively, are great.) As I recall, we went to Guy's Pig'n'Anchor (outside, Deck 8 portside) for free BBQ and also to Shaq's Big Chicken, since the Lido Marketplace (main buffet) is typically jam-packed during embark. There ARE some nifty options there, though, like SeaDogs and a shawarma station. Other free/included options include Guy's Burger Joint (located above the main Lido deck on the Mardi Gras), Blue Iguana Cantina, Piazza Panini (like the Carnival Deli), Street Eats (3 kiosks on Lido deck), and possibly the Fresh Creations salad bar in the Serenity area.

Sorry, this isn't true. On my last cruise I had two terrifying articles of contraband in my checked luggage: a pair of medium-sized scissors, and a power-strip. My bag was very late getting to the cabin and when it did, there was a note inside stating those items had been confiscated. (Honestly, I didn't think the scissors would be an issue since they were shorter than the TSA blade minimum, and I thought the power-strip, not containing any surge-protection, would be okay.) The items, I was told, were not aboard the ship, but would be returned to me at the cruise terminal if I went to retrieve them. So, the cruise terminal security folks opened the bag without my being present. It was not cruise-ship personnel onboard the ship. Since it would have required a walk over to the Arrivals side of the terminal, I didn't bother retrieving them. They presumably ended up at that unclaimed baggage warehouse in Alabama...and I learned a valuable lesson. 🙂

Thanks for the info, y'all. At least it will be something different. Maybe Fish'n'Ships? It's on the Indy's pool deck and is likely NOT free. I suspect their selection of "ships" is quite poor, also. Their selection of dinghies or speedboats doubtless leaves MUCH to be desired, let alone a 44-gun heavy frigate or a 74-gun third-rate. 😉

So, I'll be going on a large music charter on Freedom OTS in about three weeks; 70,000 Tons of Metal. 60 bands, 4 stages, and they build "the largest open-air structure at sea." Previously, this charter has used the Majesty (r.i.p.) from 2011-2014, the Liberty in 2015, and then the Independence from 2016-2020. This will be the first charter sailing since COVID and we're on a brand-new ship...with a brand-new venue, El Loco Fresh. So, I'm kinda asking for about 3,000 other people since very few of them are active on CruiseCritic, or actively take cruises. In fact, only about 20-25% of our cruisers are from the US; all the rest are from Canada, Germany, the UK and then numerous other countries, and this goes for the bands and their crews as well. It's a very international cruise and quite unique. Anyway.... How does El Loco Fresh work? Do you choose your ingredients and then the burritos or tacos (I presume) are made to your specs? I'm used to that at Blue Iguana Cantina on Carnival's ships (and they're awesome, too!). Or is it more of a grab-n-go venue? Is there a toppings bar? Also, do they serve any breakfast there, or is it just lunch and (maybe) dinner hours? This might also be our first experience with any dining options at Playmakers. I realize there's an a la carte charge; what are their hours? Are the menus there standardized across all ships? I've been a little dismayed at the relative lack of dining options on the Independence over the years. Granted, Sorrentos and the Promenade Café should be opened 24 hours for us, but there just aren't that many free/included options. The WJ may also be open for us late-night (11pm - 2am) but close during dinner hours; that's how it was back in 2020. Any other insights about the Freedom vis a vis the Indy are also welcome. I'm aware that Freedom DOES have Starlink installed although actual Wi-Fi speeds have varied widely, per other threads here on CC. Thanks!

Carnival also closes one side while doing the reset, which thankfully doesn't take 3 hours. Of course, the buffet on Carnival ("Lido" or "Lido Marketplace") can never be completely closed off, since it's the thru route from the main pool area to the aft pool area on nearly all ships. Now, if they could only offer some food options there after 1 am, besides pizza.... 😄 It will be interesting to see the Windjammer hours on our upcoming music charter cruise on the Freedom. In the past on the Indy, they were closed during some dinner hours (say, 7 pm), but reopened for us from 11pm to 2 or 3 am. I'll try to find a Compass with the hours posted.

