xitappers2bx

Went on the Conquest with my aunt and uncle last year, he's in a wheelchair and uses a scooter and the ship was wonderful for him to get around.  Not much he could do in terms of excursions though, and honestly, after the absolute cluster (took four hours and a plea to John Heald for them to find a bus with a lift, after we confirmed and reconfirmed multiple times ahead of the trip that there would be a vehicle with a wheelchair life) of an experience using Carnivals' transport to get to the ship, I'm not sure I'd ever trust something to be handicapped accessible even when they say it will be. 

On 5/17/2023 at 12:31 PM, schmoopie17 said:

There probably aren't many who have sailed both ships, but thought I'd give it a shot over here on the Carnival board.

 

We are torn between two European cruises next year with similar itineraries and have narrowed the choice down to two...the Legend or the Epic. I know both ships are older and somewhat quirky, so it's a tough choice. We typically cruise on NCL but would "jump ship", if need be. We like NCL's Freestyle experience, the beverage package and the speciatly restaurants and we're thinking Carnival's offerings may be similar.

We have sailed on the Pride (similar to the Legend) and the Epic (around Europe).  

On 5/17/2023 at 12:31 PM, schmoopie17 said:

 

I do know that the Legend is a smaller ship and due for a refurb later this year, so that might play into the equation. Plus, the cost is much lower, even when adding in the Cheers package.

There's a reason the cost is lower... and I am typically more loyal to Carnival than NCL. 

On 5/17/2023 at 12:31 PM, schmoopie17 said:

 

Decisions, decisions...

Thoughts on the two ships and experiences are appreciated.

I know the Epic is a very controversial ship, it was our first NCL cruise, and I absolutely loved it.  The walls are kinda funky, but we were on the ship after a summer in Paris, and the amount of storage was truly incredible.  I was able to stick away all the stuff we didn't need, but needed in Paris, and never felt like I was walking over a summer's accumulation of stuff that my teenager acquired.  

The bathrooms are kind of weird, but I didn't think it felt exposed and really didn't have a complaint.  Yes the sink is a little small and it's in a weird place, but it really didn't both me at all. The split bathroom really become not-weird very quickly and there's a curtain if you're really weirded out.  

The food was excellent, we did all of the specialty dining and everything was outstanding.  The circus show was so fun, my kiddo loved it so much we did it a second time.  It was our first time doing the freestyle dining, and I really did love it, and once I realized we could request the same service team it was even better. 

We were on the pride several years ago, and it's a small ship that feels like a small ship.  The Epic is definitely much bigger (but smaller than like the escape, the joy, etc), in some 25+ cruises the only ship I've ever been seasick in was the Pride.  The Pride was a nice enough ship, being smaller I think our dining crew and room stewards got to know us better, so that was great, but I think the teams on the Epic were also as great.  

There were way more outside spaces on the Epic, I loved the top deck where there was some seating that was away from all the hubbub, and was so comfortable and restful.  The Legend is much much older  than the Epic, but both have been around for a while too.  If I had the option, I would do the Epic hands down, I would probably stay on land if given the only option of a Spirit class ship, unless it was going somewhere I really, really, really wanted to go. 

19 hours ago, Italy52 said:

If you put a non-refundable deposit down on a Carnival cruise will they allow you to move that cruise date and not loose the deposit?  Just curious.

I was able to change cruises with a nonrefundable rate a few weeks ago, changed ships and sail dates.  It seemed really easy (I was worried they weren't going to be able to).   I think it was $50 per person, and she gave me the ability to change the fare type, but I wanted to the drinks package, so stuck with the non-refundable since I knew the new dates were absolutely going to work.  

Goodluck!! 

Thanks everyone for your responses.  We changed our booking for the 4 night wish to the 7 night fantasy and I don't feel any regrets!  Thank you all!  

Hi there.  Not a first time cruiser, but first time Disney cruiser.  I am planning my 40th for next year and thought I really wanted to do the Wish, but saw some comments that has me second guessing myself now.  People were saying that the Fantasy is a better ship for a first time DCL cruiser, that the Wish itinerary is too short, some complaints about the layout of the dining spaces (too cramped, hard to hear the Frozen show), and the general layout of the ship (we're adding in a week in WDW and then another 8-night cruise after that, so really, not super bothered by the 4-night, and considering adding a 3-night either before or after).  

For those that have been on BOTH the Wish and the Fantasy which do you prefer?  If it matters, it'll be three adults, my parents love quiet areas in the morning where they can drink their tea/coffee and take in the ocean.  I love sitting on the balcony late into the night reading (we currently have a deluxe family oceanview balcony booked on the Wish).  We all love good food and entertainment.  Adult-only space thoughts also will be great since I'm sure that's going to be where we set ourselves up.  We are low key people.  

I don't necessarily know if we would do another DCL, so if you had a one and done choice, which would you pick and why?  Help me make my 40th birthday extravaganza the dream I want it to be.  

On 3/30/2023 at 1:48 AM, ehyup71 said:

Bottomless Bubbles includes orange juice, cranberry juice tomato juice, pineapple juice, grapefruit juice

 

 

Not only does BB cover soda and juices, but we've asked for mocktail creations like Shirley Temples, Roy Rodgers, or a Virgin Sunrise (since mostly just pop/juice and a splash of grenadine).

