bugeater2

I just got back from from an Australia cruise on the 14th and my casino offers just loaded on the 26th. so less than 2 weeks.

This was my first time logging any kind of real points on Carnival and the offers that I got were very good.

I think I finished with over 7000 points and all of my offers included Drinks on Us throughout the whole ship for just me. there was one offer that I will taking advantage of next week. The FDZ code will allow a  2025 booking and you can select any cabin rather than have it assigned. If you go above the interior cabin, it looks like you just pay the difference.

For comparison, I think my wife finished with around 4500 points and her DOU was casino only and went as high as a free ocean view on select sailings and the room is assigned at a later date.

- what nights were elegant nights

If I remember right it was on Monday and Thursday. You will see a mix of very nicely dressed to Aussies on Vacation. 

- is the coffee free? I heard you had to pay for coffee.

Buffet coffee is free but they have coffee bar on Deck 3 and at the Serenity Bar on 9 that is excellent.

- how was snorkeling in the great barrrier reef? Do they have stinger for those of us in the larger side?

I Scuba dived at the reef from Cairns and Port Douglas and both times they had 3X stinger suits included in the Excursion price. The 3x is the largest but they are lycra and stretch nicely, both in height and width.

-how was the drinking water on board?

Fine, They have filtered water machines at the buffet

I have only flown out of Oslo one time back in the Norwegian Air days to LAX and I have to say, I have never seen such a large number a passengers with the "SSSS" on our flight. 

I am not exaggerating when I tell you that over 50 passengers had to go through this extra screening.

Agreed that this has nothing to do with the airline and everything to do with the Airport itself as seemed to me that our flight was not a one off.

I have a question for the travel agents on here.

I booked 7 rooms last Saturday through an agent friend on the family.

She told me she tried to call Carnival to open a group but they were closed. She booked our cabins individually since the promotion was ending the same day.

When she called on Monday to group our bookings together, she was told that was not possible. 

Does this sound right to any of you because it certainly doesn't sound correct to me? Any advice you can provide to steer this in the right direction would be much appreciated.

This is an example of why I was asking. The Paper in the picture shows Tacos till 3:00pm but the website shows this.

Marketing and Reality are not on the same page.

6 hours ago, cantgetin said:

Each station in The Galley seemed to have its own hours in October, 2022.  All were open until 3, then some closed.  There was food available at other locations around the ship--The Social Club, The Dock/Dock House, etc.  Several of The Galley stations opened in the evening until 10:30 or 11.  For instance, the salad place was serving until 10:30, as was the Ramen place.  I can confirm those places because we used them....others may have been open as well.  Pizza is open from 9pm - 1 am, ice cream closes at 10.  Ship Eats was open each time we wanted them, but I can't quote hours.

Remember that if you order any item with a charge with Ship Eats (alcohol, specialty tea, hot chocolate, etc), the delivery charge is waived.

We did use the Ship eats on our last night and it was actually pretty good.

2 hours ago, neverendingcruising said:

Ship Eats (room service) is 24/7 except the last night of the cruise. All of the Galley locations open again at 5 except Let's Taco About It and Hot of the Press which only do breakfast and lunch and then Noodle Around opens late for an hour or two. There's also the other food options that others have mentioned. 

And this is why I was asking. The website states that the Taco and Sandwich venues are open in the evening.

This was not my experience and it looks like you didn't see that either.

Thanks

I last sailed back in November 2022 and the all of the Galley venues closed at 3:00pm except for the diner which only served breakfast 24 hours.

Now looking at their website, all of the other Galley venues have wording that they would be open in the evening. Is this a recent change or did my cruise in November just close up early because it was only around 60% occupied?

Looking to verify before I make another booking. Having only 2 options (Breakfast and pizza) past 3:00pm outside of the specialty venues is a deal breaker.

Please let me know your experiences.
 

Thanks

I got this in a targeted Casino Offer a few days ago.

