amcankid

My last cruise on Carnival I was repeatedly going to guest services to have my gift cards applied to my account. By about the third day they said they have to check with corporate because I was over my limit with the gift cards. But then another guy behind the desk told me to just use the kiosk by the casino and I’ll have no problems applying them. He even walked me over to show me how to use it.

21 hours ago, luv2kroooz said:

They are all one depth. I am recalling 4 ft or so. They are not as deep as the Princess ships. You didn't ask but full disclosure.... Carnival pools are salt water. Princess is fresh water.

Not all Carnival ships are salt water (which I prefer). The Excel class are fresh water

59 minutes ago, VIFP1987 said:

What day during your cruise are you becoming platinum? 

As some Old Fart once said, it doesn’t matter which day you turn Platinum. Once you board you’re already platinum and your sign and sail card will reflect that. In fact, if you’re turning platinum on that cruise you’re able to check in for your boarding assignment two days before the 14 day window that gold red and blue have.

There’s a morning Zumba class that’s free everyday a 9 in Club Fushion. So nice to see so many in there starting there day with some good relaxing exercise.  

36 minutes ago, ldubs said:

Two lines at the MDR doors.  One for with reservations and one for without reservations.  

So basically the reservations are to help expedite your wait when you go.

On Carnival you can check in on your app and then it will tell you how long the wait will be and then notifies you when your table is ready. Very efficient!

We’re sailing on the Crown in a few weeks. Our first time on Princess.

when I go to my app and check dining choices

it shows the three main dining rooms that of course are included in the cruise. But at first a couple of days ago it showed some

reservation time slots available and now when I click on any of them it says no time slots available.  
I am confused as to what this is because we have dine anytime so why would I reserve a time slot for each day 3 weeks before I even get on the ship?

Can someone please explain how this works? Are we gonna be stuck eating at the buffet each night?

We’re sailing on the Crown in a few weeks. Our first time on Princess.

when I go to my app and check dining choices

it shows the three main dining rooms that of course are included in the cruise. But at first a couple of days ago it showed some

reservation time slots available and now when I click on any of them it says no time slots available.  
I am confused as to what this is because we have dine anytime so why would I reserve a time slot for each day 3 weeks before I even get on the ship?

Can someone please explain how this works? Are we gonna be stuck eating at the buffet each night?

35 minutes ago, Island2Girl said:

Oh NO!!! That means we cannot get a hotel for the night. 

Thank you!!!!

You already got a hotel room. It’s on your ship! lol 

On 11/2/2023 at 1:29 PM, nicoleds said:

Well they still served me as I was standing at the bar, all cruise long and I had DOU while playing in the casino. So some bartenders will do it, you just have to ask. 

Thanks. 
We just got off the Miracle and we ended up deciding to just purchase the cheers package because even though we do spend a lot of time (and money lol) in the casino I didn’t want to rely on sitting at a slot waiting for a server to walk by. And the Miracle doesn’t have a bar in the casino.

But definitely if we book a cruise on a ship that does have a casino bar I will try your approach. I find most bartenders on Carnival to be fun, outgoing and willing to work with you as you flirt with getting around the technicalities.  And a couple of bucks each drink helps to encourage them to be part of the game. Lol

49 minutes ago, tomcatguy74 said:

I should have been more clear on the question.  

Has Carnival converted the pools to freshwater on the other ships.  

Only the new ships have freshwater.

Personally speaking I prefer the salt water pools. Better for the skin and much easier to float on your back without your legs sinking down. Lol

17 minutes ago, mnlovesdisney said:

I have booked a cruise with a casino drinks on us while you are playing in the casino. How does this work and how do the servers know if you have this? 

 

You simply have to order a drink while in the casino. They don’t know when you order but when they come back with your drink you’ll sign the receipt and it’ll show it as zero for the charge.

Unfortunately you can’t buy it yourself directly from the casino bar ( if the ship you’re on has one). The free offer only applies when you order from one of the servers walking the floor. 
If you tip a dollar or two you’ll find they tend to come looking for you more often.

15 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

Twice in our 50 cruises we were moved to a balcony from a "lesser" cabin.  We hardly ever used it (maybe two hours out of 10 days), and we felt like we were in an obstructed view, with all that metal. We like being able to see the ocean and the sky right from our window.

I also have to say that on a TA, the wind (and wind chill) were much stronger on all the open decks than on any other cruise we've been on.

I can certainly understand your thinking if you’re one’s to not really use a balcony. 
That’s the dilemma I have because we truly do utilize our balconies with not a day or night passing without being on it. We’ve even sat out there while it’s raining as long as it wasn’t getting blown into us.  That’s why I’m asking others who normally prefer balconies but who have sailed a transatlantic in an ocean view if they did miss the extra freedom to go outside whenever they felt like it. 
But reading your experiences with the wind and the cold kinda reassures me that maybe an ocean view (all things considered such as price) maybe might actually be the better option. 
Thanks

4 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

We had OV for all three of our TAs; never would have preferred a balcony.

