silversneakers

7 hours ago, ronbe65 said:

 

I agree with this. I would only add that MDR food is still better on Carnival.

Happy cruising!

I usually order a custom omelette so I'm happy with Carnival.  Having said that, food is completely subjective.  I have had many cruises on both RCL and CCL and I still think CCL is the better of the two in regard to food.  Since we are only comparing those two cruise lines, that is my input.  Now if you want to start adding Celebrity, Holland America and Princess, then that is totally another level.

On 11/23/2019 at 10:36 AM, Cruisin'allovertheworld said:

Hi all,

 

I am considering doing a Carnival Spirit cruise but have previously sailed Royal Carribean (Mariner and Radiance).

 

Are there any significant differences?

Why do you choose Carnival over Royal?

 

It is so tempting to stay with Royal Caribbean simply because of the rewards programme but I am not someone who prefers the same thing over and over again.

Thanks

Carnival by far has the better food.  I love the Oasis class ships on RCL and there are tons of things to do for both adults and kids.  I tend to choose a cruise for the itinerary first and then the ship.  It's just a personal preference as to what you are looking for in each cruise line.

49 minutes ago, tandemcruzr said:

Like your screen name. We are SS instructors. Keeps us in shape to keep cruising Carnival -- 47 currently and 48 and 49 next month.  🙂

 

Senior runner!!

5 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Carnival will make your friend whole for airfare.  

Do you think it will be money back OR future cruise credit??

Airline cancelled my connecting flight out of Atlanta (last flight out). Princess could only offer me a red-eye @10:55pm out of LAX connecting in Atlanta the next morning (after a few hours layover). I said no and called airline, spoke to a supervisor and we were approved for the first flight out of Atlanta (that was approximately a month ago).  We will have our original flight out of LAX and spend the night in a hotel in Atlanta but that's okay as we did not want to hang around the airport in LAX until 10:55pm flight and have to travel all night. Airline was to contact Princess and give approval but don't think that happened as my EZ itinerary still listed the non existent connecting flight but my airline itinerary had the correct info.  EZ air consequently booked me on the red-eye and cancelled my existing flight without my approval.  After a few hours on the phone with Princess rep (I don't believe you can actually talk to the Air department)  I was told the flights I  had did not meet their guidelines.  On to customer service that resolved the problem and reinstated my confirmed airline reservations.  Even though you think you have everything in place, always check.  I recognize that  EZ Air is at the mercy of the airlines and their negotiated fares do have rules.

8 hours ago, klfrodo said:

You could have received the credit if you cancelled before the ship departed under the cancel for any reason.

Only "if" you have "cancel for any reason" clause included

19 hours ago, pcsunlover said:

Was this an older man?  I have MS and have some balance issues, especially when stepping onto a down escalator.  Once I have stepped on, I’m fine.  Usually I will hold the rail with my right hand and my husband holds my left arm and we step on the escalator together. Once I’m “safely” on he will either step behind me or in front.  Last year when we did that the older man directing people at the escalator started yelling at my husband for assisting me. My husband just yelled right back that nobody was going to stop him from helping his wife and the man yelled down the escalator at us threatening to call the police!  It’s the first time something like that had happened and was so embarrassing. I complained about it in our Princess survey, but really he is a port employee. He has no business with that “job”.  His compassion and common sense are certainly lacking. It totally ruined the “come back new” feeling for us.

 

Obviously what you experienced is much more traumatic and if it is the same man, I hope you file a complaint with the port authority.  I really wish I had.

He may work for a contractor and not directly for Princess.  I know it isn't an excuse, but contractors are usually paid less than $10/hr and you get what you pay for sorry to say.

Called Princess but agent was not clear on what this actually offers. This is for a 13 day couples Thermal Suite Pass. My question(s): can they be used any days at any time or do you need to specify a time; there appears to be a 15% gratuity but for what services; and does the Emerald have a hydro indoor pool or is the spa pool only outside?

Does the Emerald Princess have an indoor therapy pool? If you have purchased a spa pass, were you able to use the facilities at any time or do you need to sign up for a specific time?

On 11/8/2019 at 10:28 PM, frugaltravel said:

The biggest negative of EZ Air tickets is that they are not normal airline tickets. Princess purchases them in bulk, thus they are called "bulk" tickets. If everything goes as planned there is not an issue. But if there are issues with the airline operations the bulk tickets usually get last choice of rebooking. It does not happen often but it is something people should consider more often before purchasing such tickets.

My current experience with an upcoming flight in January is that my return flight (connecting through Atlanta) had a reschedule by Delta and I would not make my connection in Atlanta (that was the last flight of the night).  I called Princess and they only could offer me a "red eye" flight with an additional connection  and leaving my original departure city much later meaning I would have to hang around for several hours. I called Delta directly and they were able to confirm another flight that was more satisfactory than what Princess was offering.  (This was after asking for a supervisor at Delta). Delta said they would call Princess and advise them and Delta sent me the new confirmation.  Princess still has the old flight info on my travel page.

6 hours ago, littysmom said:

Hello!

Can anyone explain what's going on with airfares skyrocketing? We did some research,  and the current rates are outrageous.  We're sailing in April, so for right now we're hoping they come down. 

Thanks!

Lisa

 

Have you checked with Carnival Fly2Fun?  I just booked international flights with them for a savings over published airline rate of $500 per person.  I usually check Google Flights for the info and fares so I know what I am talking about, zero in on what airline, etc. that I want and give that to my PVP or call Carnival directly.  The good thing is that you don't have to pay for the airfare until final payment is due for the cruise and you can re-fare if price goes down. Make sure you are looking at apple-to-apples for rates because most airline websites lowest fares are the basic economy fares which cannot be upgraded and some do not allow selecting seats until just prior to flight date and also may charge for bags. Good luck!

