Indytraveler83

Trip prep:

While our cruises on the Horizon had been enjoyable, the traveling was not.  We live in Southwest Michigan, and are a little closer to O'Hare than airports in Indy or Detroit, and had flown Spirit out of O'Hare.  Along the way, between the city of Chicago and Spirit's increased extra fees, we found ourselves spending far more than we thought to travel the busiest airport and most uncomfortable airline we could manage.

For this trip, we booked Delta out of Detroit.  History has told us that both of those choices would be far less stressful and fees would be far more predictable (not to mention Delta's higher weight limit vs Spirit seemed necessary for a long trip in colder weather).

Packing for this trip was interesting.  Seattle promised to be warm (mid-80's) while Alaskan ports projected to be in the mid 60's during the day.  Knowing the rain is always possible and our trip would take us near glaciers, we packed shorts, jeans, t shirts, coats, rain coats and jackets.  The layers were appreciated through the trip, but the shorts, swimwear and much of the lighter stuff went unused after Seattle.  In retrospect, I would have packed none of those things, and focused on a few more choices for layers, as my sole hoodie was abused in the week that followed.

My mother in law spent the night prior at our home and we left for Detroit in the wee hours of the morning.  Park N Go is an easy option right off the interstate , and the airport was a ghost town when we arrived.

We got through security and to the gate in less than 20 minutes, boarding our 6 AM flight with relative ease.  I was happy through the flight to be offered water, tea, coffee and soft drinks, as well as an array of snacks twice.  I was pleased to see they had no intention of charging for any of these things, while also offering free in flight entertainment.  Ironically, the flight was cheaper than Spirit when baggage fees and seat selection were included.  

Landing in Seattle, we took the light rail ($3 per person) to downtown Seattle and checked into Hotel Andra for our two day stay.  They were nice enough to offer a free room upgrade and early check in, getting our trip to Seattle off to a great start.

Up next- Seattle Summary

On my Father's 40th Birthday, I clearly remember my grandparents stepping out of their car, wrapping a shawl over his shoulders and placing a cane in his hand.  That man aged 30 years that day.

I hate my family.  

While ships were frozen for the pandemic, my PVP contacted me about great deals for Alaska.  A full deposit could place us on the ship for about half of the normal going rate.  I seized this idea, and booked a 7 day Alaskan cruise on the Freedom that departed on my birthday. While the rate was great, we were unsure of how personal finances would go through the pandemic, so we only booked an interior room and crossed our fingers.  I would not suffer the same ravages of family as my father.  The black balloons could go to some other sucker that let this milestone pass without planning ...

Time passed, ships began moving again and our luck improved.  Carnival's irritation with Australia's multiple re-opening delays benefitted us greatly when the Spirit was substituted in for the Freedom.  Lacking the interior rooms the Freedom had, we were "forced" into a balcony room on the 6th deck, far forward on the ship.

We cruised 3 times between booking this trip and the start.  We had two great cruises together on the Horizon, but earlier this year we came off our worst cruise ever on the Valor, that left us seriously reconsidering our feelings on cruising and left plenty of doubt and anxiety as we packed for this trip.  

For this review, I will return to my normal style of posting entries with  pictures, going day by day.  I felt going into this trip like Alaskan cruises are harder to find reviews and advice for, so I'm hoping to provide as many details as possible. We also spent two days in Seattle, which I will cover, but not as completely as the cruise. Please feel free to ask questions, and I'll either answer them directly or within an entry.  

Next up: Trip prep (learning what and what not to do).

56 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

The service dog MAY be highly trained.  

They should be highly trained.  Carnival doesn't permit emotional support animals or "in training" animals, so the only service dogs that are permitted are ones that actually received official training and have paperwork to prove it.

This isn't saying that cannot be faked or that the individual with the animal reinforces the training appropriately, but you wont see dogs onboard with quick print internet certificates.  

10 hours ago, Dwright826 said:

She just watched a video that stated that carnival has already started having them on board and MAY start randomly letting them into people's state rooms

 

There's always a decent chance of encountering a drug sniffing dog in the terminal or passing a service dog onboard.  In both cases, the these are highly trained dogs that do their job and won't be jumping, biting or doing anything unexpected with her.  Even the drug dogs, while directed to sniff people, usually don't interact with you for more than a few seconds unless you have a reason for them to alert.  

If she is extremely scared, you may wish to alert the law enforcement officer with the dog, and politely state the issue, so they can advise her how to proceed.  In the case of service animals onboard, they will be specifically trained to disregard the public in general, as they have a very specific job to do.

