Chief93

Yes! My fare included the free drink package, but included $360 in gratuities for the drink package. I don't want the drink package, its a very port intensive cruise, I wont have time to drink enough. The agent at NCL was quick to remove it.

So I just booked my first non-Carnival cruise. Really wanted to do Europe, the cruise I wanted was on the Legend, but the deposit was $800 and non refundable, which I was cool with, but also non transferrable, which I was not cool with. Also apparently it's special, and your Platinum status doesn't count. Anyway, I've seen my Platinum benefits watered down enough that that wasn't a consideration. So I'm gonna try NCL, 9 days, no sea days, two days in Istanbul. Anyone else sailed NCL and have any suggestions? Oh, and this isn't a negative thread, I'm doing Carnival in Australia next year.

The AC was fixed by the end of the cruise. And B&C.....Beauty and Charm....lol......ya know in Spanish the word for handcuffs is esposas...wives. A very insightful culture....

"I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen, and regulating circulation." - Ishmael, Moby Dick So, it's day 2. A day at sea. One of the things I've noticed recently is that the things I really liked about cruising are going away. Maybe it's petty, but my cruise routing was to hang the breakfast request on the door the night before, asking only for coffee and croissants, to be delivered at 0700. It was like a wake up call, I could drink coffee on my balcony and wait the B&C to get up and around. But no. That is no longer available. You gotta call room service. So I did, at 0645 and was told the wait was 30-45 minutes. Why bother. So I go the lido deck. Yes, still very hot in the hallways. It would get worse as the day progressed. I had the Cheers package, so a breakfast Vodka Tonic seemed like a good idea. More about bar service later. Most of us decided to do the Sea Day Brunch. I had eggs benedict, which while properly cooked was completely devoid of seasoning. It was odd. But the mimosas were good. The B&C wanted to go to the top deck and walk around it. Repeatedly. Like exercise. Anyway, happy wife, happy life so I did that for a while. Saw a pod of dolphins which was cool. After a shower and what not we wandered through the stores. One of my past complaints has been that the stores have nothing I want to buy. I felt this was improved on this cruise. I saw a pair of sunglasses I ended up paying $300 for on the last day. They had an interesting selection of good watches, Breitling and a few preowned Rolex. No Omega, but they did have Tissot, but not the one I'm looking for. We sat outside, upstairs, to watch whatever was going on at the pool. It was absolutely impossible to find a bar waiter. If you want a drink, you have to actually go find a bar. As is my custom, I always tip a $ or 2 in cash, even with the drink package. Oh, BTW, there was no easily available quality Scotch. The bar by the aft pool and the one in the show lounge had a bottle of Aberfeldy 12, which was the only uncolored non chill filtered bottle I saw anywhere. But the son discovered that they had a bottle of Aberfeldy 16 at the bar in the steakhouse, which was $19 a shot, so included in the package. I'm pretty sure I drank that bottle and part of another one. I didn't realize you could go to that bar if you were not eating in the steakhouse. Also, Carolina the bar tender there was very nice. She also did the Alchemy bar sometimes. Speaking of the Alchemy bar, what is usually one of my favorite haunts was most disappointing on this cruise. The drinks were not particularly special. Ramon, from Hungary, was cool and made a decent drink. The angry, tall female from St. Lucia, was devoid of personality. I made sure the first drink I got from her was the last. This was the first formal night. Unfortunately the dining room was uncomfortably hot. I had the escargot, which was good as usual. You drown anything in butter and garlic and its gonna be good. Also the shrimp and crab cake....7/10. The souflee was as usual a 10/10. After dinner we all wanted to go to kareoke, someplace 5 aft. My DIL and her friend participated and the we all left at it was UNBEARABLY hot. Will post day 3 at some point.

