Pellaz

On Carnival's newest ships, the "vistas" you get aren't necessarily through windows, but from the outside decks that are close to the water (lanai decks, for example). This is something that Carnival and NCL's new-builds have been expanding on, while Royal really hasn't. You get a closer connection to the ocean on the former than on Royal.

THIS. If the ship is a rockin', please use the railings...and sanitize afterwards if you feel it necessary. Umm, a BC is not just a good idea to "back it up"....it's the law, if you're cruising using a driver's license. Must be the original or a certified copy. For the OP, remind your friend NOT to pack their travel documents, boarding pass, etc. in their checked luggage, or their wonderful vacation will come to a very abrupt and sad end. It must be with you when you go through the security checkpoint.

Reports from people who have recently boarded with FTTF have said that they were able to enter the terminal early and were directed to a special FTTF seating area, similar to pre-COVID procedures. I don't think ANY rooms are guaranteed to be ready for occupation at embark now except suites, but FTTF, Ds and Ps can visit to drop off their luggage. Stewards now have MANY more rooms to clean than before the pandemic. 😞 Regarding FTTF and capacity controls, remember also that Carnival has taken the length of the Priority line at Guest Services into account when assigning the number of FTTF slots on cruises. If one person (me!) is turning Platinum on their next cruise, with two roommates, I think we can all board together and also get, say, priority tendering. However, my two roommates would not have access to the Priority line at Guest Services.....is that correct? Regarding

Same story with us. We had never tried Cucina for dinner before because, well, it costs extra and we never felt the need. Tried it on the Mardi Gras and we liked the food, service and atmosphere so much that, like you, we returned again for dinner. (Of course, we went there for complimentary pasta-bowl lunch as well.) My friend John was born in Italy and was pleasantly surprised by the cuisine, which is high praise from him.

Not for me, either. I see a "no" symbol.

Same here, although it's not impossible for lines to allow others to "borrow" its ports. Years ago Royal was allowing Carnival ships to visit CocoCay...not many, just a few. I've been on a large Royal ship that visited Grand Turk, an (excellent) Carnival-built port....but that WAS on a full-boat charter.

How so? In theory, I should love Teppanyaki (but maybe not the price).

lol, this might not be a good time to mention that I got stuck on it. OTOH, I got an extra free ride on it. 🙂 On the Mardi Gras and probably the Celebration, if you look at the left side railing for the stairs going up to the Bolt boarding area, you'll notice something kinda unique... 😉

Oh, I know. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, or an anvil to fall on us or something. Maybe a piano. We arrived curbside, porters took our luggage, nice Carnival lady saw our FTTF boarding passes and walked us directly toward the check-in desk (my sister uses cash-basis on board). She also radioed the ship with our stateroom number and told them we were on the way. Up the escalator -- they had just finished with calling FTTF -- dodged the embark photogs (it's like that scene from Airplane) and up the gangway. I don't expect it to ever happen again.

Yes, and they did so in Miami during embark back in October. We had to take any backpacks or other carried items off and have them near the ground so the nice doggie could sniff them. I had not seen quite THAT much attention before during embark. Your humble opinion is indeed correct AND factual. 🙂 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disembarking

It happened to us once in FLL. 🙂 We could only get a free 9 am shuttle from the hotel to the pier, and we were there by around 9:15 am. The nice Carnival gent outside the terminal doors looked at us funny, checked our FTTF boarding passes and said "Okay, wait right here, you're the first!" We were first into the terminal and first to the FTTF seating area, where the guy seated us right at the corner "since we were first." They boarded the wedding parties, Diamonds and Plats, and then led us first up to the boarding level. They timed it perfectly: as the last of the Ds and Ps came through from the VIP lounge we were literally steps behind them. It was one of the nicest boarding experiences we've ever had...although to be sure, not the fastest. (THAT honor goes to the Victory many years ago: 7 minutes from curbside to Deck 3 with FTTF.)

lol, nowhere near as much as Norwegian. The $15 price for Bolt (two laps) has been a Known Thing for several years. Some hate the thought, some don't mind. I rode it, enjoyed it, and thought it was a fine use of OBC.

Really? I thought the chicken parm was pretty good in the MDR....but not $15 good.

We have a winner! This is not only a possible reason, but might be probable. For us, we liked the Cucina well enough to go twice during our Mardi Gras cruise...and our party included a first-generation Italian who agreed that it was quite good...although we all agreed Nonna's Meatballs weren't as good as his. 🙂 Of course, these dinners were also free. If they were rating just specialty eateries that are routinely free, I'd vote for Jiji's or Chibang! for lunch. Love that stir-fry! Which Cucina dishes are featured on the MDR menus?

Nope, but I should apply to be an editor and proofreader at CruiseHive. That article has....issues. 😄 ("I'm a paid professional. I'll edit and proofread for ya, for a mere $20K/year and toss in a couple of free cruises." 😉 )

Well, that, AND they are one of the largest commercial ocean shippers and container-freight operations on the planet.....