Carnival will not be "randomly" searching your room with a drug dog. Probably a rumor started by someone breaking the rules and too clueless to understand that they made their drug use obvious and suspicious. Too many cabins, too many possible complaints and too much else to do to walk the halls with one. The ships are not a high school locker room hallway. If Carnival suspects there are drugs in your room, they can likely do whatever they want to investigate, as ship passengers have little rights to privacy, but as long as you don't give them a good reason to suspect something, you'll be left alone. 

We treated the Chef's Table as an excursion.  It was fun to see how things worked behind the scenes, fun to be served some interesting food, and the free flowing wine helped as well.  It was a very cool experience.

At the same time, if you are looking at it from purely a meal perspective, that money could go much further at other places onboard.  Also keep in mind that the Chef's Table isn't a quick seating and will take most of the evening (3+ hours usually).

I agree with those who have already posted that said they'd likely only go back again once the menu is rotated.  

Happy Friday everyone!

Preparing for our cruise on the Spirit, which is just over a month away.  I've done quite a bit of research and feel mostly prepared (though still not certain what type of clothes to pack).

The one thing I'm not sure of is how the onboard experience differs from Carnival's Caribbean cruises.  A few questions I am hoping someone knows:

1)Are any pools or hot tubs open and reasonable to use, and does Carnival close the dome so they can be, or is swimwear a waste of space?

2) How does the onboard entertainment differ?  Anything they so less of, or anything they do specifically for Alaska?

3) Any menu or food differences?

In general, if you've been on both Caribbean and Alaskan Carnival cruises, what do you wish you would have known in advance, or packed different for the experience?

11 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

And this can also work in reverse. Although I sail both Carnival and Royal, I have heard many on Carnival says they would never sail Royal, just because of a few jerks. Mob mentality takes over and a lot of people have never even sailed on the other cruise line they are putting down.

This is true.  I'm only specifically speaking about this certain sailing, not RCI in general.  

Personally I think that length of sailing, departure port and price has far more to do with the types of folks on a sailing much more than the cruise line.  

Left on the Horizon out of Miami in 2021, and heard chants of "Walmart" coming from a Royal Caribbean ship we passed.  

My only thought was "glad I'm not onboard with those entitled jerks" 

Thank you all for the responses.  A bit of follow up:

Since my flight is before noon, Carnival won't let me book a transfer anymore (that was the original plan when it was a 1 PM flight).

I've struggled with Uber/Lyft in time crunches in the past and have horrific luck with taxi's overall.  I've also heard that tolls and fees are crazy on these options in Seattle.

Seattle Express- this sounds like a good, affordable option.  Are they right at the pier when the ship arrives?  Does anyone have experience using them in a time crunch like mine?

Hi all,

Leaving from Seattle in the Carnival Spirit next month and just wondering what thoughts are on using Seattle public transit?

I'm comfortable using the light rail to get from the airport to the hotel, but we are staying in Seattle for a few days and there's not much of a time crunch there.  My bigger worry is our flight leaves at 11:50 AM on debarkation day (Delta slid up up from a 1PM departure).  

I see there's a bus stop right at the pier, and thought about taking the bus to the light rail station, then using that to head back.  Worth it, or am I asking for trouble?

We have cruises about 50/50 in cove balconies and regular ones. 

Pro's- Coves are protected from rain and intense sun.  More private as well.  They are also closer to the atrium (if you want to slip out for a quick nightcap). You also have a better chance of seeing dolphins or flying fish from them.  Finally, they are far easier to get to and from in ports, as you only have 2 flights of stairs to get to them, vs a crowded elevator for most regular balconies.

Con's- in foul weather they can be louder.  Waves against the hull, as well as the creaking of the lifeboats overhead are a bit loud in 10-15 ft seas.  Much further from lido and most of the outdoor activities, so more elevator usage during sea days.  

For me, if I anticipate better/normal weather, I'll get a cove.  But I'd probably never get one during hurricane season or itineraries where heavy seas are expected regularly.

Overall, I think the Sunshined ships are an idea that has sort of had to pass Carnival by.  It's not that the idea is bad, but that the base of each ship gets older no matter what you do to it.  While good maintenance (which Carnival is not particularly known for) can extend the life of a ship, it seems that lately most Carnival ships have about a 30 year shelf life.

When ships are 10-15 years old, it makes sense to invest in them.  But much of the fleet with this general layout (Destiny and Conquest classes) are getting old enough that such a large investment in a ship that may have less than 10 years left on the clock (at least for Carnival) seems like a poor choice.

