Pellaz

23 hours ago, n6uqqq said:

All this talk got me booked on the Legend out of Galveston in Nov 2025. Couldn't resist Celebration Key, HMC, Grand Turk, and Amber Cove. Just hope Galveston isn't too hard to get to from Houston Hobby Airport! 

Now THAT sounds like a beach-lover's dream itinerary!  

On 10/3/2023 at 8:56 AM, CatieM80 said:

Thanks! That idea didn’t even cross my mind. I’ll give it a shot. Is the best way via his Facebook?

You've already gotten your answer, which is awesome.  The way John is normally reached is via "community posts" on his FB page.

On 10/3/2023 at 9:40 AM, Haljo1935 said:

That machine is awesome - everyone in our group wants one for their very own, 😆 🤣 

I don't think we got carved soap; at least, I hope not cuz everything we got came delivered on 1 plate courtesy of the Chef. And none was white.

So, guess I wuz robbed!!

Yep!  

The carved soap -- a seahorse, I think -- was included  in the string-backpack that I've received as part of the swag. 

On 10/3/2023 at 12:22 PM, CruiseAdict218 said:

 

Carved piece of soap? Guess I was robbed of that but I did get that plate of goodies that’s pictured here. ^ 

Yep, they normally deliver some goodies to your cabin later the same day (so, usually the night before debark).   I've gotten strawberries decorated with black and white chocolate and looking like they were wearing tuxedos.   --Except on Liberty, where they just dumped some chocolate over strawberries and called it a day.  (The dining was wayyy off on that cruise.)  

11 hours ago, pc2425 said:

We did this tour once. I can’t remember which ship it was on. We loved it. We will be on Celebration in a couple of weeks. Does anyone know if they are doing them on there?

Seems like every ship has resumed the tours.  I really hope they're on Celebration as we'll be sailing on her in October 2024.  

As I read Carnival's press release, the price was increasing by $5 per day, not $10.  It was confusingly written, so I could well be reading too much, or too little, into it.  

Either way, lock in those drink packages sooooon.  

Theoretically the pizza place also has caesar salads available, although this may have been dropped.  

I miss the "Pizza Pirate Plus" late-night menu, where they also served lasagna and a rotating sandwich choice each night.    

6 hours ago, VentureMan_2000 said:

What is also interesting is that the claw machine is considered an arcade game... it's not gambling... which is why you can play it in ports. 

 

Considered a "game of skill."  😄  😄  

I've been on ships where even the claw machines were turned off while in port.  

I've also been to Grand Turk, where -- unless things have changed -- the casino is actually open while in port...presumably because there is no competing casino on the island.  

On 9/28/2023 at 1:00 PM, havanadaydreaming said:

i give the Vista a half point for the elevators, then.  loved that feature on the Panorama/Horizon.  (the one where you press your floor and get assigned an elevator, reduces line jumpers if they're not going to your floor) 

Did they bring that direct-call elevator system back on the Vista?  When we sailed on her many years ago it had that system, which WE liked but most folks didn't, and it was removed in favor of conventional elevator operations a few weeks later.  

We'll be on Horizon in a few weeks and I'm hoping it has that more-advanced system. 

--And now we know to make one request for EACH MEMBER of the party; that was never explained the last time.  

If nothing else, you could contact John Heald and ask.  Not only would he be able to get the answer, but it's also likely that more good vibes would flow her way.  🙂  

2 hours ago, Rudyard said:

After a couple of cruises where it seemed like priority disembarkation went to those who could push, shove, and throw elbows the hardest, we started just waiting and leaving our cabin right before it was time to do so even though we usually have FTTF. After leaving our cabin we go to the Lido and take our time eating and maybe have a couple of cups of coffee until we hear the announcement that they're about to throw us off the ship. by that time we can walk off the ship with ease. I know this isn't possible for a lot of people who actually need to get off early, but until Carnival gets a better handle on the debark procedure that's what we'll keep doing. 

I was able to do this on my last (also my first) solo cruise since I wasn't traveling with my let's-get-off-ASAP friends.  🙂   

It was really nice to enjoy a relaxed breakfast and just take that extra time.  I'll see if I can "sell" te idea to my cruising compadres on this next cruise, since we'll be driving down and time won't be as critical. 

14 hours ago, tonit964 said:

Haven't been on a Carnival ship in a while but in 20 days, my tradition will be once on board, get muster done, get a Fun Ship Special, go to Guy's burger for lunch, go to the buffet for a slice of Funfetti cheesecake, then sit in the atrium with a drink until the room is ready.

Can't wait!

