nwcruiselover

That is true about certain third party insurers waiving pre-existing conditions. The only caveat is that the person who is to be insured needs to be medically able to travel on the date the insurance is purchased.

Nwcruiselover is now Nancy & Vince. Thank you for making this list.

The secret decks are at the front of decks 6, 7, 9 and 10.

Yes, it’s Asian fusion.

I haven’t been on a cruise where property damage has happened, but lately there seems to be more kids than ever on cruises, seemingly left to do as they please with no parental supervision. What bothers me the most is kids running at top speed through the ship with no regard to people using walkers and canes or on scooters. I haven’t seen anyone actually get hurt, but it’s very disturbing to see this happen. I wish the cruise line staff would address these issues.

I had exactly the same experience boarding Panorama in January. They had time-specific lines for entering the terminal, and they were adhered to without regard to FTTF status. Once inside, there were priority lines, then after check-in Diamond and Platinum went into the Captain’s Lounge to wait for boarding. FTTF area was right outside the Captain’s Lounge. They called Diamond first. Since I’m Diamond I didn’t hear the order of boarding past Diamond. So it’s not everywhere that Diamonds/Platinums can ignore their arrival time and arrive anytime they want.

No, it doesn’t require testing or vaccination.

I have stayed in them, as recently as January on Panorama. The one thing I miss is having a couch. Most of them don’t have a couch.

One more thing about “Rhythms of the Night” is that on the boat ride over to the island, we saw whales. There wasn’t time to stop very long like on a whale watching tour, but the boat captain did slow down a bit so people could get pictures.

I highly recommend the “Rhythms of the Night” excursion in Puerto Vallarta. It’s pricey at $159.99 per person, but it includes a one hour (each way) boat ride to a private island, with open bar. Also a good meal, again with open bar, and a Cirque de Soleil-style show. It’s well worth the price.

I was on the Panorama B2B in January, and I didn’t notice the soot. I wasn’t in the Havana area though—LOL. I quite enjoyed the Seafood Shack and ate dinner there 3 times on the second cruise. That being said, I liked The Big Chicken on Celebration and wouldn’t mind having it on Panorama. I ate at JiJi’s for dinner and it was wonderful. Same with steakhouse and Cucina. Bonsai Teppanyaki was excellent as always. I didn’t find the ship to have a crowded feel, but it was necessary to get to the comedy club very early to get a seat. The main theater usually had decent seats available 10-15 minutes before the show. I really enjoyed the Panorama and she’s one of my favorite ships.

Potstickers and Kung Pao Chicken.

Same thing happened in Long Beach getting off the Panorama in January.

If you’re really more interested in the cove balcony, you might want to call Carnival to find out whether there are any that aren’t under the galley.

Even though you were told a month ago that you couldn’t change to early seating, but it wouldn’t hurt to call and ask again. If they say no, ask to be put on a waiting list for early dining. If that doesn’t work, go to the dining room on embarkation day to request the change. The maitre’d is usually there for awhile starting around 1:30 to take such requests.

If you choose the deck 2 balcony, it will be a cove balcony. I love cove balconies, but make sure you don’t get one under the galley, which can be quite noisy. Look at the deck 3 plan and look at the large gray area between the 2 restaurants. You would want to avoid a deck 2 cabin below that area. Being below the either of the restaurants would be fine because they’re carpeted to muffle the sound, and they’re closed at night.

I would choose the Terrazza inside cabin for the perks of the Terrazza area.

It means that when you sign up for dining on your planner, you have priority for your selection of either early, late, or anytime dining. It doesn’t give you priority for getting into anytime dining earlier than anyone else on the day, just for the selection of which dining you’re assigned to. I’m not sure what that means at specialty restaurants.

Not allowed.

I’d say either get an accessible cabin that accommodates 4, or look at having 2 cabins.

You might benefit from a call to the Special Assess Department. Phone number is 1-800-438-6744 extension 70025, or email access@carnival.com. There are often accessible cabins that don’t show on the website, and they should be able to help. They’re open Monday through Friday.

It would be way too crowded and probably not even do-able. The scooter may not even fit through the cabin door. Have you looked into an accessible cabin?

I have been on 9 Alaska cruises, mostly on Carnival but also Royal and HAL. I have not found the passengers to be rowdy at all. Not as many kids, and generally an older crowd. For someone doing a once in a lifetime Alaska cruise I highly recommend an itinerary that includes Glacier Bay. It’s absolutely magnificent, much larger and more impressive than Tracy Arm Fjord. Carnival doesn’t go to Glacier Bay, at least not this year.

I have never heard of Carnival having waitlists for cruises. Was this a Carnival rep or a travel agent who offered to put you on a waitlist?

Yes, you sign up for arrival time, not boarding time. 16 days ahead for Diamond, Platinum, FTTF and Suites. 14 days ahead for everyone else.