Joanne G.

I was on the waitlist for an excursion on a California coastal cruise a couple years ago. I did get an email when a spot opened up, and I had a short time period - I think 48 hours - to accept and pay for it. Not wanting to depend on an email, I also checked the excursion just about every day for availability. Good luck - and have a Plan B for that port.

Carnival has only one ship in Europe this summer, and it sails out of Dover for its Northern European itineraries. I doubt they would plan their European operations around a problematic home port. Same situation last summer - Carnival had multiple cruises out of Dover. I was on 3 of them, and there was never any indication of any issues related to immigrant traffic affecting port operations. Nor was any such incident every mentioned on the Carnival CC board. I'd say you will make your port stop in Dover unless weather or mechanical issues cause your ship to miss it. Have a great cruise.

Thank you all for the information and the tips for getting an early breakfast. One excursion is scheduled to start at 7:30, so the earliest room service time (6:30 - 7:00) on the order form that @BirdTravelsposted wouldn't work. I appreciate knowing the other options. And thanks for the good wishes - we are getting excited for our trip.

I use them, and yes, I leave them on all night. One has lasted me for 8 - 10 nights, but I'll pack two in order to have a back-up. They are small and cheap and give me just the amount of light I want in the bathroom at night. I put them away during the day, so as not to freak out the cabin attendant who might not immediately recognize that they aren't real candles!

I have used them on land vacations in Europe, not on cruises. They are a booking agent, offering the opportunity to book tours offered by multiple tour companies. I have always been satisfied with tours booked through them. The times and duration of the tours have dependably matched the descriptions, which would be very important if you are considering them for a cruise port tour. As they are a booking agent and not a tour provider, you can do independent research on the company actually running the tour. The Get Your Guide description will tell you the name of the operator. An advantage to using Get Your Guide rather than booking directly with the tour provider is that, in most cases in my experience, you can reserve your place, but your credit card won't be charged until a few days before the tour. This offers flexibility if your plans change and is even better than canceling a paid tour and waiting for a refund. I had to miss a tour once at the last minute because I wasn't feeling well, and there was no refund. So that would presumably also be the case if your ship missed a port, or arrived late into port, without notice due to weather or some other unexpected issue.

We will be on the Getaway in Europe next month. We have a few early morning excursions and are considering ordering breakfast from room service in order to avoid crowds in the buffet on the mornings of port days. We would be ordering just cereal, milk, fruit, coffee - no eggs or other hot items. Does NCL still use the old-fashioned door tags to hang out the night before with our order and chosen time? If not, can we call the night before with our order and to specify a delivery time? If we have to call in the morning, how much time should we allow? We are booked on NCL excursions with no flexibility in meeting time. In general, is room service dependable? We are in a standard balcony cabin without any special services or amenities. As an alternative, what is the buffet like for breakfast on early port days? Is it a madhouse, or can we plan on getting in and out fairly quickly? Thank you for any insight.

I don't believe kettles or coffee makers are ever available on Carnival. I had one on a Princess cruise out of Southampton, presumably due to demand from UK passengers, but not on my Carnival cruises out of Dover. Have you tried asking in the specialty coffee shop if their water is hot enough for tea as you like it? I hope you find what you want. I don't drink tea, but I would be dissatisfied if I couldn't find acceptable coffee onboard.

Last summer on the Pride, the cruise director was Frankie Portero. I just sailed with him again on the Magic earlier this month. He said during the Q & A, in response to a question about his favorite ship, that he loves the Sprit class ships due to their layout and smaller size. (But as we were on the Magic, he diplomatically said he loved that ship, too.)

I haven't been on either of these cruises, but I have cruised in Europe and around Hawaii, flying from the Midwest. Both options for flying sound too close for me, but everyone's tolerance for risk - and tolerance for jet lag - is different.

I get notifications of the flash sales on my phone through the app. So download the app if you haven't done so already and log into it to make sure your cruise is showing. I haven't routinely checked my booking, as I caught all the sales due to the notifications from the app. But it can't hurt to check your booking around Memorial Day, Labor Day, 4th of July, and Black Friday. It was around those holidays when the best sales happened for my cruise. The savings were significant. Good luck!

