Rudyard

Love the Coves! Stayed in my first one last year and it lived up to the hype. Booked a cruise earlier this year about eight weeks before sailing and couldn't get one as they are that popular. Ended up in a Lido balcony which we've had many times in the past and is now a close second as far as favorites go. Going to be back in a Cove in December and can't wait.

For $6 I think I might take a chance on it.

It could be. Before my last cruise I got a call from my PVP telling me that he had looked for a price drop and found one and I was getting the difference in OBC. The cruise was already cheap enough that I never thought about looking since I didn't think it would go any lower, but he found me an extra $120 in OBC.

The times I've done it there was a table set up by the atrium up on the Lido Deck.

Our last two cruises we did it as soon as we boarded just to get it over with. Both times it was on the same deck where we boarded. First time was in the forward MDR. Second time was in the theater. After that we went to get lunch and when we got to our cabin the TV was already on the channel for the safety video. We didn't really watch it, but let it run as background noise while we unpacked.

I was on one of the first cruises back in February where you could use a letter of recovery to board. I was asymptomatic and had tested positive two weeks earlier. waited ten days, got the note from the doctor, and on embark day I ran into the employee who was probably in the bathroom when the info about these letters was given out. She saw the word Positive on my test, read the letter, and said that the letter meant nothing and I'd have to test there at the port. I insisted on seeing a supervisor who luckily knew all about it. She personally escorted us through security and to a room where they had us fill out a form and asked us a few questions, then took us to check in.

If you have OBC you shouldn't have to put down a cash deposit. We had $600 and $200 on our last two cruises and didn't put anything down. When they asked about setting up a cash account at the port I just told them we had OBC and they were good with that. Yes you can use it for gratuities. We did that on the cruise where we had $600.

Great review. I enjoyed the one cruise I took on Magic. I've read somewhere that Farcus was only partially responsible for the design of Magic and that other designers worked with him which is why you still see his touches, but you can also start to see where Carnival had decided to get away from the Vegas at Sea look.

You completely missed the point of what I wrote in my reply to your post. It had nothing to do with whether or not positive people should or shouldn't sail, but with whether or not it's a bid deal to suddenly not be able to cruise after months of planning and anticipation. Even the CDC is finally starting to back down and admit it's not that bad anymore and are lifting their recommendations. We're finally at the point where people who want to cruise can do so much easier and people who still want to cower in fear behind their couch with a can of Lysol while they wait for Doordash are free to do so as well.

For the vast majority of cruisers it is

Unless you wait a year or more for your cruise, spend all that time planning, booking excursions, making flight and hotel reservations, etc, only to find out that after a long countdown you don't get to go on your cruise. Then it's a huge deal.

Great news! Now I can start looking forward to my December cruise instead of worrying about the test.

IMO that's likely the reason for all the fights we've seen break out across multiple cruise lines the past few months. Super cheap fares to fill cabins have led to people who normally might not cruise trying it out. Sadly they bring their uncivilized ways with them. Someone I know once describe this type of cruise passenger as a lottery winner who's never set foot outside his home town before.

Definitely give Carnival a try. I have a number of friends and coworkers who wouldn't even think of cruising with Carnival in the past due to the decor of the ships and the stories they had heard, but now cruise Carnival regularly after trying the newer ships.

It was the same way for us about a month before our last cruise. DW had to get a covid test prior to a procedure she was having. She ended up positive with no symptoms. I decided to get tested as well even though I had no symptoms at the time, but had had a scratchy throat for a few days a couple of weeks earlier, which is normal for me at that time of year (February). I turned up positive too. Luckily this happened right after Carnival rolled out the Letter of Recovery protocol, so we got letters from our PCP and were able to skip the test.

It wasn't even worth it when it was free. We usually bring various snacks from Buc-ee's to eat when we're watching the movies.

This is one of those activities where the CD can make it so much better. My last two cruises we had Cookie as our CD and his morning show was hilarious. Of the ten total days of those cruises I think we went to his show seven or eight times. My other Carnival cruises I went to the show on the first sea day and that was it.

Welcome to Carnival and a very belated welcome to Texas! Looking forward to your thoughts on Vista. I'll be on her for the first time in December.

You do NOT have to put a CC on file. I had a lot of OBC for my last two cruises. When I did the online check in I put that I would be using cash for my account. When I checked in at the terminal and they asked me for cash or a CC, I told them I had OBC. They saw it in the computer and told me to have a great cruise, no cash or CC necessary.

Problem is that you took it literally. Of course I care if I lose my luggage. Who wouldn't? I figured I typed the original post slow enough that most people would get that there was a bit of hyperbole attached. When you think about how many pieces of luggage the cruise lines deal with compared to the probably small fraction of a percent that get lost or seriously damaged, I prefer to play the odds and not have to deal with getting it onto the ship and to my cabin myself.

They can lose or damage my luggage all they want. That's what insurance is for. No way I'm putting anything valuable or that I might need in the first 24 hours in my checked bags (although if they do lose it I'll be sure and file a claim for that Van Gogh and bag of Krugerrands that was in there). I usually have a couple of days worth of spare shirts and underwear in my carry on just in case this happens. Last thing I want to do is start my vacation by being a pack mule when there are alternatives.

We really liked that feature on NCL. We're early risers, but when we're on vacation we don't know exactly when that will be so we don't like to order room service coffee for a specific time. We bring travel mugs and head up to the Lido when we're ready.

I ordered a pizza through the app during a Dive In movie on my last cruise. The app lets you tell them roughly where you are if you're out on deck, and you can take a selfie to upload so they know who they are looking for. Had my pizza in under 30 minutes.

That was my thought as well. They'll probably retrofit the funnel and give her the new livery at the next scheduled dry dock.

Self Debark is Carnivals' version of The Hunger Games. Too many stupid people with too much luggage standing where they shouldn't. Tried it a couple of times and decided it's way less stressful to debark without luggage.