Why Is It So Hard to get the Fun Times / All In a Day's Play Cruise Itinerary?

[bingomamma19]

5 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

Carnival does put out the schedule days (even weeks) ahead of time. If you use the Carnival Hub app, once you board the ship you can see the the daily schedule for every day of the cruise on the app. 

well then...that should please the OP :):)   I just like the paper one at night...its like getting the ads on Thanksgiving for black Friday LOL   I get to find out all the good things for the next day

[richfret]

First off, I am a planner who buys his cruise at least a year in advance.  Getting a copy of the Fun Times would be nice to get some idea of what to expect.  Now this should be easy.  For most cruises, it's all on computer already so all that would have to be done is to make it available.  If it is a new cruise being run for the first time, then I could understand that it is not available.  If Fun Times have already been written for a past cruise similar to yours,  it should not be a major problem.  Will there be changes?  Probable but so what.  It still gives me an idea of what to expect.  

 

It's a computer world so let's use it.  Otherwise,  I have to search and search for the Fun Times on Cruise Critic and many times the provided copies are unreadable or very difficult to print. 

 

Once I have submitted a deposit for a cruise, it would be nice for Carnival to say:  By the way, here is a copy of the Fun Times for your cruise and ship.  Enjoy.

  

[RWolver672]

9 hours ago, richfret said:

First off, I am a planner who buys his cruise at least a year in advance.  Getting a copy of the Fun Times would be nice to get some idea of what to expect.  Now this should be easy.  For most cruises, it's all on computer already so all that would have to be done is to make it available.  If it is a new cruise being run for the first time, then I could understand that it is not available.  If Fun Times have already been written for a past cruise similar to yours,  it should not be a major problem.  Will there be changes?  Probable but so what.  It still gives me an idea of what to expect.  

 

It's a computer world so let's use it.  Otherwise,  I have to search and search for the Fun Times on Cruise Critic and many times the provided copies are unreadable or very difficult to print. 

 

Once I have submitted a deposit for a cruise, it would be nice for Carnival to say:  By the way, here is a copy of the Fun Times for your cruise and ship.  Enjoy.

  

Do you not realize that if you book your cruise a year in advance, your itinerary might change, or in some instances, you ship could even change.  They in no way know what's going to happen a year in advance.

 

As I said in an earlier post, we've been on ten Carnival cruises with number eleven coming up next month.  Each cruise has been pretty much the same thing hour for hour.  We know what time dinner is, we know what time each show is.  Our itinerary from the day we booked shows us what time we are going to be in each port.  (Even then, that sometimes changes).  If a port is missed which has happened to us more than once, then they might add something extra for that sea day but they won't know ahead of time what or when to add.

[ProgRockCruiser]

14 hours ago, richfret said:

First off, I am a planner who buys his cruise at least a year in advance.  Getting a copy of the Fun Times would be nice to get some idea of what to expect.  Now this should be easy.  For most cruises, it's all on computer already so all that would have to be done is to make it available. 

 

While the sailing itinerary has been established, there is probably little else that is truly variable that has been firmly scheduled.

 

Yes, Circle C kids events are probably fairly predictable.  But consider why you want to plan out your cruise activities.  What are you looking at:  Piano Bar player?  Playlist stage show titles and times?  Movies playing at Dive-In?

 

Most of those are probably not tentatively planned until four months out, movies probably only a month or two out.  There is a FB page for the Piano Bar players, and the "published" schedules only go out to April, currently.  Those activities require contracts for specific personnel/groups, and can't be hammered out too far in advance.  From what I gathered from our last cruise speaking to a number of the musical entertainers, they know maybe their next two gigs, which each run 2 to 3 months.  Piano players are about 2 month gigs, from what I can see.  The Playlist cast seems to have longer contracts, around 9 months.

 

So your generic Fun Times from a year out will say:

 

Tuesday:

Piano Bar: yes, probably 8-midnight, player unknown

Playlist show: something rock oriented: 7:30pm and 9pm.

Movies: kid friendly 7pm, more adult themed but still PG-13 10pm.

Atrium bar: pop-oriented multi-player act.  Or maybe string trio.

 

 

I'm really struggling to understand the kinds of details the "planners" here are looking for that could realistically be made available so far in advance.

