Dining changes from JH this afternoon

[Honolulu Blue]

The official press release covering changes to Carnival's app (the highlight of which is the changes to dining):  https://carnival-news.com/2021/06/28/carnival-cruise-line-expands-hub-app-to-include-additional-food-and-beverage-functionality-updated-health-and-safety-information-and-more/

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

13 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

The official press release covering changes to Carnival's app (the highlight of which is the changes to dining):  https://carnival-news.com/2021/06/28/carnival-cruise-line-expands-hub-app-to-include-additional-food-and-beverage-functionality-updated-health-and-safety-information-and-more/

 

Thanks for the link!

 

 

Tom

[Joe817]

Thanks H.B.! Good info. 👍

[LHARTWICK]

15 hours ago, CruisinMama2003 said:

We also used this for YTD thru the HUB app

Correct - YTD is what I was referring to, as well as the muster drill.

[Houst]

Disney has been doing Mobile Ordering for years at both WDW and Disneyland. It works great and it doesn't take away from the normal line. It also tells you the time when to come and get it, so the line isn't packed 

[BlerkOne]

3 hours ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

I'm pleased that "reservations" can coexist with "freestyle"! 

 

Tom

I have a feeling that with reservations will come a certain time to show by or lose your reservation.

[pokerguy90]

Carnival is infamous for testing things out. Then add a minor surcharge, Roll it out on more ships, raise the price and move on to the next money grab.

[BlerkOne]

16 minutes ago, pokerguy90 said:

Carnival is infamous for testing things out. Then add a minor surcharge, Roll it out on more ships, raise the price and move on to the next money grab.

Malarkey

[bdever]

4 hours ago, TNcruising02 said:

Thanks!  I wonder if that means that we will not be permitted to enter until all of the people with reservations enter.  Sometimes we don't know what we feel like doing until the afternoon.  We prefer getting to a venue early in order to get good seats than making reservations ahead of time.  One of the great things about Carnival is not requiring reservations.  Show up early, get a good seat. If we have to make reservations in order to get a good seat, then Carnival has no advantage to me over RCL for shows.

Highly doubt it. What it means is that they know ahead of time how many seats are reserved so when walk ins show up they know how many can be let in prior to reservation no shows.

[shof515]

28 minutes ago, pokerguy90 said:

Carnival is infamous for testing things out. Then add a minor surcharge, Roll it out on more ships, raise the price and move on to the next money grab.

this is all cruise lines in a nutshell. I remember reading the stories in the past when NCL first introduce go karts on the ship and how many times they raises the prices on it over the years

[bdever]

3 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

The official press release covering changes to Carnival's app (the highlight of which is the changes to dining):  https://carnival-news.com/2021/06/28/carnival-cruise-line-expands-hub-app-to-include-additional-food-and-beverage-functionality-updated-health-and-safety-information-and-more/

Damn… the press release doesn’t mention food order pick up option that John Heald mentioned… now I’m bummed 🙁 

[TNcruising02]

3 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

The official press release covering changes to Carnival's app (the highlight of which is the changes to dining):  https://carnival-news.com/2021/06/28/carnival-cruise-line-expands-hub-app-to-include-additional-food-and-beverage-functionality-updated-health-and-safety-information-and-more/

The expanded food delivery is definitely a plus.

[Honolulu Blue]

9 minutes ago, bdever said:

Damn… the press release doesn’t mention food order pick up option that John Heald mentioned… now I’m bummed 🙁 

 

Don't be too sad... 😥 Maybe it's just not as far along as delivery.  I'm sure it will be rolled out eventually.  😃

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

22 minutes ago, shof515 said:

this is all cruise lines in a nutshell. I remember reading the stories in the past when NCL first introduce go karts on the ship and how many times they raises the prices on it over the years

 

I had to cancel our Bliss cruise, so I never got to try the go karts. What was the original price, and what did they end up at? Were they ever fast/exhilarating? I figure that BOLT will be similar to the kids rides at Magic Kingdom - though slower! (hope I'm wrong)

 

Tom

[Lee Cruiser]

11 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

iPod, iPad, iPhone...all Apple stuff that younger generations can't live without when they're on vacation.

Unplug, unwind, enjoy life.

I'm in my 50s and I will have my phone and tablet with me on my cruise. They have wonderful cameras. I have music on them. I have books on them. I have movies on them. While my phone will be in airplane mode, I enjoy some FaceTime with my grands while I'm away.  Unlike some, I don't lock my devices away when I get onboard, but I certainly still enjoy life. People can enjoy different things.

[IntrepidFromDC]

24 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

I had to cancel our Bliss cruise, so I never got to try the go karts. What was the original price, and what did they end up at? Were they ever fast/exhilarating? I figure that BOLT will be similar to the kids rides at Magic Kingdom - though slower! (hope I'm wrong)

 

Tom

I read that the Bolt speed is limited to 40mph and is controlled by the rider.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

2 minutes ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

I read that the Bolt speed is limited to 40mph and is controlled by the rider.

