MississippiMom

We were in a CocoCay Chill Island Cabana in June and reading the replies in this thread confused me. Look at the CocoCay map, because it looks like there are cabanas on opposite sides. We were in Cabana #1, closest to the cabana check-in, and it was a handicap cabin due to my mobility challenged parents. We were assigned that cabin through the Special Needs department, so we never had to go visit the Excursions desk or Guest Services to pick out a cabin. I thought all of the cabanas had an ocean view, so I wouldn't stress too much about not being able to see the water. I wish we had been further away from the cabana check-in desk, because I think it would have been quieter, especially, since kayaking and paddle boarding lessons occurred nearby. But I understand that we needed the handicap cabin. Cabana guests can arrive separately. Although, the cabana check-in desk was barely manned on the day we were there. You must have your wristband on to get the free snorkel gear for cabana guests. Make sure and return it, even though they might tell you that you don't have to; we got conflicting guidance. We did have two floating mats already at our cabana, but we had to keep our eye on the chairs, because random non-cabana folks would stop by thinking they could just sit there. I do wish the CocoCay staff monitored the area better. We didn't pay that much for a cabana to have to keep telling people that they could not sit in our chairs for free. Similar issue with the beach in front of all of the cabanas. People would just drop their towels right there and then the CocoCay staff would, eventually, send them on their way. I really think they need better signage up in the area, if they are not going to have a person stationed at the cabana check-in the entire day. I wish I could tell you what was on the food menu, but I had stepped away to look around the vendor area and my husband and parents selected the food choices for everyone. I know I wound up with a delicious chicken sandwiches and some fried cheese sticks. One of our daughters had a salad, too. It was nice to not have to go to a buffet and have the meal brought to us.

Biggest mistake - Forgetting that the drink package allowed for a lot of specialty drinks in the morning. (And I'm a morning person.) It took me a couple of days to remember that I could get a fancy coffee (non-spiked or spiked) or a bottled flavored tea or an energy drink. Don't forget the milkshakes, if that is still an option on Carnival.

Not 40%. Forty dollars off. Check ALL of your credit cards, regardless of financial institution. Our offer was on one of our Chase cards and on one of our Truist (formerly Suntrust) cards.

Last month (yes, June 2022), I called various Orlando, Florida clinics to ask about Covid testing. There are TONS of options in that area for a fee. At that time, we were able to schedule free pre-cruise testing through one of the Kissimmee Walgreens, however, we had flown in from out of state through crowded airports and crowded planes. We answered the questions reflecting that we had been in crowds where social distancing was not possible but we also checked the box that we needed the test to travel.

We were on a 5-night Mariner of the Seas sailing. I never heard the statistics, but I would guess we were at 100%. There were definitely people EVERYWHERE. The lines were long at every counter at Cafe Promenade, the Windjammer buffet and at guest services. Nothing was a one hour wait, unless you were waiting on a slide in the waterpark area of CocoCay. (Two ships docked, though, so the island was PACKED.) It was our first experience with private cruise line islands. We enjoyed both Labadee and CocoCay, but we missed seeing an actual port destination. Oh . . . And we were one of those families who had to deal with a flight cancellation. Flight canceled on a Friday, about an hour before scheduled departure. Since they couldn't get us to our destination until Monday afternoon and our cruise was departing on that Monday, we chose to rent a car at the airport and drive. Super annoying!!!

For anyone still looking at their offers, we have $40 off offers on our Chase Freedom VISA and on our Truist (formerly Suntrust) VISA. The latter one really surprised me, since they have very few offers available for me at this time.