I think you're just incredibly lucky and I wish my kid was you 🙂... it's not usual to get mocktails with BB; the best my kiddo has ever gotten was a shirley temple with extra cherries (not that she was disappointed).  

On 3/30/2023 at 3:03 PM, tjatczak said:

It has been a long time since our last Carnival cruise. 

Is $59 per day the best price we will see for Cheers? Just wondering if there is ever a sale or a promo code in past experiences.

Thanks!.

I think the closest you get to a "deal" on Cheers is when you get an offer through the VIPF... I was surprised it was only ~200 to 'upgrade' to a cheers inclusive rate for a cruise next year.  

On 3/30/2023 at 1:40 PM, shiner6 said:

We have the "Cheers" package for our Norweigian 9 day cruise.  I am now wondering if this is the best choice, since I booked an aft Vista Suite to be able to enjoy the balcony while cruising the fjords.  I recently realized that drinks ordered from room service to enjoy on the balcony are not included in package.  My question is this: Has anyone who sailed on the Pride in a Vista Suite enjoyed the Cheers package on the balcony? Did you have to get up and go to a bar for each drink and bring it back to your cabin?   I mostly enjoy wine and beer with an occasional cocktail.  My husband likes the same, but also includes fine whiskies.  I have been reading about bringing bottles of wine on board in European ports and it appears that you can bring on more than 1 bottle each/ or does Carnival offer a bottled wine package like Princess and HAL? Would it be better to cancel the package and just order from room service?  Thank you for sharing your experience with this issue.

You'll have to go to a bar in order to get drinks for your balcony, but the Vista Suite on the Pride is a great spot, and totally worth the walk to get the drink to then enjoy it.  I haven't cruised Europe on CCL, so can't speak to the wine, but on another cruise line we saw people bringing wine on board and they were not forced to give it up.  Carnival has a cruise the vineyards package, which isn't the worst, very similar to Princess and HAL.  The last CCL cruise I did was Jan 2022, and I will say, I was disappointed that after I bought the package most (all) of the wine that I wanted (that was part of the package) wasn't available anywhere on the ship, someone finally took pity on me and gave me a "better" bottle, and even when I offered to just pay for it they didn't make a big deal over it.  

As for cancelling Cheers... are you going to drink enough that it's worth it?  There's a ton of websites with calculators to help figure that out.  Are you going to just want to order off room service instead of walking to the bar?  Then I would cancel and just do that if that's what would bring me joy.  It's your vacation, make it exactly what you want 🙂

On 3/30/2023 at 7:18 PM, jalves said:

Can't say that I've tried to read on my balcony at night but I'd be surprised if a ship didn't have lights out there.  

 

But just in case, why not bring one of those battery powered book lights intended to help you read in bed?  

Yeah, I also was shocked when my mom got back from a RCL cruise and said there were no lights on the balcony's.  I had never heard of that either, esp bc she was on a pretty new ship.  

The portable light is actually a really great idea, thank you so much.  I was so worried about the light I didn't think of a solution.  

Hi all.  Booked for my first Disney cruise, super excited.  

I didn't realize lights on balcony's weren't standard; my parents were just on a RCCL ship that did not have lines on the balcony, which to me, would be crushing (I spend most of my time on my balcony with my books).  Is there anyone who can confirm, with certainty, if there is or is not lights on the balcony?  If it matters, we're booked in the smaller balcony, but happy to move to another category if need be.  

Thanks so much! 

On 6/15/2020 at 10:29 PM, setsail1975 said:

 

We are currently booked on the August 8th sailing on the Breeze departing from Port Canaveral. We also live in CT where as of right now we are one of the states that are currently mandated to self quarantine upon arrival into Florida. I know as of right we are in limbo as to if the cruise is actually going to sail. I’m just curious how the cruise line will handle this. I called Carnival and the agent made it seem as if there wouldn’t be a problem, but we are scheduled to fly in the day before the cruise into Orlando. Honestly I feel she may have not known what to say to me.

It's probably a moot point now, but I'm on the August 1st sailing on the Magic, going to Florida a week early, and our hotel e-mailed me to confirm that I was not from NY, NJ, or CT and stated that if I had a drivers license from either of those states I would not be permitted to check in.  That would be not be a Carnival problem though, that would be a you problem, so you'd have to check with your hotel and see if they'd even let you check in.  

On 6/15/2020 at 10:29 PM, setsail1975 said:

 

I’ve seen that you are handed a mandatory self isolation form upon arriving at the airport in MCO. Basically saying you will self isolate for the duration of your trip into Florida for at least 14 days or the duration of your stay if less than 14 by signing the form and not abiding , you can be fined or jailed. If this mandate is lifted by our sailing then we will be fine, but if not has anyone heard how Carnival is handling this? Will we be exempt from cancellation penalties from Carnival?

You'd be breaking Florida policy, not Carnival policy.  the mandate is not lifted, but because you'd be boarding the ship, and CCL is not Florida, therefore it's not held to Florida's policy.  If you get "caught" and fined, that would be on you.  I don't think CCL would allow you to be exempt BUT they should allow you to cancel if that's the case, but I'm not queen of the world so I can't make them do the right thing.  I also don't think they're really fining people.  

