dporter

Dporter, have you ever had a wrap before? you are bound up in a cocoon. Some people may like that. I didn't.

 

Spa prices are on sale while you are in port. You can book online via carnival.com

Yes I have had several wraps before and I like them, I only get antsy if they leave the room. I couldn't imagine trying to get a wrap in rough seas that would prove to be interesting

I have only done regular massages on cruise ships so I might look into trying something different this time. Yes port days and then closer to end of cruise seem to bring some spa savings. I know some people like to prebook online for the spa but I don't like to book before boarding. I want to get on board, take a spa tour and meet some of the employees before making a decision on if I will have a service.

Sometimes there is way too many other fun things going on that I don't make it to have a spa service.

Thanks for answering all my questions. I am really looking forward to this much needed vacation.

"Were you left alone during the treatment?"

Never. Kat stayed with me the whole time except when I was getting undressed and dressed at the beginning and end

 

"Is the wrap over your entire body? If not, what is wrapped?"

entire body from the neck down

 

"Is the massage full body or half? If half body, what do they consider as half?"

I choose the half body massage. My back and shoulders were massaged. it was divine.

 

"Is the massage done while your wrapped up?"

no, they wrap you, then you shower and then massage.

 

 

"Why would the therapist ask you to be vague unless they did not complete the service correctly?"

I have no idea. I just complied with her wishes. Maybe different technicians do it differently

 

"I am a spa lover but I feel the descriptions given online are lacking and don't paint a whole picture."

 

I agree which is why I wanted to do a review of this service.

Thanks! I might try it, I will see if they have any fabulous specials when I am onboard Dream next month.

I do absolutely understand the need and desire to unplug. Don't be surprised though if printed fun times go away in the near future. Printed stuff on the ship is a decent cost to Carnival, and I'm sure they'd love to cut that one out of the budget.

 

My favorite part of the app was actually the messaging. For $5 each for the week my wife and I could communicate on opposite sides of the ship. I did see a lot of people trying to use walkie-talkies, but I found them to be kind of obnoxious, and they didn't seem to be useful. It's too big a ship with too much metal. It reminded me of people trying to have conversations on their cell phones, on speaker while riding the train to work in the morning. The process of commuting is already loud and annoying, it doesn't need any help.

I am sure that the paper is probably close to going away, or at least some of it. I am going to hold onto being unplugged as long as possible.

I have a 10:00-10:30 appointment

awesome thank you

Since we had latedinner, it was now time to get changed and ready. Quick question, for those ofyou that do not download and use the Carnival App on your smartphones, why areyou broken? The Carnival app was GREAT. It listed dress codes, schedules,menus, etc every day. It’s like having a fun times in your pocket. Theschedule in the app is more accurate than the printed fun times. The menus onthe app though could be a little funny. For example, sometimes if I clicked onthe menu for my dining time/room it would not list all of the entrée choices,but if I clicked a different time, they would appear. Weird. Either way, stillsuper useful.

Why don't I use the Carnival App for my Smartphone - I choose to unplug during vacation so I don't want to have to carry my phone around just to see what is going. I try to be present int he moment and not head buried in technology.

I was going to write a review of this treatment but that was not met with encouragement. The therapist asked me to be vague. so here goes:

 

This treatment combines the best of both worlds, detox and relaxation. The day after my treatment I was amazed by how flat my stomach was.

 

I was wrapped up twice, then the massage. I discovered that wraps are not for me. Nothing is wrong with this service. I just don't like being bound up. It made me feel helpless and nervous. The therapist was very accommodating and unwrapped me.

 

Next trip I am sticking to the massages. Bamboo massage is my favorite

I have a few questions:

Were you left alone during the treatment?

Is the wrap over your entire body? If not, what is wrapped?

Is the massage full body or half? If half body, what do they consider as half?

Is the massage done while your wrapped up?

You have my curiosity raised by your first statement, The therapist asked me to be vague:

Why would the therapist ask you to be vague unless they did not complete the service correctly?

I am a spa lover but I feel the descriptions given online are lacking and don't paint a whole picture.

We chose the Dream specifically because it goes down the Mississippi, we are very excited

10:30 is the first time slot.

 

 

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Thanks

I’m not sure when the 1st one is but you should be fine arriving at 11. Our arrival time on the boarding pass was 11:30-12. We got there a few minutes before 11 and when right in and started the process. We were sitting and waiting by 11:15. We were in section 13 and was on the ship by 11:40. NOLA was a very quick and easy boarding experience.

Thanks

Does anyone know what the first check in time is in NOLA? We figured we would get up and out of our hotel around 10am so we are there before 11am but we don't want to be stuck outside. We do have FTTF but I can't see the earliest time to check in.

Exciting, thank you. We are heading out on the Dream in February.

My dad was diagnosed with lung cancer on Christmas Eve. My hubby and I are booked for a cruise in June. I want to go ahead and cancel because I have no idea what is going to be going on. I guess there is no luck in getting my deposit back? No, I don't have insurance. Is it too late to add then cancel? Probably so.

I am sorry to hear about your dad I know from experience this a tough diagnosis. I had both parents in a 12 month period diagnosed with lung cancer, both had surgery no radiation or chemo. They are both in mid to late 70's and recovery was longer and there have been some changes to their stamina, they are mostly back to normal.