28 minutes ago, silversneakers said:

I just did an international booking with Carnival and the price differential was approximately $500 less per person.  I chose my own airline, flight, etc., and I was able to choose my seats on the Delta website once I had my booking number (provided by Carnival).  Do your research online beforehand (I used Google Flights) so you know what your options are.

Forgot to also mention that you should compare "apples to apples" when looking at the pricing.  Usually the lower pricing is Basic Economy which usually means you can't select your seat until close to departure date and you may have to factor in the luggage fee.

9 hours ago, lidopuppy said:

Has anyone used Carnival's Fly to the Fun for an international cruise?   If so, how did it compare to booking on your own?

I just did an international booking with Carnival and the price differential was approximately $500 less per person.  I chose my own airline, flight, etc., and I was able to choose my seats on the Delta website once I had my booking number (provided by Carnival).  Do your research online beforehand (I used Google Flights) so you know what your options are.

20 hours ago, terals2003 said:

Yep it says they never expire on the page where you purchase them.

 

Expiration Details

Carnival Cruises gift cards never expire.

Anyone else having problems getting Carnival Gift Cards using points from various credit cards?  I tried this morning to use my points from two different credit cards but nothing.  Is something going on?

On 10/4/2019 at 7:08 PM, sc4125 said:

I just sailed on the Breeze on Sept 14th and I didn't receive a boarding zone when checking in online.  I'm platinum and chose the earliest check in time 12:00 - 12:30, but nothing about a particular boarding zone.  Is getting a zone in advance a new thing at all ports?

 

BTW, there were so many Platinum passengers that we had to board in two different groups.

Priority Boarding (Diamond, Platinum and Suites) do not receive a zone number because they are Priority.

How do you get gift cards through Allstate?  Also, does anyone know if the Princess Visa card points offer a Princess gift card or just Carnival gift cards?

4 minutes ago, jagoffee said:

Please tell us more.  Where do you purchase an annual travel policy in the US and how much does it cost?

It might be worth it for some people.  
 

Thank you.

I know there are probably more search sites but the one I used was Squaremouth. It allows you to put in your parameters, etc. and then it will give you different company options and pricing. You just have to pay attention to asking for the things that are important to you. 

14 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

FTTF provides priority debarkation too. 

14 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

FTTF provides priority debarkation too. 

Taking your own bags off is really the quickest way.

8 minutes ago, Luvcruisin76 said:

What time can I reasonably expect to be off the ship? I haven't been able to get a FTTF pass so far but we will self walk off as soon as allowed. We are wanting to go to SeaWorld the day we get off the ship and will still have to rent a car so trying to figure it all out. Last few cruises have been out of Galveston and it seems like it takes forever to get off!

Self-assist (bring your own luggage off) is the quickest way to get off of the ship. The time for debarkation to begin is dependent on when the ship gets cleared.  I don't believe FTTF allows you to get off of the ship any earlier, only get on the ship earlier. Obviously it depends on what time the ship arrives in Port and if it is a large ship (Breeze) or smaller (Elation or Liberty).

If you travel a great deal, you might want to look into an Annual Travel Policy.

I am told by a former cruise ship employee that watches are usually a pretty good deal. I was on a Celebrity cruise with another couple and he bought her a $4,000 ring that turned her finger green.  When they tried to get their money back, they would only give them a credit. So I would definitely check to see their refund policy.

On 9/3/2018 at 10:45 AM, LewesBeach said:

OMG, I tried several times to access it and a pop up says “site disabled”. So many people depend on this to book !!

Have you tried Cabin Check Tool?? You can check almost all of the cruise lines.

11 hours ago, High C's said:

That is GREAT!  We want to fly to Edinburgh, take in the Tattoo, and then grab a one way flight to Copenhagen.  Our flights are still not available, so I haven't been able to play around to see if this could be done.  Many thanks!

Make sure you get your Tattoo tickets early as they sell out fast.  We joined Friends of the Tattoo (I think that's what it is called) online which afforded us the opportunity to buy tickets before the general public.

7 hours ago, N7786W Flyer said:

No, no regrets.  My wife and I have 6 Carnival cruises booked for 2020 and another 3 booked for 2021...and I haven't looked at late 2021 (which just opened) yet.

 

Honestly, I don't see FTTF as on the same level as Platinum/Diamond...maybe I'm deluding myself, but FTTF doesn't bother me. 

 

As far as the loyalty gift goes, yes, some of them have been meh, but for the most part, I've enjoyed them.  Sure, I'd trade it for free internet or something similar, but until that happens, I'll be content just to receive a small token of recognition from Carnival.

Does anyone really "need" any of the token gifts....probably not. Most of them are passed on to someone else.  You have to consider the price point Carnival offers which I believe is very reasonable.  I tend to book more for itineraries than brand loyalty.

On 9/20/2019 at 10:21 AM, evandbob said:

After the Breeze, the Elation or any one of the oldest Carnival ships will probably feel like a let down, just like the OP suspects.

 

And for a 1st cruise, it might give off a wrong impression of what sailing is about.  The last time I sailed Fantasy class ships was 12 years ago, felt they were old and tired back then.

 

Put another way:  you've been driving a new Honda Accord and now you'll be in a 25 year old Chevy (Biscayne maybe).

Elation crew is fantastic!