silverpenguin

Update: We applied on March 12, received on March 30. First time passport for a minor. Now we're ready to sail! :)

Does anyone have an updated turnaround time? We just applied for a first time passport on Monday.

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Thanks for the review and information. We'll be on the Liberty this weekend, and it will be interesting to see if things changed after dry dock, and after your cruise. Besides Guest Services, I have no problem emailing Carnival Headquarters while on the ship to get issues resolved. Most of the time the GS staff, just want to move on to the next guest without resolving the previous guests problem. As a note, if you do speak with someone at GS to report a problem or issue, make sure its documented, or escalated so that it goes to Carnival HQ in Miami.

I"ll be interested to see your review! I hope things are better for you!

I hope Carnival pays attention to your email, too. We have never had acceptable responses from them, so we just decided to write a review instead of complain this time. I'll be doing a full review on here later when I have a little more time. Usually their standard answers are "what are you complaining for, you're on a cruise?" And "it's a fun ship".

I got sick for the first time ever on the way back, too. I told DH that if we could just slow down it would be better. And we still weren't back in port by 8! I know I've only been on 3, but this was the most disorganized vacation I have ever been on. That was probably the worst part. I get things go wrong, but organization and communication usually make up for the glitches. Lack of it usually makes them worse.

I'm sorry everybody had such a bad time. We all work hard for our money and we're expecting a much nicer vacation. None of us knew we were signing up for a sailing immediately after dry dock and we couldn't reschedule for one reason or another. I feel like for all that went wrong, we should've been better compensated.

Sorry to hear about your bad experience. I would have thought the best time to sail a ship is after dry dock. Maybe they had a new set of crew after the dry dock who were just not sure what to do.

We thought this, too. We expected a few technical glitches, but as far as the maintenance, cleanliness and "refreshing" of the ship, we thought they would have plenty of time. In talking with the crew, it seems it was the same crew as before dry dock, but they weren't with the ship through dry dock. They only boarded on Port Canaveral a few hours before the passengers. I think this is poor management on the part of Carnival, but that is JMO. There may be laws preventing sailing just the crew from dry dock? Idk...

We were not impressed, and a lot of other people felt the same way (or worse) than us. Apparently, there were electronics issues with the ship that were causing problems with the arcade, casino, and tvs. We had to have our sail and sign cards replaced twice. We were so glad we got FTTf because the guest services line was backed up almost to the theater every single time we walked passed. And there was usually only 1 or 2 people working the whole counter. We also heard there were people with no hot water, no cold water, or no water at all. We were glad we didn't fall into that group.

We missed our embark photo because the area wasn't set up (and they had 5 extra hours to do that???). Our room was not ready when we boarded at almost 7pm & the ship had been in port by noon. We didn't leave until almost 11 because muster took over an hour of us standing in the cold. Times were wrong in the fun times, and Carnival just didn't seem to have their stuff together on this cruise. Most people we talked to said this was by far their worst cruise ever & wouldn't be so eager to book Carnival next time.

Carnival claimed the ship would be "refreshed" for us while in dry dock, by it was clear nothing was refreshed on the inside. The ship was dirty, the bathrooms smelled of stale uh...waste, and there was a lot of stuff that just didn't work.

The food was cold, the entertainers were expressionless, and the lines were the longest anybody had ever seen. There was no food to be found after dinner except for pizza (we didn't want pizza every night, and we also didn't want to have to go back to our room to wait on room service...just needed a quick snack after the show).

On the positives: In all, we made the best of it and tried to have fun. We understood the risk of taking a cruise immediately after dry dock (even though we got the switcheroo pulled on us). We were expecting problems, but not quite as many. Guest services did their best to accommodate us, but they usually had a hard time understanding exactly what we needed & offered us the same solution several times in a row. The crew were always working & nice. I think they knew it was bad and tried to make up for in the best way they knew how. We will probably book another Carnival cruise in the future, but if we have 2 experiences in a row like this, we will be looking for another line.

This "logic" escapes me. Those of us who don't order water or are OK with the current pricing are the ones somehow responsible for the never ending price increases and are the ones to blame. It's only the good folks who are forever caterwauling about every upcharge and change that are doing the right thing. There is a lot of self-importance implied in that chain of thought.

:confused::eek: That was not my chain of thought at all.

