Cushing985

2 hours ago, DryCreek said:

OK, so I found the Vista Facebook page.  My wife is looking at that now.  I don't "Social Media", but she does.

So, hangers can be hit or miss.  I think we may pack some of our wire hangers.  they're light enough, and we can leave them for the next guests.

 

I see one reply that states the body wash and shampoo are now one and the same, a single dispenser.  Is that accurate?

On the Horizon (Vista Class ship) you have two dispensers in the shower.  One contains shampoo and the other body wash.  We never use them and prefer to bring our own.  On the subject of hangers...the closets do have hangers but if you need more just ask the cabin steward for them.  There is no need to bring your own.

11 minutes ago, sunshinecruiser62 said:

We’re sailing out of San Diego to Hawaii on Miracle in October. Thank you for this info, its really appreciated.  How was the embarkation and debarkation experience in Dan Diego?

I thought it went pretty smoothly except for the "Walk-Thru" x-ray thing.  It kept going off when I tried to get through it to the point I offered to take all my clothes off.  The guy operating it finally gave up and just sent me through.

1 hour ago, didugger said:

Can anyone suggest must see excursions for Hawaii?  We are in our 60’s so hiking is out. We have no problem walking !  We would like to see black sand, go to a luau and see Pearl Harbor. Have I missed anything Great?  Also did you use Carnival or an outside vendor.  Excursions seem to be a little pricey and I don’t want to make a mistake. Thanks. 

We did that cruise out of San Diego onboard the Spirit back in 2014.  By far, my favorite!  My wife was born in Hawaii and I lived on Oahu for nine years and we go back to Maui (our favorite) every few years.  What we did back in 2014 was rent a car for all four islands.   There are alot of ideas on the internet for things to do and you can typically get tickets on-line that are cheaper than Carnival.  Roberts Hawaii is a good source.  The things we like to do are:

Oahu - Pearl Harbor, Waikiki, Sea Life Park, Diamond Head

Maui - Road to Hana (pretty much an all day thing but beautiful).  They even have a Black Sand Beach (although not the "famous" one on the Big Island)!  We also like to do some snorkeling.

Big Island - Volcano National Park (for us an all day affair)

Kauai - Not my favorite island but it is beautiful.  Hawaii's Grand Canyon is a must for first time visitors.  Seems to me we went kayaking there (not in the canyon 🙂).

Long post but hope it's helpful.  Google Hawaii Visitors Bureau.  They have a list of things to do on each island.  A very good site.  Another idea for your visit is to throw me in one of your suitcases and I'll give you a personal tour of each island!

You'll get a hug from the cabin Steward/Stewardess.

As part of the check-in process Carnival can present 3-5 gift suggestions for D/P guests.  The eligible guest can then check off which gift they would enjoy.  Personally, I'd like to see free internet for the entire cruise or a daily drink coupon that can be used at any time.

On so-called Cruise Elegant nights you can get away with business casual (Docker slacks and button-down shirt).  I quit taking suits on my cruises a long time ago.

We live south of Port Canaveral (about 45 minutes or so).  Gotta start cruising out of there more!  Our last two left out of Miami and that's about 2.5 to 3 hours.  I get a little paranoid though because I have visions of the car breaking down but I just can't justify spending the night before in a hotel.

16 minutes ago, coevan said:

 

 

what port is 2 miles from D.C.?

You asked before I could!  Closest port to DC is Baltimore and it's a bit further than 2 miles.

On our third day while on a Magic cruise my wife came down with what the ship's doctor thought was Noro.  They immediately restricted her to the cabin and we missed an excursion (private).  Couple of days later I got sick and we missed another excursion (also private).  The doctor put us on a bland diet and room service delivered it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  It was wrapped in a red plastic container.  Can't imagine what the neighbors thought.  Anyway, because it was suspected to be Noro the ship did give us free movies and also added $100 OBC each to our account.  I can't advise you on Carnival trip insurance as I never get it but the company we used took care of the excursions quickly.  I didn't ask about getting reimbursed for the days we were sick because I was still onboard and still had fun.  I would be a bit surprised if Carnival reimbursed for the "missed" days but you never know so I would certainly ask.  Maybe it's covered under Trip Interruption.  Also, I would tip a bit over and above the normal tip for the cabin steward.   Our's did a deep cleaning every morning to get rid of any germs hanging around and that probably helped us get healthy again quickly.

