Old CCL Vet Needs Update

[mtchg]

Just booked my first cruise in years, and first Carnival since the 2000's. Was glad to see CCL automatically converted me to new VIFP system and I'm still Platinum status. I sailed Triumph once upon a time and now will reboard it again as Sunrise after what looks to be an excellent refurb. My inquiry is toward those veterans that can share what changes (pandemic and just in general) can I expect from the "legacy" Carnival pre 2010 and now.

[tallnthensome]

Same question was asked last week more or less. Any specific questions because a lot has changed ? 

 

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2853868-long-time-no-cruisewhats-new/#comment-63255675

Edited May 31, 2022 by tallnthensome

[mtchg]

OK specific: Is room service whittled down to just once a day still, and if so when do they generally clean as opposed to the original mid-morning and early evening?

[thecruiserofships]

I first started cruising Carnival in 2007 and here are some of the highlights that have changed after 2010:

 

• Guy's Burger Joint - Carnival added a branded venue to all ship's Lido called Guy's Burger Joint which serves complimentary hamburgers at lunch and typically closes around 6pm. There is a toppings station (kind of like a Fuddruckers) by the Guy's Burger Joint. This replaced the old style chicken tenders, homemade chips, and hottdogs that Carnival used to have on the non-branded Lido hamburger line.
• Blue Iguana Cantina - This is a complimentary line at lunch that serves tacos and burritos. 
• Pizzeria - Carnival changed the Pizzeria menu around the 2012-2013 timeframe. The options for pizza are less. My favorite pizza onboard used to be the pan pizza with all the vegetables, but that is long gone. There are now only 5 or so choices for pizza and the pizza is much more thin compared to the old style. Pizza is not 24 hours right now due to the crew staffing shortage. 
• Lido Desserts - Carnival changed the Lido desserts a few years ago to be more cake/pie based. Different flavors are served each day at lunch and typically flavors are not repeated so if you see something you would like, eat it when you see it. The old style cookies, jello, and 24 hour ice cream are still available. 
• Introduction of Your-Time Dining - Depending on the last time you cruised Your-Time Dining may have not been introduced yet. Traditional fixed time seating is still available. Your-Time Dining allows you to eat any-time in a range of time. After Covid you check in for this using the Carnival Hub App. You may or may not get auto assigned to the same table or waitstaff under this, but if desired can ask the hostess station to see if they accommodate getting the same waitstaff.  
• Carnival Hub App & QR Code Menus -  Since the pandemic a lot of menus (dining room, bar, etc.) are digital. I highly recommend downloading the Carnival Hub App prior to your cruise as it is useful onboard. Some paper menus are still available, but it can take some time for the crew to track them down. The Hub App displays dining info, entertainment info, and more. 
• Daily Activity & Information - The Carnival Capers disappeared around 2010 and became the Fun-Times. After the pandemic this turned into a single sheet What's Happening newsletter and is not delivered to your stateroom. You can pick up a copy at Guest Services or Coffee Bar on the Promenade.
• Self-Mustering -  The old style muster station drill of having to stand or sit in a muster station at a set time went away with the pandemic. On your first day after boarding you go to your muster station and they will show you how to put on your lifejacket. Overall takes about 5 minutes versus the old style drill which took 30 at a minimum. I like this much more! 
• Embarkation -  You are no longer given your Sail & Sign card upon check-in at the terminal. It will be located in your stateroom door mailbox. Your boarding pass will be used to get you on the ship. This process started before Covid, but has continued even after the shutdown. Also, embarkation now has a Covid test and vaccine check added in besides having to show your passport or other travel documentation. 
• Stateroom Servicing -  Only happens once a day now, but your stateroom steward will let you pick morning or evening. The chocolate mints are no longer given. Also, the old freebie basket that used to be in the stateroom bathroom that had samples of various random products is no more.
• Since you mentioned you are Platinum I highly recommend printing the email Carnival sends you prior to sailing with the list of the benefits & how to get them. Once onboard they don't deliver anything to your room. You have to go to the Photo Gallery (or other designated location) to pick-up your platinum gift & pin. On cruises 5+ nights the Chocolate Delight is scheduled through room service. Priority boarding is temporarily not available, but platinum & diamond guests get to do online check-in 48 hours prior to everyone else. 

