icft

7 minutes ago, FPMoosally said:

 

I'm not sure why we should expect anything more. Just because you got it in the past? I used to hit golf balls off the back of the ship. Why can't I do that now? It's the past. Leave it there and move on.

 

 

I'm not sure why anyone would expect anything more either. I didn't say anything to indicate I did. The point is tips are for service provided. If a job has evolved such that the position holder provides less service and value to a customer then the tip should be smaller.

58 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

 

                      *                              *                                    *

I don’t want to come off as ‘cheap’ to my room steward, but I don’t want to shell out money if I’m making their job exponentially easier as a self-described neat freak. 
 

😁

I'll give you my take on room stewards, but I warn you it is not a popular one.

Twenty years ago the room steward did what butlers in the haven areas do now plus more. There was no once or twice a day service, they were always checking on rooms to see that everything was in order or anything needed while guests were out (which they kept up with). They introduced themselves and told you to let them know if you needed anything or had any requests and they meant it and could do it. They had far fewer cabins to cover but were always to be found somewhere in the hallway. They gave true personalized service. It was expected passengers would tip them well as they earned it with excellent personal service.

Over time the role evolved and post-covid often they provide no service beyond what housekeeping does at a Holiday Inn.

When we cruise Carnival the "stateroom attendant," as they call them, almost always introduces themselves on the first day at which point we ask for bath robes and daily ice. In addition to the prepaid gratuities we leave them a cash tip the last day. The more personal service, and some have been quite helpful, the more cash tip.

Our experience on NCL has been that it is more common to never see the room steward. We have to call housekeeping to get bathrobes and request daily ice. No personal service no cash tip.

Cleaning the room is the bare minimum of their job. If that is all they do then what have they done to be worthy of a show of extra appreciation above the prepaid gratuity? In that case we don't add a cash tip.

Count me as one of those "cheap" guys. I see no need to pay for self-esteem. I'm perfectly comfortable with myself.

When they put a 20% service charge on anything and everything why would one feel the need to tip more?

Anticipating folks will claim the bartenders are getting shorted I will point out that we paid a $305 service charge on our free drinks package on our last 7 day cruise. We average 6 drinks a day each, or 84 drinks for the two of us for the week. Assuming drinks are $15 each (a bit higher than my bourbon and coke runs) then we are paying 24% in tips.

Is there any reason to tip more than 24%?

I'm really enjoying your review. It is nice to see things from a family perspective.

Thanks for taking us along.

3 hours ago, CptJLMcCrea said:

 

Oh, gee, I must have missed it. 😂

 

I'm guessing you don't have a dirty mind...

2 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

The guy in the dress shorts and cousin Eddie shoes with no socks has quite the mouth. He says the F word three times in every sentence. I don’t know if he’s from NYC or Boston. It’s somewhere up there. @Jamman54 would appreciate his beer choice I think.

 

 

We recently went on our first NCL cruise on the Breakaway out of New Orleans. The first day I noticed I had not once heard the F word so I started to pay attention. I first heard it on the 5th day in the late evening. One teen aged girl chating up a couple of older guys used it three times, I assume to signal them they had a chance. But those were the only three times in the seven day cruise. I figure that was pure luck. The average American no longer has the mental development to express their thoughts without use of vulgarity. (And, as St. George Carlin would say, and about half are stupider than that.)

On the Glory out of New Orleans I hear it three times each from three different people before lunch each day, except on two week Journeys cruises.

2 hours ago, RoperDK said:

... Roll Tide Roll!  😁  

See Greg? The extra isn't just in New Orleans... 😇

4 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

guy is playing sweet home Alabama. I tell leyla I’m surprised it took almost two days for me to hear it. She says she hears it every day. I know when the Alabama people are in New Orleans they’re extra obnoxious. I heard it three times in one day on glory.

 

 

Naw!  Nothing extra about it. That is just they way they are ever since Nick Sabin moved there...

Greg, I followed your Jubilee review and now this one. I get the impression that Jubilee is all about standing in line waiting but not so much on Spirit. Is that the case?

Thanks.

16 minutes ago, dbrown84 said:

Size don't matter 😂

You have my sympathy...

4 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

Winning arguments on the Internet is the sole meaning of life.

But is that "meaning" or "purpose?"

