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12 hours ago, ehughes said:

Just look at the FAQs on Carnival. 

 

CHEERS! will not be offered on Europe itineraries

 

I had already read through the Cheers FAQ's but obviously not well enough as I just found what you are referencing close to the top of the page.   As @coevan said, my decision just got a lot easier!  😊  Thanks

for pointing it out because I surely missed it!

On 10/31/2018 at 6:52 PM, coevan said:

 

20 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

Yes to both...I have only sailed Carnival and Royal in Europe, and Carnival was the only one that allowed it. I do remember on the Vista in 2016, when VAT was in affect, Cheers was not offered. Also, no alcohol was being sold in the duty free stores either. 

Wow.  That's really good to know.  Thanks!

3 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

In Barcelona, there is a store after security, so easy to purchase there. I bought stuff there and in the ports. 

So they let you carry the liquor on board if you purchase it after the security checkpoint or while in port?  I've never done a cruise in Europe so this is new to me - definitely not allowed in the US!

26 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

Just an FYI...from my own past experience and from what others have said, it has always been easy to carry on alcohol in Europe. For some reason over there, they don’t seem to care that much. Of course, that could change at any time. What port are you leaving from!

We're leaving from Barcelona.  Is it easier to carry it on during embarkation or at each individual port?  

It might not even be an issue after all.  I just went through the purchase process for Cheers to see if the VAT was added to the package along with the 18% gratuity and I received a message that Cheers was not available for purchase on that cruise.  I can't verify that anywhere on Carnival's website but they may not be offering it for European cruises next year.  If anyone knows otherwise please let me know.  Thanks again.

2 minutes ago, mdsgu said:

We sailed NCL in the Mediterranean recently and had the drink package.  No extra VAT was charged to our drinks at the bar.

Thanks for that information.  I read a couple of posts where people were complaining about VAT being added to each drink that they purchased on a Carnival ship even though they had purchased the Cheers package ahead of time.  It's a bit confusing in that regard as no one with CCL seems to be able to give a firm or knowledgeable answer when questioned.    

7 minutes ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

One question, one concern:

 

1. Will either child be 21 by the sail date?  If so, you'll need to purchase Cheers for them too if in the same cabin as the one parent purchasing it.  (Actually, what is the rule for drinking age on European sailings?  I would actually expect it to be different from US sailings...)

 

2. If you are intending to "share" the Cheers package between the two adults...well, you know where that is going.  And be aware of the consequences if you get caught.

Thanks for the response.  Neither of them will be 21 - they are 19 now and will have turned 20 by the time of our cruise.  My DH drinks more than I do so I thought he could use the package and I could just purchase my few each day as needed.  We don't do the sharing thing although I have purchased some non-alcoholic drinks with it for my daughter in the past.  I also thought that the legal drinking age in Europe might come into play, but so far I haven't been able to find anything on it.  The only thing I have read at all about the drink packages on the Carnival European cruises was the issue with the addition of VAT.  This might end up being one of those times where we just purchase a bottle from the Fun Shops to have in the cabin.

Hi all.  I have a question regarding a situation that I've never experienced before now so please don't judge me too harshly.  We always purchase the Cheers program when cruising with Carnival as both the DH and I enjoy our adult beverages.😋  We are booked on a European cruise next year that is extremely port intensive (only 2 sea days) and feel that it would not be as advantageous as it normally is to purchase the Cheers package as we won't be on the ship most of the time.  My DH suggested just purchasing one package as we are currently each assigned to our own cabin along with one of our two 20 year old children.   That said, we would not be forced to purchase a second package as the 2nd cabin passenger is not yet 21.  It seems like that should work except for the fact that we planned to swap our cabins around once on board.  When we do that would they automatically charge us for a second Cheers package?   I have never had this scenario before and as we always pre-purchase our drink plans, I wasn't sure if they would go back and look for it once we switched our cabins.   If you have any insight on this, please let me know.  Thanks!   

3 hours ago, MediumB said:

I sailed on the October 8th thru the 13th cruise this year and was affected by the same issues.  While we had an 11:30 arrival time that was pushed back to 12:30 a simple call to Carnival and we were informed that PRIORITY guests (I am platinum) and FTTF would be allowed entry into the terminal at noon. We arrived at the port at 1030 thanks to our Carnival transfer from thje airport and checked our bags with the porter. We then headed over to the Riverwalk Mall and hung out until 1145. We got back to the terminal at 1155 and a LARGE line had formed at the door of MOSTLY FTTF guests. When they opened the doors at noon PRIORITY guests (diamond, platinum and suites) were called to enter first after we hopped out of line then FTTF were allowed to enter. Priority guests waited in the Captain's lounge while FTTF waited in a seating area in the main terminal. Noone boarded before 1:30 BUT they did have all cabins ready. We had our luggage waiting for us in the room when we boarded whereas others had their luggage sitting outside their door.  We were in room 7365, a standard balcony, which had just been finished being renovated and was very nice. It had two regular plugs at the desk 4 USB charging ports (2 at the desk and 2 over the bed) an outlet in the bathroom as well as a mini fridge.