 

I've come across the 40 mph figure as well. I recall the video as she was coming into (or was already in) Port Canaveral where they had a couple crew members riding it. It appeared they didn't have a need for speed !!

 

Tom

[SNJCruisers]

11 hours ago, TNcruising02 said:

Thanks!  I wonder if that means that we will not be permitted to enter until all of the people with reservations enter.  Sometimes we don't know what we feel like doing until the afternoon.  We prefer getting to a venue early in order to get good seats than making reservations ahead of time.  One of the great things about Carnival is not requiring reservations.  Show up early, get a good seat. If we have to make reservations in order to get a good seat, then Carnival has no advantage to me over RCL for shows.

But Carnival is getting into the larger ships size wise similar to Oasis on RCI and Breakaway  and Breakaway Plus on NCL that require reservations. 

[TNcruising02]

10 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

But Carnival is getting into the larger ships size wise similar to Oasis on RCI and Breakaway  and Breakaway Plus on NCL that require reservations. 

 

I can understand Carnival's choice to do it on ships like the Mardi Gras, but I don't see a reservation system needed for smaller ships.  They always offer multiple shows and it's pretty simple to just show up early to get a good seat.  I didn't like it on RCL or Norwegian and always thought of Carnival as a plus when it came to shows since I didn't have to make reservations and plan my entire cruise ahead of time.  Sure, those cruise lines had standby if you wanted bad seats.  

Edited June 29, 2021 by TNcruising02

[SNJCruisers]

7 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

I have a feeling that with reservations will come a certain time to show by or lose your reservation.

On NCL, you lose it 10 minutes ahead of time, which is when they let the standby line in.  I assume it's the same way on Oasis Class on RCI.

[SNJCruisers]

31 minutes ago, TNcruising02 said:

 

I can understand Carnival's choice to do it on ships like the Mardi Gras, but I don't see a reservation system needed for smaller ships.  They always offer multiple shows and it's pretty simple to just show up early to get a good seat.  I didn't like it on RCL or Norwegian and always thought of Carnival as a plus when it came to shows since I didn't have to make reservations and plan my entire cruise ahead of time.  Sure, those cruise lines had standby if you wanted bad seats.  

Just because you have a reservation does not mean that you still can't show up early to get a good seat like you do now.  Make reservations for all of the comedy shows, go early to the ones that you wish to see and just be a no show for the others.

[TNcruising02]

13 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

Just because you have a reservation does not mean that you still can't show up early to get a good seat like you do now.  Make reservations for all of the comedy shows, go early to the ones that you wish to see and just be a no show for the others.

If there is no limit to the number of reservations for the shows throughout the cruise, that's what I will do.  On Norwegian, by the time I realized there was a reservation system, all of the times were booked.  I was able to get in standby, but not good seats.  I am just not a huge fan of it, but I know a lot of people like it.  On RCL, I had to hurry up and locate the reservation area when I boarded the ship since you couldn't reserve the comedy shows online.

 

I wonder if we will make reservations online or have to do it from the App after we get on the ship.  It's just another task to hurry up and do.

Edited June 30, 2021 by TNcruising02

[SNJCruisers]

1 hour ago, TNcruising02 said:

If there is no limit to the number of reservations for the shows throughout the cruise, that's what I will do.  On Norwegian, by the time I realized there was a reservation system, all of the times were booked.  I was able to get in standby, but not good seats.  I am just not a huge fan of it, but I know a lot of people like it.  On RCL, I had to hurry up and locate the reservation area when I boarded the ship since you couldn't reserve the comedy shows online.

 

I wonder if we will make reservations online or have to do it from the App after we get on the ship.  It's just another task to hurry up and do.

Unfortunately you didn't do your due diligence regarding needing reservations on NCL.  Hopefully it was a lesson learned.  I know it'll be needed on our future cruises on NCL Joy, Encore, Bliss and Prima.  

Our cruise many years ago on the Breeze was a pain regarding the comedy show.  People were lined up an hour ahead of time and even though I love a good adult comedy show,  there is no one worth it on Carnival to stand an hour in line for.  Being entertained in the Piano Bar just took priority on that cruise, especially since it was Ron Pass.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

3 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

Unfortunately you didn't do your due diligence regarding needing reservations on NCL.  Hopefully it was a lesson learned.  I know it'll be needed on our future cruises on NCL Joy, Encore, Bliss and Prima.  

Our cruise many years ago on the Breeze was a pain regarding the comedy show.  People were lined up an hour ahead of time and even though I love a good adult comedy show,  there is no one worth it on Carnival to stand an hour in line for.  Being entertained in the Piano Bar just took priority on that cruise, especially since it was Ron Pass.

 

Ron is the real deal!

 

 

Tom

[BlerkOne]

17 hours ago, bdever said:

Heald said you would get a message when your order was ready for pickup and you would pick up from a separate queue.

At prime times, I can see a number of people ordering at the same time. If they don't instantly teleport themselves to the pickup location, a queue will form. If the just tell out numbers, people will still be jammed up. I'll see how well it works in the near future, but don't eat many Guy's burgers. Now pizza... But only if I can customize it