I did not read all of the replies, so my apologies if my response repeats something above. It isn't just Carnival. There have been lots of reports about the cruise industry struggling to get staffed back up, while still trying to fill up their ships as much as possible. I can definitely understand why the companies need the passenger revenue, but I do wish they would have gone just a little slower in ramping up capacity. Last month, we experienced our first RCCL cruise. Did I have a nice time with my family? Yes! Was I thankful to enjoy vacationing again? Yes! But did the service impress me to the point that I am looking at another RCCL cruise? No! It was pretty evident that they needed more staff in many, many places. There were lines EVERYWHERE and that included on their very hyped-up private island. I just hope that Summer 2023 brings back the cruising experience that many of us had become accustomed to.

I understand the whole cruise ship size limitation from New Orleans & Mobile, but I sure wish it was more than just Conquest Class and Fantasy Class ships down there. We have sailed Conquest and Glory in the past and are now considering Valor for 2023. There is a feeling of deja vu, that's for sure.

She wound up picking a college summer course that started a couple of weeks after our cruise, so no need for computer access.

We will have that 1 pm Carnival ship arrival time at Costa Maya. I don’t mind missing sit-down dinner on the ship, but I also don’t want to feel “stuck” in Costa Maya in the evening. What an incredibly annoying time to dock.

Your thread made me look at our Costa Maya arrival time, and, yep, it’s 1 p.m. I really hate that, but it might automatically rule out options for us. For instance, I have no interest heading toward any ruins that late in a hot July day. I will be VERY interested in what excursion options are offered through Carnival.

Which cabin did you wind up in? I am curious if Deck 6 cabins hear too much noise from the Promenade Deck below.

This sounds lovely for me & my husband. How many people are allowed in one of the private cabanas? We will be traveling with various family members, and wondering if two more couples might fit in the cabana with us.

I'm another one looking for that "past guest" rate. Those were always THE best.

We "felt" that nickel & dime approach on RCCL, too. It was the design of the ship we were on that "forced" the passengers all together in areas where they would spend extra money. I didn't realize it at first, but my husband mentioned it, and he was correct. We, purposefully, selected private island destinations to not have to deal with additional covid testing issues, but then we felt like those were also set up with that nickel & dime approach. We would still go back on a RCCL ship if the price and destinations were right, but they just would not be our first choice. We don't need the water slides or the trampolines or the rock climbing or the ice skating or the surfing onboard, but we would like a nice piano bar, a good karaoke venue, and a Blue Iguana Cantin. Plus, we love the dining room entertainment on CCL. As a matter of fact, we are currently considering possible CCL options for 2023.

We just got off of Mariner of the Seas on Saturday morning; 5-night cruise to Labadee & CocoCay. I cannot reply to all of your points, but will tackle a few. #2 - Refreshment Package. We had Deluxe Drink Packages and NO ONE told us where or how to get the fancy beverage container for the Freestyle Machines. I did, finally, ask at a quiet bar (that hidden one that is almost impossible to reach on Deck 14), where they scanned my card and handed me an insulated cup. My husband used the Freestyle Machines on Deck 5 (right by Cafe Promenade), regularly. The lines are super crazy, so plan accordingly. I never saw the Freestyle Machines on Deck 11, so no idea of the lines there. #5 - Mariner Cabins We had a total of 5 cabins in our group - 3 balcony cabins, 1 handicap balcony cabin and 1 inside cabin. I thought they were all in good shape. They were exactly what I would expect on a cruise ship, so I really don't understand why people complain. Cabins are supposed to be small, have limited storage and limited outlets. It's a cruise ship, not a brand-new luxury hotel. However, all of the beds were HARD. If we had known, we might have picked up an inexpensive eggcrate mattress topper to put in the handicap cabin for my 84 year old parents, and just trashed it afterward. But, the rocking of the ship and the daytime sun made everyone so tired that we still slept with no problems. #6 Shore Excursions We were able to see and book things prior to final payment. If you watch some of the CC threads, you will notice that the excursions are populated in bits & pieces and there is no rhyme or reason to when they populate for the passengers to view. #7 CocoCay Five of the eleven of us did purchase Thrill Waterpark tickets and really enjoyed it. However, once that second ship (Symphony) got clearance to unload their passengers, we were told that the waterpark was packed and the wait times for slides were about an hour. The other six of us hung out in a Cabana at Chill Island. There are tons of free chairs with umbrellas ALL over the island. Search for a map of CocoCay and you will get an idea, so you can plan accordingly. Happy cruising!