On 6/15/2020 at 10:29 PM, setsail1975 said:

On top of it according to my employer they are telling me if I travel out of the country via cruising I may be subject to self quarantine for 14 days on my return, which is a whole other issue. Cause I’m not approved for those additional 2 weeks off, even though they are telling me I have to.....I’m just curious if anyone else from the Tri state area has inquired to Carnival and maybe have heard something different that I may not have? This is becoming more of a hassle then it’s worth and even though I booked this week back in December, I regret making my final payment in May.

I work for a major city, and as part of the CARES Act your employer is REQUIRED to give you two weeks off for quarantine if you believe you may have been exposed. So what you would do, when you return home, you inform your employer that you could have been exposed and will be taking two weeks paid time as required through the CARES Act, with that mandate in place until December 31, 2020. 

On 5/28/2020 at 1:59 PM, tybrkr17 said:

Hey Cruisers - especially cruisers who have sailed on the Spirit class ships - I need your help!

I love the Spirit Class!

On 5/28/2020 at 1:59 PM, tybrkr17 said:

I am set to sail on the Carnival Legend (Spirit class ship) next year on my longest cruise to date - 9 Night England/Scotland/Ireland cruise. This will be my 9th cruise and I always book an interior cabin. I am the type of cruiser where I like to spend the minimum amount on a cabin and use the rest elsewhere since I am normally never in my cabin (Drinks, casino, excursions, etc). So when I booked this cruise (before the pandemic happened), I booked an interior room in hopes of maybe getting an upgrade offer down the road possibly. If the offer came, great! - if it didn't, it didn't matter to me since I am used to cruising in an interior cabins anyways. 

Makes sense

On 5/28/2020 at 1:59 PM, tybrkr17 said:

Due to COVID19, a few of my cruises this year and other non-cruise vacations have been cancelled or postponed and I now have more money in my vacation money bucket than expected. With this cruise being the longest cruise I have taken so far - I want to "splurge" on my cabin and finally upgrade to something other than an interior or ocean view.

A very good idea; splurge.  

On 5/28/2020 at 1:59 PM, tybrkr17 said:

So before I upgrade I need the following advice/info:

 

1). Normal balcony or extended balcony?  Or is a suite worth the price? (I am still Gold with Carnival, so I do not have platinum/diamond perks yet.)

My favorite suites are the ones on the Spirit class. the ones at the back of the ship next to the wrap arounds are my absolute favorite.  You get the gentle lull and I can spend hours dozing and reading on the balcony.  If you didn't want to splurge on the suite, a regular balcony is just as good as the extended balcony.  Honestly, we always cruise in suites, and the perks really aren't worth it (although, having the option to chose what time dining we want is great, and I do enjoy that).  

On 5/28/2020 at 1:59 PM, tybrkr17 said:

2.) Which deck do you prefer? (I do not mind stairs or walking long distances. I rarely take the elevator anyways so I don't need to be by one.)

We have cruised on deck 5, 6, and 8.  I think they're all okay, although I do try and book rooms that are sandwiched between cabin decks, so sticking with 5, 6, and 7 are all good.  

On 5/28/2020 at 1:59 PM, tybrkr17 said:

3.) Port? Starboard? Aft?

I love aft on the spirit class ships; but forward and aft can be choppy in rough seas so if you're prone to seasickness, go with midship.  

On 5/28/2020 at 1:59 PM, tybrkr17 said:

4.) Any specific cabin category or specific balcony room you have stayed in and loved?

 

Thanks you all 😎

 

 

On 5/12/2020 at 11:49 AM, NavyCruiser said:

Just went to Carnival & other booking sites to see availability of balcony cabins & price difference if we want to upgrade from our current interior cabin for our upcoming late Aug cruise.

It shows the difference of only $115 pp between interior & balcony.  Great price, so I called Carnival.  They said the price difference to upgrade is $350 pp. Since we booked using VIFP Past Passenger discount, that's the price difference.   Even asked if other discounts (Military, Senior, AAA, AARP, etc...) were any better, they said VIFP was the lowest.

For reasons I don't understand VIFP offers change depending on how you booked etc... I have found if you have a TA with a good relationship with someone at Carnival you can get things done--usually.  I was trying to upgrade my sister from an OV to a balcony before they cancelled the Bermuda cruises, and because of the fare she booked, certain rooms weren't available, and the cost to upgrade into the available categories for that fare was double what the website showed. It was weird.  Very weird.  

On 5/12/2020 at 11:49 AM, NavyCruiser said:

Prices are much higher than when we booked back in March, when we were notified that our May booking was cancelled, otherwise we would cancel & rebook if pricing was the same, to get the less upgrade pricing for balcony.

Our cruise for Aug. 1 on the Magic is more than $1500 more than it was when we booked in April.

On 5/12/2020 at 11:49 AM, NavyCruiser said:

Don't get these pricing games...

It's all supply and demand.  It's an interesting economics game for sure; with bookings up the way they are, CCL can ask for whatever they want, and get it.  