 

With all the people that showed up at noon they ONLY thing they were looking for on boarding passes was PRIORITY or FTTF.

 

 

AND TO FOLLOW UP:

 

When it came time to board boarding started at 1:30 and went in this order per the staff's announcement:

Diamonds

Platinums

Suites

FTTF

Then Zone numbers

 

 

Oh wow....absolutely wonderful information!  Thanks so much for sharing!

17 hours ago, NightOne said:

 

I am the same. I actually figured out a way to get the phone number of the contractor who is responsible for this and I talked to them the morning of my cruise and they told me exactly when they were going to be done that day. Unfortunately, no way to PM it to you on these forums or I would give you the number. :)

Wow.....you're like, my idol!!  LOL   Any idea what decks they are working on or have at least started revamping?

1 minute ago, NightOne said:

 

OK, first of all relax and take a deep breath. LOL You're going to be fine.

 

Here is what is going on with Triumph in NOLA. They are using the terminal area for staging materials for room upgrades they are doing during the cruises. They are doing a small section on each cruise. This means they aren't letting anyone in the terminal until around Noon. (normally it is around 10am in NOLA) You are platinum so you get to go in the Diamond/Platinum/Suite lounge where they have cookies and drinks available. As a platinum they will let you in the terminal as soon as it opens. Your appointment time will not matter.

 

Likely they are going to start boarding the Diamonds around 1pm (and maybe as late as 1:30pm). That will be followed by platinum/suites together, then FTFF, and then others. Instead of leaving the dock at 4pm it will likely be 5pm or a little later.

 

Finally, if you are in one of the rooms that was re-done on the cruise before yours then there is a chance your room might not be available immediately but it will be available very soon (less than 1 hour) if that is the case.

 

So bottom line: sleep in, show up at 12:15pm, get on the ship, and have a good time :)

 

LOL, thanks.  I'm honestly not freaking out or anything.  I'm just a person that does not AT ALL like change and I'm a natural born worrier...so when I got that email it just made me have a little episode. LOL  I'm all good with it now.  I definitely appreciate the information that you provided!  Now I've got to go and worry about my cabin not having A/C!  LOL

Thanks!

Hi all.  For those who have cruised since they stopped handing out the S&S prior to boarding, is it correct that you now use your Boarding Pass as your sail & sign until your room is ready?   Does anyone know how Cheers works with this?   We always purchase it prior to sailing and they normally place a sticker on your S&S at one of the bars - just wondering how that works since you have to use a piece of paper instead of a card (at least for a couple of hours).

Thanks in advance.

2 hours ago, Thorncroft said:

My friend has cruised Triumph twice since this started. The first week of September and third week of October. She's Plat and strolled up in there like she always does and got right on the ship. They just wouldn't let anyone in the terminal until after noon or something like that. I think you're stressing for nothing. What you SHOULD be concerned about is that her cabins didn't have any ac on either cruise and no hot water on the Oct cruise. 

Well, I definitely hope that's the case (the entering at noon...not the a/c).  Again, I was just going by what Carnival told me over the phone last night but I already know how reliable that can be.  I can't believe that she had no AC or hot water!!!  Did they not even try to repair it?  I hope that she wasn't on Lido!

22 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

This is non-news, unless you purchased FTTF, I'd probably ask for a refund. Other than that, it's a delay. It's like posting if my flight was delayed.

Again, I have no issue with a delay.  The issue I have is that priority P/D guests were not automatically offered the earliest arrival appointment.  If you took a later time knowing that you could arrive at the terminal anytime after it opened, then you are basically being told that you have no priority boarding as you are promised.  

On 9/18/2018 at 6:49 PM, Hotdog 52 said:

Here is the email we received day before yesterday. The email had the platinum heading stating we were platinum. I sent an email back stating that we had early access to the room and could arrive when we wanted not 1 to 1:30. I asked if they could start correcting the emails. My reply was thanks for the email. They create their own problems.

 

 

 

Thank you for completing your Online Check-in. You are on your way to a fun and memorable vacation.

 

Arrival Information

 

 

• Please make arrangements to get to the cruise terminal within your Arrival Appointment which is 1:00 PM-1:30 PM. Guests who arrive outside their Arrival Appointment can expect longer wait times.
• To enter the terminal, present your boarding pass, and a government-issued picture ID (applicable to all guests 16 years and older) and citizenship documents (including any necessary visas).
• Final Boarding: In preparation for final boarding and departure, all guests must be on board the ship no later than 60 minutes prior to the published sailing time or they will not be permitted to sail.

 

General Information

 

• Staterooms are available at 1:30 PM.
• Lunch is served on Lido deck until 3:00 PM.
• Checked luggage service is only available until 2 hours before the ship's published departure time. Guests arriving after this time will be responsible for taking their bags on board.
• Guests are not allowed to bring bottled beverages, (e.g., liquor, water, sodas and other non-alcoholic drinks) on board. Please review our beverage policy before you board.
• Guests (21 and older) may bring one 750 ml bottle of sealed/unopened wine or champagne, per person, in their carry-on luggage only.

