cruisingguy007

The problem with this line of thinking is that the port countries don't want to be stuck with problematic people dumping problems that they then have to deal with (basically an international incident) and the cruise lines will have some explaining to do if they keep coming back missing passengers. It's not a good look and that is why it's avoided unless absolutely necessary. People have this idea that cruise lines can just dump passengers off all willy-nilly without a lot of blowback/paperwork and it just isn't so. Maybe if they sailed from their flagged ship countries maybe, sailing from the US with largely US passengers, not so much. What they can do is ban folks from future sailings and have a no-cruise lists like airlines do. The problem there is that there will be labels of racism or some kind of "isms" to deal with and that can be a PR nightmare trap as well. It's a bit more complicated than many realize.

Brilliant! LOL.

This is usually the case and I also make my kids stay together. They will grab some ice cream or pizza and can only hangout in public areas with staff/people around, usually near atrium or another busy area, but generally no later than 2am unless there is a large group, then maybe 2:30 or 3 if I am out/about also. I also check in frequently via the hub chat app. They are also taller than the average adult male/female so I'm less worried on the physical side of things.

That's great, choices are a good thing and one persons choice/opinion doesn't invalidate another persons choice/opinion. From Carnival on Club 02: Sea Days Supervised complimentary programming runs from 12:00pm-5:00pm and 8:30pm-1:00am. Port Days Supervised complimentary programming runs from 4:00pm-6:00pm and 8:30pm-1:00am. https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1067/~/club-o2-(teens-15-17-years)

Club 02 is open until 1:30, if they want to grab ice cream or pizza after then yes, it's punishment for the behavior of others. My kids are well behaved and routinely stay up (older ones) until this time and beyond on non-school nights at home so it's not out of the norm while on vacation.

This Kids for me but this And this. Operation arse-woopin would commence and they know it. They know there will be consequences and behave accordingly. Punishing all kids because some parents can't control their kids is unfair, ban the parents if anything, it's a parent problem, not a kid problem.

Well, a family showed up to our cruise last Thursday with no vaccine cards and no testing, I guess mistakenly believing it already started and they were allowed to board anyway. I think there was a language barrier but after a few min of frustration by the agent asking over and over, they just let them through lol. It happened right in front of me at the next check-in station over. It was a unique situation and I was glad they were able to board, I saw them a short time later at final check-in.

The appetizers have shrunken (in many cases by half) but the mains are still pretty nice sized, ordering more than two may lead to waste. We noticed a lot of waste on the ship. It's one thing if you don't like something but folks were wasting platefuls of food on the regular. Better to sample lots of items than fill plates up. We saw lots of abandoned plates full of food that had been hardly touched. Then people wonder why fares are going up and they are offering reduced menus. Something has to give in these times of higher costs.

Photos, having trouble with uploads for some reason.

More photos

Some photos.