On 5/9/2020 at 2:22 PM, taegan said:

Booked on the Horizon Nov 2021 when I look for it in excursions it doesn't show up. Could it be sold out already or do you have to wait til a little closer to book?

I've never booked a CCL cruise that far out, but I have booked cruises on other lines that far out, and there were VERY few excursions (like less than 10) until about a year in advance and then they all populated for booking. I'm guessing because 11/21 is so far away that's why.  

1 hour ago, grandmarnnurse said:

Ok. I went back and reread your earlier posts, and now I know about the concussion. I know exactly how you feel, as I flew to Florida one month after my concussion, and it felt like sensory overload. And my anxiety was also off the chart. At one point my Dr suggested antidepressants, but I refused, and as I said, all is well now. It sounds like you had a pretty damn serious injury. Praying for a full recovery for you. Also, concerning your hotel in Ft Lauderdale. We have stayed at the Renaissance Hotel twice (2014 & 2015) and very good experience there. No problems at all. We actually stayed at the Hilton Marina years ago (2002) when it was a Marriott. We enjoyed our stay there as well, and dining al fresco in the evening. 

It was totally my fault... it myself in the face doing a thruster and then rebounded off the wall behind me.  It really was a wild experience; the next day I went to work thinking I was fine, I just felt a little off.  But even this weekend I was with family and my eyes were going wild.  I hope it doesn't take a full year for this post concussive syndrome stuff to resolve.  We have big things happening this year (Japan this summer for 3 weeks!!), and I really would love to go back to feeling like "me" again.  You're probably one of the few people I have spoken with who even understands when I say that--so few adults seem to have gone through this.  I am really glad that you're doing better, and at least you have a story to tell about literally knocking yourself into retirement! 

I really wanted to stay at the Renaissance--they're our favorite hotel brand in Europe (the one in Paris at the Trocadero is my favorite hotel ❤️) but the reviews were so bad when it came to the service and people complaining about bugs it scared me.  We haven't stayed in a Renaissance in the US, and for the price (about 80$ more than the Hilton) I was worried that I would be unhappy.  

I'm having some technical difficulties with our new printer and figuring out how to get the scanned images to my laptop.  I'll end up taking them to work with me and scanning them there.  

So we've unpacked, talked about power strips, let's talk about Carnival Hub before moving onwards to dinner.

Carnival Hub.  $5.  Text messaging and digital version of the Fun Times.  You can select what you would like to do each day by tapping on the little heart, and then you'll even get an alert 15 minutes before hand that your event is coming up.  This was really the only way I would have ever made it to a single bingo game.  

For $5 you also get the luxury of harassing your offspring.  We've done a lot of cruises, and maybe it's foolish but I don't keep count I just count my lucky stars that we are able to vacation the way that we do.  This is the first cruise where my kiddo has really been old enough to go out on her own for more than an hour or two.  As she's aged through each of the age groups (Camp Carnival--now called Camp Ocean, Circle C, and now O2), there have been cruises she has LOVED to do the kids stuff, and cruises where she is my best friend, and she sticks with me, usually playing on her phone. 

Knowing that I wasn't going to be doing a whole lot on the Lido with all the people and the noise (not to mention the light, which my eyes still don't love), I really wanted her to find people her own age and make some friends.  I managed to get her to go to O2, I made her promise to stick it out for "one entire hour" and if she hated it, she didn't have to go back.  I don't think she was even there 15 minutes before she found a few girls and a boy to hang out with (yes, the first time my little girl has hung out with a boy and my heart did break a little bit).  

This is where it gets fun. Being the neurotic Jewish mother that I am,  with the added in concussion anxiety, I imagine every terrible thing that could possibly happen.  It's my superpower, or maybe, this is just my origin story.  So, you spend that $5 for the Hub App, and you make your kid spend that $5 for the Hub app, and then YOU GET TO STALK THEM THE ENTIRE CRUISE.  No joke.

There seemed to be some confusion with the app.  It's simple.  Here's a few ways to use it (and when not to): When you embark, if you want to still be able to talk to people land-side, don't use it yet and make sure you turn off Wi-Fi. Wait until you are sailed away, then put your phone in airplane mode, turn on Wi-Fi, open the app, and buy.  When you embark, if you immediately go into vacation mode, then put your phone in airplane mode, turn on Wi-Fi, open the app, and buy.  When you are in port, if you want to be able to use your phone and connect to the local cellular service, you have to actually turn off the Wi-Fi (ridiculous I know, but you can't have cellular and be on the Magic_WiFi), and then go through your settings and connect to whatever local service there is.  Then, when you leave, put airplane mode back on and turn on the Wi-Fi.   Two main steps: Turn on airplane mode, Turn on Wi-Fi to use the Hub App.  To use cellular/data: Turn off airplane mode, Turn off Wi-Fi to disconnect from the ship's Wi-Fi.  

Alright.  So, you've bought the app, and you've set your kid(s) loose on the Carnivallians.  It's no longer just good riddance.  And no longer do you have to use the annoying walkie-talkies.  Now, you just open the app, and text your child.  It even tells you when they have seen it--with a timestamp.  The rule with my kiddo was, when you leave one location (ie: O2) and go to another location (ie: lido/pizza/cafe) you text me; and then, when you leave that location and go elsewhere, you tell me where you're off to.  And when you ignore my texts, I make hilarious threats to show up at O2 dressed in my favorite ratty sweat pants and comfy "oy to the world" ugly sweater to make sure you're alive.  