Still though, seems surprising that an 18 year old ship was simply dumped from the fleet when many older ships play the waters for Carnival Corp.  The only way it makes sense is if they deemed the ship to be unprofitable (the reason much of the Fantasy class was unceremoniously beached as soon as the pandemic hit) which again leads me to wonder what's wrong with it.  

Maybe I'm crazy, but I thought Magica was rumored to go to Carnival, and then they switched ships to Luminosa?

I thought I also remembered rumors that Carnival Corp had concerns about the ship's state of repair, and decided not to further invest in it.  

We have gotten upgrade offers on probably 50% of our cruises.  It seems that happen to us more regularly than most (we use a pvp for bookings if that matters). Ours always seem to come shortly after we pay off the cruise (and we typically let Carnival do the automatic deduction at the final payment deadline.)

The offers seems to be nearly guaranteed to happen when we book an Oceanview.  Less likely when we book a balcony, especially if it's an "upgraded" balcony like an extended or spa balcony.

About half the time the upgrades are super cheap (less than $50 total) and we grab them.  The other half the time, it seems like the cost is exactly what paying for the upgraded room woulda been in the first place.  

Last year we got an epic upgrade offer of $300 to upgrade from a cove balcony to a suite on the Horizon for an 8 day cruise.  I wanted so badly to take it, but we were buying a house at the time and were essentially told not to spend anything more while the deal went through, so we had to turn it down.  

Interesting, glad to know either person can buy anytime, anywhere.  

So are they still handing out physical vouchers, or is it on the hub app somehow?

And I see that there is a package of wines you can choose from.  Do they require you to get something different each time, or anything as long as it's part of the list?

And does anyone find the deluxe list to be worth the upcharge?  

Looking at options for our upcoming Alaska trip to save money on alcohol. 

We won't want to drink enough to make Cheers worth it, and will likely lead toward wine rather than cocktails.  I can see each of us drinking 2-4 glasses per day, depending on how soon we get back onboard. I know bottles are the cheapest way to do this, and saw the "Cruise the Vineyards" option on Carnival's website, but I've never seen anything onboard about it (not that I was looking).

Couple of questions:

1) Is this a first/second day only program, or can you participate at any time?

2) If we start it, can we, for instance, get a bottle in the dining room, then later get a bottle from the atrium bar?  Or does it only work in one place?

Any experiences or recommendations on this are greatly appreciated!  

Which specific itinerary are you looking at?  That would greatly affect my decision.

Horizon usually visits 3 or 4 of the following: Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, La Romana, Amber Cove.  The first 3 are great.  Amber Cove is a relaxed port with a pool party vibe.  La Romana is sorta far from anything, and you really only get off the ship if you have an excursion.

Celebration looks like it visits Amber Cove, San Juan and then either St. Thomas or St. Maarten.  Can't go wrong with the last two ports either way.

The good news is you are likely looking at a great trip either way.  Horizon is our favorite ship so far, but we haven't been on the Mardi Gras or Celebration yet.  

5 hours ago, UPNYGuy said:

generalization, and not an accurate comment. DW and I have gone from Legend to Horizon to Panorama to Paradise to Legend in the same year, and they all look fine. 

Certainly is a generalization, but it's also fairly accurate.  We didn't have working plumbing in our room on the Valor for 2 days, half the gym was closed, and much of the food service equipment appeared to be malfunctioning.  Reviews have been all over this board of many of the older Conquest class ships (and the Sunshined ships) being in various states of disrepair.

All the while it seems like the Vista and Mardi Gras class ships have had excellent trip reviews.  Are there exceptions?  Sure.  Would I risk my vacation dollars on that?  Nope.

5 hours ago, sokal said:

Just a thought on the staring. I recently moved from the west coast to the mid west, a lot of NOLA customers are from the Mid west I have noticed. Not all but a lot of them have never seen a gay couple before. Some of these people have never been out of the county they were born in before going on this cruise.  Some of the comments I here from my customers when they get back is about how many different kinds of people where on the cruise. Never a bad word about different just amazed. 

 

I'm not telling you how to feel or what caused your discomfort just letting you know another possible explanation. 

We live in the Midwest.  What we saw isn't what we experience here.  People would see us and get up and walk away, or glare at us until we did.  They'd say polite things as they squeezed by in an elevator, then glare at us.  

Again, don't want to truly judge someone else.  But if you are like us, chances are a Valor cruise could be uncomfortable.