Thanks. And out of curiosity, why would you pick the OV over a balcony 

3 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

Balcony was unusable for most of mine. A lot of fog. Pretty cold.

 

Thanks. And this voyage is in March so that probably adds to the cold. 
So far the score is one for the freebie. Lol

We’ve always been balcony people whether a 3 day or a 10 day voyage. Nothing like the extra space and the fresh ocean smell and sounds. 
We have a casino offer for the Spirit on a transAtlantic in 2025. But the offer is for an ocean view. Basically free except for port charges, taxes and gratuities.

We could do a balcony on a his voyage but it would be around $1,800. Still a good price for a 14 day trip but still, 1,800 more than free.  
So my question is an obvious one. Those who have done a transatlantic either in an ocean view or a balcony, after your experience, would you pay $1,800? Or would you be happy with the ocean view (deck one if that makes a difference).

If it was a short cruise I wouldn’t even have this question, but 14 days,9 of which are sea days makes me wonder.

On 10/10/2021 at 2:49 PM, Colorado Beach Bum said:

Always liked these cabins.  Are they still good value rooms like they were before?

We’re in one on our up coming cruise on the Miracle. They’re good value because they’re categorized as inside cabins.  
We’ve never stayed in one before (almost always we’re balcony folks), and not quite sure what to expect but I’ll be able to let you know in about 10 days if no one else has by then. 
I saw a YouTube video from a couple of years ago and they were able to open it. 
I’m hoping we will be able to also but doubt we’ll be able to.

16 hours ago, Itried4498 said:

This was discussed within the last week.  Yes, Carnival is still requiring Miracle passengers to use the LBCC parking garage.  Yes, you should allow additional time for the transfer.

Thanks

I know  that at least for a while some passengers had to park at the convention center instead of the cruise parking structure at the Long Beach cruise terminal.

But searching on line all I can find are posts from 6 months or more  ago so not sure what the current situation is. The posts I read refer specifically to Carnival Miracle passengers (of which we will be) so I just want to know in advance if I should allot even more time to arrive if I have to stop at the pier and drop our luggage and then drive to the convention center to park and take a shuttle back. 
If anyone here has been on the Miracle recently I’d appreciate you sharing your experience 

1 hour ago, icft said:

Enjoying gambling as a form of entertainment it the key. If one is going to gamble regardless of how they paid for the cruise then the casino offers make doing what you were going to do anyhow much less expensive. But I think the idea of those who don't care to gamble marching themselves to the casino to earn perks is not very wise. They are working while on vacation. We, on the other hand, are just doing what we do for fun so it makes sense.

You hit the nail on the head!

When my “kids” were younger we never gambled because I always felt like money I lost could have been used for them. Now that they’re all adults with their own lives we have disposable money that allows us to enjoy limited gambling with no guilt, and I can’t think of a better way to potentially lose a few grand here or there than taking a chance on winning a few grand here or there and in the meantime potentially getting cruises dirt cheap ( not free because of the port fees, taxes and gratuities). And enjoying the time we spend in the casino as it adds to the various activities offered to make our days at sea fun. 
But if we were gambling with the sole purpose of trying to get “free” cruises using money we shouldn’t be using then I feel that it’s a fools way to go!   
 

I guess the sucky thing about drinks on us in the casino is it makes it harder to justify purchasing Cheers. I wish Carnival would make it all or nothing cause yes, it’s nice to drink for free, but then you’re faced with deciding what is the actual break even point with or without Cheers for the overall cruise.

Any thoughts? 

On 10/2/2023 at 4:05 PM, VentureMan_2000 said:

Folks who have booked cruises of 5 days or less received an email explaining that the Cheers price is going up $10 a day for cruises 5 days or less.  The new price starts October 9, 2023.

The new price starts October 9th but doesn’t apply to cruises that begin before December1st. So basically if your cruise is November 15th you can still purchase the Cheers on November 14th and still pay the old price. 

4 hours ago, Iamthesea said:

When does the drink package go up for the 5 day, and why is it more than the 6 day?

You have until October 9th to purchase the package at the same price for cruises 5 days or less. This applies to all cruises with a departure date of December 1st or later. If your cruise begins before December 1st it does not apply to you.

And the reason for why 5 days or less is because they tend to be what are informally known as party cruises. People tend to consume more alcohol on these cruises and are more willing to pay for the package. 

I accrued 5,500 points on my last cruise and have only received 50 percent off an inside cabin on select cruises! 
Very disappointing after reading I should have expected more 

On 7/3/2023 at 7:46 AM, Old Fart Cruisers said:

 

If they had a choice, you wouldn't be able to bring it on in Europe either.  Most countries in Europe have laws banning Cruise lines from preventing guests from bringing alcohol on board that was sold in their country to help promote their local economy.   

Excuse me Captain. Would it be possible to make a quick pit stop in Barcelona on our way to the Bahamas?

Just now, amcankid said:

I thought I was the only one who saw the irony in that! Lol

But at least they could say this whiskey is head and shoulders above all the rest!!