It's so much fun.  It's just like being at home, except they're never more than 1000 feet or so away from you.  #technologyisfun

So.  Now you've got the Hub App squared away.  The app will also tell you what's for dinner (although, it never actually told me the main dishes, just the appetizers, the desserts, and then the local dish specialties).  You can see what food spots are open, and what their menus are.  I'm not a huge seafood eater, as in, I don't eat seafood, and I don't eat wings with bones, and I'm not a huge beer drinker, so I didn't really hang out in Red Frog, but the menu was cheap (nothing more than $6) and people seemed to love that food.  I also didn't stop for BBQ.  Maybe I'm a failure.  Blame it on the brain.

We headed to dinner, and were relieved that everyone was dressed super casual, so we fit right in.  We were about to have an experience that would probably piss some people off.  But, like I said, I really was just grateful we were on vacation, I was ALSO super grateful that we were able to have our late seating moved to early seating, soooooo yeah.  I wasn't going to blow a gasket. 

Dining.  We have done Anytime Dining in the past (on the Magic) and it was great, we were with my parents, and one of my sisters, her husband, and their then like 18-month old (they now have triplets and are never going on vacation ever again hahahahaha--just kidding.  We all went to the OBX this summer).  We were able to eat at the same time, same table, with the same wait team every night. It was awesome.  Now, you have the added benefit of being able to select in the app that you'd like to dine, and then usually by the time you're at the Northern Lights Dining Room your table was ready.  

Well.  We didn't get anytime dining.  When I booked, super late in the middle of the night back in May, only late dining (8:15) was available.  Well, back then my brain wasn't broken, and I didn't really care because I knew the ship was close to full and it's vacation.  Once before on another line we had late dining, and we were just fine, just didn't stay up super late after dinner.  Well.  After I conked myself in the head and broke my poor brain it was weeks before I was even able to keep my eyes open until 9 (and really, only until this week that I've been able to make it up 11pm--even on the cruise I was in bed by 10:30, and dead to the world by 10:31, kiddo would bring pizza and ice cream and I'd wake up to eat it and pass right back out).  So, there was a huge amount of anxiety about dining so late.  Having a suite and FTTF should have ensured my dining choice, BUT I knew it was Christmas, and packed (and eventually sold out) so I also knew that I may be out of luck.  I contacted John Heald, and the maite'd onboard and when we boarded and got our S&S cards saw that we had been moved to early dining.  

So, we were in the Southern Lights Dining room, table 639, table for two.  I hate tables for two, but I know other people love them.  But, this is where our experience became quite un-Carnival like.  Never have we felt anything less than loved by our waitstaff.  We are thoughtful diners, we know they are busy so we don't bother them with the nonsensical chit chat that slows them down when they are trying to give service to many tables all at once.  We also are polite and kind, and have lots of experience doing the whole fine dining thing, so really, I think we're pretty close to the perfect patron to serve.  We totally don't care if you forget about us, just make sure we have water and bread and life is good.  

Being just myself and the kiddo, and being absurdly tired and fighting a ridiculous head cold (along with half the ship), the dinner conversation wasn't all that exciting, particularly because my ears were clogged and I could barely hear.  Kiddo has also made friends and was desperate to get back to them.  So we ate pretty quick and were done by 7:05.  The service also was very cold; one of our servers, whose name I don't remember, but was from Nigeria, almost seemed bothered by us.  I was understanding though, they had two tables of ten--that were a single family, and then several four tops, and growing up in the food industry I know that is a lot.  Like I said, you can forget about us so long as we have water (which we did) and bread (which we did), but he was quite cold.  I made a mental note to speak with the maite'd the next day after dinner if the service was so brusque.  Turns out, the next night he didn't even acknowledge us, and the other server, who was slightly more warm and personable, served us largely with a smile for the next seven nights, seeing the gentleman from Nigeria no more than once a night when he delivered our bread.  It was very not Carnival-like.  

So we finished around 7:05, and as we were leaving were asked by several wait staff if we were okay, and then the assistant maite'd accosted us to make sure that we were okay.  She was a very nice young lady who was so genuinely upset about our early departure I almost went back and sat down; she asked us about our food, about our service, and was just like, "no one ever leaves so early," so moral of the story?  Talk to your kid more.  Eat slower.  Savor your wine.

OH!  I forget. I bought the 3 wine package; which was 100% cheaper to have bought the 3 bottles I drank on their own and not as part of the package.  As you can see, I'm winning with these packages.  The rose is the kathy lee gifford version, and I'm probably too spoiled by my time in Paris to enjoy anything but decent rose. The Barefoot Sparkling was good and something that is much more palatable.  I don't enjoy reds, so I didn't get a bottle, and I know, that's a shame when it comes to the steakhouse. 

