amcankid

On 7/3/2023 at 4:53 AM, ray98 said:

LOL....they want to bring an expensive bottle as a gift and are getting suggestions to put it in a shampoo bottle.🤣🤣🤣

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

On 7/3/2023 at 2:10 AM, sparks1093 said:

 

 

Y'all missed the word "legitimately" in the question. 😉

No they didn’t!! They are legitimately expressing ideas. That’s all! Lol

I find it just a little funny that Carnivals way of adding variety to the pizza only late night food was to add Chicago style pizza! Lol

Using Carnivals logic then it means if you did a b2b with each being 7 days you’d actually come out ahead since a cruise of 14 days or more gets you $250 in cabin credit but two separate 7 day cruises would be $100 each for a total of $200. 
So anyone reading this with a b2b of 14 days or more total should be demanding $250 if they’re applying for shareholder credit!!!

9 minutes ago, bluejay555 said:

 

No, but I will!  

It’s a very exclusive group but I’ll give you a referral. Lol

Actually at last count we have somewhere in the neighborhood of 450 people!

Thats about a quarter of the ship!!

By far the largest specific date cruise ship Facebook group I’ve ever been in 

On 7/10/2023 at 8:55 AM, Luv2Cruze4 said:

Thanks for posting this review! We head out on this exact same cruise Aug 7th and are so looking forward to it. Haven't see many reviews. We are staying at the Holiday Inn Express for a couple of days prior and I did book Alcatraz months earlier as I did hear it would be sold out. My daughter is 17 and son 22 so we can relate to all the aspects as your family seems really similar to ours especially in personality. Bruh! MOTHER! LOL

Glad to see the karaoke was enjoyable as well - that is a favourite for us!

J.

Have you joined our Facebook group?

Carnival Miracle August 7, 2023

Great videos and pics. But you seem to have a bigger problem than anything some of these knuckleheads who respond to with.

One of your sons is a Cowboys fan?

And one is a Niners fan?

Oh boy!! Can’t wait to see family dinners during football season in a couple of years!! Lol

Just curious if you’re able to get one of the early boarding slots (10:30) but you end up not arriving until noon or one are you able to walk past the line or do you lose your place and now need to lineup with everyone else who have the late boarding slots.

6 hours ago, damiross said:

My wife and I were on the Royal earlier this year.  It was a little bigger than I liked.  Our other cruises were on the Ruby, Crown, and Grand.

 

We haven't had any problem boarding at San Francisco. Disembarkation is a different story.  For some reason, rideshare is limited to a relatively small area with no place to sit.  It was a zoo and a half when we went to get our Lyft after leaving the Royal.

Simple solution for that. Walk across the street and up a block or so and have Uber or Lyft pick you up there

6 hours ago, Napagirl said:

BTW - Consider taking the ferry from Vallejo to the SF dock. We get a ride to the ferry, then walk to the ship. So nice if one has the physical ability to do so. 

That is our backup plan. We’re in American Canyon. The ferry is 10 minutes away. But my oldest lives in Walnut Creek so at least right now the plan is to park at her house and she’ll drive us to the terminal. 
Either way it’s awesome that it’s so convenient as opposed to the usual flying a day or two in advance and paying for hotels and transportation and deciding if we should take a chance and fly back same day when the ship returns or pay for another night in a hotel. 
I envy the Florida people who have any number of itineraries to pick from with ports so close to where they live.

11 hours ago, donswife said:

If you decide you don't like your shower once you are on board,  there are nice showers in the gym/spa area by the Lotus pool that are free to use, along with sauna and steam rooms. 

I was actually gonna ask if there were showers free to use there. I’m on the Lido deck and the fitness room is one flight up the stairs and just a little forward from our cabin. Thanks

2 hours ago, donswife said:

Another great feature of the Crown is the International cafe on the bottom deck of the piazza. You can enjoy a light meal or snack (no extra charge) and enjoy whatever entertainment is going on (game shows, music, demonstrations, etc).  

Thanks! I’ve already lost all my doubts based on these comments and you just added more reason to simply be excited 

1 hour ago, travelin.sisters said:

We did a 15-day Hawai'i on the Crown in March & yes, she is older, but we did not have any major problems.

 

You didn't say how long your cruise is, but depending on the length they will have guest comedian, magician & musicians, they will usually do 2 different shows one in the theater & another night in one of the lounges. There will be game shows & lots of trivia with the cruise staff. 

