dongordon

19 minutes ago, Linda the Book Lover said:

Thanks Don, I just added a phone countdown. I had a Cruise Countdown (from a certain website) but wanted something a little more interesting. 

What phone countdown clock did you use Linda?  Did you check out the one I mentioned....perhaps I'll use yours if it is better.

We take a long 14 day southern Caribbean cruise out of NYC every winter and usually the same group seems to book these cruises.  One fellow on our roll call posts a huge countdown clock when we hit certain points (e.g. 8 months, 7 months, etc.) before our cruise.

Don

I'm with you Linda....I enjoyed the clocks also.

I now set it up on my I-phone for my future cruises and vacations.

Counting down the days is fun.

There was an app on my phone....."Event Countdown Lite."

Don

Thank you...greatly appreciate the information.

That's great....going on the Carnival Sunrise next September and haven't cruised on Carnival for over 15 years.  I usually cruise out of NYC on NCL and they do not allow any wine or liquor to be brought onboard unless a corkage fee is paid for wine.

Just curious, what kind of Chardonnay is served on Carnival?

Don

I haven't been on Carnival for over 15 years.  We usually cruise on NCL out of NYC and enjoy their steak restaurant - Cagney's.

I also thought $38 was a bit steep, but we plan on celebrating our 49th wedding anniversary next September on this cruise and will be booking the reservation on our anniversary evening.

Can someone please provide the link where I can view the menu for the Steakhouse?  I would like to see what they offer.  My wife loves filet mignon (medium rare) and I love my ribeye steak (well done)

Don

Thank you for that information. Would you know if there is a bar near that location?

Where on Sunrise is Cigar Smoking Permitted?

Is there an indoor and outdoor venue?

Years ago on Triumph, they had a huge smoking lounge and featured a jazz trio at times there.  I'm sure that is now gone.

1 hour ago, markperth said:

Hey dongordon,

 

best news I have heard all day.

 

thanks to everyone as well who have posted.

 

cheers

Mark...

Enjoy the pool....best time to swim is between 7-8 AM before the crowds get there with all there sun tan oils!!

I did it almost everyday on my 14 day cruise for 45 minutes.....great way to start the day.

Don

Just wondering if NCL is concerned about the recent tourist deaths in the hotel in the Dominican Republic and the recent shooting of David Ortiz.

Is it still considered a safe port of call?

Have they changed any itineraries yet? 

On ‎6‎/‎9‎/‎2019 at 7:55 AM, markperth said:

Hi all, I tried searching but could not find answer.

 

so, have booked a transatlantic from nyc to Rome in April 2020 on the Escape. We will have our 3 yo grandson with us, and his parents. Lol.

 

given the weather may not be overly hot, would the outdoor pools and water park,that he is allowed in,be somewhat heated?

 

thanks in advance

 

 

 

 

Yes, most NCL ships are heated and I can tell you first hand that the Escape is.

I was swimming in the Escape pool the 2nd day at sea in January leaving from NYC last year and I also asked the fellow who takes care of the pools.  That being said, it was still a bit cold, but not nearly as cold as the ocean water that time of year.  He said it takes a while to heat them up. Also swam in the pool the last day at sea as we headed back to NYC on our 14 day cruise. 

8 hours ago, ugagal07 said:

All of the aft-balconies are NOT the same size.  I am booked on the Radiance, that once after it's dry dock will look very similar to the Sunrise.  We are booked in 5344, which is 213/169 sq ft and category 8M.  Next door to it is 5346, also an 8M, but only 213/100 sq ft.  I had looked at deck plans and knew that when I booked it.

How did you find out the difference in the size of the balconies?

When I looked at the deck plans on the Sunrise, the two end aft facing cabins were Grand Suites but the others on Deck 5 looked exactly the same.

Perhaps the Radiance  is different compared to the Sunrise and the Sunshine which were sister ships before their renovation.

Don

6 minutes ago, jbethel11 said:

Not sure what you mean by that, but all balconies (with the exceptions of suites and aft-facing) are of the same size. However, if you are talking about aft-facing balconies only, then I believe they are of equal size. 

Yes, I'm only talking about the Aft-Facing balconies.

What I meant was sometimes the way the back of the ship is built, the balconies can be longer or wider.

On some of the NCL ships, different decks have different size balconies in length/width.

Also, if the back of the ship is concave, the balconies towards the middle are sometimes smaller. 

It was difficult to determine the balcony size on the deck plans, although the two end aft facing cabins are usually suites, thus the balconies are much larger.

I just booked an Aft - Facing Cabin on the Sunrise.

Are the Balconies on all the decks the same size?

Or does the location of the cabin or deck affect the balcony size?

8 hours ago, Mike C said:

Don,

 

John Heald once responded to my question about Carnival resuming year round sailings out of NY.  He said due to operational and weather issues that had no plans to sail from NY in the winter.

