meholzapfel

I just bought a tervis in June also and it worked to get the refills.  I'd bring it with you.  what's the worst they say no?  I also bring my own handled mug with a straw and have never had an issue with the bartenders refilling my beverage of choice in it. 

My son proposed to his girlfriend in January on the Carnival Magic.  Many of the ships offer a private photography session where they will follow you around to places on the ship and take nice pictures.  My son did it on formal night when they were both dressed up and the photographer got the whole thing with lots of pictures.  It was done on the deck just above lido. There were not a lot of people around and the sun was setting in the background.  It was very romantic and special.  There were some onlookers but not too many. They also did some pictures in the studio.  There was no required purchase if I remember correctly but my son did spend a couple hundred on several of the photos and a thumb drive.  Overall I thought it was a good idea since her parents were not able to be there and they could share the moment with them.  I was secretly following them to video it for her parents to see as well.

There are 2 hot tubs on serenity deck. The heated loungers in the spa area are great. They are in two different rooms with 2 different types of heat in the room. The T-pool in the spa is wonderful and it is adults only. My hubby and I spent time in the T-pool every day of our 7 day cruise.

I'm a Captain Girl. Captain morgan and diet code. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the Remedy from Alchemy during my last cruise. Oh and the perfect storm too

On my last cruise on the Magic there was a texas hold'em tournament at the electronic tables. My son won 2nd place and got an invite to another tournament some time in August (I think) where the grand prize is $750k. It is going to be on another ship but he can't go due to school.

I am not a coffee drinker so I don't usually start using my cheers! benefits until afternoon. My preferred drink is a Captain and diet coke so I take my own plastic cup with a handle and just ask bartenders to put my drink in there. Many actually get a kick out of it because it is different. I still like the frozen drinks and usually find one of the Alchemy bartenders at the other bars and ask them to create me something frozen and I have always liked what I got. Then once Alchemy opens that's it for my night. I like the perfect storm, the remedy and the deal closer. But remember the bartenders at Alchemy like creating stuff so if you give them free reign you will probably like what you get. On our last cruise my hubby got really sick. I mentioned it to my favorite bartender at Alchemy and he said "bring him to me" I did and he made by husband a "concoction" that cleared his sore throat, unstuffed his head and allowed us to keep parting the night away. One last tip.....bring lots of $1's and give an extra when you find a good bartender. We did this for the first time on the last cruise and were shocked at how much more attentive the bartenders were.

yes. You can apply them when you check in to get your SS card or go to guest services and they will apply them.

My husband and I are drinkers. We just got back from a 7 day cruise and had the CHEERS package. It was definitely worth it for us. We topped out almost every day. We found a good bartender and used him to get most of our drinks. When I hit my 15 he let me buy 2 more after that so I definitely wasn't stopped. I think it is the bartenders discretion. If they think you can handle more they will allow you to get more. Granted we were tipping the bartender very generously. He even commented that he poured me a doubles a couple times and I could still handle the drinks.

It was on Magic last week. It is such a staple for many mixed drinks I don't see them getting rid of it.

Last effort would be to go to guest services when you get on board and beg for assistance in case anyone doesn't show. You may have to wait until after the first port but it is worth a shot. They may have people that cancel last minute and end up with an available room. My husband was in the Navy for 21 years and I get sea sick. He always thought it was funny but I ended up being okay as long as I remember my bonine twice a day and start taking it before I even get to the ship. Good luck!

I googled the same thing and it looks like about $2-$3 per bottle depending on alcohol content.

I am booked in a Cloud 9 Spa suite for our Jan 6th cruise on the Magic. I am thinking about doing a couples massage as well as maybe a hair styling. I have read about people getting spa deals once they are on board. Should I reserve one now or wait? Plus aren't spa suite's supposed to get a discount for services? I don't want to reserve now if I would have saved money by doing it once on the ship. Thanks

Ive used Allstate rewards Carnival gift cards to pay for my cruise, my excursions, the cheers package, spa stuff and even moved it to cruise cash to have some onboard credit. Total I've saved over $300 by using them for everything. I am even going to buy another $500 one to take with us to have just in case we need it on our S&S account. If I don't use it I can always apply it towards my next cruise that is already booked.

My DH and I booked the Tulum and Mayan Village with Lunch. We are going un January also. We are on the Magic leaving Port Canaveral on Jan 6th. If I remember when I get back I'll comment if no one else does first.

Thank you all for your input. It looks like most do the extra tip in cash when you do it. I think that sounds good to me. The less left on my S&S account the better. :)

MY DH and I are getting ready for our 6th cruise. We always get the Cheers program. Here are my questions....

1. Do you give additional tip when you get a drink?

2. If you do, do you give it in cash or on your S&S account?

3. About how much total do you give for a 7 day cruise?

I know I get better service when I tip additional but I've always done it on my S&S account never in cash but am curious if I would get even better service to just give a dollar cash every drink or every other drink. TIA for your input!!!

one option you may not have thought about is buying some cruise cash in advance. If you and your sister are not heavy drinkers say 8 or more each per day it may work out better. you can buy $500 in cruise cash in advance and that would help with the bill at the end so it may not be as much of a sticker shock in the end.

My husband, son, his girlfriend and I are all going on the Magic, western Caribbean in January. We are going to Cozumel, Belize, Mahogany Bay and Costa Maya. I am trying to figure out when the cruise elegant nights are usually. I'm hoping to surprise my son's girlfriend with a hair and nail treatment prior to one of the elegant dinners. thank you in advance for any information