Aha!   That's something we're going to have to remember in two weeks on the Horizon and add to our usual routine.    But first up, food-wise, for me:

13 hours ago, ultrafighter said:

I have to eat at the Mongolian Wok for lunch.  I don't know what I'm gonna do if I ever sail on a ship that doesn't have it.  🤪

This is my usual food go-to on ships so equipped, since I am a Mongolian str-fry FIEND.  🙂   

See also my sorry post about Jiji's free, maybe-here, maybe-not stir-fry lunch on the Horizon.  If it isn't there, I shall be Very Put Out.  

8 hours ago, Drew B 58 said:

I always hop (rather than step) from the gangway to the deck when first coming aboard.  It was probably a lot cuter when I was young, but I still do it now that I’m old. It’s almost a superstition.

This is exactly what I do!  That magical moment when you step from land-side to shipboard HAS to be commemorated in some special way!  

My other boarding rituals de lo habitual:   

• Go to ShoreEx to book the Behind the Fun tour
• Go to ShoreEx to reserve a good cabana location at Half Moon Cay (but likely not any more due to the price increase)
• Make the first drink stop on the way to Jiji's or the Cucina, commonly at the Atrium Bar
• Watch sailaway from our friends' balcony, since they always get something special:  aft-wrap, Captain's Suite, Excel suite with the hot-tub, etc.  
• Failing that, we go up front to the "secret decks" to watch sailaway, on ships so equipped

13 hours ago, VentureMan_2000 said:

Do they show you the engine room ?  And other engineer/mechanical areas ?

Would love to see the engine room, propeller drive shaft, water RO processing, laundry processing, sewage processing, kitchen food prep machines... all the mechanical stuff.   

They do not take you to the actual engine room, but to the Engineering Control Room, for reasons of security as well as safety, as the engine room area requires ear protection.  They can bring up camera views of the drive-shafts and other parts of the diesel gensets and drive motors...or at least, they have done so on some of the tours I've done.   The water and sewage systems are controlled from there also.  Asking knowledgeable questions there will often get great results.  

You usually end up walking through the entire galley, so you'll see much of the food prep machinery. 

You DO visit the main laundry and see the giant washers and dryers, as well as smaller ones used for guest laundry, plus the real star in action...the automated drying and folding machine.   🙂 

You'll also get two presentations regarding the main stage production shows, one from the cast perspective usually from the dance-captain, and one from a technical perspective from the stage manager. 

3 hours ago, KGab said:

We have 2 cruises coming up.  If you were going to do one, would you do it on the Conquest or the Horizon?  You sign up as soon as you board?  Do you sign up at excursions?  Thanks!

Between the two I'd choose the Horizon.  I'll be doing that tour myself in about two weeks.  🙂  

2 hours ago, KGab said:

Is it really hard to get a spot?  I’ll be platinum for our January cruise so I was going to choose the earliest check-in time.  Fingers crossed!!

Definitely choose an early check-in time and go to Shore Excursions immediately upon embark.  

9 hours ago, CruiseAdict218 said:

Total was $130, includes a hat, lanyard, drawstring backpack and a picture with the captain on the bridge (mine was group photo style). Definitely will be doing it again on the other ships in the fleet.

You didn't get a carved piece of soap that looks tantalizingly like white chocolate?  You wuz robbed!  😄   

6 hours ago, ninjacat123 said:

According to a previous post, $90-150.

"Back in the day" pre-COVID they ranged from $65 or so up to $95, depending on the ship-size.  Not surprised the price has increased; now they're on a par with Royal's behind-the-scenes tours pre-COVID...and Royal's tours weren't quite as long or immersive.  

On 9/11/2023 at 7:35 PM, balcony bound said:

I would guess most will pick the first ship they sailed on.  That first cruise is such an amazing experience, nothing ever really tops it.

That's a powerful memory, and my first Carnival cruise was on.....

On 9/12/2023 at 10:48 AM, Princess Cruiser27 said:

Imagination. First ship I sailed on back in 1996.

^^^^   Yep.  Imagination.  I'd bring her back because I loved the smaller-ship feel, the fact that we sailed at only 70% capacity on that journey, and some other things, like.....  

6 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Same.  I loved those aft eating areas on Lido

^^^  Yep, like those.  We loved those "wings" that stuck out over the Serenity area in the back of the ship, especially my Mom.  At a time when al fresco dining on cruise ships was uncommon, that was kinda nifty.   

--AND let's not forget that awesome Serenity area aft.  Great views of the ship's wake, not much wind (unlike the forward-located Serenity areas on most ships), and hot-tubs that didn't close until midnight.     Or 2 am, if you were lucky and they forgot.  🙂  

16 hours ago, cruisinpips said:

We were on Horizon last week. Jijis for lunch is always our go to on the first day. To say the least, we were all disappointed and went to Pig and Anchor for BBQ afterwards. They now have pre-made bowls that are bland and lacking any meat. I selected the beef bowl, and if there was 1 oz of beef in it, I would be surprised. Same with shrimp and chicken. It was not good! And that reminds me I forgot to put that on my survey yesterday😡

10 hours ago, john91498 said:

I was on the Panorama last month and Jiji's lunch was definitely not freshly made. We were very disappointed and took 1 bite and left. 