I've had 2 good cruises and 1 bad one with Carnival in the last few years.  My general thoughts:

1) The newer ships are well taken care of.  The older ones are being neglected.  I would say the Breeze is likely on the "newer" side of the equation.

2) The cruise experience prior to 2020 and after are very, very different.  Lots of people will highlight the negatives (which you have seen)  but there are many positives as well.  They've done a lot to reduce waiting in lines (embarkation, meals, dinner), I think their food quality has mostly improved (subjective I know), and the addition of specialty places to dine, drink and enjoy entertainment has been very welcome for us.

3) I'll admit I don't usually cruise during breaks, but this "roving packs of children" thing seems a gross exaggeration.  Our own experiences with bad behavior are almost always with other adults.  

4) If you really want time away from kids, don't forget the Serenity deck.  It's adults only, and is usually more peaceful than lido.

Be prepared for a different experience, and you should enjoy yourself.  The bones of what you did before are still there, but a lot has changed!

8 hours ago, Glaciers said:

If your priority is seeing whales the best bet is doing an organized tour in Juneau. I spend hours looking for whales from the ship each trip and normally see them but from quite a distance. Occasionally closer but not often.   You might consider doing a tour with Juneau Whale Watch to maximize your time. After the whale watch they can take you to Mendenhall Glacier for some hiking around the visitor center. They  have busses back to the ship every 30 minutes or so.

https://www.juneauwhalewatch.com/

Ooh!  Now this looks amazing.  I love the idea of getting out and seeing whales for a few hours, then having potentially several more to hike.  Thanks for the link on that one!

8 hours ago, pdmlynek said:

 

Thank you for the kind words. 🙂 

 

I liked hiking in all three destinations, because currently I live in a flat part of the US, and hiking in mountains is precious to me.  I presume that if you are from Indiana, you understand. 🙂 

 

As far as whales in Juneau go, I don't know, but there is plenty of information available about where and when to see which kinds of whales.  If I remember correctly, for example, the best place for Oracas is Johnston Straights, typically early in the morning.

 

I actually moved from Indiana to Michigan recently, but get the idea there!  I love hiking in the mountains, we travel to the Smoky Mountains evey other year or so to try and hit parts of the AT on day hikes.  

My torture here is knowing that this Alaska trip is not something I can regularly do, so whatever I miss is likely to stay unaccomplished for quite a while.  

On 1/24/2023 at 7:34 PM, pdmlynek said:

Congratulations on turning 40!  Hope your celebration is a happy one.

 

To be honest, I'd recommend skipping all of these, and do something on your own.  I understand that the cruise lines are just trying to make money off you, but those excursions sound silly.

 

All three places that you've mentioned are great to do on your own.  

 

In Skagway, walk around the kitchy town, then walk up to the Gold Rush Cemetery, walk up to Lower Reid Falls, Upper Reid, then walk above the town to lower Dewey Lake before dropping down to the ship.

 

In Juneau, rent a car, and drive to Mendenhall Glacier, hike above it, see the visitor center, hike to Nuget Falls, drive back, walk about Juneau before getting on the ship.

 

In Ketchikan there is lots to see in downtown.  Grab a bus to Totem Bight S.P.,  See various totem pole museums, go for a hike above the city.  

 

 

 

 

I absolutely love all of the suggestions here!  I'm huge on hiking, though wouldn't mind doing one or two other things as well.  A few questions, since you seem fairly knowledgeable about the destinations:

In Juneau, is it fairly possible/easy to see whales from the cruise ship? I'm a little stuck on seeing them, but also don't want to dedicate a day to it.  I'd be happy to spend 10 minutes seeing them from my balcony if that's possible.  

Is there anything else adventurous you'd recommend at any of these ports?  Any other climbing, paddling or other neat things you think can be done without the ship tours?

On 1/24/2023 at 6:07 PM, Northern Aurora said:

Since hiking is of interest I wonder if our OP has considered the Mt. Roberts Tramway?  Some lovely views and trails at the top, and much less costly than the ship sponsored tours.

Looks very interesting!  The only thing is I noticed not a lot about it (such as price and operations hours/days) are readily published on the website. Any idea where I can get more info?

1 minute ago, momof3cruisers said:

Didn’t they come back from Alaska in Sept? We sailed in October. Pretty sure they are currently sailing from Miami. It’s very cold in Alaska right now. 😂

Well true.  My thought process (however sleep deprived at this point) was that when the Spirit first started sailing again, they simply put whatever crew onboard they could get.  Then, knowing she would be heading to Alaska seasonally, they started filtering more experienced crew to the ship.