Wow, I thought it had them when I sailed on Liberty the one and only time our music charter used the vessel in 2015, but it's been a while. Maybe I shouldn't be too surprised; the food service in general on that sailing was remarkably sub-par, and when the charter shifted to the Indy 2016-2020, I certainly didn't shed a tear.

If Grand Turk isn't the most casual and easy-to-visit-cheaply port in the Caribbean, I'd like to know what is. Walk off the ship, beach is right there to the left with free loungers and umbrellas (marked with "GTCC"). To the right of the pier is a more low-key beach (away from Margaritaville). No annoying in-your-face vendors, just a quick walk through a DuFry (and not the gauntlet you have to run at Coz). Further over to the left is Jack's Shack plus a few other places. Governor's Beach is right beyond there, now with 100% less unsightly wrecked cargo ship. 🙂 The island's population is only about 4,500 so when a ship docks, the population doubles. Crime is almost nonexistent because all the locals know that any major hassling of cruise guests or theft could imperil their island's economy. Cockburn Town (not pronounced how you might think 🙂 ) is the capital of Turks & Caicos and past the small town is the lighthouse and the Friendship 7 historic marker. While there is no immediate beach access at Amber Cove, there are excursions that can take you to one. I've never felt the need because the Carnival-built port area is pretty awesome and the water there isn't particularly clear or "blue." The zipline there is surprisingly inexpensive, too, and no-doubt fun for kids.

Wait. Doesn't the Liberty have Freestyle machines?

Oh, yes indeedy! "Ma'am, I couldn't help but overhear. I think your son will be out of jail sooner than you think. Most counties do a 2-for-1 where you get two days' credit for every day served!"

Actually, THREE specialty restaurants: Guy's Pig & Anchor is also complimentary for lunch (on sea-days) and dinner. ...We'll get back to that in just a few moments. 🙂 Bolt was running nearly the entire time I cruised on MG. I do suggest people book it while in port since winds can cause a shut-down...and it's also less busy if some folks are still off-ship. But there are other pools, including the one at the back (Summer's Landing, Deck 8 ) , which never seemed that crowded at all on our cruise, and was open to all. Again, while this COULD be the case for the OP's future cruise, it might not be the case at all. Those areas were open most of the time on our MG cruise. I liked the mechanical warning bell on the dump-bucket. 🙂 Hmmm, we will agree to disagree.

It is free for lunch; not free for dinner except on Excel-class ships (Mardi Gras, Celebration, likely Jubilee). They have beef brisket, pulled pork, andoulle sausage, pulled chicken. I don't think they have ribs on the their lunch buffet, but they DO have them at dinner. Lunch is served (by crew) outside on the lanai deck; dinner is inside.

As I recall, it might not have been wholly Harmony's or RCI's fault. Wasn't that a polar launch and Harmony, not knowing any better, sailed toward the usual "safe" direction and accidentally got into the range safety area? We were on Mardi Gras two Octobers ago and were wondering why we were shaking around at flank speed back to Port Canaveral...and it turned out that NASA's Lucy probe was scheduled to launch at 5:30 am and we HAD to be into the port by then. And we made it, barely. It launched right as we were passing Jetty Park, which gave us an awesome view...but ruined the view for all the folks at the park. Sorry 'bout that. 😉

I'd choose the ABC itinerary because I've never been to Bonaire, and I really enjoyed Curacao and Aruba. I did a snorkeling tour at the latter. Also, while Adventure of the Seas is surely a fine ship, she is fairly old. Celebration will be Carnival's newest ship and, from experience, it is a total game-changer. That's sad to hear. Back in 2010 when I went to CocoCay the snorkeling out by the cannons and sunken airplane, etc., was terrific. I guess all the modernization and "Perfect Day" stuff has killed that. 😞 Oh, Carnival does indeed have a lot of kids stuff; at least as many kids' venues as RCI.

Agreed! I discovered what "bulgogi beef" was, thanks to Street Eats. And it was good. 😄 Although Seadogs is supposedly available on other ships, this was the first time I've ever found it. A permanent spot in the Lido buffet really helps. Good stuff. I also discovered what this mysterious "shawarma" was. I'd heard the name, but wasn't sure. And it was ALSO good. 🙂 Other choices I loved on Mardi Gras: Fresh Creations, salad bar in Serenity (for that matter, Serenity itself was great too!) Complimentary lunch Asian stir-fry bowls at Chibang! (full disclosure; I am a stir-fry/hibachi FIEND) Fried AND grilled chicken sammiches at Shaq's Big Chicken. If you want more than a spoonful of potato salad as a side, ask for a separate plate Complimentary pasta bowls at the Cucina for lunch, and we liked the Cucina for dinner enough that we went twice Free lunch BBQ at Guy's Pig & Anchor was good; however our dinner experience was...sub-par. Italian-themed sandwiches at Piazza Panini were really good (this is similar to the Deli on other Carnival ships) Note that most complimentary dining options aside from the Pizzeria will close by around 10 pm, so plan accordingly and hoard food for later if needed.