mollygirl

8 hours ago, AtSeaWithChris said:

We haven't ever bought it before and we had a close call 2 years ago on the Vista. DW had emergency brain surgery a week after we got home. She had bad headaches during the cruise. It started the first night and through some highs and lows it progressed. She doesn't remember half of the cruise. Now with covid and me having cervical fusion surgery we decided to take out a yearly travel insurance plan. And it covers the pandemic. It's just $279 a year. 

Trouble with the annual plans is the medical coverage isn’t great.

29 minutes ago, crisstyd said:

They give this to me each cruise. I usually just walk up to any bar and show my card and tip $1 then sign for it. You are not required to tip, but it is a nice gesture and usually gets you great service throughout the cruise. I even tip for sodas.

When you say any bar, do you mean bars outside of the casino along with the casino bar??

My cruise on the Horizon departs Aug 21.  I didn’t receive anything from Carnival,  Something definitely wrong on their end.  Am thankful for CC as I wouldn’t have known otherwise.  Now I need to line up a rapid test - fun, fun, fun.

51 minutes ago, teknoge3k said:

 

We're Android people, not Apple people, so I can't answer that, sorry. 

 

I do believe my wife has done a Facebook video call before, but not certain. 

Ok - one more question.  Can I keep my phone on Airplane mode while on the ship and still make calls with WhatsApp? 🤔

Just now, Saint Greg said:

I just type logout.com in the browser. I find that’s the easiest way to log off of one device and the easiest way to get to the login page on the next device.

Great advice - thanks!

22 minutes ago, mpacker said:

Just fyi. I always bought lowest and was able to use imessage, it appears they have upgrade equipment now.  I bought lowest level and couldn’t get imessage at all. Ended up upgrading to 2nd level from bottom and it then worked.   
 

yes, I know they have always said imessage doesn’t work with any package, but I never had issues on any boat before until horizon this year

I do plan to purchase the mid-level one.  It should work for most things.

6 minutes ago, teknoge3k said:

 

Yes, we use WhatsApp when we travel anywhere outside of the US (except Mexico) to keep in touch with our kids. On a cruise we get the basic plan as well. 

 

S/N, I didn't know Magic Jack still was around either. I know they had the infomercial constantly on TV back in the 90's. IIRC they were to provide people with phone service. We haven't had a landline phone in 20 years. No need for them anymore. 

Good info - thanks! Can’t wait to cruise again! I’ll be cruising with a friend with hubby home pet sitting.  Needed to find a good way to stay in touch with him!  Do you happen to know if FaceTime works well on Carnival? 

Thanks!

12 minutes ago, mommysoncruiser said:

I did not know that magic jack still exists.

Yep - We still use it at home.  Not the best, but very cheap for a 2nd phone.  

11 minutes ago, teknoge3k said:

What'sApp or Facebook calling is your best bet. 

Have you used WhatsApp on a cruise?  Would it work with Carnival’s Value Plan?  

Has anyone used the MagicJack app to call from the ship to someone back in the states?  I plan to purchase the Value plan.

I plan to purchase WiFi for my upcoming cruise.  I understand that only one device can be connected at a time.  So to switch between my iPad and my phone, I assume I just log in and out to move from one device to another? Anyone with recent experience with this?  Thanks!

10 hours ago, Frank12 said:

CCL is 2 bucks off if you buy a bucket. Saves .50 a beer. 

Wow - What a savings! 😄

5 minutes ago, jcgld62 said:

Third time's a charm! I emailed again stating that I sail Monday and would like to have the information on hand when boarding. Received a reply within the hour. It just eases my mind having a confirmation, especially the free drinks all over the ship part! First time I've gotten that, it's usually just in the casino.

Great!  So far I haven’t been offered drinks anywhere on board, just the casino.  Have fun! 

1 hour ago, jcgld62 said:

I've submitted the request 2 times over the past 2 weeks and emailed once, still no reply. I sail Monday.

I finally got a reply after 2 weeks.  I think they are swamped with requests and simply can’t keep up.  After waiting a week and a half, I sent a reply to the email they sent confirming receipt of my request 2 weeks ago.  I referenced the ticket no. and asked for a response.  I received their response 2 days later.

