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Bookbug53

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Posts posted by Bookbug53

  1. On 7/3/2022 at 7:48 AM, AnitaVacation said:

    I was on the 6/16 sailing, first sailing out of NYC.  It was a total sh*tshow from the moment we showed up.  Parked my car up above, took the escalator down to the terminal.  I am platinum, so I asked for the priority line.  I was rudely told 'no priority, everyone has to go outside and come back in' ... the terminal was super crowded, unorganized, no one knew anything... we had an 11-1130 check in time and we arrived right at 1130.  We went outside as instructed and the line was almost all the way to the next pier... there was no one there to instruct us... there was no way I was going to walk all the way to the end of that line without talking to someone.  We went back inside and I found someone to show my papers to (regarding check in time) by now it was 1145.  She put us through and things moved quickly after that, we were onboard probably in about 20 minutes.  That was the first red flag... if I could, I would go back in time and cancel that cruise.... it was a free casino comp and it wasn't worth the money we paid (port fees & taxes)... even with the free drinks.  The cabin was a deck 2 oceanview (2464, aft corner, large)..never again will I stay on a lower deck...everyone assured it that decks 1 & 2 were great, very little movement, very nice....(they lied)... lots of complaints about the smell on decks 1&2 (garbage? sewer?)...anyway, it was a rough ride (I swear the thruster was directly under my bed).  The ship was definitely overcrowed and understaffed...Carnival did not promote any kind of social distancing...our dinner table was 3 inches from the next (pretty much group dinning) the food was okay, but not outstanding... one afternoon, we waited in line at Mongolian Wok for 45 minutes...the wait was horrible and the food, again...just okay.  This was a short 4 day run to Bermuda...so only 2 shows...the first was Flick... it was okay, reminiscent of the usual Carnival song and dance...the second was America Rocks and that was pretty awesome for those of us that loved the concerts of the 80's.... The serenity deck was closed most of the time, the location of it is terrible, top deck/front of ship... it was way too windy, so closed... there was not a single lounger available around the pool (that's ok, it's not my thing)...but we did discover, on deck 5... there is a promenade all around with loungers, tables, chairs and 4 hot tubs and most of time was really nice and quiet!!  Anyway, my cabin mate ended up getting Covid.  My husband and I had gotten Covid on our May cruise.  I will say this... the line at guest services was a mile long everyday... lots of problems apparently. 

    They have not had priority boarding for platinum or diamond since the shut down.

  2. On 8/8/2021 at 5:25 PM, cruise.freak said:

    We are on a cruise mid October 7 day to Cozumel, Roatan, and Belize. I am not a fan of Belize and also have done those ports may times. We are thinking about seeing if we can transfer to 8 day Half Moon cay (my favorite port) Naussa, Freeport and Key West. Are all those ports open? I heard Freeport is not good and we would like to go to Alantis (day pass) if possible. Is that even possible with covid right now? I had heard key west port closed but dont know if that is in the past or if open now. Any pointers, suggestions ect? Is the transfer fee $500.00?

    If you do Atlantis please note they require a negative Covid test taken within 5 days of your visit.

  3. 4 hours ago, BoozinCroozin said:

    I guess this would go for any cruise line, but since I have CCL booked, that is where I am looking. After reading about what happened on the Breeze and Carnival keeping covid cases secret, my question is why even risk it. If the cruises are 100% vaccinated with no exceptions what-so-ever, would anyone need to be tested onboard at all?

     

     

    Can you give more information on this as I have not read about it and can't seem to find any info?

  4. Carnival itself is beginning to require travel insurance. It won't matter much what Aruba does.

     

    "Travel Insurance Requirement — Florida and Texas Based Ships

    Effective with sailings departing July 31, 2021 from Florida, and August 2, 2021 from Texas, guests must also show proof of travel insurance coverage during check-in. This requirement is currently being waived for children under 12 who are ineligible for a vaccine. However, parents are advised that purchasing travel insurance for their children is strongly recommended. (See section below for full details on travel insurance requirements.)"

  5. If you look at the page on Cabanas and Bungalows managed by Cruise Critic it states:                                 "If you have purchased an unlimited drink package on your ship, you can receive drinks through that program on Princess Cays"

     

    This is totally at odds with Carnival stating it is excluded. I think i will go by Carnival's site. At least until I get there in November.

     

    https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=4616

    • Like 1
  6. 1 hour ago, desiree741 said:

    I really hope cruising is back to normal by then, it looks fun! Not sure I can justify taking that many days off work tho 🤷🏻‍♀️😂

    How many days you need depends on which ship you choose. There are 4-8 day options and multiple dates.

     

  7. On 8/19/2020 at 6:02 PM, xDisconnections said:

    It looks like the VIFP Club is going away and a new loyalty program, Ocean Rewards, will be introduced. This program will combine the rewards programs between Carnival, Princess, Holland America and two other brands.

