imacruiser99

it has always been about convenience , compare the prices to what you would pay at a convenience store versus a big box. Even Sam's branded water has gone up over the past year to close to 5 bucks a case. if you do not want to pay for the convenience, that don't and quit complaining.

Wife is addicted to Coffee Mate Hazelnut and never had an issue with bringing on board either the single serve or the large 32 oz refrigerated. Last sailing was out of Baltimore, since we were flying in, we had some friends bring some with them. Security asked about the bottles (thinking they were water), but told them it was coffee creamers and then said okay. Never even looked at them.

Question for the group, If Carnival, or any other cruise line, would totally eliminate the need for tips, gratuities or whatever you want to call them, but raise their base fares to cover them so that the crew could earn a decent wage for the hours they expend to make our cruise experience pleasurable 1) would you still book with the cruise line knowing that the fare you are paying is now increased potentially significantly? 2) Would you still tip additional amounts if the service warranted an extra amount? 3) Be more prone to register complaints on service if the crew was not living up to expectations?

When you are able to check in for your cruise, you can assign a card to each person. My wife and I always split the costs so that when she has casino charges, she pays for them from her account.

Why are folks assuming that there are still propulsion issues with the Vista, The normal cruising speed, per the Vista Fact Sheet from the Carnival web site indicates it is 18 knots. SHIPYARD:Fincantieri Cantieri NavaliItaliani, S.p.A.Monfalcone, ItalyINAUGURAL CRUISE:May 1, 2016HOMEPORT:GalvestonGODMOTHER:Deshauna Barber (first active military member to serve as Miss USA)COUNTRY OF REGISTRY:PanamaSPEED:18 KnotsAPPROXIMATE CREW SIZE:1,450

Bottled water, among a lot of other items, are an optional expense. If folks do not like the price increases, no one is making you pay for them. Let the business earn some money. Would you rather have a totally optional purchase go up in price or the base cruise cost double. And to add to the swirl, that goes the same is true to the service charges, consider them as a a base cost to the cruise, otherwise, if folks want to stiff the staff, the only option would be for the base prices to raise. If you have any doubts, look at the NCL Pride of America, which only says in Hawaiian waters. The base price of that cruise is much higher than all other NCL ships because Hawaii requires them to pay a fair wage up front.

They are actually asking for the known traveler number, which could be TSA Pre-check, Global Entry, or any of the other government quick border access. This information will probably be shared with CBP to probably expedite getting thru customs even more.

Carnival is trying to "curtail" their reputation lately. Folks cruising today think the entire ship has turned into a baby sitting service (I know 18 year old's do not need baby sitting), but parental control is still required. I am just wondering if the same folks let their school age children wander the streets at night back home, or is this just because they are in a "confined" area, all is well. The concept of common courtesy to your neighbor seems have gone by the wayside no matter where you go today.

Just mix it with a little (or a lot) Jack Daniels and you never know the diff.

We got ours on July 28th for a Sep 18th cruise. They did not show up on the NCL site until 30 days before. So far no issues with the originally booked flights and no changes by the airlines.

Totally agree with the comments. I think some Cruise Critic member can be a little "snarky" with their comments, but always appreciate positive comments and feed back. Wife and I have been sailed in all cabin types (except interior), but for us, based upon our life style, the Haven is over the top. We are not ones who enjoy or take advantage of the pampering some folks expect (or deserve in the Haven), but still enjoyed the amenities it had to offer. To be honest, we spent more time in the common areas when we stayed in the Haven then we actually in the Haven. Thanks for the frank and honest comments and keep them up. Always refreshing to see comments such as these. Cruising is the best, no matter where you are on the ship, just enjoy the experience. Totally agree with the comments. I think some Cruise Critic member can be a little "snarky" with their comments, but always appreciate positive comments and feed back. Wife and I have been sailed in all cabin types (except interior), but for us, based upon our life style, the Haven is over the top. We are not ones who enjoy or take advantage of the pampering some folks expect (or deserve in the Haven), but still enjoyed the amenities it had to offer. To be honest, we spent more time in the common areas when we stayed in the Haven then we actually in the Haven. Thanks for the frank and honest comments and keep them up. Always refreshing to see comments such as these. Cruising is the best, no matter where you are on the ship, just enjoy the experience.

I buy Carnival card at the local grocery store for the fuel points. Last cruise I loaded $800 for use in the casino. No issues at all. Recommendation, try the self service kiosks at first The guest services line can be long on the first day. If you have issues at the kiosks, then go there, but rarely have issues using the kiosks. FYI, there is no charge at the casino to use the funds. So if you load $500, you get 500 to spend at the casino

Comments from a NCL fan who really did not want to sail on Carnival due to all the stories your hear. 1) The stories are probably true on the short cruises (3 day), but I have found Carnival very enjoyable and plan to sail on them more often. 2) Expect a different crowd, even during periods of time when you think all the young ones are in school School breaks vary from state to state and even with in a state, so the cruise could have a large number of kids on the cruise (something to expect if you are not used to it on the other lines). 3) Carnival does have more free dining options than NCL, but the lines for those can get quite long. 4) As with any cruise, always pack your patience. Any cruise is what you make of it. 5) Do not be swayed by some of the recent U-Tubers who are making Carnival look like a free for all. These videos are a result the the 3 day "booze cruise" and folks just do not know how to behave. These kinds of events happen on all cruise lines, and fortunately I have yet to experience it. 6) I would recommend, as others have, if you want to dine together, do the set dining time and the first day, go to the dining room and talk to the matre'd and explain the situation to them. The earlier you do this, the better off your will be, 7) Do not always expect the same level of food quality you have seen on the other lines. Unless you eat at 4 star plus dining on land, the food quality will be comparable to the other cruise lines. 😎 ENJOY the cruise and the event, I love cruising and ALWAYS have a good time since I expect the unexpected.