Alright.  So we ate, we offended the assistant maite'd leaving dinner too early, and then the kiddo went off to find her friends (that Hub app made that so easy), and I went to bed.  I was a little disappointed that our room steward hadn't done up our room yet, but I also was way too tired to really give a darn about it.  He came rushing to me though, and was so apologetic, he offered to do the room right then, but I told him it was fine.  He introduced himself for real this time, and I asked him to hold on one second so I could grab something for him.

To add another tangent to my tangent-filled story telling here, a story.  One of my closest friends on this earth I met while on a HAL cruise to Alaska.  He was our assistant room steward, and him and our steward were two of the most amazing humans.  I had an issue with the sofa bed--it was terrible and we were in their Neptune Suite, and paid a lot of money to be there and I was not handling it well (as in, I was being mean and I am not mean).  They moved heaven and earth to make the bed comfortable, getting some plywood to put under the mattress because I could feel the frame under it (it was like your old school pullout sofa), and then a bunch of egg crates above and below the mattress, and then extra linens.  This was admittedly not my finest hour, but it certainly was theirs.  About two months after the cruise the assistant steward would find me on social media, and we struck up a friendship.  And we have been super close ever since.  That was in 2013.  

Alright... so, something I have always done is give the room stewards a little extra cash to start, and then more at the end.  I know that their work is very hard, I know that their way, while adequate, is probably not enough, and I know that they are likely sending most of that money home to their families so they can send their kids to school or make sure their families have a roof over their head.  This also has likely been some of the reason why the service we get is so absurdly wonderful.  So yeah, I had two Christmas cards for our room steward team, and stuck some extra cash in there and a little note thanking them for their hard work and letting them know we appreciate them and the work they do to make sure our vacation is great.  

So I give Marut the envelopes, and ask him to please just forget our room for the evening, that I wasn't feeling so hot, and I was going to bed. I took an insanely hot and wonderful bath with a book (a huge deal considering reading was not that long ago impossible) and was dead to the world by 8:30pm.  

Kiddo has a midnight curfew.  She arrived at 12:15 with pizza and ice cream.  We ate, I went back to sleep, and in the morning, we had a conversation that while the pizza and ice cream was great, midnight means 12:00 and not quarter past.  

And with that.  Day 1 was survived.  And I didn't quite die in the twin bed.  Not yet at least.

8 hours ago, pe4all said:

I think they play the theme to "the love boat!"

AHHHHHHH.... 

that makes so much sense. and makes me love it even more.

On 1/3/2020 at 12:51 PM, mom23guys said:

We are taking a short cruise on Carnival Liberty. How is getting off the ship in Port Canaveral. We are in an Ocean Suite if that makes a difference. Haven't taken a Carnival cruise in years.

You'll have luggage tags for group 2 because you're in a suite.  We just got off the ship in FLL, and they did a good job controlling how many people got off at once so there was no logjam. 

On 1/2/2020 at 11:38 PM, petuniaflower said:

Is it "normal" or typical for an agent to say (for a last minute fairly cheap cruise) that the price he quoted (which is the same as Im getting on Carnival site) is the best he can do because its already very reduced.  So he is offering the same price as I am getting online, with no OBC.

 

Just wondering if this is normal, as I have not experienced it..

 

Thx

Yes that is normal.  Not all TAs have access to extra perks like OBC for every cruise... more often than not my TA gets me OBC, but not every time.  The difference is, with a TA they work for you, so if there's an issue, they're more inclined to solve it because they want you to return.  The PVP works for the person who cuts their checks--the cruise line, so they are more inclined to err on the side of their paycheck. 

I've booked cruises 3 ways, local travel agent, major travel company, and Carnival and the only experience I would ever want twice is with my local travel agent.  I will never, ever book with the major travel company ever again, and my experience with a PVP was so horrid that I cancelled the cruise before final payment because everything was a fight--even getting a price adjustment, which my TA does without question.  

Oh, I guess one more thought.  The newish/newer ships all make you put in a card of some type to have the electricity.  We see this a lot in Europe, but not in most American hotels... it seems to trip up people... I just stuck my monthly train pass in there, and just remembered not to waste electricity and turned off my own lights. 

I'm working on scanning in the Fun Times.  I want to attach them as I go through the days.  Tomorrow there will be more!  I'm happy so many people are enjoying this.  I imagine that I'm an okay story teller, I just wish I had taken more photos.

With that said, here are a few more that I did actually take !

This was a message waiting for us for when we got into our stateroom! 

The kiddo and I are Jewish, but we (as in me) love Christmas.  My sister was awesome enough to let me borrow some Christmas decorations.  There was a lot of confusion and debate about what you can and cannot bring onto the ship.  Carnival's rules are pretty clear, but then again, there did not seem to be any real following of the rules pertaining to decorations.  I saw tons of doors decorated held up by tape directly onto the door (supposed to be a big no no), lots of battery operated fairy lights on doors (also a no no, we also had two small strings of them), etc. etc. etc.

You can kind of get an idea of what the suite looks like too, just look into the mirror.  The four water bottles were actually ours, and should not have had the price tag on them--each person in the suite gets one, and then you get one for being gold VIFP.  They were dusty, I also bought a ton of smaller bottles, so we didn't need them.  