Just got off the Magic yesterday. Sailed with Frankie. Reminisced with him about the eventful July 9 and July 21 Pride cruises last summer. I booked the Magic with the FCC credit that I got for that memorable experience! 😄 He said he is fond of the smaller Spirit class ships and has been on all of them except the Spirit. But he diplomatically said that he loves the Magic, too! He spent the prior cruise onboard but not as the CD, just getting a feel for the operations. The April 4 cruise that I was on was his first on that ship. He also said they can put in requests for their preferences for ships and/or home ports, and Carnival tries to accommodate them as much as possible.

I do not wash my clothes in hot water at home, but I accept that anything I send out on the ship will be washed in hot water and dried in a very hot dryer. I only send out items that I feel will be ok with that treatment once in a while, even if that's not my normal care at home. I've had some wrinkling among the items I have sent, but no permanent damage such as shrinking or color-fading. As I mentioned in my previous post, I find 100% cotton knits are the most likely to shrink, so I try to build my cruise wardrobe around either cotton/polyester blends or woven cottons. For those items that I don't want to send to the ship's laundry, I wash them out in the bathroom sink and hang to dry on the clothesline in the shower or any other place I can improvise, using inflatable hangers and clothespin/hook combinations. I use a product called "Sink Suds" from Amazon - small packets of laundry detergent, though you could simply use the shampoo provided in the shower. Wrap the wet items in a towel to get out as much of the water as possible before hanging to dry. The pool towels are great for this purpose - easily swapped out for dry ones at the pool. Enjoy your 20-day cruise!

I’ve sent out my cotton nightgown, socks, undies, jeans, workout shorts, cotton capris, and cotton pants. I don’t send out nice t-shirts due to fear of them shrinking in the hot water and hot dryer. I think bras and bathing suits are too delicate for the industrial treatment and are easily washed out by hand. The cotton pants and capris came back nicely folded but quite wrinkled. I used the iron in the public laundry room to make them presentable. I have also used the public laundry rooms, but, in my experience, they are often busy unless you are willing to do your laundry very early in the morning or very late at night or during a port day. People on these boards have said they have written special instructions such as “cold water” or “delicate cycle” or “low dryer heat”, but I am not at all sure those instructions are followed. I only send out what I feel won’t be damaged by super hot water and super hot drying.

At least with Carnival you can count on prices going up LOL. I’ve got cruises booked on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, and their excursions, drink and dining packages, in-room beverages, and hotel packages (in Europe) go up and down randomly with “flash sales.”

Enjoy your cruise! Just be aware that a 4-day cruise on Carnival, presumably in the Caribbean, could be a very different experience than a longer Carnival cruise. I have been on many Carnival Caribbean cruises of 7 or 8 or 10 days, and I have never encountered the drunken party crowd that Carnival is known for - accurately or not. Or maybe you want to be part of that party crowd! Nothing wrong with that, and have fun.

I would have liked a bottle of champagne! But I got several assorted cans of beer, which I don't drink. I gave them to the people in the cabin next to me. No mimosas for me, either. But I did get a fruit basket and a drink coupon. I got some coupons for discount spa services, too, but I never used them. I love B2B's. It is a joy to know that you have another cruise to look forward to while most of the ship is packing up to go home. 😁

The OP hasn't come back to let us know what itineraries he or she is looking at. My experience is the opposite of the above. I spent a lot less per day solo in an aft-facing balcony on Carnival in northern Europe last summer than I would have spent as a solo in a standard balcony on my upcoming NCL northern Europe cruise, had my friend not decided to join me. Early last year, I put a deposit on a 2025 NCL itinerary circling Ireland. The cost was so high (and on an older ship, the Dawn) that I booked an ocean view rather than a balcony for the first time in years. When NCL announced their new solo pricing for all categories, the balconies were still much higher than I had paid on Carnival. I switched to one of their solo ocean view cabins to save some money. I went down a deck and accepted a porthole rather than a window. The per day cost for that cabin is almost the same as a Celebrity Mediterranean cruise that I will be doing later this summer in a balcony cabin. Granted, cruise pricing is extremely variable by ship, time of year, and itinerary. I am only reporting my experience, and I find per day comparisons of cruise fares to be useful. The OP needs to compare the particular cruises that interest him or her. The OP should compare cabin and balcony sizes, also, if that is important. My standard balcony cabin on an upcoming Carnival Caribbean cruise on the Magic is bigger than a comparable cabin on the Getaway. If I had to come up with reasons that Carnival has been a better value to me, one factor might be that the ships have less of the amusement park features of the newer NCL (and Royal Caribbean) ships. That doesn't matter to me. Also, the onboard entertainment doesn't have the variety and quality of what I remember on NCL years ago. A lot of the "FUN" that Carnival promotes is activities that feature passenger involvement - pool and deck games, trivia, dance lessons, etc. I will go to production shows occasionally, but I don't cruise for them. And the passenger activities can be fun to watch. Another point for NCL is that, in my experience, their deposits are low and refundable. Carnival's deposits have various restrictions unless you accept a much higher cruise fare in order to have a refundable deposit.

