BallFour4

We have experienced one cruise post-Covid and were able to check in 48 hours early, enter the terminal here in Galveston at 10:00AM and board with the first group. We did get the letter for Priority Self-Assist (we are platinum, not diamond) and were off the ship and home before 9:30AM. In the text below Carnival gives themselves an out for this. What we didn't see was the return of the Priority Entrance and separate line to enter. Has that returned? If you've been on the Breeze lately and were diamond or platinum what was your experience? Here is the text from the diamond and platinum benefits page: Until further notice – 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: PRIORITY CHECK-IN & BOARDING – Platinum and Diamond guests will now be given 48 hours advance access to select their preferred Arrival Appointment while completing their Online Check-In. A boarding zone will be assigned based on guest's Arrival Appointment. 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 guests on board. Finally, the Breeze didn't leave until 5:00PM yesterday. If you are aboard did they offer a reason? I listened in on the embarkation via HAM radio (hilarious every cruise) and the ship was turned over from the embarkation team at 3:50PM. Just curious. Here are a few images from the Breeze in November: https://photos.app.goo.gl/d6DHtHHjYrjNobtd9 See You At Sea. .

A rarity post Covid. So far our experience has been on Carnival since the return to cruising, other lines may be different. .

Some variables: if you are cruising Carnival now make sure to remove the scissors. They are on the prohibited list. I also gave up a trusty $12 tiny Swiss Army knife from my key ring to cruise on the Breeze.

Both terminals are close to The Strand in Galveston. It resembles old New Orleans and if you visit galveston.com and then click on dining you will see many options. We love Willie G's and Yagas Cafe. .

Go to the CVS website and schedule your tests at the Seabrook, Texas location. They are quick, have not failed us on two cruises since the return and we had results emailed to us before we got home. If they are booked then try the one in Deer Park, Texas, zip 77536. They are as good. Message me if you have any questions. .

I carry a small fan on every cruise. I've also been told twice I could not do so. Here is what I do as I'm at the "Get off my lawn" age of 63. The fan also has the UL sticker on the base, and I showed the private security company conducting the screening the first time I was told no. Print the Carnival policy and have it handy. We carry a 1/2" binder with our cruise documents, passport copies, vaccine card copies, boarding documents, pre-purchase item emails and the policy allowing HAM radios to be carried aboard. That stopped the questions here in Galveston on our most recent cruise. See you at sea. .

The second part of your comment (I truncated) supports your decision! And, in modern history of mass market cruising no one has ever fallen from a cruise ship unless reckless behavior was involved. Most, if not all of the time alcohol, doing stupid things or passenger behavior regarding themselves or to others is the cause. .

Yep. Landry's Inc. He owns the San Luis, the Galveston Convention Center, Bubba Gumps, Landrys, and most of the other precooked food disasters here in Galveston. .

In a perfect world it can be. At tourism destination times it's far closer to an hour. I make that drive from near Kemah to UTMB a couple of times a week during the day and home in the evening. .

Well... I live close to Kemah and work UTMB often. And it's closer to an hour than 36 min. And an Uber would be at a nuts price x 2. Google maps at 9 PM is different from Nissan Murano earlier this evening.

That's an hour away at posted speeds. There is no need to leave the island.

The other posts give you the answer, and it's interesting that TABC elected not to enforce it for years. In the past few they have set up a table here in Galveston after US Customs when we debark with people akin to selling you siding at the Costco exit wanting to know if we purchased alcohol while aboard the ship or in port. We don't and we don't answer. With the new scan feature leaving the terminal is virtually a non-stop process and they have given up. Imagine a drink package like a balloon, air (or in this case money) is released with each purchase. Carnival collects $$ from those that purchase the package and then each drink from a cruiser debits that amount. It's not different from an insurance company business model. Embarkation day is a heavy drink purchase day, so Carnival knows that with that level of consumption mixed with drink sharing they would lessen their profits per day if they opened it up. So... they don't. Carnival and the balance of the industry cost shift the revenue needed per passenger away from cruise fare to alcohol, spa, casino, shore excursions and coconut monkey drinks to bring in the cash needed to keep the funnel fleet (minus one) afloat. A few years ago there was a documentary that aired explaining the process for profit, and how much was needed per passenger on each cruise. It varies based on the costs for provisions, fuel and other things that smarter people than me can share here. See you at sea. .

My wife and I are lido deck, port side, up front balcony cabin people. We've been on the fleet of Conquest class ships and booked the same cabin number for all of them. During that window of time we cruised the Triumph from here in Galveston perhaps ten times and most of those were inside cabins. Here's how we made it workable. Lido deck inside cabins. The open deck just a few steps forward was great for sail away and port arrival. A Maglite type LED flashlight on the nightstand for both sides. Leave the bathroom light on for the late night pilgrimage. Take a Bluetooth speaker (I love my Bose Revolve) and have a ocean waves track on your phone that repeats. The sound of the water is magic for sleep. Clear the area around the bed of things you'd trip on if you were to walk around the cabin in the dark. Set an alarm on your phone and disable the automatic time zone update. Enjoy your vacation. Do some or none of these. .