I completed a mock booking in a Mini-Suite for $2300

AA 787 would be my first choice. I just had this seat on domestic hop from MIA to DFW and absolutely impressed with the seat. I had the 2 seats on the side in the last row. We had a bulkhead behind us and the seats still fully reclined. They were super comfortable as well. Can comment on the soft product since these seats were marketed as just extra legroom and you would be getting the full service internationally.

5 hours ago, travelplus said:

I am on the Feb 26th Cruise and all looks good to me

You might want to take another look.

2 hours ago, Brkintx said:

 

I'm confused - the change just reverses the same stops, correct? How does this make it sub-par?  (I'm not pushing back at the statement, I'm unclear as to how the difference is impactful.)

The change affects the Cabo port day. The times change to 6:30am to 3:00pm. The times for the Majestic Princess are 11:00am to 8:00pm

With Cabo also being a tender port, what time do should you start your return to the ship. 1:30pm? What activities are happening at 7:00am. What is open that early?

I don't know about you, but I like my time at the beach to coincide with a time that the sun is overhead, not sitting on a tender returning to the ship.

7 hours ago, CruisingFromLA said:

Carnival is in the process of reversing the itinerary for all the Panorama sailings though September 2022. They are currently updating all the information. This is also why there are no excursions available for the Panorama if you already have one booked as they are working on moving everything around. Source: I am booked on the 7/30/22 Panorama sailing and they sent out a letter about it this morning.

 

This is exact reason I cancelled my Panorama Cruise for next month and changed to the Majestic Princess back in October.

It is clear that they will be running this sub-par itinerary until the ship hits it's next dry dock.

I know I'm a bit late to this topic but I had an issue with Southwest recognizing that I had pre-check. This was 5 years ago so this info may not be relevant anymore but...

Southwest has an antiquated IT system that was also looking for my middle name to match against.

I made a call to Southwest and updated my Rapid Rewards account and the affected tickets to add my middle name and have received pre-check 100% of the time since.

I just cancelled my February 2022 cruise since I have no faith that this issue will be resolved without a Dry Dock. 2 months of adjusted itineraries points to this issue not being fixable during / in between cruises.

I was actually able to book the Majestic Princess for the same dates in a Mini-Suite with drinks/grats/wi-fi included for $600 less than the Havana Cabin I initially had booked.

Other than that - what are you concerned about missing?

Unlimited Cans of Soda - Not Fountain

40% of a bottle of Wine

The no limit on drinks

The free gelato

The general Bait and Switch feeling of the whole process from Princess.

This is our first cruise on Princess and sadly will be our last.

We had a choice between this cruise and a RCI cruise with a similar Itinerary and chose the Princess Cruise based off the Sip And Sail Promotion.

I will not reward a company with my vacation dollars that cannot live up the terms of their own package.

Thanks for the replies,

I was hoping that that Princess would honor the terms of the Sip And Sail that was booked back in 2016 but it appears that is not the case.

Too bad.

Deck 10 - Caribe

Much larger balcony 1/2 covered, 1/2 uncovered

For the people that booked under the Sip N Sail during summer 2016, I would think that a few people have already sailed on their cruises.

I fully understand the changes to package moving forward but the cruises booked under the 2016 Sip N Sail have always been in this grey area and definitive answers have been hard to come by.

I am wondering what your experience were regarding the changes from the AIBP to the Premier Beverage Package.

• Was your package truly unlimited or did Princess limit to 15 alcoholic drinks per day?
  
• Did you come across any drinks that used to be under $10 but are now over $10 but below $12 and were you still able to get the drink with the AIBP?
  

I apologize in advance if this was discussed in a previous thread but I couldn't find any real world reports.

I am confused. I thought SW points did not expire. :)

I thought the same thing. I'm not sure when this change occurred.

Your points don't expire*.

*Points don’t expire as long as you have flight-earning or partner-earning activity at least once every 24 months. Period.

