cruisinqt

Exactly. So many people think that since they pay more then it must be better. That’s not always the case. My bosses Jaguar costs way more than my vehicle but it’s always in the shop, can’t fit many friends and constantly gives him problems. My Hyundai Palisade is completely loaded and an absolute joy to drive and has never been in the shop. You couldn’t pay me enough to switch vehicles with him. I find cruise lines very similar. I try out the others but keep coming back to Carnival. The less they cruise Carnival the more cabin choices I have

It starts at 5:30 and ends at 7:45 so if you ask for a table at 5:00 or even 5:25 it will go though and notify you when the tables ready. But starting at 5:30 it won’t allow you to even check to see if there are any tables open for you. At promptly 7:45 it will open back up again and allow you to ask for a table. It’s really not a reservation system like with Bonsai Teppanyaki or the steak house. You’re just requesting the first available table which can take 5-10 minutes or an hour depending on how busy they are. Check the app frequently because they will only hold the table for 10 minutes once it’s available.

I get this all the time and it’s not just from Celebrity cruisers. Last month on Royal several times cruisers bashed Carnival in front of me (it was obvious from the way they talked that they’d never even sailed with Carnival). Any time I go on another cruise line (which I do often) they bash Carnival both on board and in online forums. I think it’s because Carnival is known to be the fun cruise line whereas many higher end cruise lines get called floating senior citizens centers. I have to admit that Hal and Princess were very docile with things pretty much shutting down by 10 pm. It was elegant and bougie but a bit boring compared to Carnival. I still enjoyed them, it was just a bit different. The false narrative about Carnival used to irritate me but now I really don’t care. Why should I enlighten them about how nice Carnival is? They don’t need to know about Carnivals collaborations with famous chefs like Emeril Lagasse, Guy Fieri, and Rudi Sodamin that has resulted in amazing specialty restaurant choices for us. Or that Carnival now has ropes courses, Sky rides, trampoline rooms and roller coasters. Or top notch spas with saunas, therapy pools, steam rooms, etc. Why should I share my good fortune with those snobs?

Thanks for the tip, I had no idea you could transfer your loyalty status. I wouldn’t normally let elevators be a deciding factor (I’m in my fifties) but until I get my left knee replaced I’m having to be picky. I worked for the federal government for over 20 years which is what tore up my knee. Yet the department of labor is still giving me a hard time and not approving the surgery. Yeah I wish Carnival had more restaurant discounts too. Even though their base price is cheaper than the other lines, Royals sales, like the 3 restaurant dining package we got on our cruise last month, are an absolute steal.

Yes Richi Car Rentals had Jeeps available. I saw several in his lot. (They had all been rented out when we came back in the mid afternoon.) They were expensive it was $300 for a 4 door 4x4 Jeep for the whole day. But from my research Jeeps are very popular for off roading there so they’re expensive at all of the rental places. He had some nice ones though. I think Jays Car Rentals had some too.

Celebrity is on my agenda to try out next. We’ve done Hal, Royal, Carnival, Princess, and Norwegian but not Celebrity yet. It’s good to know that their elevator situation is up to par. When you get to a certain age things like that matter.

Since the golf carts were sold out for our cruise I researched alternatives and found a new place that has electric scooters for rent. It had really high reviews online so we decided to give them a try. It’s called Greenbikes Bonaire and it’s a four minute walk from the ship (closer than the golf cart place.) The Scooters were really nice and much faster than the golf carts. We had a blast and they only cost $45 a day (it was called the cruiser special.) I liked that the seats were really comfy and they had storage baskets for our stuff. So those of you who can’t get a golf cart because they’re sold out or if you’re wanting a little more adventurous ride around Bonaire, check them out. It’s a family owned business and they were super sweet.

Carnival only blocks off elevators for baggage on embarkation day so it doesn’t really effect your cruise much accept the first day. I do think Royal has the same number of elevators it’s just that when you’re on the end of the ship that doesn’t have elevators it can be a long walk, especially if your cabin is on that end. It’s not really a big deal unless you have health issues or disabilities.

We were there today and went to our favorite places. We did the animal sanctuary, the butterfly farm, had lunch at P F Changs, then spent the rest of the day at Arashi beach sipping cocktails, swimming, and snorkeling.