General rule: small amounts are taxes, big amounts are gratuities. 😁

7 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

In your opinion have you ever really "been to" CruiseCritic.com?

I've been in their jail. Does that count?

I love running into random deep philosophical discussions. What's the meaning of life? What's the meaning of "been to." Finding answers to these timeless questions is man's highest purpose. 😇

Sleep well Saint Greg... spirits await.

We're new to NCL and in looking at their rewards program I noticed one of the benefits starting at bronze is "Keycard Recognition." Search as I might, I could not find anything about it. We just took our first NCL cruise and our room door recognized our keycard without this benefit, so what is this benefit?

Please save me from the pit of ignorance.

3 hours ago, USU_Aggie said:

Hey all. I checked in for my cruise Saturday night right on the dot midnight. We got a01. I went back and added the passport numbers later that night. It bumped us to b02. I just checked now and it says E02. Has anybody had this happen? Is it possible to get it fixed if I call customer service?

We've been on lots of Carnival cruises and have never seen this happen.

If you are in a suite or diamond or platinum it won't make any difference, but if not I agree with you that matters. Sorry that I have no idea how or if it can be fixed.

So, with HelloItsMeB and others along, I guess no pineapple shirt or LGBT meets this cruise?

2 hours ago, VentureMan_2000 said:

I'm sure each of the generations applauds your generalities about them.

May I know your age ?  

 

Well, looking at the profile picture I figure he is posing with his daughter since she looks to be about 30. But he looks to be about 60...

😇

18 minutes ago, TxTeach79 said:

That’s a terrible suggestion. Have you seen my bank account?

 

Have you seen theirs? ...<$30 Billion>... they need that $300

18 minutes ago, TxTeach79 said:

Okay now Alanis is recommending I walk around naked in my living room. TERRIBLE idea. I’m on the first floor. 

Vacations are all about making memories...

3 hours ago, TxTeach79 said:

Welp… this is entirely on me needing to go back to the old way of cruising and just carry it memorize what’s on the patter, but I’ve missed a few things and stumbled into a few others this week cause I haven’t been sure what’s going on. I’ve gotten so used to the Carnival Hub app sending me reminders and push notifications for everything I wanna do that I’ve just been on cruise control (so to speak). So yeah, I just casually stopped and got a drink at the Wheelhouse and attended the LGBTQ get together. Had no idea til now back in the cabin. 
 

 

Did you have a good time?

Were you wearing your pineapple shirt?

20 minutes ago, TxTeach79 said:

Aw he’ll it’s Raquel. Just wait. “You went over, you owe us a thousand dollars and have to disembark”

 

I have a few ideas on how she can assist you...

47 minutes ago, fvandewouwer said:

Carnival excursions booked through the website Sandras Cruise Tours do not buy them! 

Buyer beware: do not buy any excursions from sandras cruise tours  There is a large group of 800 people who booked Greenland tours there,  which were billed as REFUNDABLE if the ship didn’t port.

The Legend  didn’t port and we didn’t get our money back. 
Please be very careful.

The vendor Sandra Oleary did change her terms of agreement after these tours were cancelled and kept money a vendor in Greenland did return her the money of one of these excursions money she kept for herself. She advised people to claim their insurance which is fraude.

And no there was no option booking tours with carnival directly as they announced when this cruise was published there would not be any tour to book through Carnval.

I can send proof of everything I wrote in this message so I hope I can safe people from the same situation we are in now. 

Please I do not want to offend anyone and hope this post is not inappropriate.

Thank you.

 

 

 

Thanks for the warning!

19 minutes ago, natefish95 said:

A firm tug works too I guess...

???? What are you tugging on? And why?

My reply seems to have hit a snag and has to be approved, I assume because it contained a link. So I'll do it without a link and simply post the pic the link would have sent you to.

Don't know for sure about Freedom but it is a Conquest class ship as is the Glory. On the Glory cabin 7220 has the head of the bed to the rear of the ship. See the pic

If you look at the deck plans for the Freedom and the Glory you will see they are the same. Both have an oversized cabin 7228 just aft of 7220. Chances are the cabin plans are the same. In all Conquest class balcony rooms the bathroom is on the same side as the head of the bed. They wouldn't redesign the plumbing systems for different ships of the same class.