BubbaD123

13 minutes ago, cruisewiththekids said:

It mentions dinner in the letter.   Will it be open for the free lunch?

Yes, it is open for the free pasta lunch during sea days only. 

On 5/19/2022 at 7:09 PM, kitten816 said:

Does anyone have the update menu's reflecting which items from Cucina are on the main room menu? 

The only items that make it to the MDR menu are the 'penne al ragu' and the chicken parmesan. 

2 minutes ago, csoud68 said:

Go early, regardless of boarding time..if they aren't enforcing it just go..

Thanks. New Orleans & Tampa made it so easy, I figured I would get there around 12:45 and be on by 1PM.. but I'll head there early. Did your parents mention if the ship was close to capacity or not?

Jesus, man. I'm boarding the Magic here in a few hours. This sucks! LOL

7 hours ago, Jasonmom said:

Thanks for posting

No problem, glad the info helped. 

NNNOOOOOOO! I was looking forward to trying the Cucina! Hopefully it's still open for the free pasta lunch. The email explicitly stated 'closed for dinner service'.

32 minutes ago, bobbyandali said:

Anyone who has been on 2-3 Carnival Cruises knows the two days to avoid Guest Services if you can:

Embarkation Day 

"Posting of Gratuities" Day

Is 'Posting of Gratuities' on the last full sea day? I was hoping my left-over OBC will cover part of my gratuities. Will the system automatically do that, or will I have to worry about going to Guest Services?

Sailed solo on the Valor in March, paid about $350 all-in(fare, fees & gratuities).

Sailed solo on the Paradise in April, paid $260 all-in(fare, fees & gratuities).

Will sail solo on the Magic next week, paid $323 all-in(fare, fees & gratuities) but includes $100 OBC. 

All of them 5-night cruises with two ports of call. Never touched the casino. I'm waiting for a job to start, and it's cheaper than staying in hotels. A Motel 6 is about 75 with tax these days, and it don't include no food. 

6 minutes ago, mz-s said:

Yes you can. The ones at the bars are kept cold so that's nice but you can take the one in the room if you want.

As Pacino said in The Scent of a Woman, "Hoo-Ahh!"

I got an email from Carnival today, being a red member:

Complimentary Beverages

• 1.5L Bottled Water – redeemable from any bar, restaurant or your stateroom.  

Does this mean I can simply use the bottle that's already in the room? It didn't used to be this way, so just making sure. Thank you!

Got off the Valor about a month n a half ago. Standard entertainment, pretty good comedians(but they rotate those pretty often), if the violin trio is still on there.. check them out.

Ship was in great condition, far as I could tell.

Food was excellent, didn't have a bad meal. The tacos/burritos at Blue Iguana are fantastic. SeaDay brunch was good. MDR was straight fiya. Treat yourselves to the Steakhouse one night. Go pretty early in the cruise if you want to try the Australian wagyu. They tend to run out towards the end of the 5 days. 

On 4/6/2022 at 10:11 AM, crewsweeper said:

IMO.  you don't buy (or not buy) Cheers due to the 15 drink limit (which if you're hitting daily, you may nee to attend a few Friends of Bill sessions). 

Holy shoot! Is that what 'Friends of Bill' is?! I was wondering who that mamma jamma was! Everytime I pass by the library after supper, they usually have some sort of private event thing. I figured it was just bougie old people playing bridge or something. 

On 3/26/2022 at 4:25 PM, Joebucks said:

 

This is usually my first drink of a cruise. Doesn't scream of premade mix. 

Great news!

13 hours ago, Ralphinsc said:

 but the overall drink package is a better deal on Royal. 

Why do you think so? When I researched an RCI cruise, it appeared that they don't have an equivalent to the Alchemy Bar. Not only that, but they appear to have the same drink menu across all of the bars on the ship, and it didn't seem very imaginative. About $10/day more expensive, to boot. I'm curious to hear your thoughts.