I am also a long-time Carnival cruiser, many with my sister in the Caribbean but 3 solo cruises in Europe. A couple years ago I booked a solo NCL cruise for a specific itinerary in Europe, which is finally upcoming in a couple months. 😃 There was absolutely no solo deal or discount! The cruise fare was much more per day than a comparable cabin on Carnival on a European itinerary. Thankfully a friend was able to join me and share the cruise fare. I would say just compare prices on the ships and cabins and itineraries you are interested in. Consider the value to you of the “Free at Sea” items on NCL, which are not all exactly free. For example, you pre-pay gratuities on the “free” drink and dining packages, which can be significant - but those packages are optional. If you are inclined to take ship-sponsored excursions, NCL’s $50 credit per excursion has real value. Carnival doesn’t have anything comparable to the solo studio cabins and solo lounges as on some NCL ships. Those cabins are interiors, which don’t interest me, so I have never priced them. The solo ocean view and solo balcony cabins that NCL now has made available on all their ships are, as I understand it, standard-sized cabins that they have priced for solos. They may be in less desirable locations, or the ocean view may be a porthole rather than a window, but it is still nice that NCL recognizes that solos like a price break and options besides a studio interior. I have read that onboard, NCL is particularly attentive to solos, with gatherings and events making it easy to meet up with dining companions. I would have checked out those activities had my friend not decided to join me. If you are interested in cruising in Europe, NCL has many more choices of ships and itineraries than Carnival, which has recently had only one (older) ship in Europe. Enjoy your retirement cruises!

No one will refuse currency or throw currency in the trash bin. But some of us believe it is more considerate to tip in the local currency, and we prefer to have some local currency on hand to do so. It saves the recipient the inconvenience of converting foreign currency into local currency - and the cost of doing so, as banks don't do it without taking a cut for themselves.

The procedure can vary based on where the turnaround port is. The information posted above assumes the B2B is done in a U.S. port. I did a B2B last summer in Europe, from the port of Dover. We did not have to disembark. We were given instructions to report to a certain lounge at a certain time to check in and get our new key cards. Our onboard accounts for the first cruise were closed out and a new account was opened. This happened automatically; we did not have to go to the front desk for any purpose If we wanted to disembark to explore the port city, we were given a pass to re-board the ship in a separate line from the passengers embarking for the 2nd cruise. I was in the same cabin for both cruises, so I didn’t have anything to coordinate with my cabin steward. But my understanding was those switching cabins did need to pack up, and the room stewards would assist in transferring luggage.

I spent about 3 hours at Titanic Belfast, counting time on the nearby SS Nomadic, one of Titanic’s tenders. You can board Nomadic and explore its several decks. It’s much bigger than what we modern cruisers think of as a tender, and I found it fascinating to walk in the footsteps of those passengers who were onboard from Cherbourg out to the ship. You move through the museum at your own pace. I read everything and took my time, as I found the exhibits interesting and very well done. It can be seen in less time if you move a little faster than I did. If you are sure you want to go, I would book any time now for a July visit. I’d consider July to be peak tourist season, and with your other activity for the day, you would want a specific time. I will add that I arrived about 30 minutes before my entry time, and I was welcomed in immediately. By the way, I had a very nice lunch at their cafe, so keep that in mind if it suits your plans.