[richfret]

From my last post:  "It gives me an idea of what to expect".  I did not say I would plan all my activities based on the past Fun Times like playing Bingo at 8 pm on the second day of the cruise.  I might however check to see how many Bingo sessions were offered during an 8 day cruise.   You are taking this all too seriously.  The Fun Times are a fun thing and not the Bible.  Now back to planning if I may with hopes of getting the Fun Times for a March 2, 2019, eight day cruise on the Conquest.  Is there a liquor tasting session, a Veterans get together, a slot tournament, how many, etc.?  I doubt I would cancel the cruise based on the results. ............................. Then again, maybe so!    

[Nic6318]

On ‎1‎/‎10‎/‎2019 at 10:32 AM, cmoschini said:

My partner and I are planners - in fact, that's how we managed to schedule a cruise within our budget and get time away from work and all that in the first place - I would be surprised if most people on a cruise are not, in fact, planners - how did they possibly board?

Planners like to: Plan. SO WHY IS IT SO HARD TO GET THE DAILY ITINERARY BEFORE 9pm DAY-OF WHEN YOU'RE ALREADY ON THE CRUISE?

Every night they'd drop the brochure (or we'd go beg for it) around 9pm for the next day. No sooner. And not a hint of what we'd be getting before we boarded. It makes no sense. I see 0 benefit to the customer or the cruiseline to keep this info from the customer. My calendar has events down to the very last detail going out to 3 months from now, but for the cruise I just went on (Carnival Victory) the best I could do was: Board. Arrive. Board. Return. That's. It.

WHY??

Hi

 

I'm sorry, but I can only answer your question with the one you posed. Why?

 

There really is no specific benefit to seeing the FunTimes in advance. The "itinerary" is about your ports of call, really not about the activities onboard. For your ports of call, I agree you should plan (as much as you reasonably can) your days events off the ship in advance. You do understand that these ports of call can change (no matter what you booked for), as well as the times you will be in port. That is one of the reasons that they don't print them in advance.

 

Even if this was your first cruise, you should have noticed after a few days, that what they do on board is repetitive. It will be the same for you next cruise, doesn't really even matter what cruise line. So, the trivia will be at 10 o'clock one day instead of 11. Ping pong at 1 p.m. instead of 2 p.m.. What difference does it make, your are going to be on the ship anyways and at 1 p.m. you are going to have to make a decision on what you are going to do. Are you saying that if you had ping pong marked on your schedule, you couldn't change your mind if you were doing something else and having fun? As far as planning, it doesn't take more than 5 mins. to review the next days activities, and not much more on deciding what might interest you.

 

 

 

 

[richfret]

Using your example, it is not a matter of what time Ping Pong was held on a prior cruise so I could set a time for it on my cruise.  It's the fact that they have Ping Pong sessions instead of (shall we say) cake baking classes.  No offense to the Bakers intended.  So now I can plan that they will PROBABLY have Ping Pong sessions on my cruise although not with 100 percent certainty.     

[Doggielover68]

On 1/10/2019 at 1:29 PM, serene56 said:

 

Those fun times change   and could change from week to week.   Planning a cruise based on those is not a good idea--  (speaking from experience)   because i planned certain stuff around certain times to find that stuff changed.. and I have funtimes from a cruise 3 weeks before ours..   

I've been on a back to back cruise, same ship, same itinerary and even that fun times was different. 

 

I don't think they know far in advance what the activities will be, since they fly in different entertainers, the weather varies, etc. 

 

Just look at the fun times for the week on the HUB app when you board. It doesn't take that long to plan because a lot of it is just sales as others suggested. 

[Crazy4Camping]

On 1/10/2019 at 10:32 AM, cmoschini said:

My partner and I are planners - in fact, that's how we managed to schedule a cruise within our budget and get time away from work and all that in the first place - I would be surprised if most people on a cruise are not, in fact, planners - how did they possibly board?

Planners like to: Plan. SO WHY IS IT SO HARD TO GET THE DAILY ITINERARY BEFORE 9pm DAY-OF WHEN YOU'RE ALREADY ON THE CRUISE?