NCL banned the carrying of water and soda in any type of container and as noted above you can buy a case of their water pre-cruise for the very special price of $53. When CCL lowered the price I don't believe that there was any statement that the reduction would be in perpetuity. And I boarded our Fascination cruise with a little trepidation because of the changes that have taken place and if anything I think the overall experience was improved.

I'm glad to hear your experience was improved. We're hoping for the same. I'm boarding with no expectations whatsoever, so I hope Carnival will at least be able to meet them :rolleyes:

No all other lines don't. Pays to know what you are talking about.

 

Carnival's water was $12.99 or in that area before they banned bringing bottles on. No where near the prices other lines are charging. If you don't need it, then you, me, and everyone else has to decide at what point is the price too high. But some people absolutely cannot drink the desalinized water onboard. In which case, $4.50 is a necessary and small expense for the good of your health.

 

We are fine with the free bottles they give us for being Gold but we also order water for taking into ports. Before I sat here and threw a hissy fit about the "principle" of raising prices, I would stop buying it and bring a filtered cup and use that. There are ways to have water to drink if the idea of paying what they charge is too much. But until they go way beyond what they used to charge, then I have no qualms about the price. It would only become a matter of principle if the price got outrageous. What NCL charges is outrageous but I don't sail those lines to complain about it. $4.50 for water is indeed quite reasonable-especially if you need it. If you don't then don't buy it. There's no clause in your cruising contract stating the price of bottled water wouldn't go up.

 

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"Pays to know what you're talking about"? I was asking a question that I didn't know the answer to. Thank you for answering it.

And accusing me of throwing a hissy fit? Um no. Actually, I ordered the 12 pack for my upcoming cruise. I was merely putting forth another view point for those of you who just don't get why people are upset at these "small" but important changes. I was hoping to do so in a way you might could understand where others were coming from, but I guess I failed at that. I'm sorry. But have fun paying your $53 for a bottle of water in a few years because not enough people were upset over the initial price increases.

4.50 doesnt seem like very much when you start looking at what other cruise lines charge for bottled water :eek::eek::eek: Thankfully, I like the ships water just fine.

 

Royal Caribbean:

 

But don't all the other lines still let you carry on bottled water? If so, we're not comparing apples to apples. The problem is Carnival quit allowing bottled water carryons after they realized exactly how many people brought it on and how much money they could make from it. To curb the initial outcry, they lowered the price (seems like it was the same as sodas??). Now that people are used to not being able to bring it on and that outrage has slowed, they are slowly raising the price back.

Yes, it is the principle. And no, you can't compare it to other lines' prices, because they still allow the bottle water carryon. No, it's not a lot. But it's still more than I paid 3 years ago when I carried it on.

It's just like all the other "small" changes they've made in the past several years. Cruise prices and gratuities have gone up, but ammenities and service have gone down. The changes are so small that people who don't like them are considered petty, but this is hardly the line I sailed even 3 years ago. I can only imagine what the people who have been with CCL over the last 30 years have been feeling with all the changes adding up. There have been so many changes and things are so different now, I'm not expecting the same cruise experience when I leave out in a few days.

We are taking a short cruise with FTTF, so we're not planning to check anything, either. I'm still putting luggage tags on our bags (one each), just in case we lose track of them. I'm also putting ID on the inside of the bag so we can prove they are ours should we need to retrieve them from the lost and found.

Thanks! That helps!

We're also leaving at 10 pm Thursday because of the Liberty/Valor switch.

Even though our particular cruise has a "reason", I'm thinking this may become the norm to cut down on costs. The cruises are advertised as "x" number of nights, not days.

You forgot one of the mainstays of Capitalism, Competition. Folks can always go that way too.

I would "like" this if I could. Companies tend to forget about the competition until it is too late.

I agree. You should be fine with the tour. However, there are obviously no guarantees, especially if you are planning to wander around after the tour. I would use a bag, if he has one, just to prevent damage to the camera and not to draw attention to the camera.

We are cruising next week and it will be our first winter cruise, so we really have no idea what to expect. I have always wanted to do the paddle board/snorkeling tour, but I'm afraid the water will be too cold. I know any time you do water sports, there is a risk of falling in :D

I know the air temp will be low 80's and sunny, so there should be plenty of other stuff to do if we decide against the paddle boarding.