As you can see, I got stuck with twin beds.  This was a nightmare.  Carnival has done a great job forcing you to book rooms only of your occupancy... so I was completely not able to get a room that held 3 people, instead I was stuck with rooms that did not have a sleeper sofa.  Which I totally get--because Carnival is a business out to make money.  But, when you're the parent, and you've paid for your vacation, the last thing you want to do is sleep in a twin sized bed.  This bed was really the worst part of the entire trip (and let's be real, is that really all that bad?  No.  But still, later on I'll give all you a few good laughs at my expense because of that bed).  We have been cruising NCL more recently (and have two cruises booked on them for this upcoming year) and this is really something that puts NCL slightly ahead of Carnival--they allow you to reserve a room for two people in rooms meant for three.  I should also note, if you book with a travel agent, as I typically do (totally all about supporting women-owned small, local businesses!), they usually can book you in a room for three.  I booked this cruise literally in the middle of the night on a major travel agency website that's a triple vowel, and while I entirely regretted the experience and will never use them again, it was my own fault, and no one elses, that I ended up in a twin bed for 8 nights.

Outlets.  In the third photo you get a good shot of exactly one half of all the plugs--in the entire room.  This is something that took Carnival a really long time to catch up on.  Their more recent ships have USB and outlets by the beds... but on the dear ole' Magic in a non-suite stateroom, you get exactly two plugs, in a suite you get four, two as seen in the photo, and two in the dressing room.  I ended up using my Mac to charge my phone overnight so the kiddo could charge her devices in the plugs (and it kept her off her phone before bed... mom win!).  

Seriously though.  Get a power strip.  I had a crazy weekend before leaving, and didn't do the best job packing (thanks concussion and my crazy life), and left our power strip at home (I love ours because it came with a ton of international adaptors and has a bunch of USB ports as well).  It was annoying not to have it, but really, we survived just fine.  

So... we've gotten into our room... we've unpacked... we've done muster... tomorrow I will scan in the Fun Times... and then we'll be that much closer to The Best Day Ever.  And there are photos.  Lots of them.  Until then, it was about this time that housekeeping/room service (not sure which, but I think housekeeping) brought us the three dozen bottles of water I pre-bought.  I bought a soda card as well for myself and the kiddo, and drank all but 4 bottles of water and exactly 8 sodas---all in the last 2 days, because yeah.  I realized I totally wasted a ton of money. 

3 hours ago, afergvip said:

Thanks so much for the info!! We did book a Cove Balcony - only because I had one on the Breeze and LOVED it! I can't really be in the sun unless I'm in water or shade. I get very sick quickly in the sun so my thought was I could sit on the balcony even in the heat of the day and still have an abundance of shade with the cove balcony. Maybe I should re-think that and move up??? Not sure what to do on that one - but LOVING your review so far! 

I'm pretty pale, and do my best to stay out of direct sun because skin cancer.  There was some sun on our balcony, but without sunscreen I did not get any color, but we also were getting ready for dinner/at dinner during the sunset and slept through sunrise, so really weren't ever out on the balcony when the sun had a direct path to my skin.  I sat outside for hours at a time, it was so nice and hot, but still somewhat shady.  This was also weak winter sun (which was still pretty strong).  From the other social media page for our sail page, people on decks 10/11/12 said they noticed smells and a few people on deck 2 said they noticed smells.  For full honestly, I never went in the room hallways that high, and was only down on deck 2 once, and noticed nothing then.  

Getting onboard.  

Time to get on this ship.  They called Diamond, Platinum, and then Suites, and it was time for us to get onto our ship for the next eight nights.  As we walked around the upper level towards the walkway on, there was a table set up selling inexpensive lanyards (I think they were $2) but we don't use them, so we didn't get one.  Although, I think next time, I will insist the child wear one instead of putting her S&S into her phone case.  She didn't lose it, but she did leave it in the stateroom more than once.

Alright, so you look around, passing the table with the lanyards, and then you are a short walk to the gangway.  This was probably the most difficult part of the morning for my brain; the walkway is very steep.  This is something I don't think I have ever thought about, but for a person with a mobility issue (or a concussion) this could be a very difficult, if not entirely limiting thing.  The kiddo went ahead of me, and the people behind me had a toddler and a baby in a stroller, so no one was rushing me, but my eyes really struggled with the steepness of the walkway, and it took about twice as long as usual to get up onto the ship.  But we made it.  And it was crazy for the ship to be so quiet.

Even though we cruise in suites often on Carnival, we have never been on the ship so "early" and getting on, we were probably the 50th or so person, which was insane.  We were able to hop right from deck 3 to deck 7 to drop our bags (we also had faster to the fun).  Remember how I said nothing really bothered me?  Well, here's something that didn't bother me, but might really piss someone else off.  We had FTTF, so in theory our stateroom (ocean suite, 7335 mid/aft-ish, close to the elevators, great location) should have been ready.  It wasn't.  Everything was clean, but the beds were still pushed together and not made.  For the two people who don't know what FTTF is, basically, you pay $99 for the privilege to board after the suites do, and your stateroom is ready for you when you get on, and you get quicker luggage delivery.  Our room wasn't ready, but whatever, we're on vacation.  I was able to put our backpacks and snack bag into a closet and our steward closed the door so no one but him could get in. 

