Indianamale

Thanks again for all your hard work I really enjoyed following. I was on the Spirit with you last week and with all the cutbacks we are going to start checking out other options. 

I just experienced the same thing on the Spirit last week. 

We always get the Cheers package and we usually tip $2 to $3 per round and a occasional $5 and we get excellent service and great pours. To us it's worth the extra few bucks to tip. I will add that I wouldn't feel guilty not tipping extra since a 18% tip is already included. You should do a experiment and not tip your 1st drink or two and then tip a few bucks on your 3rd drink and see if there is any difference. Whatever you decide to do enjoy your cruise. 🍻

Thanks for sharing your adventures with us. I've been following along and enjoying it. I'll be on the Spirit Saturday. I love all the food pictures and reviews of the food. Enjoy the rest of your trip. 

Does anyone know if they are still doing this? 

1 hour ago, jam19872016 said:

Dinner was great again tonight. I don't have tonight's menu because it is identical to the night 1 menu from last week. I am super excited for 8 new to me dinnet menus on this 16 day sailing.

 

For my starter I ordered the cured salmon.

 

 

First main was the chicken parmesean. The portion was huge and it was piping hot, I think this was as good as the cucina pay version.

 

 

I also got a large portion of the salmon but it wasn't great tonight. It was overcooked. Dry and starting to burn a little even.

 

 

For dessert I enjoyed the tiramisu.

 

I love all your food pictures and reviews. I'll be sailing on the Spirit in October and I love to eat. 🤣🤣

Thanks for taking the time to do this. Enjoy your cruises. 

3 minutes ago, skrufy said:

Make sure your reservations are linked together. Then after boarding around noon or so, check your table assignment. If it's for the 4 of you only, your set. If not ask for a table for 4, you will be accommodated.

Our reservations are linked. I'll check our table assignment after we board. Thanks for the info. 

On our upcoming cruise we are a group of 4 and we have late dining. My question is will we be seated at a big table with other cruisers or will we be seated by ourselves? I hope we can sit by ourselves, it's not that I don't like meeting other people on a cruise but I'd rather eat with just our group. In the past we've always traveled with a bigger group so we've always had our own table. Thanks for any help. 

Do they allow you to order more than one entrée during brunch?

3 hours ago, Frank12 said:

Good old Platinum sure ain't what she used to be!😥

It actually used to be easier to obtain Platinum status until the last overhaul of the VIFP system. When I started cruising you only needed 10 cruises to reach Platinum status regardless of the number of days. 

3 hours ago, WildBlueYonder64 said:

We're sailing in December, and yesterday I added Carnival cruise insurance to my booking and paid for it. After checking, I realized that I had already purchased insurance through insuremytrip.com.  I can't see any way to cancel the Carnival insurance myself, is this something I'll need to call them for?

Somehow we had Carnival trip insurance added to one person inadvertently and according to our PVP we couldn't cancel it. I hope you have better luck. 

1 hour ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Yes, so the free drink coupon means nothing if you bought Cheers

Thanks for the info, can I give it to anyone?

When you get your free drink coupon for brunch does it count against your 15 if you have the Cheers package?

10 hours ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

Probably folks who took lots of bargain cruises post-restart when the cruiselines were practically giving cabins away, to get people onboard and when new cruisers were too cautious to take their first cruise.  I don't blame them; I did it my on Royal to go from barely Diamond to Diamond Plus in 4 cruises.

 

Expect another devaluation of cruise days/elite status post-restart... a decrease in benefits, increase in the number of days to reach elite tiers, and/or a new tier.  IMO most likely a new tier between Gold and Platinum at 75 days (Titanium? lol), then Platinum becomes something in the 125-150 day range.  Existing Platinums who don't meet the new threshold may be grandfathered in or may get bumped down to the new tier like some Golds got bumped down to Red after the last change.

When I started cruising you only needed 10 cruises to become Platinum and then they changed it to 75 days sailed and I was not grandfathered in so I don't think that would happen if they changed it again. 

I will be platinum on my upcoming October cruise. What can I expect ie priority boarding etc? Thanks for all your help. 

Thanks for sharing. I'm looking forward to trying some of the new items the next time I cruise. 