 

This is all I can think of for now and there are probably many other things that I did not think to write here!  I just got off the Carnival Breeze last week and have pictures of all of the various food items in the Lido & Main Dining Room as well as various menus (bar, dining room, etc.) from my cruise. It is on my personal cruise blog if you would like to look at pictures & menus: 
http://www.embarkandaway.com/carnival-breeze-cruise-review-2022.html 

I know you are going on the Sunrise which is a completely different ship than the Breeze, but a lot of food served could be similar depending on the length of your cruise as Carnival likes to have a semi-standardized offering across ships. 

 

 

Edited May 31, 2022 by thecruiserofships

[Illbcruzn4life]

just wanted to add to the part about being platinum and your benefits. This was in our cabin and the qr code for platinum had all the items. 

 

This was on the Horizon. Don't know if all ships have this.

 

 

Edited May 31, 2022 by Illbcruzn4life

[mondello]

Scan the QR code in your cabin, shown above in post 5, for VIFP perks and how to redeem them.

[Bostwick girl]

Don’t forget to add No table cloths in the dining room.

 

[mz-s]

8 minutes ago, Bostwick girl said:

Don’t forget to add No table cloths in the dining room.

 

 

The dining room has probably seen the most changes since 2010, it's like a Chili's or something nowadays  compared to how it used to be.

[1kaper]

13 hours ago, mtchg said:

OK specific: Is room service whittled down to just once a day still, and if so when do they generally clean as opposed to the original mid-morning and early evening?

 

My room steward asked our preference. 

[scpirate]

No BACON.

[mtchg]

Thanks for the responses, especially cruiserofships. Long and detailed and I appreciate it. Some good changes, some not as good but certainly not a deal breaker. I do wonder about some folks (usually older guests) who don't do the Smart Phone thing....

[vacruizer]

2 minutes ago, mtchg said:

Thanks for the responses, especially cruiserofships. Long and detailed and I appreciate it. Some good changes, some not as good but certainly not a deal breaker. I do wonder about some folks (usually older guests) who don't do the Smart Phone thing....

They will bring you paper menus but won’t offer them - you have to ask. Checking into the dining room with no phone was a huge pain and the hostess chastised us for not bringing a phone. I started carrying it around just to check in, but still got paper menus. I find it really hard to read the menus on my phone and cruise to disconnect and not carry the thing around all the time like I do for work. 

[Guest BasicSailor]

3 minutes ago, vacruizer said:

They will bring you paper menus but won’t offer them - you have to ask. Checking into the dining room with no phone was a huge pain and the hostess chastised us for not bringing a phone. I

Which should not have happen, undertrained Carnival staff overkill.

[Tippyton]

Some of us love to go on cruise vacations because we want to get away from our.....phones.👀

[cruisingguy007]

3 hours ago, Tippyton said:

Some of us love to go on cruise vacations because we want to get away from our.....phones.👀

 

Dion't worry. No one will call or text you, it's simply a tool to facilitate information and minimal communication. Most people want to get away from calls/texts/emails, keeping it in airplane mode will facilitate that. Ironically, some people make this very claim and then pay extra for a  internet package, go figure. I don't get the internet package so I can truly getaway but still use my phone for photos and hub app. It's not quite the same as being "connected" IMO.    

[happy cruzer]

I think the entertainment has changed since you cruised.  Most music is recorded.  Music in the atrium in particular seems to be one singer and recorded music.

 

Maybe the smoking policy has changed.  Not sure when Carnival stopped allowing smoking in room and balconies.

 

Give us a report when you return; it will be interesting to see what you experience.

[Guest BasicSailor]

13 minutes ago, happy cruzer said:

I think the entertainment has changed since you cruised.  Most music is recorded.  Music in the atrium in particular seems to be one singer and recorded music.

