Cruise, J.D.

8 minutes ago, aamechs2 said:

Ugh thank you. That $150 per kid is a cruise killer. I guess I thought it wouldn’t apply to kids. But I get it. We’ll just have to wait til normal returns, if it ever does 😭

Yep, sorry, I completely understand. Even some of us vaccinated cruisers are having to shell out money for testing. There are no "free" testing options in some places.

40 minutes ago, aamechs2 said:

Ok I’ve read thru this thread but didn’t see this question. My granddaughters are sailing with us on the Dream. They are under 10 and unvaccinated. What kind of test will they need to board?  Can it be the one at Walgreens?  Thanks for any help. 

They will need a PCR test. See below for unvaccinated testing requirements.

Have Fun. Be Safe. | COVID-19 Guest Protocols | Carnival Cruise Line

• Guests ages 2 and older must present a negative PCR COVID-19 test, taken within 72 and 24 hours prior to the sailing date at check-in (for example, if the sailing is on Saturday, the test may be taken any time from Wednesday through Friday, but not on the morning of embarkation). As part of the health screening process, unvaccinated guests must also take an antigen test at embarkation, and test again within 24 hours of debarkation on all cruises longer than 4 days. All unvaccinated guests will be assessed a US$150 per person charge on the guest’s onboard Sail & Sign account to cover the cost of testing, reporting and health and safety screenings. Guests should review their pre-cruise test results, i.e., a laboratory test record, digital certificate or healthcare record, and ensure it indicates their full legal name, date of birth, type of test, date and time sample was taken, test result stating “NEGATIVE” or “NOT DETECTED” and laboratory, testing site, and/or healthcare provider details. Please refer to our Return to Service FAQs for complete information on testing requirements and resources.

5 hours ago, VermeulT said:

I know the experience will be different.  But the proximity is a huge plus.  I like older ships so that's ok.  A 4-5 day cruise to Half Moon Cay and back... who can complain?

Thank you for your feedback.

Yes, HMC is one of the best features of a cruise from Charleston. Charleston has its own charms too.

Yeah, I assume capacity issues. My December cruise has disappeared and reappeared several times. When I've done mock bookings there are not many cabins available.

27 minutes ago, dancemom25 said:

Can you bring Gatorade on board?

Yes, if it’s in a can! Does that exist? It might be easier to just bring Liquid IVs or something similar.

Thank you for the review! I loved the Carnival Magic and yes, the crew make or break the cruise.

Same here, but luckily they caught the cancellation, reinstated the booking, and gave me 24 hours to pay an additional deposit before I even knew what happened lol.

Yep, it will also trigger a new deposit requirement if your original fare had a lower promotional deposit. 

It's based on days, not hours, so you should be good.

"The CDC requires pre-cruise testing for vaccinated guests, ages 2 and older, to be taken within two days prior to the sailing date. If the sailing is on Saturday, the test may be taken on Thursday and Friday, and as late as Saturday, if you are guaranteed to receive your results in time for check-in."

Have Fun. Be Safe. | COVID-19 Guest Protocols | Carnival Cruise Line

Glad to hear the food was good! Thank you for the review.

Great review and pics!

Yes, $5 craps is great. 

Does anyone know at what level Carnival offers 3/2 BJ? I seem to remember that $10 was 6/5 on my last cruise.

The beer menu has come a long way since my first cruise when Guinness was the only “craft” type option. 😄 

I thought the Sam Adams Rebel IPA was pretty good. I don’t think the Parched Pig was an option on our last cruise.

10 minutes ago, HollyHobbie22 said:

Interesting....I didn't know if you purchased alcohol from the Fun Shop you got to take it right then. I thought it was held until the last night. This may be a nice option for some. 

Pre-ordered online as mentioned above and room service orders (at least in the past this was an option).

Ditto on the pocket flask. No reason to bring rum runners for carrying alcohol around on the ship. 

On 11/6/2021 at 10:19 PM, elainmir said:

Ok so reading the information below and recognizing that we cruise December 26th we'd have to be tested December 24th correct? Can I go to a local walkin clinic that has a lab and does antigen testing?  We had a thought of trying the Health Department. Can't find a Quest, CVS or Walgreens that does antigen. Now i find out Binax now has some kits missing the testing liquid.

 

What kind of proof of testing will Carnival accept?

Acceptable proof of PCR/antigen COVID-19 testing includes laboratory test record, digital certificate and healthcare record.

The results must show first and last name, date of birth, type of test (NAAT or antigen), date and time the sample was taken, test result as either “NEGATIVE” or “NOT DETECTED,” laboratory/testing site or healthcare provider details.

If there is doubt as to the authenticity or validity of the test, and the testing facility or healthcare provider is not able to be contacted for verification purposes, embarkation may be denied.

We are also cruising on December 26th. Most of the Walgreens in our area are open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and offer the Rapid Diagnostic Test (ID NOW) with results in less than 24 hours. Our plan is to schedule the earliest appointments we can for Christmas Eve morning.

You mentioned mask and sip. Are they requesting that at all the bars?

Thanks for the review and for posting all of those menus!

Same issue for the Glory out of NO for the week of December 26th. We were already booked for 3. This means we can’t price match.

This just happened to me too. The email canceling the booking came in the middle of the night and I didn’t see it. However, I had a later email reinstating the booking with a new deposit amount due the next day. I can only assume Carnival caught it and gave me 24 hours to keep the booking.

Very nice, thanks for sharing!

3, 2, 1 would be my order of preference.

http://www.embarkandaway.com/general-cruise-blog/carnival-cruise-platinum-and-diamond-benefits-changes-for-cruise-restart

Yes, I remember those and the Captain’s Cocktail Party with free drinks!

Nice! We are booked for December and haven’t cruised since 2018.