2 hours ago, dlesh77 said:

We are booked on Splendor Nov 10th 8 night Barrier Reef. Insane deal, $450 total for both of us in balcony with $750aus in onboard credit. Flights are costing us 1k round trip pp. 

What's that in freedom dollars?

3 hours ago, coachmouchet said:

Went on March 17, however, did not notice much new in Casino.  I did hear some excited people winning at slots though.  The restaurant has new upholstered seats, refresh paint on the ceilings, etc.  No new food offerings.  The buffet was so-so.  I guess Holland America has spoiled me in that department.  Had the same 80s Rock Show.  Comedy was very good.  The boat was PACKED, which did cause some lines, especially at disembarkation.  

It's the only ship in the fleet without an Alchemy Bar, ain't that right?

1 hour ago, tonit964 said:

The problem is they use the margarita mix instead of fresh squeezed limes which is a must.

 

Can you insist on fresh lime juice, or do most of the bars onboard not have it?

3 hours ago, sid_9169 said:

Does your cruise on the Paradise include Cozumel? If so, catch a cab to the East side for the greatest margaritas on Planet Earth... First stop, Mezcalitos. Ask for a margarita with Don Julio Reposado and Controy,  and you can thank me when you get back... Next stop, Miami Bar for their great and unique take on the margarita, including fresh squeezed lime and grapefruit. Also ask for it to be made with Don Julio Reposado and Controy... While you're there, get a bowl of their homemade seafood soup...

Thank ye for the recommendations! I may take you up on those!

36 minutes ago, MeganGC1983 said:

That one is my go to. 

Cool. Thank you. Is it actually blue, though? LOL

9 hours ago, cruisingguy007 said:

Never mind, looks like they changed the recipe. 

I always ordered a Patron margarita but it was seemed to be made with a pre-mix. If I go to the Blue's Tequila Bar.. is that Blue's Patron margarita a pretty good one?

1 minute ago, SNJCruisers said:

Don Julio Reposado, Grand Marnier, fresh squeezed lime juice, agave syrup, shaken over ice, poured over fresh ice.

Hell yeah! Exactly what I came here for. Do the bars on Carnival have all these ingredients? Will I look like a rigamarole-instigator if I just give them this list of ingredients?

9 minutes ago, cruizergal70 said:

What Eastern European dude?

I'm not hatin'. I often think how much happier I would be if I were born in Moldova. I spend my time at the poolside bars, though, like the Prometheus. And at least on the Valor, they were 90% EE. Few Indonesians here n there. I almost fell in love with an Indonesian women, back in the day. 

I still need some margarita knowledge, though, if you're willin' to spare it. 

Hey everybody,

I'm taking a cruise out of Tampa next month on the Paradise. I love the Alchemy Bar, but the ship is so old, it ain't got one. I don't drink cocktails all that much at home.. but whenever I order a margarita at a cocktail joint, it's usually delicious. The ones that Carnival makes are hit or miss, but they're not really that good. Do they use a pre-mix or something? Does a typical poolside bar on Carnival have the ingredients to make a proper margarita? Will the Eastern European dude know what I'm talking about if I insist on a 'real margarita'? I tip well, if that makes a difference on a bartenders' decision.

Thank you. 

On 3/14/2022 at 10:59 AM, K&RCurt said:

No Alchemy Bar on Paradise.

Thanks for the definitive response. I'll make do with the Rum Bar!

4 hours ago, sgttami said:

Fishbowl has never been included in the Cheers package at any amount.

Ah I see. I think they look gross and have never boughten one LOL, but I could've sworn that I read that anything over $20, you simply pay the difference. Is that not true?

1 hour ago, mrbug708 said:

I dont have an answer for you but wanted to piggy back on it a bit. How much are individual drinks? Like a beer or a pina colada?

A pina colada is $10. A 16 oz Bud Light is about $6. 

A fishbowl counts as one, but they're about $35 or so, so you'll need to pay the $15 difference.