**Quick Edit**  I should have mentioned the visit to the ship's doctor was free.  If it hadn't my insurance would have payed me (they actually asked if I was charged for the visit).

I've carried a 12 pack once on a long cruise but now that Carnival is moving away from Coke products to Pepsi I'll have to do it again.  Like before I used a small carry-on size suitcase and cushion the cokes with socks and other items of clothing.  Worked great!

My favorite cruise of all time taken in 2014 onboard the Spirit.  I know you'll have a blast!

34 minutes ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

 

make sure to get a lanyard to make sure everybody you walk past can see your platinum card

Better yet I'm going to design a t-shirt proclaiming my new elevated status!  I'm expecting the Blue and Red card holders to bow down before me.

Just reserved a cabin on the Panorama out of Long Beach for a small family reunion cruise in March of 2022.  Just 804 days til we cruise!  Anyway, we turn Platinum five days into the cruise so we'll be Plat from day one.  I felt an unhealthy surge of pride when I saw "Priority" all over the booking material and so looking forward to complaining about the Plat/Diamond gift we'll receive.  I'm excited about the free laundry (I need to get a life) but will pass up the Priority Boarding thang and stick with the rest of the family.  Will be nice to have immediate access to the cabin though.  I very rarely use Guest Services (normally just to break a $20 bill for tips) but will probably visit more so I can use the Plat/Diamond line just to say hi.

The cabin steward has them available so you'll have to ask him/her when you meet.  Carnival no longer has them routinely in most of the cabins.

1 hour ago, rainbowflag said:

You mean the email posted here earlier in post #21?

No, that was a snapshot of the original post.  I think it was originally posted in 2005 or 2006.  Regardless, it makes sense that the accountants on the ships need to keep the employees informed if someone pulls their tips.  They expect a certain amount of money after a cruise and when it comes up short they would question it.

28 minutes ago, knagl said:

 

As others have mentioned, you will automatically be billed for a daily gratuity charge (unless you paid it before your sailing by pre-paying), and that money will get divided amongst the service staff (servers, room steward, etc.).

 

Bar/beverage gratuities are separate, and an auto gratuity amount will be added to any beverage purchase, with the option on the receipt for you to add an additional amount if desired.

 

You are not obligated by policy or custom to tip above and beyond any of the auto gratuity amounts -- you'll be fine and perfectly average if you don't. That said, we've found many of the ship's workers provide outstanding service, and choose to provide additional gratuities above and beyond the standard amount that we also pay.

 

In particular, since you're asking, we'll typically tip our room steward an additional $10 (cash) up front with any special requests (extra pillows, ice, etc.), and then leave another $10 or $20 in the room at the end of the cruise based on service. If we find a server team we like in the dining room (we do the anytime dining), we'll typically ask for them on all future main dining room visits, and will give them $20 or more on the last night, again depending on service.

 

So long as you don't request to have gratuities removed and then stiff the staff, you'll be fine no matter what you do. Hopefully this helps you. Have fun on your cruise!

This is exactly what we do except as we don't have any special requests for the cabin steward we never give them anything up-front.  I do add $1.00 for an additional tip for drink orders and tip the person who delivers my continental breakfast in the morning $2.00.  I don't know how many people actually pull their tips on the last night but I do remember that posting from years ago where someone took a picture of an email posted in the crew area listing those who did.  I suspect if someone does that it's because they took a look at their account and saw they spent too much time in a bar or casino.  After nine Carnival cruises I've never had bad service from either the room steward or MDR but if that does happen I would just not tip the extra we normally do.  In my mind, the money I paid for in pre-paid tips is gone and no longer belongs to me.

