cruizinisthebest

So very well said. And the two-fisted drinker (whatever that is, never heard the expression) comes off very insulting. We are gladly trying MSC for the first time next year due in large part to the pricing and the desire for something different. But I certainly hope the cruise is NOT full of snobs or people that think they or MSC is better than everyone else. One of the reasons why I've stuck with Carnival is because people are certainly not snobby. I don't pay for vacation to be looked down on. I also know how to stay to myself and enjoy the family I'm travelling with. So we will see. There's something for everyone out there. And despite what people think, not every Carnival cruiser is a drunk looking to maximize Cheers.

I see I have soo much to learn before we board next year. I thought the fun pass was a card you purchase and then have unlimited access for the duration of the cruise. Now I see it is a credit. Not really unlimited. Is it a separate card that you get? And if so is it hole-punched for a lanyard?

Do they have separate menus for each drink package or are there symbols or something next to the drinks on one menu?

Thanks!!

Thanks for the reply! Yes price not bad at all!

I would like to thank the OP for this post and others as the replies are VERY helpful. Dedicated Carnival cruiser here. We love it and complain about very little while on vacation. Matter of fact, I personally loathe people who travel and then complain about this or that the whole time. Vacation for us is a true sacrifice, and I refuse to spend it upset about petty things. That said, Carnival is very familiar to us. We are wanting to try something new. As others have said, MSC stands out for us right now, because their pricing is pretty dang good. Even leaving from New York, which would be fantastic! So long as the kids have food to eat (teenagers) and we can relax, we should be good. Be nice to try something different. Can someone tell me about the easy drink package and if there are enough basic choices to choose from? And also, can you load your onboard account with cash? One more thing, do you think there's alot onboard to spend extra on or is the included food and treats sufficient? This will help with planning our budget. TIA!

Thank you for this post. Over the weekend we decided to dip our toes in the MSC waters and booked a short one for next year. I followed your steps to the T, and received our status match confirmations this morning. Easy peasy. Can't wait to cruise! Thanks again.

No. Bring your own. That's what we did a couple of times when the kids were younger. I know it takes up more space in the suitcase, etc. But it's for their safety. And Carnival should not start lending out life jackets for a variety of reasons.

We did a side2side in Port Canaveral a few years ago. On the advice of Carnival (I sent an email asking what to do), we let guest services know two days before on the first ship that we would be boarding another at the end. They arranged for us to have priority debarkation and embarkation for the second ship. Worked out great. Was alot of fun. We were amongst the first off. It was too early to board ship #2, so were able to check our luggage in early, we then found a shuttle driver to take us to Walmart and back. I loved it!

Took the 4 of us about 35 minutes from the time we got dropped off at the port till we walked onboard. Being platinum didn't matter. I guess if you have a suite it might. Nothing was stalled. We were moving the whole time. No long waits. We had a 10:30am check-in but didn't get there till 11.

Been happening alot lately. I had this issue two weeks ago, then it eventually worked. The cart has been disabled all week again. People have been asking on the community help page, but AARP has no answers.

Cruise Critic strikes again with foolishness. Carnival Independent Advisory Team😅😅

Worked out great for me. We had decided not to get Cheers - even before the price increase. Well we have it now thanks to the promo. Also wifi, an excursion, bubbles, and cruise cash. I don't know how much I saved, but it was a good amount. One of my cruising buddies text me the code. I got her stuff first. Then myself. I hadn't been on social media all day Saturday (out shopping for mom's day) and assumed it was something John Heald posted. It wasn't until yesterday when all hell broke lose that I realized it was supposed to be a spa only code. Maybe around the same time Carnival's IT department realized. 🤣