Island Dog

I have not and will not ever buy Cheers! (or any other cruise lines drink package) at the "rack rate". We just don't drink enough to make it worth it. In addition, we are "port people" and never stay onboard, so 3-4 days out of 7 we are off the ship most of the day unable to use the package. I have been enjoying cruises since covid that roll it into the fare at a substantially discounted rate, like NCL does. Our next Carnival cruise, sadly, is the last one I have had this offered to me.

While Norwegian can be a nickel and dime experience if you opt for the bare-bones fare, we enjoy the all-inclusive experience when packaged into the fare. We are cruising NCL in March and got a great deal that includes 2 specialty dining meals, drink pkg., wifi and $50 off one excursion every port. Not to mention the drink package is honored on their private island. It's really a carefree experience imho.

If they didn't sell the same liquors in duty-free I'd maybe agree with you. But when you are selling bottles to be delivered to staterooms at 3-4 times the price of what you are selling it in the duty-free (at a profit) this can't be anything but a winner for them, no matter how many they sell or don't. From the displeasure vented here, it would seem many took advantage of this offer.

We are going on Spirit soon. Love this thread. More please! 😁

And sometimes it seems Security is more interested in stopping people from filming instead of breaking up the fight.

One thing I've noticed when watching these "Brawl Videos" is how woefully unprepared security seems to be when dealing with this. (I'm not picking on Carnival here, all lines have brawls to some degree and the security response is similar). There needs to be "Zero Tolerance" with this. Nobody has the right to put their hands on anybody else. Put them off at the next port.

Only if I have a balcony. Lol. Then I try and research which destinations will have a beautiful view in port. Then try and figure out what side will get that view and book it.

Love O'Sheehans and The Local. No other line offers this great type of venue.

Point is that if I'm plunking down 1k plus for Cheers! for two, I should be able to get my value from it. If I'm waiting 30 minutes, I'm not.

There's little to no bitching about cutbacks or service on the other boards except for the "they've changed the chicken wings!" outrage on NCL's board. While you may disagree, I think it's outrageous to have to wait 30 minutes for a drink when you have a prepaid package. I don't go to busy clubs. I know, first world problems.....

I ask, how is only a 3rd entrée in the MDR gluttony that should be charged for. However in the same MDR, multiple breakfast items or multiple apps and desserts at dinner or overindulgence at Guy's, Blue Iguana and the buffet, etc. is somehow not gluttony that should incur an extra charge?

Also these passengers that traditionally bought these bottles aren't going to just abstain from drinking during the voyage. Drinker gonna drink. Especially on vacation. So they will do one of three things. Either buy a drink package, buy drinks from the bar or self-justify the bad behavior of smuggling out of frustration over the change. I think most are likely to just buy from the bar. A $99 liter of alcohol has 22 servings. That's $4.50 a drink. Same amount of liquor at the bar is $9+ a drink. Although Carnival stated they did this to "monitor consumption", the consequences, whether intentional or not, will result in much more revenue for them. Additionally, I'm not sure what monitoring does to prevent bad behavior when people get intoxicated THEN act up. If somebody is obviously impaired to the point of being cut off, I don't think they are capable of being much of a danger to anyone but themselves (or their traveling companion). From the haymakers I've witnessed in videos of fights, these people are not "falling down drunk".

That comma just saved everybody $4!

A "dispute" is the only way to recoup your credit immediately. All the lines have been famously slow at issuing refunds ever since Covid caused the cancelation of the first sailing.

While that may be true, I have never experienced MDR Mgmt. saying "I'm sorry, there's nothing we can do". It may have taken until the next evening to accommodate my request, but they always came through. I've only had MSC tell me that statement. And that was after being told the night previous we would be accommodated. So 10 of us were crammed into a table for 8 for 7 nights. 😡

Wow. That's disappointing. I've always had great experiences with the Dining Room management and they've always been very accommodating. I hope that's the exception and not the rule now.

If you don't have your folio you can request it here: https://www.carnival.com/request-forms/sail-sign-statement.aspx

https://theicct.org/publication/the-climate-implications-of-using-lng-as-a-marine-fuel/ This explains what is being mentioned above, if anyone is interested.

I'm thinking princessarlena'sdad meant this: " I don't know that California has any specific concerns with LNG, but studies have shown that in the "well to wake" analysis of CO2 emissions (all effects of the fuel from the well, through processing, transportation, and distribution, to the burning in the ship's engines, that LNG, while cleaner in "hull to wake" (the actual burning of the fuel on the ship) is cleaner in both short term and long term (20 and 100 year analysis), in the "well to wake" it is significantly worse for CO2 emissions in the long term (20 and 100 year analysis), when burned in the types of engines used in cruise ships. "Methane slip" or the amount of unburned natural gas lost from "well to wake" is significantly more damaging than an equivalent amount of CO2, I've seen reports of 200 times as harmful over 100 years." There's a lot to unpack there and verify but it sounds convincing. If LNG is not a cheaper and more efficient fuel for cruise ships, the switch makes no sense. If it is, CLIA cherry-picking environmental impacts makes sense. Somewhere out there is the truth.

Maybe they can use the broken ones for a roux to make a decent Sausage Gravy! 🤣

I could not find what you were referring to with out scouring the entire thread. I did find this though: According to CLIA, LNG fuel is one of the best options available for cruise ships to reduce the industry's carbon footprint. By using LNG fuel, sulfur emissions are reduced by nearly 99% and nitrogen oxide emissions are reduced by 85%. This is a huge step toward a greener future for the cruise industry.

TLDR

I said this before, but it bears mentioning again. If you ever have a problem in the main dining room just go see the maitre d. Those people will bend over backwards to make sure you are happy!

Did the sign say $19, or maybe €19 or £19? The ship is currently in the U.K., no?

I agree, nothing is free. But comparatively, NCL, RCCL, MSC, and Princess (a Carnival brand) all honor their drink packages at their respective Private Islands. Private ports are usually run by someone locally, contracted by the lines. Harvest Caye, while billed as NCL' s Private Island, does not honor the pkg there because of this. Almost the entire industry does this, Carnival doesn't so I understand the frustration.