HappySails4U

We ate at LaStrada on embarkation day.   Very quiet and nice to be away from the Lido madhouse !!  

Big fan of the thermal spa however it does depend on type of ship.   On the Mardi Gras the thermal pool is very small and the whole spa area is quite dark.   I would not pay extra for this one.

Only undies, socks and workout clothing.   I'm too hard to fit to take a chance on my special clothing being damaged.   I always take some laundry packs to handwash if needed.   

For so long I kept reading about the embarkation day Funfetti cheesecake but never found it on any of our sailings. . .     UNTIL  we sailed on the Venezia last September.  My husband is always disappointed with the Carnival cakes but the Funfetti got his thumb's up !!  

5 hours ago, bar1068 said:

How was that Comfort Inn, ok at least for a night or 2?

The Midtown Comfort Inn met our needs for being clean and having a comfortable bed.  The king room was compact but we didn't need any additional space.  The front desk staff was helpful with directions and advice.  They offer complimentary breakfast in the lobby and that area is very small.   If wanting to have a seating space for breakfast I recommend getting in line as soon as it opens.  If not you may need to take your plate back to your room.

So we also always drive to the cruise ports, however in September 2023 we booked a trip on the Venezia sailing into Canada.  This was our first trip to NYC and I was majorly overwhelmed with the logistics and planning for the cruise.  We opted to fly into LaGuardia on Friday a.m. before the cruise departed on Saturday.  Our flight had no delays and arrived at LaGuardia on time.  We used ride share as transportation to the Comfort Inn Midtown (walkable to the port).  As nervous as I was to fly into LaGuardia, our experience could not have been any easier.  Since we arrived at the Comfort Inn so early, they put our luggage into storage so that we could begin exploring the city.

I also want to note that the morning we arrived back at the Manhattan cruise port the ship was early.  Walked across the street and contacted ride share.  We were in line at LGA at 8:30 a.m. and were able to have our flight time moved up.   Based on this experience we would for sure fly into 
LGA again.

On 2/16/2024 at 12:59 PM, Frank12 said:

Oh yeah.  Brand new carpet in Ludo deck cabin hallways. New Hero's lounge. Haven't found the new non smoking casino annex yet. 

Do the cabins have glass shower doors ???    Must admit that I have gotten used to those on the Venezia and Mardi Gras !!  

The Venezia had it in September.  The cruise director at that time was Joey Boeys

Updated 10/20/23

Saint Greg’s Best of 2022: Best Comedian – Happy Cole

@SaintGreg always provides up to date info.   Happy Cole is so very funny!!  Have been lucky enough to be on several cruises in the past with him

11

I wondered the same thing.  Our first trip into Canada was on the 9/16/23 sailing and we loved it. Really disappointed to see only one itinerary for 2024.   

We were on the Venezia last week and the smoke in the casino was very thick.  Not just contained to that area but also permeating into surrounding areas / shops.    We checked out the non-smoking casino and it was rather small.

We were on the September 16th sailing on the Venezia and Quest was held in the Limelight !!    For this particular game it was amazing to see a woman quickly pull off her wig and hand it to the person next to her  !!!   👩‍🦰  🤪

2 hours ago, petuniaflower said:

so worth it for adults and kids to bring a lil costume!  Hope its not one of our specialty dining nights tho lol

On one of our Halloween cruises, the costume event was on an elegant night and there were plenty of people that wore their costumes into the MDR.  Us included !!  

22 hours ago, DisneyDatknee said:

I don’t know whether to pack for the Bahamas or Canada at this point 🤣

We are on this same cruise and since I have no idea where we are headed I just put things in the bag and will hope for the best.  Our first time sailing from NYC and certainly stressful.   Flying out in the morning . . . .

2 hours ago, TiredTrucker said:

But that's how a buffet is supposed to work.

 

Sounds like Venezia is functioning as a cafeteria instead.  It should be a simple thing for Carnival to address if they wanted to.

2 hours ago, TiredTrucker said:

But that's how a buffet is supposed to work.

 

Sounds like Venezia is functioning as a cafeteria instead.  It should be a simple thing for Carnival to address if they wanted to.

The Venezia has been sailing for months now and these issues have been repeatedly reported,  Probably also mentioned the issue within the submitted "surveys".   Doesn't someone from Carnival read these ?   However something that could so easily be fixed is just ignored.

Great review and thanks for sharing.  We will be on one of the sailings in September to Canada and it is nice to read a positive review.   Reading all of the horrible reviews  I have been thinking that I made a major mistake booking this trip.  🥵 This will be our first time cruising from NYC and first time visiting Canada .

Debarkation :    I keep reading that this is a major cluster disaster  . . .    

We initially thought that we would take the Carnival shuttle to LGA but the reviews were horrible.

Since we are newbies to the NYC port can you offer any tips to make our debarkation / transportation to LGA easier ??  TIA

Thanks for  your review !!  We are also on a Venezia sailing into Canada next month so nice to hear that for the most part things went well !!      I have read that the buffet line can be challenging with everything from salad to entrees in one continuous line.  Did you experience issues in that area?

On 8/20/2023 at 3:33 PM, pirate4me2 said:

Divina is on my list to try if we like MSC. Purely sentimental, but her name reminds me of my dog’s, Divya. 😂 Kinda like I had to sail Carnival Glory because my first horse’s name was Glory lol. 

I like the way you think !  🏇  🐾

5 hours ago, pirate4me2 said:

help any others that may be considering trying MSC in the future

We are Platinum but  have discussed cruising with MSC because of the Marine Reserve.    Will be interested to hear your thoughts about the food options and entertainment as compared to Carnival.   Enjoy your trip !

1 hour ago, ninjacat123 said:

"would you attend a 5-5:30pm comedy show"

I haven't received a survey but know that some of the ships already have the later afternoon shows listed as "family friendly"

Seeing a lot of postings about the gangway issue today.    This group just trying to make their way to  check in.    Apparently this is not the first time there have been problems.

I have sent email requesting OBC to:  guestadmin@carnival.com

Usually receive approval in just a few days.

So received jury summons from my local county government and of course have a cruise scheduled for that week.  I can submit a request for a one time postponement but does anyone have past experience in doing so?   In writing to request postponement to the Jury Division, is it necessary to include any Carnival documentation as proof of a paid in full trip ??  

Appreciate any input !!! 

On 10/3/2021 at 7:28 AM, rlindholm said:

I forgot to sashay on the way though

The last time I sashayed my back went out !!!  😵‍💫

5 hours ago, joge107 said:

Just off today.  Lido marketplace always had lines, AND, always had  Lanes completely closed. Ate there once on embarkation day.

This should be such an easy fix for Carnival.  They have the open lanes .   OPEN THEM . . .   Are they so short staffed that they are unable to open an additional lane ???/