 

Maybe the smoking policy has changed.  Not sure when Carnival stopped allowing smoking in room and balconies.

 

Give us a report when you return; it will be interesting to see what you experience.

Well, here we go again 🤫. Carnival claims to have stopped smoking in rooms and balconies, but they turn a blind eye as smokers still smoke on their balconies all the time.

[SRQbeachgirl]

5 hours ago, BasicSailor said:

Well, here we go again 🤫. Carnival claims to have stopped smoking in rooms and balconies, but they turn a blind eye as smokers still smoke on their balconies all the time.

 

That has not been our experience. The couple of times we have had someone nearby smoke on their balcony, one phone call to GS has put a stop to it for the duration of the cruise. YMMV.

[Guest BasicSailor]

27 minutes ago, SRQbeachgirl said:

 

That has not been our experience. The couple of times we have had someone nearby smoke on their balcony, one phone call to GS has put a stop to it for the duration of the cruise. YMMV.

I was going to dig up a few photos to show smokers weeklong delight lit up on a few balconies. But it's pointless, at lest you put a stop to your smokers. Ours were on different floors so no way of knowing what the room numbers were.  I guess I could have gone to different decks and knocked on doors.

 

Hay, are yawl smoking in here !😉

[SRQbeachgirl]

22 minutes ago, BasicSailor said:

I was going to dig up a few photos to show smokers weeklong delight lit up on a few balconies. But it's pointless, at lest you put a stop to your smokers. Ours were on different floors so no way of knowing what the room numbers were.  I guess I could have gone to different decks and knocked on doors.

 

Hay, are yawl smoking in here !😉

 

The smokers near us were on an adjacent balconies and a balcony below us, so it definitely made it easy to identify where it was coming from. Of course, the fact that one of them was purposefully flicking his ashes onto people walking on the deck below may have sped up security's response.

[Fire6]

Just to clarify, the Blue Iguana Cantina on the Lido Deck is open starting at breakfast time...it's not just a lunch venue.   The breakfast burritos are the highlight of my Carnival trips.

[SRQbeachgirl]

14 minutes ago, Fire6 said:

Just to clarify, the Blue Iguana Cantina on the Lido Deck is open starting at breakfast time...it's not just a lunch venue.   The breakfast burritos are the highlight of my Carnival trips.

 

For me it's their huevos rancheros and arepas. Mmmmm.  

[mowogo]

21 hours ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

Dion't worry. No one will call or text you, it's simply a tool to facilitate information and minimal communication. Most people want to get away from calls/texts/emails, keeping it in airplane mode will facilitate that. Ironically, some people make this very claim and then pay extra for a  internet package, go figure. I don't get the internet package so I can truly getaway but still use my phone for photos and hub app. It's not quite the same as being "connected" IMO.    

Internet access as slow as it is on most ships of the line isn’t really fast enough to encourage you to stay connected at all times.  It is fast enough to allow you to be reached in an emergency and you to know the basics of what is going on outside of the ship.  

[1kaper]

On 6/4/2022 at 1:36 AM, cruisingguy007 said:

 

Dion't worry. No one will call or text you, it's simply a tool to facilitate information and minimal communication. Most people want to get away from calls/texts/emails, keeping it in airplane mode will facilitate that. Ironically, some people make this very claim and then pay extra for a  internet package, go figure. I don't get the internet package so I can truly getaway but still use my phone for photos and hub app. It's not quite the same as being "connected" IMO.    

 

I always have my phone on me because I use it to take pictures.  My other half doesn't.  He was annoyed because he would prefer to have left his phone in the cabin even if he doesn't get texts or emails, just to totally disconnect. 
I hated it because even though I do usually have my phone, I found there were times it needed to be charged and I'd find myself somewhere I needed my phone to see the menu.  I did ask for a paper copy.  In at least one bar I was told they didn't have one. 
 

[camarowesley]

On 5/31/2022 at 9:19 PM, scpirate said:

No BACON.

Are you serious?