45 minutes ago, Frank12 said:

2 weeks before your cruise you will get the below e-mail:

Dear Valued Platinum and Diamond Guests, This communication is being sent to our booked Platinum and Diamond guests.  It is independent from any request our guests might have pending for an exemption to vaccine requirements, and the receipt of this communication is not any indication of the status of your request. We are eager to get back to cruising and want to thank you for the loyalty and support you have shown Carnival.  As we plan for the restart of our operations, we want to make you aware of the new way you will redeem your VIFP amenities.  These changes were designed in accordance with our new Have Fun. Be Safe. protocols to minimize the number of stateroom deliveries, while making it easier for you to collect some of your benefits. Moving forward, certain VIFP amenities will be linked to your Sail & Sign folio for electronic redemption, like how we currently handle complimentary laundry.  Simply claim your benefit, using your Sail & Sign card, and a one-time credit for that item will be posted on your folio and be visible on your statement. Complimentary Beverages Brunch Beverage – redeemable in the dining room 1.5L Bottled Water – redeemable from any bar Chocolate Delight (5+ Day Cruises) A tasty treat will be ready for you to enjoy; just call room service to schedule delivery. Carnival Logo Gift & Ship Pin Please visit our Photo Gallery to claim your Carnival logo gift and your Carnival ship pin.  We encourage you to claim your gifts no later than two days prior to the end of your cruise. We also want you to know that given our focus on meeting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) requirements and implementation of new health and safety protocols, we will need to adjust how we deliver some of the VIFP priority benefits, as follows: ONLINE CHECK-IN – All guests will be required to complete Online Check-In, which will open 14 days prior to sailing.  Platinum and Diamond guests will be given 48 hours advance access to select their preferred Arrival Appointment. Please visit My Cruise Manager on Carnival.com starting at 16 days prior to sailing to complete your Online Check-In and select the Arrival Appointment that works best for your plans.  Due to additional embarkation day processes, all guests will have to arrive promptly at their Arrival Appointment.  Regrettably, we cannot accommodate any early arrivals and guests will be turned away and asked to return at their assigned time.    STATEROOM ACCESS – Due to enhanced cleaning and sanitation, staterooms may not be ready at the time of boarding for the early Arrival Appointments.   If you have not checked your bags, feel free to quickly drop off your luggage while our crew puts the finishing touches on your stateroom.  This will allow you to complete your e-mustering process and start your vacation promptly.   WATER SHUTTLE PRIORITY – Priority water shuttle debark will be provided subject to local guidance at the destinations we visit, which may change without prior notice.  Our team on board will keep you informed of the debarkation plans for each port.   CASINO – Although we are currently unable to host casino tournaments on board, you will be given US$25 in Casino FunPlay®.   DEBARK – We will do our best to offer priority debarkation, however, this may not be possible if we have unusually high numbers of Platinum and Diamond guest on board. We thank you for your understanding and patience as we work through our restart plans.  Your continued support means a lot to us and our great staff and crew can’t wait to welcome you back on board! Sincerely,   Christine Duffy President, Carnival Cruise Line     Contact Us  •  About Us  •  Privacy Notice  •  Unsubscribe

 

Perfect - thanks so much!

18 minutes ago, Jamman54 said:

Must be confused with Princess. On Carnival it's always been $2 off a bucket of 4. 😎

Ok thanks! 

Anyone from one of the startup cruises know if Carnival still has the buy a bucket of beer / get 1 free bottle? I could be confusing this with Princess, but believe Carnival had this as well.  Thanks.

1 hour ago, Bevv said:

This is the actual paper in the room for suites. It should be similar for other rooms.  The above was the details from the Carnival website.

Great info - thanks!

13 minutes ago, Cruise Related said:

There was nothing in the cabin indicating where to get platinum gifts. Honestly I totally forgot to grab my stuff. 

Thanks!  I am honestly surprised they did not have a prepared list.  And I am reading different things for the different ships. Some say call room service for the strawberries; others say to go to Cherries on Top.  I’ll be on the Horizon next month and will take all my notes with me.  Just happy to be sailing again! 

1 hour ago, LRDR01 said:

Just off the Breeze July 19th sailing.  We were instructed to pick up our lg bottle of water at any bar.  Went to the Red Frog Pub and they provided the bottles for us.  We were on the Cheers program.  Upon return visits to the Red Frog pub, when ordering bottled water to carry around, they asked if we would like the large or small bottle.  The first time this happened, we explained that we already picked up our lg bottles and the bartender said that we could get the larger bottle on the Cheers program if we wanted it.   Not sure if this is ship specific or even Red Frog Pub specific or that we were on the 2nd cruise for the ship post pandemic.    The bartenders at the Red Frog Pub were the best on the ship and never said "no" to us about anything we asked.   

Question on Platinum perks, did you have a list in the cabin when embarking listing all the perks and how to get them?  Or is it up to you to figure things out??  Thanks!

8 hours ago, K_e_short said:

 

One other thing to add.. did you get an email right away confirming that they received the request?

Both times I contacted them I immediately received an email saying they received my request and will reply soon.

 

Yes I did - thanks.

1 hour ago, emm126 said:

I submitted a request and didn't hear back in 1 week so I sent a 2nd request with the original reference # and got a response the next day. Good Luck.

Good to hear - thanks!

Thanks all.  Looks like I should resubmit! 

23 minutes ago, EngIceDave said:

Three tries

One response, week and half later

Did you reference your original ticket number on the 2nd and 3rd try, or retype everything each time?