We also were able to grab our keys, which were in a sealed envelop in the mailbox.  If you don't have FTTF and follow the rules, you just use your boarding pass which has the information that they need to charge you for purchases.  We took our keys, and went up to Lido to find food.  It was about noon, and the ship was still incredibly empty.  I went right to the Mongolian Wok, my favorite, and there was no line (this would be the only time this is true).  The kiddo wasn't hungry, and we didn't go crazy on the junk food like we typically do during our first meal on board. 

By this point it was about 12:30, and we went back to the room, which was completely done and ready for us at this point.  I know there has been a lot of talk everywhere about the smells on board the Magic.  I did not experience this at all, any of the times that we have been on the Magic, but, at this point, I did think we had encountered our first experience with the dreaded smell.  The bathroom had a weird, not quite sewage-y, rank to it.  Almost like dirty cleaner, which was a gross thought, but everything was clean.  I was really worried, but it wasn't overwhelming, and I figured that was possibly an issue for later on.  In reality, by dinnertime, the smell was completely gone, and I had totally forgotten about it until I read comments above about it.  

Our luggage arrived around 1:30/2:00, until that came I sat outside on the balcony with my eyes closed, just enjoying the weather.  It did look like it was a bit rainy, but the balcony was protected enough where it wasn't raining on me.  The kiddo managed to drag the bags into the room, and the unpacking began.  By this point, we had been living in suitcases for three nights, and I was 100% over it, and ready to not see a suitcase for days.  So we unpacked, and I realized that I did not have any dryer sheets and a plastic trash bag for our dirty clothes (basically, I put the trash bag into the carry on size suitcase, with a bunch of lavender dryer sheets, and then the dirty clothes don't rank up the suitcase, and I can be a little less dramatic when I finally do the laundry once at home).  Oh well.  I put a suitcase half open to act as our hamper next to the sofa behind the end table there, out of the way.  

It was great to be totally unpacked, with lunch, and having taken a little rest before the muster drill, which started a bit late.  Muster was pretty much the same as it always is, we were in the Northern Lights Dining Room, Deck 3, getting there was a little chaotic, but I think there were a huge amount of first time cruisers, so understandable.  We found a table with a kind gentleman.  It's great we don't have to bring life jackets.  So much easier to not have to line up on deck wearing them.  After muster I went up to the Lido Deck, got a drink from Blue Iguana (that was amazing), and then kiddo and I headed back to the room to chill a bit (ie: talk to my parents, say goodbye, she could text her friends) before leaving.  I had assumed that because we all had to be onboard by 3, we would be the first of the six or seven ships in port to leave.  We were the second, if you're into the blowing of the horns, I caught the end of the Princess ship's horn which was fun.  The video is attached below.  

Something that was pretty cool during the muster drill was the fact they now have a "special needs" section.  I don't know if this was the official name, but after muster, I was going through all the papers in the cabin, and there was information about how the Magic is now a sensory certified ship.  Inclusion is something that is really meaningful to me, my little brother is developmentally disabled, and seeing the extra length that cruise company's are willing to go to be more inclusive is really great.  There were a few kiddos in wheelchairs, and lots of differently abled kiddos and adults, and it was really good to see Carnival going the extra distance to make sure that everyone has a similar experience.  It was also great to see the sign language interpreters at the shows and during the Muster.  

25 minutes ago, five. said:

Thank you for the review and I am so glad that you were able to go on the cruise and the concussion wasn't worse. Just as I get older, the changes in my brain are scary. It would be even scary to happen all at once from a TBI. Glad that things are on looking up for you.

I was really, really lucky to have a medical team that got me into the right specialists right away.  3x a week of vestibular therapy and then once a week with a vision specialists to force my eyes and ears to work together appropriately.  I also didn't buy insurance for this cruise, so we really were going no matter what.  But, I think I probably had a better time than I ever thought possible just because it was so up in the air for so many weeks.  

25 minutes ago, five. said:

And the magic is my favorite as well! What was the actual cabin number you were in? Only $600 more for a suite sounds amazing.

We were in 7335, and I LOVED the room, the location, and the fact that it wasn't too close to the hot tubs on deck 5, which was a big concern (when we have cruised on the Magic previously, we have been on deck 8, but closer to the hot tubs which would get loud and made reading on the balcony less than fun).  There were only two balcony's left that held two people, the cove and the OS, so I went with the OS.  It was still a pretty expensive trip... we're doing a cruise around Japan next summer, and this cruise was only about $1000 less... Christmas is not cheap.  

2 hours ago, afergvip said:

Following - we are going on the Magic for 8 days in June. So excited! Some reviews speak of horrible smells. Did you have much of that? 

I noticed no smells the entire time other than some funk in our bathroom.  I also never smelled anything the other times we have been on the Magic.  I do know a lot of people complain about it on the lower decks, we have only ever stayed on decks 7 and 8.  I will say this time, on the first day, the bathroom had a weird smell, like heavy cleaner that wasn't exactly clean, but by the end of the evening, the smell was gone, and it didn't bother me.  I took a deviation to the second deck accidentally and noticed nothing.  In the page on that other social network people were complaining about terrible smells, I just never experienced it myself.