     

     Passengers will earn Ocean Points to reach the next level. Through a new benefit, Loyalty Rocks!, members will also earn Ocean Points based on dollars spent with incidentals charged.

     

    Ocean Rewards:

    https://trademarks.justia.com/879/81/ocean-87981150.html 


    Ocean Points:

    https://trademarks.justia.com/878/51/ocean-87851147.html

     

    Loyalty Rocks!:

    https://trademarks.justia.com/880/93/loyalty-88093647.html

    FD5E7694-AC3A-4D71-BA25-2902A11678F7.jpeg

    Can you point out the part about VIFP going away? Can you show us where this is anything but a shopping gimmick? Why would you put up such a misleading post?

  8. Stayed in one on the Sensation. The only drawbacks  was the long walk down the corridor from the elevator. 😀 And engine rumble and vibration one day. We had sailed to NOLA as a stop and the ship had to spin around in the river to face downstream when leaving. Of course that vibrated the entire ship! It was actually a unique view at times and the window ledge was wide enough to sit in.  

  9. 40 minutes ago, RWolver672 said:

    We are finding it very hard to be optimistic that our Feb 20th Mardi Gras cruise will even happen.  Even if the ship is completed by then, will there be any ports open to ships?  Will they have the same stipulations that Puerto Rico has put into effect?  If that's the case, it won't be worth getting off of the ship.  

    https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/puerto-rico-require-visitors-covid-19-results/index.html

     

    It's hard to even think about making reservations for flights and hotels at this point.  Will the CDC even allow cruising by then?  I hate playing the "Wait and See" game.

    We are on same cruise with friends. Been staying optimistic but with the inaugural cruise now just 2 weeks ahead of us.....😟.

    • Like 1
  10. 19 hours ago, lagienomai said:

    I have wondered how the sail with reduced capacity would work. I am booked in October on the Breeze for Halloween. Booked Feb. 2019. It was about sold out before CoVid hit so don't really see how they would reduce capacity. I would imagine a bunch would be this way especially the cruises on holidays i.e. Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

    One possibility for reducing number of passengers is to not re-sell cabins that people cancel. Final payment date will see many cancelling and others will cancel out of fear. Might not get them to numbers they want but it will help.

     

    And for those annoyed by final payment reminder emails. I have had that be a part of cruising for 20 years. 🙂

  11. On 6/28/2020 at 8:28 AM, MRVEGAS711 said:

    I have to ask the question back. Do you really think a enclosed cruise ship with 7000 people on board will be allowed to cruise in November of this year? Also, if one or two people develop COVID on this cruise, can you think of a port in the world that will let these 7000 disembark?

     

    Not to nitpick, but capacity, with crew, is just about 5000. And work has been halted on the transformation for a couple of months now. Earliest sailing would not even be until end of November IF they resume work soon and that doesn't seem likely.

    • Like 1
  12. It is a lesson most people learn at one time or another. That is why I always book refundable deposits or only with reduced deposit rates. I watch for the $50 deposit pp.

     

    When I had a 'full' refund from a rather messed up cruise (weather related, missed ports, propulsion issues, but still fun) we were required to make a deposit and then the FCC would be applied to our next cruise. I rebooked at a reduced $50 pp and found out others from the same messed up cruise booked full deposit amounts of $250 pp. 

     

    Those deposits can be tricky. 

  13. 11 hours ago, firefly333 said:

    So no sales? I'm booked on rcl and everything is on sale right now. Steak dinner? Drinks $41 pppd.

     

    They had  miss print of $18 pppd that a lot lost with the canc cruises. 

     

    I'm surprised carnival doesnt run sales. 

     

    Btw with carnival cheers I believe every adult in the cabin has to sign up. If there are 2 of you, both have to sign up to prevent sharing 

     

    I'm not a big drinker and the free drinks at parties enough. The pkg would be lost on me, just surprised they dont ever run sales. I'm diamond on rcl so get all the free drinks I'd want. This weekend rcl drink pkg sale. Odd carnival doesnt do this. I never paid attention.

    20200524_203557293.jpeg

    Carnival recently ran sales on cruise cash and Cheers. 20% off, depending on your sail date. I am sure others will pop up. Excursions and spa products are offered quite often. 

     

  14. 21 hours ago, sweetlife said:

    Is there a way to determine on the Mardi Gras ship which rooms have the ability to have the balcony divider removed?   I plan to get two side by side balcony rooms and I want the divider removable.   Thanks for any guidance.

    Mardi Gras isn't listed....yet. 🙂  but for future reference.....

     

    https://help.goccl.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/601

    • Like 1
  15. 15 hours ago, SeaHunt said:

     

    It's actually July 24 - CDC shows this info and it spells out the date under their "No Sail Order for Cruise Ships":

     

    https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/index.html

     

    April 9, 2020 Update

    On April 9, 2020, CDC renewed the No Sail Order and Other Measures Related to Operations Order signed by the CDC Director on March 14, 2020—subject to the modifications and additional stipulated conditions as set forth in this Order. The Order is published in the Federal Register and effective as of April 15, 2020 (https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2020-07930external icon).