It took until day 3 for anyone to offer to park the scooter in the dining room. And it was NEVER our assistant waiter. We did figure out where to park the scooter at the theater and lounges on our own, as there was no guidance from the staff there. My mother did not lounge on the pool deck, so I cannot comment about that area. The main challenges for my mother were at the two ports - Labadee & Haiti. The staff inside the ship would recommend we leave the scooter right off the ship and request a wheelchair, but then when we would get off the ship, my mother was instructed to drive it down as far as possible. In Labadee, she was told to leave it parked under the tram stop, then we were shuttled over to Barefoot Beach. In CocoCay, they had us wait for a ramp accessible tram that took us to Chill Island beach and the scooter had to be parked in the sand. (We still think those instructions were wrong.) We did appreciate that one of the RCCL staff looked at the rented scooter, when it stopped working upon returning from Labadee. Whatever repair he did, fixed it.

It is your vacation time and your vacation dollars, so if you aren't ready to cruise, it is understandable. We just got off of Mariner on Saturday. There were 11 of us in five cabins. (There would have been 13 of us in six cabins, but one married couple had to stay home due to one testing covid positive.) We enjoyed our time together, making great vacation memories. But . . . The ship felt full. I never heard the total passenger count, but I did hear the cruise director say there were 700 children on board. There was one 6 year old in our group, who got turned away on three different occasions, because the kids club was full. (I do not have young children, so I have no idea if that is a common occurrence or a staffing issue.) Cafe Promenade and the adjacent coffee counter were never staffed sufficiently, and the lines were crazy, no matter what time of day or night you wanted something from there. They did a good job of quickly cleaning up the tables in that area, though. Johnny Rockets was a HUGE cluster, and I do plan on writing to RCCL to complain. I didn't mind the surcharge, although it was annoying that the RCCL app said it was $11.95, but we were each charged $14.95. We went in on a Sea Day and spent almost two hours in our outdoor booth, due to slow service and incorrect food being delivered. I think there were only two servers for the entire restaurant, and I have to assume no more than two cooks. I expected (walking around) drink service in the large Star Lounge and the even larger Royal Theater, but we had to walk up to the respective bars to get our drinks. Not a huge ordeal, but not what I have experienced in the past on other cruise lines. The dining room service was fantastic, both for dinner and breakfast. Staffing seemed to be fine there. Every staff member was polite and helpful, even if they might have been overworked.

I HATED using the RCCL app on Mariner last week. Our family of 11 had seven adults using the chat feature and the notifications were hit or miss. (Mostly non-existent.) Scanning the dining room QR codes often times did not open up to the correct menus, and the price listed on the app was incorrect for Johnny Rockets. We did try to use the app for the events calendars, but none of us were fans of the layouts or the functionality.

Mariner & Symphony were both at CocoCay on Friday. It looked very crowded to me.

We just returned from a Mariner sailing. It was the first time my mother ever rented a scooter, and it was a challenge. We kept getting conflicting answers about where to leave her scooter. She can walk, but arthritis often makes it painful. If we had thought about it more, we would have gotten with a foldable wheelchair, instead. Most definitely get a handicap cabin to be able to park the scooter and stress the need to charge it each night. And communicate a lot with the Special Needs department at RCCL.

What happens in poor whether to the CocoCay water park tickets?

We never cruise without a passport. We like the comfort of knowing that if something were to happen and we needed to disembark in a different country, the passport makes it easier to navigate the situation. It really is just us USA folks who seem to have an aversion to getting a passport. It’s common in other countries. (We have relatives in several other countries.)

1 week out on the Walgreens site is what I am seeing for the Orlando area.