Just got off the Carnival Miracle on a short 4 day to Ensenada. I will just do a re-cap type review instead of a long drawn out one. Embarkation: Embarkation went much smoother than I anticipated, we left a bit late but it worked out perfectly. Dropped the fam/luggage off at the cruise terminal, proceeded to drop the car off nearby at the 80 Francisco street parking garage (ABM), this was pre-arranged by requesting parking there, inputting info and then waiting for a call to take payment. You park on the top two floors and everything worked out well and was smooth. No damage to my vehicle upon pickup as well. I was going to park at the pier right next to the cruise terminal but read too many complaints of damaged vehicles and went for the 80 Francisco street parking instead, it’s a very short walk back to the terminal. Once inside (around 11:15), it was a quick pre-screen for documents and then a trip to the counter for final check-in (we had a 10-10:30 arrival time selection) and then we walked right on board to get the cruise started. Quick and easy! You do have to wear a mask in the terminal though, so FYI to anyone leaving from SFO. Ship: The ship was in great shape, excellent shape considering her age. All of the public areas were clean and kept up, even the staterooms were in great shape with carpets and furniture in good condition. I was expecting some issues based on others' reviews of the same class of ship. I actually really like this class of ship, it never really felt crowded (except for serenity on sea days) and there is always somewhere to sit. Didn’t even see many chair hogs around the pools which was a refreshing change. I loved all the quirkiness and detail that went into the spirit class ships and the nice open and spacious flow. All the staff we encountered were great and in good spirits (as usual). Elevators were quick and navigating the ship was relatively easy since everything is pretty much consolidated on a few floors. It was so nice to have a sail away out of SF and it was memorable for us. The pools were kept nice and warm and my kids really enjoyed the waterslides, the green one in particular, we also played a round of minigolf which was fun. Passengers were well behaved for the most part, though we did have a group of unsupervised minors who were running through the hallways several nights and the obligatory boom-box boy who was blasting curse music while walking around on deck, luckily only one on this trip. Food: I thought the food was good, I’ve been reading review after review of terrible food but I found that, that was not the case for us, maybe I have low-class tastes buds lol but I enjoyed just about every dish I had, minus the overcooked (super dry) fried chicken dish my son and I ordered. There was also a nice selection each night and the menu rotated enough to keep us interested. They had various 50th birthday offerings on the menus as well and that was a nice touch. The service could be slow on formal night but I could see that the staff was slammed at times and just relaxed and had wine between dishes, conversed with the fam and went with the flow. The service was excellent on all nights we dined, the dining room staff did an exemplary job even though it was very crowded and they had many tables. We had Ronald one night, Ricky Recardo two nights and a great team the first night but I forgot the gentlemen's names that helped us, they were fantastic though and offered drinks without having to ask, cleared plates and kept service moving. I was very pleased with the dining staff and service they provided. Kids Club: The club 02 was sparsely attended on this cruise. A bit of a disappointment for the older kids, the other clubs had plenty of participation to make it fun for the kids. By day two my youngest was having a blast there and wanted to go to each session. He made some cool art and had a great time playing with the other kids and said the staff did a great job keeping them entertained. I did notice a large group of kids onboard that never went to the kids club but instead chose to roam the ship. Casino: The casino was fun and lively on this ship and there was a great casino bar that had a lot of seats. One big issue is that once agian (just like on Panorama), a few staff were overzealous with their anti-smoking policy and seemed to have made up their own rules. They have a huge clear sign on the casino bar that states “smoking is permitted for active players at gaming tables or machines only” but some staff were confronting active players that had already been playing (and smoking or vaping) for quite some time and demanding they only smoke at the machines, implying that smoking at the tables isn’t permitted while having a sign that states clearly that it is. They really need to have a meeting with management and get this clarified on all ships so that passengers can have a consistent experience. You have a few staff making up their own rules and then other staff saying something else. It only causes confusion and irritation. The casino bar staff did a great job of keeping drinks flowing even during busy times, and it was usually busy there. I didn’t find it to be too smokey and noticed a lot more folks vaping, rather than smoking, so I’m sure that helped. My clothes didn’t reek of cigarettes so that was nice. No luck at the tables or one arm bandits, all donations this trip lol. Club/bars/shows: I did venture down to the nightclub one night and it was popping, I didn’t stay long because it just felt too cividy for me lol. It was packed and it was hot (problem with AC I heard) but it was jumping and folks were having a great time. I wish they would have moved it out to the pool areas, these were mostly deserted after 10pm and they have DJ stuff there already and bars, lots of seats, plenty of space to dance on deck and most importantly, fresh air! The nightclub is a cool space to be sure, it’s just not the best place to jam folks into right now with current conditions/risks. We really enjoyed Alechemy on this trip, we had some great drinks and the two staff that we dealt with were great. I totally forgot their names (not good with names) but they were fantastic, very pleasant and did a great job even when it got overwhelming back there. The sports bar was a really cool space, very nice and spacious seating and a great place to grab a drink and catch a game or a replay. Red Frog Pub was also a great space to hangout, play games, and enjoy music or karaoke. They didn’t serve any food though on this ship and I didn’t see any happy hour specials either, I think they may have done away with that 50% off deal. We didn’t do any of the shows inside but did attend the parties on deck and they were lively and the cruise director did a good job of hyping up the crowd. Port/Excursions: We opted for the resort getaway in Ensenada and it was a nice excursion and worth the money IMO. They pick you up in an open air double decker bus and drive you to the Hotel Coral and Marina. It’s a short bus ride to the resort and then you get a quick tour of where to eat and what is what, a drink coupon and then you’re cut loose. The food there is outstanding! Some of the best mole & verde I ever ate, awesome seafood ceviche (so good!) and fresh squeezed orange juice. Lots of selections there too, from roasted lamb (right there on the spot), tacos, fried style tacos, various meats, chilaquiles etc (lots to choose from); it can be confusing because they have indoor seating with a small omelet station and some other dishes inside, outside, you have many more options and if did this again, we’d just sit outside and be closer to all the good stuff. It’s only a 25 yard walk back and forth but we opted to sit inside because it was hot/humid. With the food being so good, it’s totally worth the price. I would skip breakfast on the ship, eat first thing at the resort and then hit the pool. The pool is nice, clean and refreshing, they have a huge hot tub, a large shallow kids pool, some water loungers and another nice size pool inside plus additional hot tubs. Also shower facilities in the gym with nice rainfall showers. Poolside drinks at a reasonable price are also available and each person gets a drink coupon (you pay for any additional). It was very relaxing and a great way to spend the day in port. We were debating between this or getting day passes for the San Nicolas Hotel and Casino and we are glad we chose this in the end because the food was great. Debarkation: Debarkation went smoothly for the most part, some passengers didn’t listen and bogarted the exits out of their turn which slowed things down. Be sure to get down to eat before 8:30 (or whenever they say) because they do pull the food on time, I barely made it. If you wait your turn, it will be an easy walk off the ship. Dropped fam/luggage at pickup/dropoff and went to retrieve the car, swooped them up and we were on our way. Went very smoothly and we were home in an hour. Final thoughts: I really liked this spirit class ship and would sail on one again without hesitation. My kids did miss the extra entertainment offerings on Panorama and having more kids onboard so we will probably stick to vitsa+ when sailing with them. The Mrs. and I would love to sail on this class again and thought it was a great ship. We had a great time and it was a very enjoyable vacation with no major complaints. It would be nice to have some more options on Carnival out of SF, it was very nice not having a long drive in both directions. We did opt for the drink package this trip and made great use of it. We both agreed that it did make the trip more fun and it was nice to try new things without worrying about a large bill at the end or having to keep track of every drink purchase. A lot of socializing happens at the various bars also so that is an additional aspect to consider. It kinda forces you to “get out there”. Not sure it makes sense on 7day+ cruises but for shorter 3&4 day cruises we’ll probably get it from now on. If anyone has a question I’ll try my best to answer. Oh and we did make it back home covid free and free from illness for anyone who wants to know.