4 hours ago, ABQrobin said:

If you have ever done the "Behind the Scenes" tour on a ship, you will understand the issue with bacon.  Those garbage cans from the Lido go downstairs and people have to go through them, laid out on a table to sort and make sure no one is throwing away utensils, plates, cups, etc.  The amount of bacon that ends up in the trash is unreasonable, and all food products go in the food mulcher which gets emptied at sea.  Paper products and the like go into the incinerator bin to be burned, and all other stuff goes into bins that have to be stored below deck until they can be taken off the ship at port.  Its a gross process but everyone should see it and think more about what they throw away onboard...  it has to go somewhere.

Are you saying people only throw away bacon? What's next no pizza because people are throwing too much away?

10 hours ago, kdr69 said:

Well you need to expand your search then, yes, there were two recently on Carnival but there was also a big one on Royal as well involving a large group of teenagers.  

One fight on RC and multiple fights on Carnival. It just seems to me like Carnival has more problems than other cruise lines. 

9 minutes ago, dolphfan said:

Go to the MDR for breakfast and order it, and it will appear. If eating at the buffet ask a server if they have and sometimes, they will have it in a covered pan, but not you have to

ask. You can also get it at the omelet station.

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it. 

15 minutes ago, evandbob said:

Well, if no bacon is the final impetus to get you to try a new line, so be it.

 

You won't know what the difference is until you try NCL, MSC, RCCL, Celebrity, or wherever else you actually book one.  What do you have to lose?

 

I sailed Carnival exclusively like you since 2003, but once I fanned out, I discovered a whole world of cruising was waiting for me.  Many, many similarities, but there are some distinct differences, even with pricing.  Carnival is not always the best value! 

 

I've enjoyed my 40 or so Carnival cruises, but I've also enjoyed 5 or 6 other lines, and now my preference is for Celebrity, who woulda thunk it?

 

Oh, and as for a bacon shortage, I didn't notice it on the Mardi Gras last time I sailed Carnival.

Thanks for the reply. I will definitely start looking at other cruise lines for my next trip.

I will be going on a cruise in October and I remember a few months ago that John Heald said due to a bacon shortage that they would be unable to serve it on the buffet everyday like they had in the past. I was just wondering if its been resolved because where I live I've never had a problem getting bacon. It won't be a deal breaker for me but I just find his excuse hilarious. I've been cruising only on Carnival since 2004 and between all the cutbacks I've noticed since then and all the YouTube videos of fights which I only see on Carnival I'm beginning to think that it's time that I start exploring other options. 

4 minutes ago, JT1962 said:

Years ago I saw a sign in a local business that said “Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten.”  That is very true. If you get a free or cheap cruise, but the quality is not there, you don’t remember the great deal you got, just the bad experience. 

Your statement is 100% true. 

18 minutes ago, hillbillycruisers said:

Food prices are going up...fuel prices are going up. Obviously,  unless something  changes...which seems highly unlikely    Carnival and everyone else will be forced to raise prices. We see it in restaurants everywhere. I would rather pay a little more for the price of my cruise than be shorted on the amenities we come to expect. Some people...especially non bacon eaters...say, it's only bacon...why the fuss? Well...what if it was coffee...or toast...or eggs...or...fruit??? Carnival needs to get its act together. They are already known as The Walmart of Cruise Lines. Keep this up, and soon it'll be known as The Goodwill of Cruise Lines. And by the way...I shop Goodwill almost weekly. 😉

I hope that Carnival realizes this. 

7 minutes ago, ray98 said:

 

I agree....I love Carnival...they've been the choice for 75% of our cruises over the past 20 years.  However, I feel I'm on a journey from The Westin to the Motel 6.

 

Same here. Not that I'm opposed to staying in a motel 6 because I have and I'm sure that I will again but when I go on vacation I like to treat myself. If other people don't mind all the changes and cuts that have been made over the years good for them. 

2 hours ago, ray98 said:

 

Of course there are....just like eliminating the filet as the cut for steak and eggs that had been served for decades in the MDR is because of 'supply chain'.  Cheapening the experience will continue as long as people believe this mess, it is obvious when the direct competition does not encounter the same 'obstacles'.

I feel the same. It's funny how every time they cut something or change something they always give you a BS excuse and if anyone questions it here the Carnival cheerleaders will clobber you. I have only been on Carnival and the list of reasons why gets longer everyday. I appreciate your opinion.