If it's after final payment date, they got sure can and will refuse you, sorry to correct you Birdieman;)

Also the sip and sail limit will only count alcoholic beverages toward the 15 drink total, not specialty / espresso choices , unless they include the afore-mentioned alcohol:)

I'm not a teetotaler either. I drink Bloody Mary's or mimosas or Bailey's in my coffee at breakfast. On a sea day a few drinks in the afternoon on deck. Pre dinner drinks, after dinner cordial and drinks at the show. I won't hit 15 alcoholic beverages. If soft drinks, coffee and water would have counted towards the 15 total it would have been a problem.

Can either of you please direct me to this elusive 15 drink limit policy? I'm having a really hard time finding it.

As others have said previously, the problem is not the 15 drink minimum, it's the complete lack of transparency.

How would you feel if you bought a package that included specialty dining every night of the cruise only to find out you only get 3 nights once you get onboard.

Or worse yet, the advertisement said the cruise came with inclusive dinners in the Main Dining Room and on night 3 you were turned away at the door because you had already used your 2 allotted dinners and you need to eat at Lido for the rest of cruise. You might just think that you were a victim of Bait and switch Marketing.

The entire point of this tread is not weather you think 15 drinks per day is too many, it is the simple fact that Princess marketed a promotion that included certain items and seems to placing limits on that promotion but are only informing people who call and can't be bothered to post the definitive Terms Of Conditions on their own website.

Feelings aside, there are people that purchased a cruise based off of a promotion and the associated terms and conditions that accompanied it. To just "change the contract" could very easily be construed as bait and switch marketing.

People continue to report that they are "told" that there is a 15 drink limit now but this cannot be found in writing anywhere on the Princess website.

• The Terms and Conditions of the Sip And Sail promotion from 2016 has no mention of a limit.
  
• The Terms and Conditions of the Sip And Sail promotion from 2017 mentions a limit but doesn't clarify what that limit is.
  
• The Terms and Conditions of the AIBP from the Princess website today makes no mention of a limit.
  

It feels to me like Princess is intentionally being vague on the written Terms and Conditions in order to make it up as they go.

There is a limit either way. Here is the AIBP info from the Princess website...

 

‡Free All-Inclusive Beverage Package applies to guests booked in a balcony stateroom or above, valid only for guests 1 & 2 per stateroom who are 21 years or older. The All-Inclusive Beverage Package price is $57.45 (US Dollars) per guest, per day and includes beer, cocktails, spirits and glasses of wine up to $10, all non-alcoholic beverages including bottled water, coffee, tea, and espresso specialty drinks, with a pre-paid 15% gratuity included for these items. The package includes the additional benefit of a 40% discount on bottles of wine under $100 (gratuity not included on wine bottles). A daily limit on alcoholic beverages will apply. Guests 1 & 2 who are under 21 will receive the Unlimited Soda & More Package. Package type will be assigned prior to sailing based on age of guest. In the event that the guest does not want the All-Inclusive Beverage Package, alternative OBC amounts have been designated. Guests booking sailings 6-9 days can receive $150 per guest. Guests booking sailings 10-12 days can receive $200 per guest. Guests booking sailings 13 or more days can receive $250 per guest. Mixing and matching the All-Inclusive Beverage Package and OBC is not allowed on the same booking. Both guest 1 & 2 must choose the same amenity. All-Inclusive Beverage Package terms differ on all Sun, Sea and Majestic voyages and Golden Princess voyages departing from and returning to Australia and New Zealand. Package is only available on voyages 8 nights and longer. Price is $59 (AUD Australia dollars). All-Inclusive Beverage Package includes all individual beverages priced up to $10 with the exception of voyages in Aust/NZ ($14) and China ($7). ††Free Unlimited Soda & More Package is valid only for guests 3 & 4 per stateroom. The Unlimited Soda & More Package includes tumbler with straw, fountain soda by the glass, Root Beer in the can, malt and thick shakes at the ice cream bars only, hot chocolate, fruit juices and mocktails, with pre-paid 15% gratuity included for these items. In the event that a guest does not want the Unlimited Soda & More Package, no substitutions will be offered. Beverage packages are applicable to voyages and cruise fares advertised in this promotion only and are not applicable during the land portion of cruisetours. Beverage packages do not include souvenir items (other than the tumbler for the Unlimited Soda & More Package), room service, vending machine or mini-bar items. Beverage packages may be used on a single voyage only, are not redeemable for cash at any point during the cruise and expire at the end of that voyage. Offer is not transferable, is not combinable with other select offers or other onboard credits and does not follow guests who change promotions prior to cruising.