That's not too shabby for $18,750 wager over the course of a year. That's less than 5K for four cruises or 2.5K for eight cruises or some combination over 12-months. If you're already spending the money anyway, it's better to gamble it for a chance to win some back and those are some good perks. Plus a lot of folks talk about all the free/reduced cabins and drinks in addition to these special cruises. I can see why some folks do this, makes sense in some cases and some may even come out ahead vs just paying for cruises/drinks and other perks.

Well, based on the whining/complaining that goes on, on that sub forum, it sounds like you'll be boarding Carnival with a Princess logo. So much negativity on every other thread for the last few years. You figure these folks would just book Carnival branded cruises and save some money but I guess it's better to keep sailing on Princess ships and complain that it's basically becoming Carnival and beneath them. Maybe they can slap some Carnival branding on a few princess ships and start running short 3/4 day cruises out of SF and some of these folks could shift to Disney ships. Sure would be convenient for me lol. Have a great trip!

I read that as him giving his experience, seeing as how it's his and only his, 100% certainty doesn't seem out of line. He even said "that you enjoyed your meals" as a lead in. Didn't interpret his position as speaking for everyone or that we must all agree, tough crowd lately on these forums lol.

You can try a site like cheepOair and then book cruises around the cheap flights. You can search different parameters that work with ports and try and line up a deal on both ends. It can work well for land trips and sometimes even cruising if everything aligns. The busiest airports seem to offer the best deals, that and early morning/late night flights. There are some deals if you're willing to work within a larger window of travel.

Got a free inside cabin offer on Luminosa this morning, also mentions up to $300 in OBC in the full details. Very tempting but with taxes, port fees and expensive air fare, it's not quite the deal.

Correction, they do care about one thing more than money: survival!

Never have and won't start. There is no point in the headache for a 50/50 gamble on if you'll be asked to show paperwork anyway and also turning personal information over to another 3rd party. No thanks.

Why even waste money on a test or waste memory taking a photo, just pull one up on Google real quick and flash that lol. I agree with the consensus, useless and ridiculous at this point. 🤦‍♂️

Yes, yes you can. Those dates are only the time-frame to take advantage of the offer. You could also buy drink packages, cruise cash, pay gratuities, buy sundries etc as well as make a payment on a cruise. You are GTG, they only care about that the charge is initiated within the valid window, they don't care about the actual cruise date.

Sometimes you gotta work with what you got, budget wise. Plus, if new folks have nothing to compare it to, it could still be a deal in their eyes. Others may have limited options as far as nearby ports to cruise out of as well, so that may influence peoples decisions as also. Flying adds costs, especially for families. Most folks look at the bottom line, still plenty of value in cruising IMO. I, however, don't subscribe to the theory of never ending replacement customers, return business matters and customer retention should never be ignored or taken for granted, nor should one be a slave to it, there is a balance but when push comes to shove, price generally wins out in the end vs ego. Sometimes paying more, is simply paying more, not necessarily getting more or getting the value-to-dollar ratio one expects. Value/means are relative.

Sure seems to be plenty of complaints from other lines on these same cruises. What makes the other lines so much better specifically?

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1066/~/circle-“c”-(young-teens-12-14-years) Hours (Time/activity may vary based on cruise itinerary) Sea Days Supervised complimentary programming runs from 12:00pm-5:00pm and 8:30pm-1:00am Port Days Supervised complimentary programming runs from 4:00pm-6:00pm and 8:30pm-1:00am

The port fees and excursion costs are another factor. Even with cheaper fares it adds up quickly.