Locals or recent cruisers, do you have any input on whether this would be a good idea?

There is absolutely no reason for the price increases/differences. The benefits of FTTF do not change from ship to ship or from sailing to sailing. It costs the same amount for the company no matter how many days or which ship. This is purely Carnival's team surveying which ships and sailings sell the most FTTF and increasing the prices to maximize their profits.

The only argument that I see could be made is that longer sailings tend to have more tender ports. However, it doesn't matter who is on the tender or what order they got on. The tenders will still have to take everyone ashore who wants to go ashore, and bring them back. It's not like they have to make extra trips to accommodate FTTF.

We are on the first Liberty cruise after the switch in a week. We only received the email saying things were changing. I waited a few weeks, and when I logged back in, everything was the same (YTD, FTTF, even the room #) except we are booked on the Liberty and the itinerary had changed since we are leaving at 10 pm. We didn't pre-pay gratuities or book any excursions, so maybe ours was just an easy flip?

We are on the 12/15 cruise out of Port Canaveral. Apparently, this will be the first one on the Liberty & they will not board the ship until 6pm. On the one hand, I'm still going on a cruise. On the other hand, this is only a 3 day, so we already don't get a long cruise, and they have just shortened it. Not to mention all the horror stories I hear about the first sailing after dry dock. I'm actually kind of ticked off and would consider cancelling, but then we'd have unused vacation days that we lose at work.

Oh, and by the way, I just love how the people telling us to quit whining, we're still on a cruise, we signed a contract, yadda yadda, are the ones who aren't affected by any of the changes.

If more people pull their tips for less service, the crew will complain. Service will get worse because morale will go down. If service and morale goes down, passengers have bad experiences and quit cruising. Then Carnival will have to do something. It won't be immediate, but eventually the cruising industry will start offering good service and perks again.

Hate for the crew to suffer in the mean time, but isn't that how it works? Customers can run the businesses with their pocketbooks.

I have never had a spa treatment. I have a few questions. Can you get the best deals while onboard or by booking in advance? Is it customary to tip on top of the service price? And one more. Has anyone had a facial to help treat melasma while onboard? I would love to find something for that. Thanks!

1. The deals on board SEEM better, but I've never actually compared.

2. Yes it is customary to tip extra, but I usually don't because the sales pitch at the end ruins the whole experience for me. If there were no sales pitch, there would be a gracious tip.

3. Have not had a facial on board.

My spa experience: Yes, it is WAY more expensive than on land. So much so, that I have decided to only get treatments not readily available at my local hair salon (like, the bamboo massage). My first experience was the fire and ice pedicure, which was nice. I did this because I ran out of time to do my own before the cruise. Our second cruise, I got the bamboo massage. It was a miserable experience because it was near the showers or something and I could hear people laughing and talking the entire time. Not able to relax at all. Then, like I said before they make you fill out a "survey" before the treatment so they know what overpriced products to push on you at the end, ruining the relaxation experience.

Will I go to the spa again? Possibly. But my expectations will be very low, and their prices are just too high for low expectations. It would have to be a really good deal.

I've never done cash to fund my sail & sign, but I THINK you have to have the cash on your account up front or they will lock your card. You will need to put amount of tips plus any spending (I'd go with the recommended $100, and don't forget that sodas are extra if you don't have bottomless bubbles). So, that would be a total of $203 on your sail & sign at check in. Keep in mind ANY spending you do on the ship (gift shops, coffee, candy, desserts, spa, etc...) will be charged to your sail & sign. There's a lot of "upcharges" but not spending any extra on the ship is entirely possible.

I wonder if this is a transition to the eventual "no decorations or over-the-door hangers unless purchased from the Fun Shops" policy. It's funny that all this is discussed on John's "page" and then new regulations come out (sometimes with an extra fee attached). I've quit answering his questions and I suggest everyone else does, too!

We took a cork screw on in our carryon. Also, I think the only restrictions are for bottles, so canned soda will be ok. Beer in any form is not allowed. You have to buy it from the fun shops ahead of time or at the bar on board.

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Our PVP calls every time I log into Carnival or put in my VIFP # on a mock booking. I've just started browsing anonymously unless I want her to call my husband and "remind" him to think about booking a cruise ;)