On 11/6/2019 at 12:13 PM, FSHLOT said:

Deck 2 Cove balcony. Enjoyed it everyday!!

I second that!  My wife tends to get seasick and I have a balcony addiction.  If we go on a ship without coves we'll get an outside cabin on the lowest passenger deck and in the middle as much as possible.  For cruises with coves (Dream and Vista class) we'll do a cove on Deck 2 amidships.

I would just consider it a Christmas present from Carnival and thank them AFTER the cruise.

56 minutes ago, let's go cruising said:

We sail next week on the Magic.  Can't wait!

 

I have a temperature question.  I know it is subjective, but if people frame it with how they "normally" feel, it should be informative.

 

How is the temperature in the public spaces? Mainly, the MDR and theater.  I am usually a cold person and sometimes find the MDR and theater very cold on ships.

 

Thanks!

Renee

I used to run hot all the time but after having a pesky heart attack a few years ago and being put on blood thinners I'm cold all the time now.  I was on the Magic last year and found both the MDR and the theater comfortable.

I've gone on ships where the reviewers blasted the ship as being on the verge of sinking and found nothing like it.  Some of the reviewers are drama queens needless to say.  Regardless, you will find some rust on all the ships...it's a never-ending battle against the environment they're in.  "Sewer" smells?  Probably but it is a fleeting scent.  It certainly isn't a widespread issue and it comes and goes.  A/C problems?  Just got off the Horizon Sunday and it was the only time we've had to crank up the heat a bit (in a Cove Balcony cabin).  I swear, we came back to the ship after an excursion on shore and I thought it was snowing in our cabin!  We were on the Magic last year and found it great.  The only downside were the crowds on the Lido so you might want to think about doing lunch on the later side after the initial hoards of people have gone through.  Same problem on the Dream so might be a class problem.  I didn't see crazy crowds on the Horizon.

We just got off the Horizon and I swear, the ship had little or no rust showing.  On my Cove Balcony there was none.  I also noticed every time we hit a port the Deck Division guys were out on the dock touching up the hull.  I thought maybe the Captain was getting transferred and didn't want to turnover a rusty ship to the new Captain.

I think the method that Carnival uses (and most of the other lines) is the best way to distribute tips.  I can understand your point but unless you go down to the laundry room where they wash your sheets or walk around the ship at 3:00AM to tip the people cleaning the ship you're not going to be able to do what you want.

In addition to all the FTTF perks once you make Platinum (doesn't matter if you turn on the first day or the last day of the cruise) you get a hug from your cabin steward/dess.

         I'm really enjoying your review with the added bonus of lots of pictures.  I lived in Hawaii for nine years over the years and my wife was born in Hawaii (on Oahu) so we're very familiar with the islands.  Like you, our favorite island is Maui because of the mix of scenery.  Oahu is our least favorite (and where I lived for the nine years).  I've always considered it like Los Angeles just further west.  Unlike LA there are plenty of places to go to escape the crowds.  The Big Island is our next favorite because of the volcanos!

My wife tends to get seasick so I always choose a cabin in the middle of the ship (Outside) and on the lowest possible passenger deck.  She's always been fine there.  If the ship has cove balconies I'll grab one of those.  On any ship the areas with the most movement are the front and the back.  It's kind of like a see-saw...max movement on either end but very little in the middle.  The Pacific can be fickle.  Some days it can be the "The Deadliest Catch" and other times it's like you're cruising on a lake.  We did this same trip (out of San Diego where we lived at the time) in 2014 on the Spirit.  By far, our favorite cruise!

Again, thanks so much for doing this!

Not a big deal for me.  I'm not a fan of Pepsi so will just bring along a 12-pack of coke (at most I drink 2 per day).  I will survive!