You should still be able to get insurance from an outside insurance vendor, not Carnival. That way if things turn worse you can use it. You wouldn't be able to get insurance today and make an immediate claim.

Being his care givers I know it is hard to take a personal break but remember you need to stay healthy to be a good care giver. There are many respite care providers that you could utilize if needed. Also, don't forget things like meals on wheels while you are gone. Also his doctors office will be a tremendous wealth of information for arranging things and recommending providers for services if you still choose to cruise including any needed visits.

Wow! I didn't realize a simple question about whether a ship had an indoor pool or not could cause so much controversy. I sincerely apologize as that was not my intention.

Unfortunately sometimes it is hard to determine some things even when using the cruise line website and deck plans, cruise critic, and you tube. I would love to see the cruise line better describe the individual public areas on their ships but that does not seem to be the trend.

I thank everyone for the information on the Royal Princess pools and that they are uncovered. This will not damper our planning or cruise to Alaska in any way. We chose Princess for our 2019 trip because we feel they offer the best in terms of Alaska cruise tours. If I was going to choose based on the sole criteria of an indoor pool I would do Radiance of the Seas with RCCL again.

Thank you.

Now that Royal will be going to Alaska in 2019 I am wondering if there is an indoor pool. I have looked at some pictures and its hard to tell. Does anyone know if the Retreat pool can be covered if the weather is chilly? It seems odd that there would be a cruise ship going to Alaska that didn't offer an indoor pool option.

dporter

 

Vista is either a 6 day or 8 day cruise in May. No 7 day cruises.

 

OP is either going to pay approx 680.00+ (6 day) or 920.00 (8 day).

My bad, I assumed 7 days. :D

I was able to find the below on Bottomless Bubbles (milkshakes and non-alcoholic frozen drinks are NOT covered)

The following beverages are offered through Bottomless Bubbles (flavors may vary):

• Soft Drinks/Soda: Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero, Caffeine Free Coke, Sprite, Spite Zero, Orange Fanta, Mr. Pibb, Barqs Root Beer, Tonic Water, Club Soda and Ginger Ale
  
• Juices: Orange Juice, Cranberry Juice, Tomato Juice, Pineapple Juice and Grapefruit Juice
  

As for decorating the room and flowers, I personally think it is awesome and a super sweet thing to do, so I say yes. But only you know your wife and whether she would love it or not.

I do agree with your take on Cheers especially if you are the only one benefitting, for $800 total for two on a 7 day with only 1 using it, probably better to pay as you go. And that is coming from someone who always purchases the drink package.

I don't do this but I have read about others where they buy Carnival gift cards at a discount (i.e., a $50 value for $40) and then take them on board and load to their account, you may be able to do that and get an advantage.

Based on what others have said you can bring flowers on board with you. If that is true you could probably contact a local florist near the port or close to your hotel if staying the night before and place an order that you pick up and carry on board.

Whether it is a good deal for you is very subjective. If you enjoy cocktails and will have at least 5 everyday and you add in the other drinks like soda, water, specialty coffees, etc. then you would at least break even. For me and my BF we have determined it is a good buy for us for many reasons.

We enjoy having drinks and even on port days manage 4 to 5 drinks. We also like prepaying as much as possible, typically we book 9-12 months in advance and then make regular payments adding in all the extras like drink packages and tips upfront just works for us. The added bonus for us is that we like to try things we haven't had before and the drink package allows us to do that without feeling like you have to finish something you really don't like because you paid for it.

Prior to drink packages that includes alcohol we would typically have a large bill for drinks at the end, we obviously planned for this but it still is sticker shock at the end of our vacation.

Cheers! and enjoy.

Here is what 7 days worth of clothes looks like in 4 medium and 1 small packing cubes.

 

 

I got mine from Amazon:

Shacke Pak – 5 Set Packing Cubes – Medium/Small – Luggage Packing Travel Organizers (Black / Blue)

interesting, i never heard of them before

What are packing cubes???

Actually, we have seasons in Texas: summer and January!

haha:D

We love NB on the Coral. Her aft viewing areas on decks 10 and 11 are her best feature. They are generally uncrowded as the average cruiser does not even realize they are there and on a NB cruise, you are out of the wind and in the sun there(there is some cover there if liquid sunshine). Usually an open lounger or two to soak in the wake view. We start out a NB cruise visiting Seattle or Vancouver for a couple of days. Then on the NB cruise the scenery just gets better every day! Once reaching Whittier, you can venture on land to either Seward or Denali for a couple of days(or more) and then fly home from Fairbanks or Anchorage on an overnight flight. Sleep on the plane on the way home and rest back at home. Just our preferences.

Thank you

I agree with everyone. I have been on the island to Alaska pre refurbishment and it was fine and we had great weather in Alaska. When I was on it post refurbishment it was like ***? Why would anyone consciously lower the customer experience and not do anything to give the customer anything?

 

There is great crew and service on the Island but fixing stupid will be a challenge.

 

 

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I have heard that a lot that post refurb on Island was not positive. Thank you

See comments in red font.

Thank you