Opinions are never wrong, so I won't attempt to dissuade you from yours. I would like to see the term gratuities taken away and have a surcharge like resort hotels do. I recently had a company event in Henderson, Nevada and we were charged a resort fee for each nights' stay. The cruise industry has bled cash since the start of the Covid pandemic. They all struggle to get adequate crew staffing and as a result the service levels (like cabin service twice a day) have not returned. I've seen first hand people at Guest Services with a monster bill ask to have gratuities removed. In my opinion this alone is enough reason to make them part of the cruise fare. See you at sea. .

Go to the excursion times listed and click. You can then view how many tickets remain. For our Alaska trip next summer a couple are sold out a year in advance. .

We sailed the Breeze in November, our first return to cruising. Here are some of my photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/d6DHtHHjYrjNobtd9 Agree with some of your observations, especially the comedians. There is little excuse for no real material. Picking someone(s) from the audience and being vulgar and rude to them is measure of poor talent. We go to Nachi Cocom in Cozumel every cruise and it never gets old. The Italian restaurant for dinner was the best decision on our cruise. Superb meal. Breakfast lines were long for those that slept in. The omelet stations further back were never crowded. The past guest party was well attended and they had plentiful drinks. They took orders and had the galvanized tub of 16 oz aluminum beer selections. They loaded my arms with four of them for our friends when we left. Debarkation was a mess for the family that decided to carry their own bags. We were home using priority self-debark before they got to their car. Alaska is next!

It has to be a ship by ship thing. In November we had the captain, a large representation of his staff, plentiful drinks and lots of food. They loaded me up with 16oz beers to take to the rest of our party that were not platinum or diamond due to a tub full of beer and poor attendance. This was on the Breeze from here in Galveston. .

You've already received the comment I wanted to lead with, and that is don't be the travel guide (and complaint department) for others. Look in the mirror, that person is on vacation too. My wife and I have been on 37 cruises, on those over the past ten years or so from here in Galveston another couple or as many as twenty people from other families have joined us. I have them all over for burgers, load up the Mac on Apple TV and show them the ship, the shore excursions pages, the Do's and Don't sections and then share the contact information for our PVP. We do tell them some tips for a good day at sea and share our experiences with the excursions we have done in the past. Only then do I tell them our dinner plans, our specialty dining choices, shore excursions and our schedule. My wife is a retired teacher, I'm in medical sales. We book things well in advance on the Outlook Calendar. Tell them all "I am on a cruise ship you will be on. Here are our plans, join us for all or none of these. We eat dinner at 6 PM, go to the shows every night and then find the piano bar. Join us for those or none." We do have a favorite meet up place on the ship, it's one of the tables by the burrito bar on the starboard side of most of the Carnival fleet. Most afternoons you can find us there with cards, dominoes or a cold adult beverage. Does my plan work? Yep. So far we have a big group going to Alaska next summer and are working on a last minute Breeze trip for the summer. Come go with us. See you at dinner. .

With the Vista sailing 7 day runs expect Terminal 1. The Breeze (and any other) that makes a 5-5-4 rotation and vary the terminals. The Breeze is here every other Saturday, Monday and Thursday to keep on the 14 day cycle. The webcams are a really cool thing to watch. Start with the Emerald Cam to see the ship come in range and then switch to the cruise cam. .

I get your frustration. It's akin to a Kübler-Ross response. And in reply to your post several have said the Carnival Cruise Contract you and all of us that sail in the shadow of a funnel agree to is referenced. That document was written by a legal team well versed in maritime events, things that go astray, Murphys' Law, etc. I'd be in the anger phase as well. The bottom line is Carnival has limited their liability and offered compensation. I haven't seen them flex in 46 years of cruising. I posted the link and relevant paragraph below. I wish you and your family well on your new vacation plans. If you were stuck in Galveston I'd come get your family, we're grilling burgers and chicken and enjoying the pool this evening. Sometimes it's time to paint your bottom white and run with the antelope. Come on, food's hot, drinks are cold. https://www.carnival.com/about-carnival/legal-notice/ticket-contract.aspx Carnival has the right without previous notice to cancel this contract at the port of embarkation or any time during the voyage and shall thereupon return to the Guest, if the Contract is completely canceled, his Cruise Fare, or, if the Contract is partially canceled, a proportionate part thereof. Under such circumstances, Carnival shall have no further liability for damages or compensation of any kind. In the event a voyage is terminated early due to mechanical failure of the Vessel, Guest is also entitled to transportation to the Vessel’s scheduled port of disembarkation or Guest’s home city, at Carnival’s discretion and expense, as well as necessary lodging at the unscheduled port of disembarkation, if required, at Carnival’s expense. .

Pre-packaged food is permissable to carry off in Cozumel as well as bottled water. .

I'll bet we know the same people!

Short answer = No. Long answer = if you plan to do any international travel in the next decade or cruise a few times it remains a good idea. There will be at least ten posts about "if you get injured or something happens you can't get home" and those are not true. Sure, some exceptions take a while, but we have personal experience with two couples that had a death in their immediate family while cruising with us and both were escorted from the ship in Cozumel and taken to the airport for a flight back home. It's not always that easy, but I still have a passport. .

We've seen an entire family put ashore in Jamaica, and they were still talking trash. This was on Royal Caribbean. Interesting to watch the webcams here in Galveston when the ships return. The deck zero gangway often has a couple or more escorted to the awaiting police cruiser with newly acquired handcuffs. "Went on vacation, wound up on probation..." .