We had a medical emergency on board so we arrived in Aruba today at 10:15 am instead of 9:00 am as planned. We weren’t concerned since we are here till 10:00 pm so we have plenty of time and our car rental was booked for 10:00 am so we wouldn’t be too terribly late. Plus after over 20 years of cruising we’ve come to realize that local tour operators keep themselves updated on ship arrival times and adjust their plans. We still made sure to be one of the first ones off of the ship so we could meet up with our car rental guy from Yess Rental Cars. We docked at 10:15 and started debarking at 10:30. We were off the ship and at our pre planned meeting place, the Citgo gas station across the street, by 10:45. We were literally one of the first ones off the ship. But upon arriving at our meeting place no one was there. We walked around the building and through the parking lot several times but Yess Rental Cars was no where to be found. We waited 20 minutes in the heat then a local lady let us borrow her phone so we could call Yess Rental Cars. When I told the man my name before I could even explain the situation he got onto me for never showing up saying he gave up on me and left. He even claimed to have stayed there till 11:00 am which was not true. When I explained that our ship arrived late he again blamed me for not telling him. I said “I’m on a cruise ship, how am I going to call you?” Then he blamed me again saying I should have emailed him. I told him the WiFi on the ship was glitchy that morning and I couldn’t even get an email through. I asked him why he didn’t keep up with these things like other reputable companies do and he changed the subject and said he didn’t have a car for me anymore. He didn’t keep up with the ships changed arrival time, he didn’t wait on me, he blamed me (the customer) for everything, and he even rented my car out to someone else. The only help he tried to give me was to suggest that I go to the main entrance near the ship and see if one of the people there had a car available for me. Fortunately we came across a guy in the main rental car parking lot where you meet up for Jays Car Rentals and several other car rental companies. This guy had a nice SUV for $150 for the day so we jumped on it and headed out. He was with Richi Car Rentals and he was super nice and very professional. He said they don’t do reservations, it’s on a first come first serve basis, but he has tons of cars and rarely has to turn someone away. Next time I’ll use him or do Jays Car Rentals like I usually do but I’ll NEVER do Yess Car Rentals again. They were much cheaper and now I see why. You get what you pay for. By the way, we had a blast in Aruba and this by no means ruined our day. I just wanted to warn you guys so you don’t have to go through what I did.

The first time I went on the Mardi Gras I thought ‘wow this is just like a Royal Caribbean ship.’ The excel class is completely different from the rest of carnivals fleet. Carnival has definitely made a lot of changes for the better, especially food wise. Royal used to blow them away when I compared food but now I prefer Carnivals food. But I still like Royals activities and shows a little better.

There have been many many times I’ve had crew members in the elevator with me. How do you think they get from their cabin on the bottom deck to their job on deck 10 or deck 12 or higher? I see crew members all over the ship quite frequently including very often in the elevators. And as far as the algorithm goes Carnival keeps it a very close secret so we will probably never know the full truth on that so guessing or hypothesizing is futile.

There will be 7,960 people on board (which does in fact include crew which is relevant since they use the elevators too) so the number is quite accurate I’m afraid, no exaggeration there. For those who don’t have health issues it’s not a big deal but for those of us with bad knees, bad backs, autoimmune disorders like chronic fatigue syndrome or other disabilities it’s a problem. It’s not just the walking distance from the end of the ship where there’s no elevators but it’s also the wait as every elevator is already full so you wait for next and it’s full and it goes on and on. Less elevators and more people on board means more waiting time which means more pain for some of us. I’m not dissing Royal, I’m just stating a fact about them that affects many of us cruisers with disabilities. I’ll still be cruising with them but I’ll just stick to the smaller ships when I cruise with Royal. The Quantam was a bit too much on this last cruise so I’ll do the Oasis class next time. Happy cruising 🚢

As bad as the elevator wait is on the Quantam, can you imagine the wait on Icon of the Seas with almost 8,000 people on board yet still just 2 elevator banks per deck? 😩

It’s funny because I’ve talked to a lot of people that gamble way more than me and my husband do and they don’t get anything near what we do as far as offers go. It’s been discussed many times on the carnival boards and no one can figure out how they determine who gets what offers. Some people say they spend a lot in casinos but get no offers then others say they are careful and budget themselves but get lots of great offers like us. I wish I knew their algorithm. But we spend a lot more than normal people do on other stuff like specialty dining, shopping etc. I’m wondering if there’s some type of connection. Or maybe it’s because we cruise so often. We don’t spend a ton in the casino on each cruise but we cruise all of the time and hit the casino on every cruise so maybe it’s because of that.

Yes that’s me. I can’t wait!

The person I was replying to was comparing the perks he gets with Royal to other cruise lines perks. Perks could be anything from casino perks, loyalty perks, or other benefits from being a loyal customer for many years. We weren’t discussing normal everyday pricing between the cruise lines, we were discussing perks. With Carnival $2.50 spent in the casino earns 1 point. With Royal and most other cruise lines you’ll have to spend $5 in the casino to earn 1 point. So Carnival has better casino perks and that was the point I was trying to make. I wasn’t putting Royal down, I love Royal and thoroughly enjoyed my recent cruise to Alaska on the Quantam. I totally agree with you that Carnival is terrible for solo cruisers. I think it isn’t fair what they charge them. And I worry about my future cruising with Carnival if my spouse were somehow no longer in the picture. I wish they’d change their stance on that. Happy sailing ⛵️

