Tradestock

I am interested in the perceived benefits of the cabanas. We are currently booked in an aft verandah and stay up late at night, so do not see much benefit to the cabanas. On a future cruise, we are booked into an interior stateroom. We are wondering if renting a cabana is a better option than upgrading to a balcony. Interested in opinions, good and bad, and hearing about service perks, hours, etc. Thank you for sharing the price list.

I think there are some glitches in the Navigator app. It appears that my February 2024 cruise itinerary is mixing with the December 2023 cruise. As an example, our stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico has an itinerary for disembark and all aboard for Ocho Rios. The link HRH DHD posted shows two ships in port at St. Thomas for the day and both will be docked at WICO, no tender involved. Additionally, the St. Thomas port shows the ship departing at 4:00 and the last tender at 4:30.

Thank you to everyone for the information. I was not expecting a tender ride...a good surprise. We are scheduled for a late morning excursion with HAL and my knee jerk reaction was to re-schedule for something else. The more I thought about it, I think I will leave it as is. Since it is a HAL excursion, I'm sure I'll make it back. On the other hand, I am a very good swimmer and it could be a whole new twist to dock running.😁

I have cruised to St. Thomas before and the ship docked at the pier. The itinerary on the Navigator App shows Last Tender Departs from the Pier at 4:30 p.m. for St. Thomas. Is this port both a docking and tendering port? I tried to check the itinerary on the HAL website but the cruise is sold out, so cannot view the information. Also, if it is a tender port what has your experience been on the return to the ship...long lines, quick and easy, etc.?

Thank you for the informative replies.

We will be cruising with HAL over Christmas Eve and Christmas. The tentative schedule on the Navigator App shows a Midnight Mass. Is this a Catholic Mass with a priest or a non-denominational service?

The planning for the attire is more important. I like to know if I need two elegant dresses or three, before I board the ship. For us, NYE falls on a port day, too. New Year's Day is the sea day. I have no control over the dining menu, so I don't worry about it.

DH and I suspect at least one couple has created a new child on board. A minimum of eighteen years of expense and a lifetime commitment far outweighs the expenditures mentioned to this point. We hope the child wasn't named Funship Freddy.😁

The King of Staten Island

Sounds like a great deal for me!! Just kidding. I'm not sure how well giant slide would be received by neighbors and zoning. Maybe if I offered one free ride?🤪

I suspect whatever is left on the ship when it is beached becomes the property of the breakers. I wasn't thinking about the mattresses, but now I know where some of my hotel stays obtained them. 🤫 I had my eye on the oversized water slide. 😁

I think this is a good idea and agree it could by very profitable. I'm surprised the ship boneyard doesn't do this. Or, maybe it does and I don't know about it.😄

Just a guess, the Ecstasy might be fully depreciated for tax purposes (30 years). It might be more financially advantageous for Carnival to retire/sell the older ships and continue to upgrade/up-size the fleet. Too bad the auction was not taking place during our final cruise, I would have submitted bids on a few items.

Thank you.

For our upcoming cruise, my husband and I plan on parking at the Port Everglades pier. I looked on the HAL website and it indicates terminal 18 or 29 is used. I looked at our old boarding passes to find the terminal assignment from our previous cruise, but cannot locate it. Where on the HAL documents will I find the terminal assignment, so I know where to park on the day of embarkation?

My husband and I agree with this statement. We just returned this morning from a 5 day/4 day B2B on this ship and she was in great shape. I did not hear the official numbers for the 5 day but it appeared to be fully booked. DH heard the capacity was 2200 for the 4 day. The pictures @mz-s posted could have easily been taken today.

Good suggestions. My DH might get a cut, too, especially if his hair is longer than a 1/4 inch. If it exceeds that length, he swears it might bother his eyes. 🤪

Thank you to everyone for your kind replies. I am looking forward to the original appointment and am considering making an additional hair appointment on a different cruise.

I have scheduled a shampoo, cut and style dry through spa services. Will this be a high pressure sales experience, or will an exchange of polite pleasantries occur with little to no mention of the need for magical cures and elixirs? Does the style include hair up or just a blow out?

My impression is the gift cards are not available on the HAL ships. I typically purchase most, if not all, of the packages and excursions, in advance of the trip. I have delayed purchasing wine packages, gratuities, laundry packages, and a few other items until I arrive on the ship to utilize the OBC. I cancelled most of our excursions and planned on re-booking on the ship, but chose to re-buy the most desirable excursions, in case they sell out. Also, I am not very keen on standing in a line on vacation. I try to have administrative tasks completed before vacation. Fortunately, this is a very desirable situation to solve.🙂 I hope you enjoy your upcoming cruise.

Thank you for posting the link. I like the tool because it greatly simplifies the boarding requirements for each cruise.

Southwest fares are only posted until April, 2023, as of today. My husband and I had to book a flight one way, and it was more cost effective to book a few days later and stay in a hotel than pay for the exact day we wanted. Also be prepared to be an early riser to get a seat at an economical price on the day Southwest releases the new calendar of flights. I stayed up overnight thinking the new schedule would be released at 5 am. It was not. I booked at 7 am CST, after a 1 hour nap that turned into 2 hours.🙃 By the afternoon, the flight prices were up $50.00 per person. I might be able to re-fare in the future, but if not, I received the best deal possible. JetBlue, Alaska Air and some others might have their schedules out this far in advance, but am not sure. Long and short of this long winded post, stay flexible and enjoy planning your upcoming cruise.😄

I don't think the immediate upload works on all the machines. I recently sat down at a machine and played a hand. I then realized the amount on the machine was not the same as the amount I should have had on my card. I hadn't uploaded my money. It took a casino host to zero out the machine so I could play with my own money. I don't know if the player before me ever received the balance of their money they left on the machine or not. I do know I lost a hand on their behalf. 😜

Thank you..too easy.

I understand your concerns and am watching the upcoming Italy cruises that she is scheduled to begin on Sept 24, 2022. She is scheduled to arrive in the US on Nov 19, 2022. I am hopeful all goes according to schedule, but would watch these cruises as an indicator of unscheduled events in the pipeline. I was very interested in the South America cruise, but chose not to pursue it due to other factors. Instead, I chose the shorter cruise before the Grand South America. I wish you the best on your upcoming voyage, if you choose to pursue it.