Even on the Breakaway class, the Haven area does have a smoking area in the very front of the ship.

I have bought alcohol delivery to the room and it ALWAYS shows up the next day because of the tax in Texas. The port of Galveston has a good write up on the Texas laws https://www.portofgalveston.com/191/Notices-to-Cruise-Passengers

Unless your a a tax attorney for the state, you do not know if there are provisions in the law which does not allow the company to pick up the tab. Just like in land base casino's there are local/state/tribal laws which totally prohibit complementary drinks. There are also state and local laws which prohibit 2 for 1 drink offers. Personally, if you cannot fork over a few extra bucks to the local/state taxing authority, I think you need to find a new place to spend your vacation hours. THIS IS NOT A CRUISE LINE ISSUE.

I am sorry you had an issue with the NCL air program, but the 2 times I have used it (3rd coming up) I have never had an issue, both day of flights and 2 day deviations. We were going to be delayed getting back to NY (hurricane) and even before we left Bermuda, we already received new flights from NCL. Cruising is risky, anything could cause a port to be missed. You need to weigh the cost of a cheap NCL air promo against your level of risk and flexibility. I would not count out a cruise line just because the flights/hotel did not meet your standards. NCL books "bulk" rates and normally are the least flexible.

Area are clearly defined on the NCL website https://www.ncl.com/ca/en/cruise-faq/smoking And please, no cigarettes in the cigar lounge (if there is one). I am a cigar smoker and it really becomes a nuisance when cigarette smokers are coming in and out to take a quick drag or two. There are signs posted that no cigarettes are allowed, but no one cares. We cigar smokers are just as limited in the area (we lose the casino), and when we smoke a cigar, it is quite often an hour event or more. Please let us have the respite from the constant in and outs. I personally have no issue if a spouse/SO comes in with their party to have a cigarette, but the folks who come in and cloud up the room should be a little more courteous. And I am expecting some nasty comments based upon my views, but they are legit and I am married to a cigarette smoker and she agrees with me.

At least Carnival could re-hydrate Baco's.🤣

Carnival does it a little differently than other cruise lines. I know out of Galveston, the drink package does not kick in until the next morning and you have to pay regular price plus tax on anything purchased. Also they have limited selections since the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has a racket and unless it comes from a local distributor, it cannot be served on-board until in international waters. On NCL, you normally just pay the tax on the drink which is less than a dollar in most cases. Side note on Galveston sailings, any alcohol purchased duty free, the State of Texas still collects a tax on it while leaving the port (past US Customs)

Since you used NCL air, did you reach out to them to see what your options were? I have always found them to be helpful when there are issues with travel arrangements. Also, did you have trip insurance for the cruise. They should be covering part of your out of pocket expenses under trip cancellation. It is hard to imagine that a flight on Spirit would have cost that much, but you have no idea what NCL actually paid for the flight, but I can guarantee it was more than than the amount you paid (yes I have used their promotion several times and always check to see if the amount I am saving is worth the extra hassles of letting someone else book the flight). What I would be interested to know is if part of that refund was actually a "penalty" for the cancellation which should/would have been used to offset additional expenses to get home. That portion should have gone to you and not to NCL. But then again, I would think NCL would still take control of your situation until you got on your outbound flight.

If I am reading this correctly, it is now up to the cruise lines (and the ports of calls) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/cruise-travel-during-covid19.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fquarantine%2Fcruise%2Fcruise-ship-color-status.html

I have used NCL Air twice so far, and will be using it on an upcoming cruise in September. Both the previous trips went off without a hitch. One was pre-covid and one was post. I was even impressed with them when we were delayed getting into NYC from Bermuda because of Dorian and even before we left Bermuda, NCL Air had already rebooked us to a later flight. One trip was a day of departure and one was a 2 day deviation. I am still waiting on flight info for the one in September. There are several things every one who is interested in using the air fare promo is; 1) read the terms and conditions. I have found little rules in them which normally would not apply when booking yourself. 2) Try to fly out of a hub airport, even if it means you need to drive to get to one and possibly stay overnight. The number of options, in the event there are issues with the booked flights go up 10 fold 3) Be prepared to get seats which are not connected. 4) NCL will use normally major carriers, but one key is to join their program for the airline you are traveling on, even if it is just on one leg of the flight. NCL books are seats separately, but was able to change them on the airline website after joining their program and it did not cost me anything. These suggestions are based upon my experience cruising out of US ports, but similar ideas would be appropriate for international flights. And if I was traveling with a group where it was imperative that the entire party arrives at the destination airport roughly the same time, I would bite the bullet and book them myself.

Google covid testing sites galveston tx and you will get a list of available locations.

Best and safest is to test at the minimum number of days (2). NO QUESTIONS