    The extended Order is in effect until one of the following occurs:

    • The Secretary of Health and Human Services’ declares that COVID-19 no longer constitutes a public health emergency, or
    • The CDC Director rescinds or modifies the order based on specific public health or other considerations, or
    • 100 days have passed from April 15, the date the extended order was published in the Federal Registerexternal icon and went into effect. 100 days from April 15 is July 24.

    ONE of the conditions must be met. That is why it is a wait and see situation. There is no certain date. Some sailings booked after June 26th may still go or may not go. I have nothing booked until Feb 2021 and still feel a little apprehensive. However if they are still cancelling cruises that late than we will all

    have much bigger concerns.

    • Like 1
  16. 11 minutes ago, IcanSeaclearlynow said:

    Having myself been disappointed in the MG being delayed previously resulting in a cancelled trip, I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed & say it will be ready for your trip.  However, prepare yourself that it won't be. Unless they're using funds not being refunded to those who have had to cancel due to virus to complete it, not sure where they're finding the $ or the workers to work on it right now.  I would think Carnival can change the website to show sold out or not available with the push of a button.  

    The workers work for the shipbuilder (still building in Finland) which I am fairly certain has been paid already. Carnival is not building the ship on a 'pay as you go' basis.

     

     

    • Like 2
  17. 13 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

    I think this is going to be a case of ship substitution. There is NO WAY that Carnival will have the demand to sail two ships, one being their largest, on the same date from the same port. That's NOT going to happen.

    I don't understand your post. Carnival sails multiple ships from the same port/same day all the time. Mardi Gras does not show as it is already sold out. Radiance is still available to book. A simple thing that occurs all the time.

    Do you honestly think Carnival will pull their largest and newest ship (again all sold out) and substitute a re-furb in it's place?

    • Like 1
  18. 30 minutes ago, GTO-Girl said:

    We booked the “Mardi Gras“ for Jan 30th out of Port Canaveral, but now when doing a mock booking it doesn’t show any Mardi Gras cruises until March and the Jan. 30th cruise shows the Radiance.
     

    So am I going on the Radiance or Mardi Gras??????

    Mardi Gras may sold out. My sailing on Feb 20 is sold out and no longer shows. Radiance is not sold out. Multiple ships sail on the same date from the the same port.

    You will be on the Mardi Gras if that is what you booked. 🙂 They switched ships on me one time (because the ships changed ports) and I had plenty of time and options to accept or decline.

  19. 18 minutes ago, PhenaBaby said:

    My husband and I are booked for our first cruise in September, on the Panorama. I have a couple questions that you might be able to answer for me. 

     

    1. Calling home. If we purchase one of the internet packages, will I be able to use my phone to call home? Maybe like on FB messenger or something? This will be my first time ever leaving my kids for more than one night and I am extremely nervous I won't be able to check on them.

     

    2. Excursions. Is it better to book the excursions through Carnival before the cruise? I actually booked the cruise through Costco and they also offered sales on excursions? Which is better or wait until we are actually on the ship to purchase and decide? Or wait until we are at port and book when we are off the ship?

     

    3. Do we actually need a passport? Reading online since we are leaving and coming back to the same port we won't, but is that true? Is there a reason we would want to get our passports just in case? I don't want to get to the ship and not be able to board.

     

    I'm sure I will have more questions as our cruise gets closer.... 🙂

    If you purchase the social media package you can use the messenger app to send messages. I have had some luck with messenger calls but not very clear. 

    Excursions will get all kinds of responses. Carnival will, of course, give you the guarantee of not getting back late but most responsible vendors will also guarantee you getting back.  Private vendors will usually (not always) have a better price. There will also be more flexible tours with private vendors. Don't wait to board before you book. What you want may already be sold out by then. Find what you want, at a price you are comfortable with, and book. There is a TON of information for private vendors and recommendations on the ports of call boards on here. Check it out.

    Do you absolutely need a passport to cruise. No. Would I personally leave these shores without one. NO!

  20. 19 hours ago, 5xGrandma said:

    I Sent my passport for renewal  in January for our trip in July. It had only 6 months so I needed it renewed. Haven't received it so went on line.  GUESS WHAT?  They are not processing any passport since December except paid expatiated form January. I have a cruise scheduled on July 5. and don't know if I will have it back. Can you still travel with a birth certificate when you are going to the Caribbean?

    They have not suspended passport operations. They have suspended EXPEDITED passports and warn of significant delays in processing and mailing. 

     

    https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/passport-covid-19.html

  21. 1 hour ago, Bookbug53 said:

    Cheers is a limited time 20% off.. Sale price is applied at checkout. Sale ends tomorrow. 4/11

     

    I apologize if this has been posted. Didn't see it. 🙃

    Sorry! That should be ends 4/12

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