 

Mike

Well Mike....at least NCL sails out of NYC in the winter.....I guess if you want to sail out of NYC in the winter, NCL has the market with 2 ships!

Don

7 hours ago, shof515 said:

 

I sailed on the Carnival Splendor when she did the year round cruising.The first sea day and the last sea day was cool and windy.  In January the ports were Port Canarval, Freeport and Nassau. Pricing was very very cheap and the ship did not had sold out crowding feature most ships get.

I'm not surprised the ship did not sell out and pricing was "very very cheap."

Those are not the best ports.  I don't mind the bad weather on the two days at sea when on a longer cruise, but not worth it on a 7 day cruise.

Don

3 hours ago, danak13 said:

My SO and I are booked on the Breakaway the week after Thanksgiving.  I have only been on one mega ship on RCCL and, while I enjoyed it, it was not my favorite.  My SO has never done a huge ship. We were on the Pearl the last two cruises we took and LOVED it.  That being said I really want to give NCL's larger ships a try.  I have been reading a ton of reviews and they seem super mixed for this ship.  

 

So I am wondering what everyone's experience was-did you hear all the bad reviews too but were pleasantly surprised when you took the cruise?  Or were you super excited for the ship but left disappointed? 

 

Thank you! 

We loved the Breakaway and have cruised several times on this ship.

We did an Aft Facing Haven Suite once and it was unbelievable with the fabulous Haven Restaurant....needless to say we were spoiled😊

The entertainment was great as well.

We certainly were not disappointed at all.

NCL’s casual freestyle cruising makes it my 1st choice for cruise lines.

Don

Thank you everyone for your input.

We will be looking forward to cruising on Carnival again after so many years on NCL.

Cruising out of NYC for us is a must.  Hoping that Carnival will perhaps start sailing out of NYC on some long cruises to the Caribbean in the upcoming winters.

Don

3 hours ago, antmaril said:

The new Carnival Sunrise was the Triumph.   The Sunshine was the Carnival Destiny.  

Thankyou for clearing that up.

I guess I had the Sunrise and Sunshine mixed up.

But I was on the Triumph also and that was a great ship as well!

Don

2 minutes ago, Mike C said:

Not mandatory at all.  Just avoid the no shorts, flip-flops, etc. list

Thanks Mike....that wont be a problem.

I was looking into the Sunrise on some YouTube videos and discovered it is the Carnival Destiny newly renovated.

We cruised on the Destiny with our daughters about 15 years ago.

Liked the ship then and pretty sure I'll enjoy the new version as well.

Just left a message with my TA to call me back to book!

Don

What areas on Sunshine is cigar smoking allowed?

37 minutes ago, Mike C said:

Don,

 

You can. buy the drink package in advance.  I believe you save 5% by doing that.

 

There is no longer a formal night where you are expected to dress up.  They do have Elegant Nights.  Here's the suggested dress code for those evenings:

 

Cruise Elegant
Gentlemen: elegant dress pants, shirts, sports jackets as well as suits, ties and tuxedos.

Ladies: cocktail dresses, pantsuits, elegant skirts, blouses and evening gowns.

Please no shorts, t-shirts, flip-flops, bathing clothes, jeans, cut-off jeans, sportswear and baseball caps.

 

Mike

Are sport jackets mandatory?

I usually dress business casual with a collared shirt and casual pants......is that acceptable or do they enforce the dress code?

Don

23 hours ago, ObstructedView2 said:

 

 

Carnival Cheers Program 🍸🍷🍾🍹

 

 

 

 

Click the link for additional Cheers Program information:

https://help.goccl.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1106/~/cheers!-beverage-program

 

 

 

 

.

Thank you....

This was very helpful.

Don

16 hours ago, Mike C said:

Don,

 

Edna and I are sailing on the Sunrise this September.

 

To guarantee a table for two, you have to sign-up for Your-time dining.

 

It's also interesting that when sailing from NY, you can't purchase the Cheers package until Day Two.

 

Mike

 

Hey Mike....

We are looking at this cruise for September 2020 for our anniversary.

Can you purchase the drink package in advance....online?

We haven't been on Carnival in years.

Do they still have formal nights where you have to dress up with a suit or a sports jacket.

I switched to NCL because of that!

I like to be casual throughout the cruise.

I'll be anxious to hear your review and comparisons with NCL.

Don

Is Coke or Pepsi  on Carnival?

It has been many years since I cruised on Carnival and I remember it was difficult to get a table for 2.

Looking at taking a cruise on the Sunrise out of NYC in September 2020.  Has that changed?

Also, does Carnival offer any unlimited Alcoholic Beverage packages?

I usually sign up for these on NCL cruises.

On ‎6‎/‎4‎/‎2019 at 4:17 PM, Birdie And Sue said:

They fixed the problem by getting rid of those annoying clocks!  There no longer is a problem...  🙂

I liked them!!