 

Mobility Devices

 

• For the safety of all our guests and crew, mobility devices cannot be left in hallways or other public areas and must be stored in the guest’s stateroom in a manner that does not block a clear and safe exit path from the stateroom. Unless you have reserved a fully accessible stateroom, mobility devices must be able to fit in a standard stateroom with a 22" entry doorway. Guests must be prepared to collapse their walkers, wheelchairs or scooters to allow for safe storage. Please visit carnival.com for full details.

 

We are looking forward to welcoming you aboard for a FUN and memorable cruise vacation.

 

The Carnival Triumph Fun Team

 

 

 

Your cruise is right around the corner and we want to provide you with important information regarding your embarkation experience.

I too received one of these emails, but mine specifically stated that the arrival appointment time INCLUDED Diamond/Platinum, FTTF and suites.  ALL guests must arrive at their scheduled time or will be turned away.  I believe there were special circumstances around this on my particular cruise but it does seem to be something that they are slowly moving towards. 

7 hours ago, Thorncroft said:

It's been going on for over a month. Priority is still priority. Just a couple hours later than usual. It won't kill anyone to not be busting the door down at 10:30.

As I stated earlier, when I contacted Carnival they told me that they were going strictly by appointment time on the Triumph.  Those who scheduled an earlier appointment time will be allowed inside of the terminal prior to priority guests who had a later appointment time.  When the ship is ready their zone will be allowed on board.  It's not like they are going to hold everyone in the terminal until every last priority guest has arrived.  A delay is not an issue - the fact that they didn't schedule priority guests for the earliest time slot is.   And for the life of me I don't understand the irritation towards people who like to board early.  Why does anyone care what time someone else wants to get on board?  I personally like to start my vacation as early as possible - so while you are right that it won't "kill" anyone to wait a couple of hours (obviously), it is still inconvenient.  

9 hours ago, SwordBlazer Cruising said:

The most irritating part of embarkation is people thinking they can make the rules as they go. People always have to buck the system

 

Not really sure what "system" you are referring to or how people are making rules as they go.  It has ALWAYS been that priority guests could board as soon as the ship was ready so I don't know how that is making rules or bucking any system.  The arrival appointment thing is fairly new to Carnival but even then the time hasn't mattered if you were D/P, FTTF or suite. The only thing new I see is Carnival doing things differently for this particular ship due to the work being done.  

7 hours ago, 2Shoes2Go said:

We are on Triumph now, heading in to dock in the morning. This is the five day that left on the 27th Oct. All guests had to wait outside the terminal until 12 noon last week. Once inside, boarding didn’t begin until 1:30 pm. Cabins were announced to be available at 1:30 for priority guests and 3:00 for all others. It was because of materials being on and offloaded.

Thanks for this information - I imagine it will be the same.  It would look like they would reschedule arrival times that were earlier than that.  My MIL is scheduled to go at 11:00 I believe - she will be quite annoyed if she has to wait outside for an hour. 

3 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

 I always select the earliest arrival time available to make sure I am covered for unforeseen situations like this one. 

I will too after this!

44 minutes ago, S.S.Oceanlover said:

Yep gotta get all the debris from the pre drydock work they did the previous week and load new materials on so they can continue working on the ship during the OPs cruise.

 

Bill

 

 

Thanks Bill. I wasn’t quite sure what all they do in prep for the dry dock and how that worked with the ship full of guests.  

36 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

So glad I booked Dream instead of Triumph for December. I was considering Triumph.

I loved the Triumph but you’ll be happy on the Dream!  They said the Triumph was done after December.  

1 minute ago, Saint Greg said:

 

But if I had a 2:30 boarding time...and I bought FTTF to jump that...I’d feel like I got screwed if I have to wait until 2:30 to get into the port. And they’re letting everyone with 11am-2pm boarding times who didn’t pay for FTTF in before me. I could’ve done that without fttf. I could’ve had my room ready by 2:30 without FTTF.  You’ve lost most of the benefits you paid for. That’s horrible. 

EXACTLY!

3 minutes ago, coevan said:

even if they delay boarding doesn't mean Diamond, Platinum and FTTF should still board first. I have never had FTTF, but there might be a caveat on the contract, allowing unforeseen issues

That was my thinking as well but that is apparently not how they are handling it.  I called to see if I could get an earlier appointment time since I took a later one on purpose as many D/P do. I was told that there were no earlier times available and that people who had earlier times must have got them as soon as the appointments opened.

41 minutes ago, evandbob said:

As long as D&P still have priority boarding before they call zone #'s, an unexpected delay is understandable.

That’s exactly how I feel but you have to abide by whatever appointment time you have. My MIL is going on the same cruise and their arrival time is an hour earlier than mine. She is not priority.  I don’t mind an unexpected delay but I feel like I was cheated in a way.