When I called, I was told there is a point as the sail date approaches when they stop offering the FCC. I believe it was at 55 days; after that, requests would be denied. Others may have gotten the FCC within that time frame; maybe it varies by itinerary or some other factor. It never hurts to call and ask, regardless of how close you are to the sail date, but that’s what I was told.

I agree with all who have said that very little currency is needed in Europe, based on several visits over the last couple years. I still get a small quantity of euros or GBP from my local bank in advance. They do not charge me a fee or have a minimum order. For the small quantity I get, I don't care about a few fractions of a % point difference in the exchange rate. The convenience is worth it to me, and I can specify small bills, which are more useful for tipping tour guides than the larger bills that most ATM's dispense. I have been in shops that don't accept cash at all. Not many, but a few. On the other hand, once a card reader in a cab in Belfast didn't recognize my card, so I was glad I had some cash. Cab drivers seem to like cash anyway, so often I use remaining currency for the cab ride to the airport for my flight home. Anything left after that is saved for a future trip. I learned to always have some £1 or £.5 or €1 or €.5 coins on hand for public restrooms. Once I was able to use a card at a restroom in a Paris train station, but other times in Dublin, Galway, Lisbon, and maybe some others I have forgotten, only a coin would work. When I have port stops in Norway, Sweden, or Denmark, I don't bother ordering any of their currency in advance, as I would likely not need it on ship excursions and may not have future visits in which to use it.

If you mean go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, I have read on these boards that people have done it, but it seems challenging to me. You would have to buy a ticket in advance, guessing what would be an appropriate time. Even with a timed ticket, there will still be crowds and lines for security, lines for the elevators. I would be a nervous wreck worrying about being at the top, waiting for the elevator down, watching the time for when I needed to get back to the bus. I agree the Metro is the fastest way to get around Paris. I used it every day last year on a land vacation. But if you have never been to Paris, you would want to know in advance where you will be dropped off for that excursion so that you could research what Metro line or lines to use. A friend and I are on the same cruise. She hasn't been to Paris, but we passed on the long excursion into the city and chose activities closer to the port. But if she had wanted to see Paris, I probably would have recommended one with a river boat cruise or a guided tour of the city or the on-your-own excursion, but we would have admired the Eiffel Tower from the ground, not tried to join the mobs wanting to go to the top. I am sure the bus will drop you off in an area where you could take a pleasant walk, enjoying the parks, the architecture, a cafe, and a view of the Eiffel Tower. I have read reports on these boards from people who were happy they took the long excursion into Paris for whatever they chose to do. If you think this is the only time you'll get to see the city, then the long bus ride can be worth it. A tip - I found Paris easy to get lost in - winding streets going every which way and street names that were hard for me to remember. I depended heavily on GPS my phone. This would be especially critical on a tight time schedule. Depending on how much time you would actually have in the city and where you are dropped off, consider the Batobus sightseeing boat on the river. The full route is about 1 3/4 hours and gives you a good view of many of the main sights and several of the picturesque bridges. Yes, euros are the currency for France, as well as Belgium and the Netherlands. GBP for London and Southhampton. However, on my recent trips to Europe, I have needed very little currency. Maybe for tipping tour guides or buying a bottle of water from a street vendor. But for all other purchases, large and small, a tap-and-go credit card was the preferred way to pay. We will have a small amount of GBP and euros, as we expect to have other trips where we could use them. But we are not planning on getting any local currency for Norway and Denmark, as we would have less use for any that we don't spend. Looking forward to this cruise!

My personal choice when sailing solo, as I did last year for several cruises totaling 30 days, to give the cabin attendant extra cash at the end of the cruise besides the auto-gratuity. My thinking is that the attendant has almost the same amount of work for me alone as he or she would if there were 2 people in the cabin - a bathroom to clean, a floor to vacuum, towels to swap out, trash cans to empty, etc. Yet he or she is getting only half the auto-gratuities compared to cabins with 2 people - at least that’s what’s I assume. Many solo cruisers feel differently. I never felt an additional gratuity was necessary in order to receive good service. Additional gratuities are entirely at your discretion. I’ll never know how Princess or any line allocates tips from solo cabins. But this is what I do and why.