Recent 2023 Elite cruise feedback

[May1cruiser]

Hello, 

Wondering what the Elite cruise experience has been this year 2023?

We have an upcoming Elite cruise. Our first. 

 

Wondering what to expect? 

 

Our January Ultra was packed on celebration. We had to wait for open slot machines. 

 

Also, what are some recent perks/gifts/etc we should expect? I know a lot has changed, so hoping for very recent experiences. 

 

Thank you. 

 

 

[lazydayz]

Just returned from the Celebration on an Elite cruise today.  Started off with a nice cocktail party with lovely food.  They gave away three prizes and introduced the hosts, Denver, Dion, Maya and Darrien (think he is in training).  just go to the casino cage to get parking reimbursed.  We did not need to show a receipt.  Free play was pre-loaded on my card, but have to get the Platinum bonus $25 from the cage. 
 

Casino was busy but could always find a machine.  Drawing at 11 each night (except the last day, when the drawing was at 4) and games included Matilda, Bubbles, Super Joker and Fill my Bag.

 

as to gifts, we got the wine and cheese basket, a Carnival Swiss army type tool, eight cookies, and two waterproof speakers.  Very nice gifts this time.  
 

We choose one of the offered excursions and all of the hosts were there, though they kept to themselves for the most part.  If you choose the credit instead, it is $150 per person, for up to two people. 
 

I was also given dinner for two at Rudi’s but for the first time, it didn’t include a bottle of wine.  But since you and your guest both have Free Drinks Everywhere, who needs another bottle of wine?  And $100 for Bonsai Sushi, which was a feast!  Hard for two people to eat $100 of sushi, but they do have a steak which was very good.

 

Only the Elite players were eligible for the drawings.  
 

Tequila, vodka, and mixers were waiting in the cabin.  
 

and there were some really big jackpots won.  The highest I heard was $23,000, but several more were over $10,000.  I won two small jackpots, one each on the last two days. 
 

I felt they did a great job of taking care of the Elite players this cruise, and they are by far, the best host team I have cruised with. There were plenty of servers in the casino, and it was very easy to get drinks.  If you go on the Celebration, look for Alfredo in the casino.  He is a great server that remembers your name and folio number.  

[Old Fart Cruisers]

On Spirit March 11th to 19th. 

The Good:

The transportation to and from the ship and the complimentary shore excursion.  We did have one bottle and 6-pack of soda per person in the room when we arrived.   We also had the cheese basket with wine, two stainless steel thermal tumblers, and the corkscrew. 

 

The not so good:

We didn't get "a goodbye gift" as described in our offer.  The five cookies were nothing like the fancy treats that they showed in the promotion.  Tried the room service twice (just for breakfast).  It took almost an hour and egg sandwiches were inedible, so even with "waved room-service charges", it wasn't worth using again.

 

 

Edited April 3, 2023 by Old Fart Cruisers

[lazydayz]

10 minutes ago, Old Fart Cruisers said:

On Spirit March 11th to 19th. 

The Good:

The transportation to and from the ship and the complimentary shore excursion.  We did have one bottle and 6-pack of soda per person in the room when we arrived.   We also had the cheese basket with wine, two stainless steel thermal tumblers, and the corkscrew. 

 

The not so good:

We didn't get "a goodbye gift" as described in our offer.  The five cookies were nothing like the fancy treats that they showed in the promotion.  Tried the room service twice (just for breakfast).  It took almost an hour and egg sandwiches were inedible, so even with "waved room-service charges", it wasn't worth using again.

 

 

Agree with you about the breakfast sandwiches. Disgusting, mine literally had a wheel of bacon and was totally inedible.  
 

however, the regular sandwiches from room service were good.  

[Old Fart Cruisers]

23 minutes ago, lazydayz said:

Agree with you about the breakfast sandwiches. Disgusting, mine literally had a wheel of bacon and was totally inedible.  
 

however, the regular sandwiches from room service were good.  

 

Here is a picture of the sandwich in question 🤢

 

Also after waiting for almost an hour for the coffee, it felt really lite when they bought it.   I opened the top while the room service person was still there.   It was filled with some gray foamy stuff.   Not sure if it was soapy water that wasn't rinsed out.  She just took the pot back.  I never heard anything else about it until I showed guest services the pictures.   I thought it was a shame that room service couldn't take care of their problems without having to get guest services involved. 

[May1cruiser]

Curious if the perks are ship dependent?  Our Elite is on the Magic at the end of the month. 

 

[mz-s]

20 hours ago, Old Fart Cruisers said:

 

Here is a picture of the sandwich in question 🤢

 

Also after waiting for almost an hour for the coffee, it felt really lite when they bought it.   I opened the top while the room service person was still there.   It was filled with some gray foamy stuff.   Not sure if it was soapy water that wasn't rinsed out.  She just took the pot back.  I never heard anything else about it until I showed guest services the pictures.   I thought it was a shame that room service couldn't take care of their problems without having to get guest services involved. 

 

How disgusting! I think Carnival really doesn't want to be in the room service business anymore.

[rellersi]

1 hour ago, May1cruiser said:

Curious if the perks are ship dependent?  Our Elite is on the Magic at the end of the month. 

 

just got off the Magic on a Elite offer. We got the tumblers, the fruit tray with the cheese and bottle of wine. the swiss knife thingie, and the cookies, no parting gift. Room service was OK, the party was good and they had a decent choice of food, particularly if you like seafood (we dont but there were enough other choices). and drinks were flowing, plenty of servers. Was not crazy about the casino host, he did not seem very friendly and during the givaways he was trying too hard to be funny when he was not in my opinion. did not do an excursion so lost out on that. Casino was crowded but so was the whole ship so I do not think the casino crowds were related to the Elite cruise, and the casino usually had all the tables opened so was always able to sit at a table or a slot machine. One member of out elite group hit a $53,000 jackpot at UltimateTexas Holdem table, and heard a few announcments for machine jackpots ranging from $2000 to $6000. 

[lazydayz]

2 hours ago, May1cruiser said:

Curious if the perks are ship dependent?  Our Elite is on the Magic at the end of the month. 

 

Not at all. The only difference I have noticed is the host, and Denver was funny and fun.  He would often go four or five winners deep if the first few had not won much money in the drawings.