Every night they'd drop the brochure (or we'd go beg for it) around 9pm for the next day. No sooner. And not a hint of what we'd be getting before we boarded. It makes no sense. I see 0 benefit to the customer or the cruiseline to keep this info from the customer. My calendar has events down to the very last detail going out to 3 months from now, but for the cruise I just went on (Carnival Victory) the best I could do was: Board. Arrive. Board. Return. That's. It.

WHY??

I totally get this because I am a planner too!  Many of the responses refer to evening shows, etc. but what if the OP is talking about morning activities?  I've been racking my brain trying to figure out how to get a workout(jazzercise, yoga, etc.)in and still get off the ship in time for excursions.  Maybe OP wants to know what time yoga is so they can plan excursions before they get on the ship.

 

As for the app, can you access this without wifi?  If not, then everyone who says they use it paid for the access?
 

[PrincessMinion]

26 minutes ago, Crazy4Camping said:

I totally get this because I am a planner too!  Many of the responses refer to evening shows, etc. but what if the OP is talking about morning activities?  I've been racking my brain trying to figure out how to get a workout(jazzercise, yoga, etc.)in and still get off the ship in time for excursions.  Maybe OP wants to know what time yoga is so they can plan excursions before they get on the ship.

 

As for the app, can you access this without wifi?  If not, then everyone who says they use it paid for the access?
 

The hub app can be used by connecting to the ship WiFi but you don’t need to pay for a plan. My husband never gets an internet package and can get on the hub app no problem. 

[Schoifmom]

32 minutes ago, Crazy4Camping said:

I totally get this because I am a planner too!  Many of the responses refer to evening shows, etc. but what if the OP is talking about morning activities?  I've been racking my brain trying to figure out how to get a workout(jazzercise, yoga, etc.)in and still get off the ship in time for excursions.  Maybe OP wants to know what time yoga is so they can plan excursions before they get on the ship.

 

As for the app, can you access this without wifi?  If not, then everyone who says they use it paid for the access?
 

 

They do not typically hold exercise classes on port days. They will be on sea days. Otherwise, the workout facility is first-come-first-served, so you plan your own time.  On-ship activities are very light on all port days.  This is not only your chance to get off the ship, but it is also the staff's.

[cmoschini]

On 1/10/2019 at 3:46 PM, serene56 said:

Did you scan your copy of funtimes for the Victory and post them here?

 

Yes. It's in the Carnival Victory section where it belongs, clearly dated etc. Hope it helps people!

 

On 1/11/2019 at 10:05 AM, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

Carnival does put out the schedule days (even weeks) ahead of time. If you use the Carnival Hub app, once you board the ship you can see the the daily schedule for every day of the cruise on the app. 

 

Where do you see it weeks ahead of time?

The Carnival Hub app, until you board, is just a countdown. Day-of it sort of breaks while boarding - mine just said I had no cruises scheduled, then began crashing constantly. Once you board you can see the coming days though, fortunately.

But this just brings me back to my point: If Carnival already has it, it would sure be easier to just - give us the info. I've been on 10 or so cruises, and brought along as much as 50 people. People ask what's going to happen, and if Carnival's just sitting on this info, it would sure help if I could answer them. It's fine if the itinerary is subject to change - an idea of what's coming is better than a blackhole.

 

One last time: If you don't want this, it would really help if you move on from this thread. The evidence is clear that I am not the only person looking for these ahead of time. If you don't want it - fine. But it's not helpful to reply endlessly saying you don't want it. Half the comments here are like if I ordered the chicken and 10 people ran in to say "Lol. Why do you want chicken?? HAHA" Please people - be helpful, or just go find another thread about something you do want.

Edited January 14, 2019 by cmoschini

[richfret]

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!

[Crazy4Camping]

2 hours ago, Schoifmom said:

 

They do not typically hold exercise classes on port days. They will be on sea days. Otherwise, the workout facility is first-come-first-served, so you plan your own time.  On-ship activities are very light on all port days.  This is not only your chance to get off the ship, but it is also the staff's.