Actually, Carnivals perks are pretty outstanding. We are Platinum and we get amazing deals. We are doing a suite on the new Carnival Celebration (7 days) during peak season (early July) for the cost of port fees and taxes which comes to $502 for 2 people. We are doing a 12 day cruise out of London in late August (going to Iceland, Ireland,& Scotland) in an extended balcony cabin for $644 for 2 people. Then in October we are doing a 14 day transatlantic cruise out of Barcelona for $508 for 2 people. I won’t even go into detail on next years cruises but they’re awesome deals and places too. And all of these cruises include unlimited free drinks including alcohol. And we almost always have a few hundred dollars in on board cash to spend too. We do spend money in the casino so that is a factor in the perks we get but we aren’t big spenders gambling wise. I just about choke when I see these gamblers spending $5-$10 per spin on the slot machines, I could never do that. If I’m down $100 I just leave and come back the next day. I think Carnival is just very generous to their long time cruisers especially if they gamble or spend money on extras like shopping on board, excursions, or specialty restaurants like we do (we usually do 2-3 specialty restaurants per cruise.) I did enjoy our cruise on the Quantam but since we aren’t top tier status with them it was quite expensive. But if I had the status and perks you did I completely understand sticking with Royal like you are. I guess we are in the same situation with Carnival that you are with Royal, our status and the perks we get are hard to beat.

I’ve had total knee replacement on my right knee and I’m contemplating getting the left one done soon. And my husband has had 3 back surgeries. So I understand where you’re coming from. That long walk to the elevators and even just standing there FOREVER waiting for one can be painful. And the long elevator wait on Royal was way longer than any wait I’ve ever had on Carnival. The cruiser that posted earlier that the elevator wait with Royal wasn’t that bad and it never bothered him obviously has no clue what it’s like to cruise with disabilities. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, 3 sets of elevators per deck is essential on larger cruise ships, especially ones with several thousand people on board like the Oasis or Quantam class. And I looked at booking the new Icon Of The Seas but it only has 2 banks of elevators per deck and I just can’t do that, not with 7,960 people on board. The elevator wait would be too much for me.

That’s a good idea to just save what you don’t use. I’ll keep that in mind.

Really? That’s crazy. It’s good to know, thanks.

In America there’s lots of free bathrooms everywhere and they don’t care if you’re a customer or not. It’s a bit different here so we’re trying to be prepared for the change because while we’re out sightseeing we will likely need bathroom breaks. I don’t mind paying a small fee for the bathroom though. I’ve heard that London tips 10% but I haven’t researched Spain or our other ports. I like the idea of not tipping. Here in America even if they’re paid well they still want a tip. The tipping situation is out of hand. Thanks for the info on the card I'll look into it.

You’re welcome. I’ve been reading tons of reviews and that was the biggest complaint people had. Nobody from America would expect to pay for a restroom.

I’ve sailed both more than once and really liked them both. I’ve sailed Princess, Royal, Norwegian and several other cruise lines. I would say the Mardi Gras is very similar to Royal in both layout and entertainment. So if you’re a big fan of Royals big ships with their wide variety of specialty restaurants and shops then the Mardi Gras will be more your style. And the roller coaster is amazing. But then the Vista has the IMAX theater and I love their afternoon matinee’s.They even have a concession stand and reclining seats. And they have GiGi’s Asian and Cucina Del Capitano (not the free one like on Mardi Gras but one with the full menu that’s to die for). Personally I don’t think you can go wrong with either ship, they’re both excellent choices. If I knew more of what your preferences were I could help more but they’re both great ships. Just be sure to look into the Family Harbor area which is a new concept with the Vista and Excel class (Mardi Gras) ships. It’s pretty popular with families and has larger family sized suites and cabins. There’s also a separate lounge area just for the kids with snacks, drinks, board games, video games, family movies and other kids to play with. You have your own separate breakfast in the lounge area too which is so nice not having to fight the lido buffet crowds. Also, kids under 11 can eat for free once at either the steak house, Rudi’s Sea Grill or Bonsai Sushi. You also get one free night owls evening at Camp Ocean for kids 11 and under. Oh and they have cookies and milk out every evening around bed time which is a nice touch.

I’m doing Europe this summer and a transatlantic repositioning cruise this fall. I’m really excited too. One thing to remember when using credit cards in Europe is to never convert to euros when making purchases. Whether you’re getting cash at an ATM or making a purchase if it asks if you’d like for them to convert it to euros for you say no, the fees are usually very steep. Just leave it and let your credit card do the converting. Your credit card company won’t have crazy conversion rates or hidden fees. You won’t need much cash in Europe since everything (subways, restaurants, shops, tour operators etc) takes credit cards. But you’ll probably need some to tip your tour guide or if you need to use the bathroom (no it’s not free there.)