Well, not entirely. Their job on the day you arrive is to get your bag from the sidewalk onto a luggage cart or "cage." There may be some autonomy in the sense that they may have to fill out a luggage tag for you if you didn't bring yours, or determine the correct cart to put your bags on. But for that individual longshoreman on that day, there's not much more to it. True, they may also work cargo vessels on a "slow day" for cruises, but the cruise terminal porters at embarkation have the highest seniority within the union and get to choose working the sidewalk, which is far and away the easiest -- and best-paid -- job at any port with passenger facilities. One wonders if all of those tips get reported, too. I tip $1 per bag, or if we have 3 or more checked items, $5. I know who they work for (ILA, since all of my cruises have been Florida departures), and I know how much they get paid...which is a LOT more than I make. HOWEVER...back when Carnival had Faster to the Fun and its prioritized-to-cabin luggage service, if a porter saw the FTTF blazon on our luggage tags and accordingly strapped the orange "Priority" tag onto our luggage, I'd immediately tip an additional $5, and I made sure he knew exactly why: it constitutes service a bit above and beyond the norm, since they don't work for the cruise line and really don't have to care much about cruise line procedures. It's not as if the cruise line can fire them, right? Umm, no. Not since 9/11, anyway. It's generally recommended that checked luggage be securely closed, but not locked. If TSA or security personnel want to get into your luggage and it's locked, too bad. They will break the lock and go inside. I've considered attaching a zip-tie to the closure instead, not so much as an anti-theft deterrent but as a telltale that my luggage was opened or inspected.

Wow. Now THAT's brutal. This varies a lot based on where your itinerary is taking you and what sort of satellite coverage you have. I remember taking an Eastern and then a Western Caribbean itinerary on Horizon a year apart. The first sailing had excellent Wi-Fi speed; the second was lousy to so-so. Both ships were fairly full as this was pre-COVID. Unfortunately, no. Carnival appears to port-block Wi-Fi calling; when I tried calling my sister it connected for a split second and then dropped. This was years ago, but I'm pretty sure nothing has changed. On Royal and perhaps other lines, Wi-Fi calling is not blocked. I remember getting a call from shore while walking in their Windjammer buffet and thinking "Wait, is that MY phone? Wow, it IS!" With the high prices for ship-to-shore phone service, I kinda felt like -- wait for it -- Royalty. 😄

Maybe 3 or 4 cars, since it's a bit of a crapshoot. When we requested our ride from Cocoa FL to Port Canaveral for 3 of us plus luggage, the driver had.....a Honda Fit. 😮 We were able to, err, "fit" it all in, but we had to carry some smaller items on our laps.

Oh, you definitely want to do that. I can confirm what was said below: Absolutely this! The Engineering Control Room looks like a starship's bridge on the Vista-class. Looking forward to October and our cruise on Horizon so I can behold that again! I've done the BTF tour on every Carnival sailing I've done except the post-COVID ones, so about 9 times. I've learned something new, or seen something new, on every last one of them. You never know what you'll get: Group photo by the ship's bell? Yep, once or twice. Get to see into the Captain's cabin? Yep, once (very quietly as we tiptoed past). Captain's private dining room (like a wardroom on a naval ship): yep, once. Actually step into a 2-person crew cabin and look around? Yep, once (they happened to have one open). Spend wayyy too much time in Engineering Control because Chief Engineer Testa was enjoying our questions so much? Yep. (We were perilously late getting to the Bridge.) It's not for everyone, and it is a lot of walking, but for anyone who wants to see "behind the curtain," it's well worth it.

Interestingly, the Excel-class ships are specifically excluded. Probably because their Havana areas are comparatively much smaller and just not as good. 😮

We really enjoyed the trip (Horizon, back in October), and 2 out of 3 people were okay. One had dental issues crop up later. Second time I've been rear-ended on the eve of a cruise, too. Important safety tip: don't ride with me right before a cruise. 🙂

Aha, so a Seadogs kiosk DOES exist! 🙂 . This one isn't quite accurate; it shows Cucina and Pig & Anchor as "additional" when they are included in the fare for lunch and dinner. I think it showed Chibang! properly as "included." That one is wrong, too. Also shows the Pizzeria to be 24 hours and that is no longer the case.

