BoozinCroozin

It is extremely important that I am being billed a required amount and it doesn't get distributed to the people that actually served me. On a 7-day cruise it is ~$100pp. Of that, about $12-$15 goes to the room stewards. About $60 goes to the MDR staff. We don't eat in the MDR and feel that $60 should go to the room stewards and bartenders. Why should someone else benefit from a mandatory tip?

We are having a toga party on our cruise group for Celebration. It would have been better to do it on White Night, but it is on a random sea day afternoon.

I'm not the Carnival police, but I would suspect it could. It would be extremely unlikely. I know my wife got a drink before, took 30 minutes to come back, and her drink was empty when she did. I think that is going to be more based on how intoxicated someone looks.

I contact Top Drive about our rental. I asked if we could bring it back a little later because we are there from 8AM until 10PM. They responded I could drop it off any time that night because it would be after hours and it is not rented again until the next morning. With that being the case, we may look at more things we can do. With being at the different places all day, I am worried wife and daughter would be too tired late afternoon/early evening without a fresh shower. We will have to see what we can do, but it does give us more time at places now.

The price we were quoted was $85 per person. I think that is right because there is a charge for the National Park to snorkel Klein Bonaire. Regardless, it is what we are doing.

We are using Top Drive. I am asking if we can have the rental longer so we can do a little more. $165 is not a bad price, but only so much you can do in such a small amount of time. If we could turn it in at 7PM, we can see quite a bit more.

If I recall reading correctly, only 4x4 jeeps and trucks are allowed there. UTV/ATV are not permitted. The pool is also not a beach. It is on the rough side of the island. The walk on rocks is not easy but doable. Also, it is about 30 minutes drive on rough roads each way. So keep that in mind.

Pretty much exactly as it says. While you are actively playing in the casino (not the casino bar), the waiters/waitresses will bring you a drink the same as Cheers. Since you are not in the same cabin, you will not get the benefit. You would need to get in the same cabin for the benefit.

I loved our room steward on Carnival, not NCL so much. My question on tipping is whether it is the same now that they only do half the work? Our first cruise they were there 2x a day. Now it is 1. We are not messy or make a dirty room. Maybe some chaotic counter space with everything that needs charging, but the room is usually well kept. I know tipping is always a touchy subject and I wish Carnival would let me choose who my daily service fee tips go to. I tip my bartenders directly. We do not do the MDR. I should be able to choose that a much larger portion of the ~$100pp goes to the room stewards.

Just look at the maps. I just know the marathon caused all types of issues.

My philosophy is I always want to be within walking distance of the port if the worst happens. POM had the marathon that caused chaos. We are staying in downtown Miami. If traffic is insane, we can walk with luggage if necessary like many others did. I prefer backup plans and make Plan B, C, D, and more.

We have 1 suitcase per person on a 7-day cruise. Another suitcase for snorkel gear because it is bulky and heavy. If it wasn't for cruise ducks, wife wanting formal night, and things like that, I could get everything in 1 suitcase. I only need 4-5 shirts, 2-3 shorts, 2 bathing suits, and 2 pairs of shoes.

There is just no alcoholic drinks on debark morning to my knowledge. Coffee is fine. My wife did it.

Yes but only on 7 or more day cruises and it is only 1 bottle per stateroom.

If you are Suit, P, D, or FTTF, show up when you want. They aren't going to turn you away like the peons stuck in the peasant lines. (sarcasm for the Sheldon Coopers). You paid for the perk to arrive when you want to. You have the earliest boarding, therefore they need to permit you into your waiting area.

If you are 21 or older, you are limited to 15 alcoholic drinks per day whether it is on the Cheers package, DOU in casino, DOU everywhere, or you pay as you go. It is 15. The only way to get more is a bottle of liquor bought for the room or wine you bring onboard. The other way is having someone that doesn't drink 15/day order you a drink on theirs. But, that technically cannot give it to you. You could both lose your Cheers package.

Yes, the work around is all 3 buy it or the 2 pay per drink. The other is each gets to bring a bottle of wine, so that would be 3 for the short sailing.

We are the only ship in port. We pick the Jeep up at Manchebo resort. When we drop it off, I think we can also relax at the beach there after. We still want to see around the port area as well and shop at the local shops.

We have a Jeep reserved. Originally planned to do a laundry list of things but not enough time in the day. I then reversed my thinking by timing everything out. Here is the plan and estimated travel times: 1. Pick Jeep up ~9AM. 2. Head to Tres Trapi to snorkel and maybe catch some turtles ~10AM 3. Arashi beach for a little relaxing and lunch ~11:30AM 4. Head to the other side of the island to the Gold Mill and a few things that way ~12:30-3:00PM 5. Head back to fill up gas and return the vehicle 4PM. 6. We still have 6 hours in the port at this point. As I think about what we can do with the time, it limits what we can do and a bit of the time is driving. I started debating whether it was worth it and just head to Eagle Beach, relax, listen to music, hit the bars, etc.

I have been watching hotel prices in Miami as well. They are insane for a 1-night stay. We are debating about not staying near the port area. We fly into FLL. At the end of the day, we will only have a room for about 15-hours. Of that only 8-hours in the room. Is it worth spending so much? We found Aventura has 4* hotels for about $135. 4* near MIA is about $125-$150. I am perfectly fine with saving the money at this point and not be close to the Port. I do have a reservation at Yve, but it is $275 after resort fees. I can cancel that up to 24-hours before arrival. I will be keeping my eye out on Hotwire for deals of the day.

At 16 days out, no need to be on at midnight. 10AM arrival times will still be available. At the 14-day window, they may have some 10AM arrival times.

Cheers starts at 6AM and goes until the next day at 6AM (that is your 15 drink window). You do not pay for Debarkation day because the bars are not open. If out of TX or NY, Cheers does not start until 6AM of Day 2 (you don't pay for Day 1 on those). Cheers includes most drinks at any bar. You have to order something really crazy or Top Shelf to not be included. The other benefits to Cheers are specialty coffees, sodas, Gatorade, energy drinks, bottled water. They may not seem like much, but 3-4 add up to a drink very quickly. Those don't count against your 15 alcoholic drinks in a day. Added benefit if you don't drink 15/day is you can try things that you may never try. You won't feel guilty if it is not to your liking and choose not to drink it. For someone that likes to drink and have a good time, 15 is not too hard to hit on Seas Days especially.

You can pay out of pocket for anything you want. One thing to think about is do you want to be like this while on vacation: "This looks very good. But I already had 3 drinks today and if I had a 4th, I should have just got the Cheers package. I guess I won't have it then." The last thing I want to do while on vacation is thinking like that. For a 1-week cruise, $1,000 is a lot of money. But to not have to think about money at all and just enjoy makes all the difference in the world. But only you can decide that on your own.

2 or 3 days ago...thought that was 2023.

Private tours always have their risk. But they all know very well about the cruise ship times. We booked Woodwind Sail and Snorkel. It is maybe a 5 minute walk from the ship. From all reviews, it is the best sail and snorkel to Kleine Bonaire. We are at the port for 14-hours. The excursion will chew up about 5-hours of it. We plan to walk back to the ship to shower, have a few drinks, a small bite, then shop around the port area.