IslandHppy

To answer the question directly, my reading of the Carnival annual report is the deposits and credits are funds that sit on the balance sheet and are restricted. The way that works - the moment you sign off your cruise, your deposit and used credits move from the restricted accounts to the checking account at the line. 🙂 In a liquidation, those unused funds go back to the customers. The bond holders or stockholders don't get them. In Europe they used to have a lot of package tour operators go broke and deposits were lost. There are rules now.

It's all good 🙂 I was talking about how the crew was organized. We are on vacation. They hired a New Orleans based poolside DJ - well thought out idea. A big issue - too much yummy cake. The key is to cut back elsewhere. There was a rant about lines elsewhere at Guys and the Cantina - not here. At 12:16 on a sea day four at each in line.

I am not sure an Ocean Kayak is a good beginner thing. They can apparently tip fully upside down or blow out to sea. Though one of the private islands had wide plastic ones in a tiny very sheltered lagoon.

The Glory and Valor are apparently neck and neck on high guest satisfaction scores 🙂 It seems the brand new ships do well intially, then over time it is down to refining daily operations and a happy crew. The Glory feels more like the US Military where the NCOs run the place- the Valor you saw the Hotel Director out on the decks constantly. On an older ship they are all over minor maintenance issues that guests may notice such as rust spots on balconies 🙂 For many years I have avoided the buffet for dinner but now outdoor dining is a thing. The pastry chef aboard has made this easy. There was a Key Lime cake and a Mint Cookie cake- scary good. DW is reporting the breakfast cereal is crunchy and peanut butter was on the buffet, as was, by policy, bacon today. I saw a new and tacky AARP guest thing yesterday at the aft pool- blasting easy listening music from a USB speaker. Yuk.

Adding kitchens to a ship may be a @chengkp75question. I was chatting with the Cantina crew- they have an outside grill and inside galley. If this is not in place, is venting a range all the way (to the funnel?) a big, complicated project? Like adding a bathroom on a house? Guy's has a hamburger grill which also needs a vent?

There have been complaints over in Nassau that cruise ships arrive but people stay on the ship. Yes. The officials need to visit Bimini. The shiny dock has a shaded, high capacity tram station. It is free and takes like a thousand people ashore. It has a few stops. 360 is a fancy, gated beach, you buy a wristband. Then there is a free beach, which seems to have limited to no free shade. You can rent chairs and umbrellas. Then the Casino (noon open) then the village/golf carts/taxis. Golf carts were 4/6/8? passenger. Then back. The taxi drivers in Nassau (or Freeport) would be irate, but a tram setup gets people out shopping etc. I saw a tidy grounds with security and lots of locals with professional jobs. No information on Kayak Beach, which seemed to rent Personal Watercraft. Tri said he made five of the cute pool animals earlier.

Ifan rules the Cantina operation.

Thank You. Towel Animal Takeover just off Bimini.

Every other day buffet bacon across an entire fleet which is known to follow rules and policies closely does not feel very random. This would be a good JH question.

Suspected man overboard. Smoke and a life ring were released. He looped the ship around to the previous course and they picked up the life ring from the gangway with a boat hook. Impressive ship handling. Just confirmed no one in the water. Back on course.

Here you go. I will try the .pdf again.

Guest laundry pointers. Your card needs to be out of the lanyard to go in the reader fully. The washer takes 30 minutes - the dryer is super hot, fast and commercial.

Given the amount of negative energy around Freeport as a stop lately I decided to go. The Grand Lucayan (Lighthouse Pointe) is a $7 each way shuttle or $30 cab ride away from the port- 15 minutes or so. Cabs and shuttles are to the left under a white canopy/ tent as you exit the tiny core market area at the port but still in the secure area. They will call you a large or small cab... A day pass or excursion seems a good investment. The beach bar was nice and lunch was good. This spot is under rated.

Nature abhors a lack of beach bars. The lack of information on any near Freeport hinted that there were some. I did not want to sign up for an excursion sight unseen. Presumably Carnival scouts these. The Grand Lucayan has been a prize in the eye of at least one cruise line. The ships do in fact dock at a container port, but like Atlantis, a nice beach cures a lot of ills. It is 20 minute drive up there - cabs are always $30 in the Bahamas, just like a beer is $7 in all places with an ocean view. There is a cheaper shared shuttle 7$ each way - but we are still wearing N95 masks. The sprawling complex has a yacht harbor, market and golf operation. Our driver, Larry #400, dropped us at Lighthouse Pointe. Lunch was at 11. The beach and pool are lovely. We ate at the beach bar. They are promoting a blue Pina Colada.

The British Colonial Hilton beach had thatched umbrellas and a beach bar building with good shade. Day passes are reportedly still being sold.

50th Birthday cake. Look for it, possibly, the first day aboard.

So in Key West, if you are poor, cheap or need to afford five more cruises to make Platinum there is a free shuttle /loop bus. Not to be confused with the brighly painted trolley trains, the Duval Loop is operated in white rental car type busses. But the AC works and if it is 98 saves some walking. The exact stop nearest the ship (#4) is tricky. We often walk to Eaton and Whitehead to board, #5. We bought a lot (!) of Key Lime jelly beans, some nice shoes for DW and had lunch at the Southernmost Beach Cafe, a regular destination for us. The jelly beans have filled half the safe.

I am thinking Guy's might need a grill and outside vent which is not trivial. The tortilla machine could go in the buffet. Will guests go with so many key brand elements missing?

The news about the application of modern battery and motor technology to large ship propulsion continues to get better. While a battery powered cruise ship is strictly forbidden under class association rules, for short routes it now looks technically possible. So Miami to the Bahamas, etc. Pushing a ship at 17 knots for ten hours to the next port is no big deal for large batteries. The massive hotel loads are a larger challenge. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-022-01065-y

Since early 2020 we are avoiding shared tables and packed elevators. Tables for two early- 6pm Sunday -were scarce. We were told the waiting list for the rest of the week was grim. We bailed for the buffet and asked them to release our seats. Around 930 PM we cleared the wait list to move to My Time Dining. Monday night 6pm - plenty of tables there. We got initially assigned a shared table there but that got sorted. The dinner was good - well worth it. The tables were close together. There is almost a dance floor just inside the casino. One magical moment they played a tango for us.

There was a PA announcement a while back about a fire screen door being closed in the Lido Galley. I was at my aft Lido duty station - fully distracted by ice milk in hot tea. I hope the Tortilla machine is Ok. Lido open for lunch @1130.

We used to cruise out of NYC regularly. Our process was to find a cruise, preferably off season. Then we locate a deal/promotion/coupon on a random NYC hotel from our favorite chains. The idea is to then walk out the door and explore the area around the hotel like a local.

Let's try this on the PDFs thanks. More coffee may be required to try additional steps. I got a file - but for Friday 🙂 We met Tri - our Stateroom Attendant - he's cool. Our cabin is super chilly and quiet when the gangway is stowed. Reports are the Chef is friendly and kind. Next mission - sniff out where the Glory is on the Net Promoter Score list 🙂 Last nIght I was channeling @MeganGC1983- a little - pounding Coors NAs - Latin dancing is thirsty work. Poolside Cantina breakfast...Mmm. Bacon was spotted in the buffet. funtimes.pdf