So if there is only one sea day, that is the only time there are exercise classes?  Good to know-had no idea! It's going to be hard to keep in shape on this cruise!! LOL

[dmdiver]

I can understand wanting some of the info in advance - like maybe a themed activity where you may want to pack specific items to wear.  I know the Carnival comedians have a facebook page and they frequently state that their schedules are not booked more than a few months in advance.  In addition to that, not all the comedians use the page.  Last cruise, I don't think there were any comedians that had posted their schedule there, so we just found out who was performing the night before in the Fun Times.  To me, the benefit of having advance info, is you can get info about the comedian & know whether you want to go see them or go see a show elsewhere on the ship.  Also, if you know what types of trivia contests there are, you know whether to keep an eye out for those specific ones & maybe brush up on your trivia about a certain subject.  If you are one to do spin classes, you may want to see if they are offered at convenient times for you before packing your padded cycling shorts.  

 

I would think it would be fairly easy to offer a preview of the Fun Times that would have a blurb to the effect that it is a general idea of activities offered & time frames, but are always subject to change.

[angielou1317@yahoo.com]

Speaking for myself, I like to get the funtimes early because i like to get ideas what to pack. For example "electric white party", "Mardi Gras party",  "red tequila party" so we knew to bring a white and a red outfit for sure and masks and beads!! Can't run out to a store to shop.

 

 

 

Edited February 5, 2019 by angielou1317@yahoo.com

[Doggielover68]

The only thing you really need to plan for a cruise are ports and dates. If you want to nitpick every second of every day, a land vacation may be more up your alley. A cruise is more about rolling out of bed and looking at the fun times to see what there is to eat and do, then go do it. Then if you don't like it, go do something else. 

[MississippiMom]

I debated on whether or not I should post, considering some of these replies.  But . . . here I go . . . 

I wish it were easier to find the FunTimes, just to read over them and get excited about the possibilities of our specific cruise.  I’m not the kind of person who would be demanding a refund if there was a change, though.  I’ve been on cruises before, so I know there will be plenty to keep my family entertained.  Our next cruise will have five family members sailing who have never cruised before, and they aren’t “convinced” about this type of vacation.  If they could see the Fun Times, it might be easier for the parents to figure out how they might like to juggle the children.  (Really, I guess they just need to know more about the kids’ activities.)

[emoorehead]

On 1/12/2019 at 8:31 PM, richfret said:

 "It gives me an idea of what to expect".

It's a cruise! Expect to have a good time!

 

From a planner's perspective, I can understand wanting to know ahead of time because it helps you to relax when you have made your plans. 

I'm a planner too, but I find it exciting and somewhat liberating to fly by the seat of my pants for a few days and not have a schedule. 

 

There is an episode of "Friends" (The One With the Fake Monica) where Monica's identity gets stolen and she learns to let her hair down as a result. This thread makes me think of that episode. 😀

I'm not bashing anyone. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and everyone relaxes in different ways. The world would be a boring place if we all had the same opinions.

[aknguyen]

On ‎2‎/‎5‎/‎2019 at 6:17 AM, Doggielover68 said:

The only thing you really need to plan for a cruise are ports and dates. If you want to nitpick every second of every day, a land vacation may be more up your alley. A cruise is more about rolling out of bed and looking at the fun times to see what there is to eat and do, then go do it. Then if you don't like it, go do something else. 

 

I don't consider it nitpicking to want to know if you need to bring specific attire in order to participate in a fun activity, as another poster said. Perhaps our definitions of nitpicking are different.

[Doggielover68]

57 minutes ago, aknguyen said:

 

I don't consider it nitpicking to want to know if you need to bring specific attire in order to participate in a fun activity, as another poster said. Perhaps our definitions of nitpicking are different.

Personally, as a light packer, I don't care enough about those special attire activities outside of elegant night. Most of them are so short anyway that it doesn't seem worth the hassle. Of course, that is just how I feel. And I would be quite annoyed if I wasted valuable luggage space bringing something for an event that didn't even end up happening, since the Fun Times are always subject to change. 

 

In a specific example, I packed an ugly christmas sweater once for the christmas contest. It lasted maybe 10 minutes and only a handful of people participated. The only thing I won was an additional piece of clothing to launder. 

[ProgRockCruiser]

18 hours ago, MississippiMom said:

Our next cruise will have five family members sailing who have never cruised before, and they aren’t “convinced” about this type of vacation.  If they could see the Fun Times, it might be easier for the parents to figure out how they might like to juggle the children.  (Really, I guess they just need to know more about the kids’ activities.)