And here is the fine print when I purchased my cruise for February 2018 under last years Sip and Sail promotion. Notice anything different.

I really wish Princess would just come out with a clear policy so we can be done with rumors and speculation.

All-Inclusive Beverage Package is applicable to voyages and cruise fares advertised in this promotion only, applies to guests booked in a balconystateroom or above, valid only for guests 1 & 2 per stateroom who are 21 years or older, and is not applicable during the land portion of Land & SeaVacations. The All-Inclusive Beverage Package price is $56.35 (US Dollars) per guest, per day and includes beer, cocktails, spirits and glasses of wine upto $10, all non-alcoholic beverages including bottled water, coffee, tea, and espresso specialty drinks, with a pre-paid 15% gratuity included for theseitems. The package includes the additional benefit of a 40% discount on bottles of wine under $100 (gratuity not included on wine bottles). The All-Inclusive Beverage Package does not include souvenir items, room service, vending machine or mini-bar items. All-Inclusive Beverage Package includesall individual beverages priced up to $10 with the exception of voyages in Aust/NZ ($14) and China ($7).Guests 1 & 2 who are under 21 will receive theUnlimited Soda & More Package. The package will be applied to the cruise card pre-boarding in the form of a sticker. The package may be used on asingle voyage only, is not redeemable for cash at any point during the cruise and expires at the end of that voyage. Package type will be assigned prior tosailing based on age of guest. In the event that the guest does not want the All-Inclusive Beverage Package, alternative OBC amounts have beendesignated. Guests booking sailings 6-9 days can receive $150 per guest. Guests booking sailings 10-12 days can receive $200 per guest. Guests bookingsailings 13 or more days can receive $250 per guest. Mixing and matching the All-Inclusive Beverage Package and OBC is not allowed on the samebooking. Both guest 1 & 2 must choose the same amenity. Offer is not transferable, is not combinable with other select offers or other onboard creditsand does not follow guests who change promotions prior to cruising.

I just got an e-mail from Princess that as of September 2018 there will be a limit of 15 alcoholic drinks in a 24 hour period.

We sailing on the Regal in November and today I talked with my travel agent. I was asking about the drink package, so she called Princess to get the lowdown. As of September 1, 2017 the drink package price is going up but I don't know how much. It will include beverages up to $12.00 and that price includes the gratuity. There will also be a limit of 15 drinks in a 24 hour period. If your drink is more than $12.00, you will have to pay the full price, not the difference between the drink price and the drink package price.

 

I was advised to purchase the drink package before September 1 at the old rate. This is all I know and I hope it is accurate. If anyone know something different, I hope you will post it.

Why can't princess just clearly spell out when the limit starts and how the limit works. People need to be able to make an informed decision about how a major piece of this promotion is going to work.

There are also people that booked under last years Sip n Sail promotion when it was unlimited but that is now unclear as well.

I haven't even set foot on the ship and won't for another 8 months but this is not leaving me with a good impression of Princess's marketing team and their ability to clearly articulate what their promotions include.

The cruise (on HAL) is not until June 2018. We haven't saved up enough yet to pay that much of it off so soon. Besides, we were hoping to use my sister's Carnival Card to earn 2X points to apply towards the cost of the cruise. Trying to be greedy I guess :D.

 

See, if my sister would win us some money on the lottery, we wouldn't have to go through all this, LOL! ;p

I think everybody on this forum would agree that when it comes to Credit Card rewards that the Carnival Card is among the worst in terms of reward.

The redemption value of their funpoints is 1.0 cents per point so even if you got 2X points on a $3000.00 cruise you only get back $60.00.

There are so many better ways to use that spend.