Have you read Watership Down? I recommend it. Yes, its about talking rabbits. But still great read. Anyway, what I have always enjoyed is the chapter headings....quotes from literature of the past. Therefore, I intend to (woefully inadequately no doubt) emulate this style. Let us begin... "And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame." - Luke 16:24 It was a dark and stormy night. No, wait, that's a different thing all together. This is a review of the Carnival Vista cruise on September 30. I have screenshots of the menus. All opinions are my own based on my experience. There were 10 people in our group....(let the acronyms flow forth), the B&C, DS, DIL, 84 year old mom, my consuegros ( a fun Spanish word for my son's inlaws), DDILS (dear daughter in law's sister) and DSFOOFISASSL (dear son's friends one of which is a Spanish speaking Laotian). Arrived the day before, stayed at the La Quinta by Hobby. I've stayed there before, perhaps the experience was better in the past, but all I really wanted was a bed and breakfast in the morning. Arrived at 2100 and the hotel shuttle was prompt. Next morning arranged for an Uber to take us to the pier. Easy. We had AO1 boarding, arrived about 0950. To my surprise, they had the priority lines clearly marked. It was a breeze, was in the priority waiting area within 10 minutes. So....some strange stuff. My son's FIL, who has never been on a Carnival Cruise, had a platinum card. No idea how that happened. So everyone but the DSFOOFISASSL had priority A01 boarding. So I went and found them and brought them over to our area. Look folks, if you are all hung up on the rules that's fine, but I broke a whole lotta rules on this cruise. This is the way. I have spoken. So we get on the boat. It's hot. No, seriously, it's hot. Like the A/C is not working in any of the public spaces. I didn't drop off my carryon but others did. Those who did so on 9 forward were contacted by friendly staff. My DS and DIL (both platinum) got all kinds of attitude from their steward when they dropped off their carryon. Did i mention it's hot? Hallways, Lido deck, all very, very hot. Mill around for a while, have some lunch....it's finally 1330 so head to the cabin. Thankfully the cabin is ice cold. I had the drink package. So unlimited drinks..right. Anyway....had a gin and tonic using the gin I smuggled on board. First of many. Well, first of 7, as i brought on 8 cans of fever tree and had one left over. I had to move my mom and my B&C to different cabins. So went to Guest services to do so. Ya know, I used to live in a third world country....it was exactly like that. I had to make 3 trips because I was never told the complete list of things I would need. Anyway, finally got that done. Walked around the very, very, uncomfortably hot ship for a while. OMG...then it was time for the pedicure. So I, your humble servant, had prepurchased a pedicure for the cloven hooves of the DW. Off she goes. I go to pick her up. The young lady charged my card, after assuring me that it would zero out. It didn't. After two trips to guest services Carnival still owes me $8 because they only credited me the cost, event tho i prepaid the entire thing, including tax. Phew. Ok. So dinner time. See attached menu. I was sooooooooo looking forward to the Indian vegetarian. I love that. I got the crawfish strudel. It was good. 7/10. Then came the entre. So amazingly disappointing. What used to be pickle and naan and several small bowls is now rice and two small bowls of all-you-can-eat buffet indian food. Zero spice. Exactly what you would get at some anglicized all you can eat place. About this time I'm ready to give up. Skipped the show. Spent the rest of the night wondering if I'll ever cruise Carnival again. Sorry, I'm sure all the cheer leaders are lining up to tell me I'm wrong, how it was all my fault, etc. Anyway...will post day 2 at some point. Be good. See ya.

I've never understood this.....I hear this all the time when someone is speaking a different language. Is it arrogance? I'm so amazingly awesome that strangers can't help but talk about me? Or is it simple paranoia? I speak several languages, and have never felt the need to talk about other people while in their presence. And I've frequently overheard people talking in a language i speak, and they were never talking about me or anyone else.

I was booked on the Triumph, and Carnival canceled by cruise when the Triumph had that engine failure. The refund check they sent me bounced, and I started a thread here about it. Within 15 minutes of posting someone from Carnival called my cell. BTW it bounced as it wasn't printed properly

Oh? Lemme see, at the start of the pandemic i bought 1,000 shares at $7.51. I figured either the pandemic would end or we'd be hunting each other for meat, in which case I wouldn't need the money anyway. Sold it for $26.51. After I thought it had reached bottom again I bought 1,000 shares for $8.60. Was at $15 today. So I'm happy with it.

The aforementioned Cucumber Sunrise from the Alchemy bar! But slightly ahead and better is their Sidecar. Really anything from the Alchemy bar...

My point exactly.