 

In this case, "any old past Funtimes" for that ship and itinerary will do the trick, I suspect.  Funtimes are generally available from folks posting them here or elsewhere.  And if you can't find it, try asking - sometimes no-one here has a useful copy or the time/wherewithal to post it, but sometimes folks can help you out.

 

You seem to be booked on Carnival Glory in March for a Western Carib.  Here is a recent thread with the Funtimes linked for an Eastern Carib on Glory - won't be exactly the same, but more than likely just re-arranging the activities.

 

 

And here is a thread with Funtimes from a Western Carib Glory cruise last May.

 

 

there may be more threads with similar content - those were the first couple I found with useful content.

[Elaine5715]

On 1/11/2019 at 9:10 AM, Joebucks said:

You sound like a lot of fun. 

 

There are many intricacies to offering a cruise. Entertainers may change last minute. New programs may have to start earlier. Existing ones may have to be cancelled.  

 

I feel like you would be the kind of person also complaining because "we were looking forward to this event a month ahead of time. How can it possibly change? I demand compensation"

 

I get the excitement of wanting to see what goes on. Sometimes we go overboard on it here. Relax and enjoy the show.

Point proven by JH's FB page today.

[pacruise804]

On 1/12/2019 at 11:25 AM, ProgRockCruiser said:

 

While the sailing itinerary has been established, there is probably little else that is truly variable that has been firmly scheduled.

 

Yes, Circle C kids events are probably fairly predictable.  But consider why you want to plan out your cruise activities.  What are you looking at:  Piano Bar player?  Playlist stage show titles and times?  Movies playing at Dive-In?

 

Most of those are probably not tentatively planned until four months out, movies probably only a month or two out.  There is a FB page for the Piano Bar players, and the "published" schedules only go out to April, currently.  Those activities require contracts for specific personnel/groups, and can't be hammered out too far in advance.  From what I gathered from our last cruise speaking to a number of the musical entertainers, they know maybe their next two gigs, which each run 2 to 3 months.  Piano players are about 2 month gigs, from what I can see.  The Playlist cast seems to have longer contracts, around 9 months.

 

So your generic Fun Times from a year out will say:

 

Tuesday:

Piano Bar: yes, probably 8-midnight, player unknown

Playlist show: something rock oriented: 7:30pm and 9pm.

Movies: kid friendly 7pm, more adult themed but still PG-13 10pm.

Atrium bar: pop-oriented multi-player act.  Or maybe string trio.

 

 

I'm really struggling to understand the kinds of details the "planners" here are looking for that could realistically be made available so far in advance.

 

I did not read the original post as wanting details "so far" in advance, but rather the whole week laid out once on the ship (or at least be able to get the next day's fun times from guest services earlier in the day). 

 

A few details I can think of:

-wanting to catch a certain movie, but not have it conflict with another performer you want to see (and that performer will repeat throughout the cruise)

-scheduling workouts - if you rotate cardio, classes, and strength training it can matter knowing when the classes/spaces are available

-making reservations at a specialty restaurant early in the cruise but not wanting to miss a certain show or rush through a special meal

 

With the Hub app we can usually find what we need for the week, and there is also usually an entertainment at a glance for the week paper that is delivered the first day that might help the OP.

 

On 1/14/2019 at 1:22 PM, Crazy4Camping said:

So if there is only one sea day, that is the only time there are exercise classes?  Good to know-had no idea! It's going to be hard to keep in shape on this cruise!! LOL

I know you are mostly joking, but there are lots of exercise options without a class.  There are open hours for equipment and free weights, taking the stairs, playing sports on the upper deck.  You can keep in shape if you want to, it just might not be the ideal way you want to 😉 

 

Some people cruise for the ports, but some cruise for the ship.  Knowing what the options are and how to best use their vacation time matters to some posters. Lots of people enjoy Cheers and probably just as many can't see the point of it.  Dress code threads are very polarizing and neither can usually see the other's view.  I guess those who enjoy the freedom of going with the flow on a cruise can't understand that the act of planning (even though you know it is likely to change) can be very relaxing to others.