Yes, it was $10/day back in October and it covered me for a 24-hour period while we were in Grand Cayman and Cozumel. I might not have opted for it, but we had been rear-ended in Miami only ten minutes away from our pre-cruise hotel and I NEEDED to keep in touch with the other persons' insurance. 😮

I think we boarded at around 11:30 am; maybe a bit earlier. Of course, we had a while to wait inside the terminal until then, but that was "on us." 🙂

Hmm, not sure about the hours of operation on embark day but I know that it DOES usually run on that day.

I'm no foodie and I don't "do" seafood so my suggestions are automatically suspect. I really like the short-ribs, lasagna bolognese, prime rib, most of the pasta dishes, and more stuff I can't remember. 🙂 Note that any pasta "main" entree can also be ordered as a half-portion as an appetizer.

This varies by ship a lot. Our service on the Horizon was great; my service on the Sunrise was terrible. It can also vary widely based on area: I've found that Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries can vary even with the same ship. Most communications satellites are in geosynchronous orbits, or geostationary orbits, above the Equator. Some orbit lower but are also centered on the Equator. Coverage in the far North and the far South is accordingly... troublesome. While Starlink might offer some relief, even the current at-sea coverage maps for Starlink are quite spotty. (There's a good scholarly discussion about all this on the RCCL board currently.) Probably Premium, for Facetime, since it involves video. And then you'll have to hope for fast enough service. 😮 If you can get by with audio-only calls, you can use, e.g., FB Messenger with the Value plan under normal circumstances. Unfortunately, Carnival seems to port-block Wi-Fi calling -- making and receiving regular phone calls using a Wi-Fi signal. RCCL does not block this, so in this, "advantage: Royal."

That was my exact experience back in October in Miami. Place bags on the ground for the nice (and well-trained) doggie to sniff it. I still smelled some weed onboard, but it didn't ruin my experience in any way. The Deli is the unsung hero pretty often when it comes to Carnival. Open 11-11 except on Excel-class, and (despite some reported cutbacks) I've never had a bad sammich or hot dog there.

On embark day, the Lido Buffet will be overrun for lunch. Go up the stairs to Ol' Fashioned Barbecue on Deck 10. Most cruisers won't discover it until the second or third day. 🙂 Breakfast at the Lido Buffet is usually pretty crowded, too. Consider the (awesome) fresh made-to-order breakfast burritos at the Blue Iguana Cantina instead. (For that matter, it's also a great lunch option.) We liked the Conquest so much back in the day that we sailed her two cruises in a row. She IS old -- flagship of the Conquest-class -- but she's still a fine ship.

No indeed, they didn't. That huge LED "wall" costs several million dollars, and Carnival has been getting some really good use out of it. (And yes, the tech staff is very....technical. 🙂 ) We were pretty happy with the MDR food on Mardi Gras, but we took a few opportunities to try Cucina and Guy's P&A (Cucina was great for us so we went twice; Guy's was....ehhh.) There was one night when I remember the MDR menu didn't really thrill me, but that's been the case on every recent Carnival cruise...not their fault, just my tastes and that one night's menu NOT intersecting. I WILL say that the "sub-par" New Year's steak you posted a photo of LOOKED huge. 🙂

Yep, that's what I thought. They purchased FTTF for our sailing so they CAN access it. Yep, enjoy! This is a perk that Carnival offers to pax who will qualify for Platinum on their next sailing. I'll be there m'self next October, if not earlier. 🙂 Interestingly, Royal does NOT offer this benefit.

That's not weird, it's just prudent. Also, if you're sharing a cabin with 2 or 3 people, it's never a bad idea to, err, "spread out the load." 😄 Yep. Set the wayback machine for several years ago, when my friend John was coming along on his first-ever cruise. We had just handed off our luggage to the porter and I suddenly asked, "John, where's your birth certificate and boarding pass?" "Oh, it's over there in my suitcas--" "WAAAIT!" --Disaster averted-- 🙂

The whole "duck" thing isn't specific to Carnival either; I think every cruise line now has hidden ducks...or at least, the U.S.-homeported ones do.