Well, aren't y'all a huge ray of sunshine?   🙂   

Oh, well, I guess I'll find out for sure in less than two weeks.....

23 hours ago, edspec said:

They offered the bowl options in February on Panorama. I really enjoyed them. They were steaming hot, tasted fresh and the combinations were wonderful. 

Do you mean the "pre-made" bowl options?   Now I'm getting really curious about them.  

Oh, well, if I don't like any of the combinations there's always the Cucina across from JiJi's...  And Guy's Smokehouse, Guy's Burger Joint, Blue Iguana Cantina, Fresh Creations, the Deli, the pizzeria, and oh yeah, the Lido Buffet.  🙂  

7 hours ago, SummerRoze said:

I just got off the Horizon last week and JiJi's does offer a free lunch option until 2:30p, but it is not a Mongolian wok menu. There were a handful of pre made bowl options to choose from, but nothing where you build your own noodle/protein/veggie bowls unfortunately.

Huh, that's interesting.  I'll be checking it out in two weeks, but that's disappointing.  I wouldn't think it was THAT much more difficult to collect our filled-out cards, toss the items onto a wok, and cook 'em. 

18 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Nope, people just assumed. 

You're SURE it has never been allowed in the past?  

18 hours ago, CruiseAdict218 said:

Are one of them taken on the bridge do you know?

Yes, and sometimes you might get a group photo AND an individual photo with the Captain.  

As with every tour I've done, you just never know quite what you'll get, and what you'll see.  But I've always learned something new.  

21 hours ago, shof515 said:

other cruise lines like Norwegian is the same, your new status is on the following cruise too

Huh, in this aspect, Carnival comes out ahead.  

6 hours ago, VentureMan_2000 said:

So, I went to my Cruise Manage to make note of the check-in dates for these two cruises.  I see the check-in for the 1st cruise is 14 days before the start of the cruise... standard for Gold status.  I was surprised to see the check-in for the 2nd cruise is 16 days before the start of the cruise - something only provided with Plat/Diamond cruisers.  I didn't think I would see any reference to Platinum status until after I completed the first cruise.  

Carnival has always granted your next-tier status at the beginning of your qualifying cruise -- for me, this will be in 19 days. 

Contrariwise, Royal does not; you have to wait until the following cruise to enjoy your just-earned status.  😞  

2 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

Me too - so excited to go. No phones allowed is kinda a bummer.

Yes it is, and I understand their reasoning, but you will get at least one and possibly two professionally-taken photos free as part of the deal.  

4 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

You are not supposed to stay in your room, ready or not, until after 1:30 pm.  Asking just put the room attendant in an awkward position where they risk ticking off a tipping guest.  Room may be cleaned but inspections may not be and deliveries may not be finished.  They don't want crew and guests in rooms at the same time,

At one time, Carnival was prioritizing suites on turnover day to have them ready by boarding time, and I thought suite guests were allowed -- and were the ONLY passengers allowed -- to occupy their staterooms upon boarding.   

However, I just searched on the website and couldn't find a reference to this, so either I was misremembering, or the perk was discontinued.  

A pity, since exclusive suite perks on Carnival are few and far between, compared to other lines that have, say, concierges.   

10 hours ago, Crusin Karen said:

Only size restrictions is your carry on so it fits thru the scanner. Hope you and your luggage have a great cruise! 

Which is weird, because after a certain time pre-sailing, porter services are no longer available and you must carry all luggage with you as carry-on.  If a large suitcase doesn't fit through the X-ray scanner....what then?   Is it checked manually?  

11 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

 

Go to Shore Exc Desk as soon as they open first day. They'll have a book for you to sign up. We got our tickets a couple days later. 

 

Yes, the BtF Tour is always conducted on the last sea-day.  For one thing, it's much easier to see things like the food and drinks storage rooms when they aren't completely full of stuff and you can't even hardly get inside.  

1 hour ago, 6fan said:

I started this thread just asking if I could drop my carry on bag in my cabin as soon as I got on board. It pivoted  to foreign languages, entitled people chain of command to name a few.

Welcome to Cruise Critic, where there's never a dull moment.  😄 

1 hour ago, 6fan said:

 

I had planned to go through the doors that say 130 put my bag in the closet and go to lido deck.

And as a Platinum, never mind as a suite guest, you are absolutely allowed to do so.  

There's a chance you'll be able to occupy your suite early, as well as just dropping off your luggage; ask your steward if it seems your suite has been readied for you when you arrive.   Early stateroom access might be a suite-guest perk, one of the few on Carnival, alas.