lazydayz

How mysterious. Sounds like fun!

Sid, Thanks for another great live. Really enjoyed it and hope your last sea day is epic.

I would be interested in Carnival’s response. We had the same situation arise on a Royal cruise. We had two cabins booked and one from my cabin tested positive. Since i had not seen her for two weeks, I went and she and her mom in the other cabin both were no shows. While I could have gotten a refund on all four passengers, the other guest and I still wanted to cruise, so we did and really enjoyed having our individual cabins.

Agree with others about the Southern Caribbean. Those islands are fun and it is harder to find those cruises. Also I would stick to the newer ships, if possible. So Celebration, Mardi Gras, and even the Horizon, if you can book in the Horizon’s Havana area.

I keep looking for our September cruise, but nothing has showed up. We loved it!

We put my husband in one room and me in the other so each room would get the platinum benefits. While there may not be priority embarkation, there is priority debarkation.

Thanks for the info. Guess we will keep our MB cabana, unless one opens up on the Mardi Gras. We loved our Loft 19 cabana so much we only got off the ship in the D.R.

Since there are only two of us, I am wondering if the MB cabana is really worth it? Other than a private place to get out of the sun, any other goodies that make this a must do? Thanks.

I would NOT do this. The noise factor would weigh against the upgrade.

Sid, As always, loving your review. Please know we are sending you warm wishes today. Enjoy your second leg - I know you will!

We did a wedding cruise for my daughter with over 40 guests. Talk about herding cats! So the best advice I have is get a travel agent to take care of the details. Everyone books and pays for their own through the T.A. (you can pay the T.A. for your parents since you want to treat them). Have the TA link the reservations for dining, if you can all agree on a dining time. We did fixed dining and had several tables, and we switched up the seating arrangements on each night. People sat where they wanted at our tables. By using the same TA, we were awarded some goodies and OBC, which we split evenly between the cabins. As for excursion, we said we are doing X, if you want to join us, meet us at a specific place and time. Over half did that, the rest decided to stay on the ship, at the port or did something else. As for your parents, they will need to set boundaries if they want them. Many grandparents would enjoy spending some cruise time with their grands, others not so much. But I do agree for the older kids, the kids' club is a great option. If you do early dining, they used to pick them up from your table or sometimes had separate meals for them in Lido - this was all Pre-Covid so not sure what the rules are presently. My rule when traveling with family (excluding little ones) is everyone should do what they want, but we have our meals together. You might want to order t-shirts for everyone, and pick a day to wear them and have that big group picture taken on the stairs. All in all, I have enjoyed our group cruises, and am looking forward to a cruise in a few weeks with my husband and our three grands, ranging in age from 13 to 21. They are all experienced cruisers, so that does make it easier.

Really enjoying your review. Those last minute trips can be both stressful and fun!

Doesn’t have to be a named storm. Carnival will do its best to protect its ship and give you good weather.

I have never encountered this. But it could be a weird Early Saver rule. Did they give your no show guest a Future Cruise Credit?

I am trying to understand this. Let's say the cabin, double occupancy was $1,000 each, for a total of $2,000 plus taxes and fees for two. When the second person was a no show, Carnival keeps the entire $2,000, then refunds one person's taxes and fees. Are you saying they are now charging an additional penalty of $250, so the refund of taxes and fees was reduced by $250?

I like massages, but the couples massage is not romantic. If that is what you are looking for, book a few nights in the specialty restaurant. And I also like the idea of the spa passes, if offered on your ship. This way you actually get to spend some quality time together. Also note, that you will likely have to pay an additional 18% service charge on the ship, which was not included on our prepaid massages on the Mardi Gras.

We were in port with the Freedom on Thursday and both my husband and I noted it was in bad need of an exterior paint job. Of course all of that became old hat once its funnel caught on fire the next day. I hope Carnival takes this opportunity to paint the ship and add a new funnel. The unique funnel design is important Carnival trade dress and it needs to be protected and maintained. Ship happens, but sometimes it presents new opportunities.

On Mardi Gras last week, we had two dark blue surgical masks in our cabin. Crew still wearing masks, but was a lot more relaxed than three months ago. I really enjoyed one waiter at Rudi’s who were his on his chin the entire time we were there.

I hope some Freedom now Conquest cruisers update us on the transfer.

Agreed. Just an eerie sight, but so is a funnel fire.

Probably a good guess. They were belching lots of black some yesterday

Freedom’s Lido deck is empty.

Good new is the fire is out. Our view from the Mardi Gras.

Currently on the Mardi Gras in Grand Turk. Lee, our cruise director, made several announcements this morning and the Captain ordered everyone to clear the open decks and for guests in starboard balconies to go back inside their cabins. We are on the port side and everything appeared normal from there. According to Lee, the Carnival Freedom was having an issue with its funnel. However, since the wind was blowing away from us on the MG, our gangways opened abut 8 a.m. So the fire is out, thankfully. Hopefully everything is under control.