 

The handheld shower head really helps because when it is on the holder it is in the middle of the shower stall over your head rather than at wall & for me that made the space feel less cramped somehow.

 

I did do a live from our cruise with a lot of photos of the ship & my detailed thoughts on her condition...if you are interested the link is in my signature. There are also daily schedules which will be different because of the itinerary, but will give you an idea of the kinds of entertainment Princess does.

It’s a 10 day Mexican Riviera cruise. Total of 5 sea days with 4 ports. 
And it’s funny but if I don’t have a handheld shower nozzle it’s enough to be a deal breaker! Call me silly but without whisker clean body parts I’m not a happy camper!!

1 hour ago, jimdee3636 said:

I've seen this before. People book a cruise on a particular ship on a particular line (not just Princess), and then ask afterward if they did the right thing. Why not ask these questions ahead of time?

In a way that’s what I’m doing. It’s not like I have buyers remorse cause I’m still in a long window to cancel with 100 percent refund. I’m asking the questions now because I want to confirm if it was a wise choice. So many cruises to pick from each year but being where I live (the San Francisco Bay Area) cruises from my home port are limited where they go and usually more expensive. This particular cruise pricing was in line as if I booked it from LA but without having to drive or fly and also no need for hotels pre or post cruise.

Add in the plus package which is a great deal in my opinion and it was hard to pass up. We did a Super Bowl cruise last year that was a lot of fun so I kinda wanted to make it a yearly thing. And this one just happened to be from SF during that period which is unusual because cruise season in SF pretty much shuts down in the winter months because Alaska is off the table and most ships have repositioned to other areas of the world. 
But like anything else, once you semi commit to something you tend to dig deeper into what it’s all about. 
And the showers as well as the seeming lack of entertainment considering we’ll have 5 sea days made me question if it was a wise choice. But I’ve seen some very positive comments and I’m happy I booked it. Strike that last comment! 

I’m excited I booked it and can’t wait!!

(as an aside we’re going to Alaska out of San Francisco in August so it’s awesome to be able to use our home port over again!)

20 minutes ago, rdsqrl said:

Showers are small but unless you're way over 6 ft (in height or diameter), you'll probably be fine. If you're super worried, you could always book a minisuite, which has a tub/shower combo so is obviously larger.  But I've never minded the showers that much.  It's part of the experience of being aboard a ship versus a hotel. 

 

There are other venues:  Club Fusion aft has game shows, bingo, occasional musical acts.  Explorer's Lounge has musical acts and other stuff, and Crooner's has a pianist.  The Wheelhouse has live music and a nice little dance floor. Then there's Skywalkers, the disco, perched high on Deck 17 with amazing views. 

 

I believe the Sanctuary is $40 per day.  The Lotus Spa pool, which is actually a deck down from the Sanctuary, is free and adult-only. 

 

I've sailed on the Crown twice and enjoyed it immensely both times.  She may not be all new and shiny but there is a lot to like.  There's a proper promenade deck, the bar Adagio aft on Deck 16 is one of my favorite public spaces on any Princess ship, and to me, she just has a relaxing vibe.  I'm sure you'll end up having a good time. 

Awesome.  You basically answered all my questions (sans one, comedy which I love). 
But your answer was what I was looking for and hoping for. I’m sure I’ll get over the size of the shower. I’m 6’0 and athletic so fitting in won’t be a problem. It’s just that it seems like whoever designed them said “you know? If we cut another 10 inches off of each shower we could conceivably add one more cabin on each deck!”

But I think you just convinced me to stick with it. Thanks!!

16 minutes ago, travellingnana said:

I recently spent 28 days on the Crown. Yes, the showers are small, but they’ve been small on every other balcony cabin I’ve had on Princess. There is entertainment in the theater, Club Fusion, the Piazza, Explorers Lounge, the Wheelhouse Bar, and probably more places that I’m not thinking of right now. I don’t  use the sanctuary so can’t speak to that. The crew is great, and if you live by SF you can’t beat sailing out of there. I’d go back on her anytime. 

Thanks for that very quick response. And you’re right about the convenience of anyone cruising out of a home port. That’s what made this so attractive to me along with a fairly great price. 
I’m still not sold on those showers. I guess I should have rephrased it. In comparison to Carnival showers ( which like all cruise ship balcony cabins are small) is it my imaginative or are the Princess showers even smaller?

As far as entertainment, I’d there a dedicated comedy club? Do they even have comedy?  Is there a piano bar? 
Do they have game shows and if so where?

The pools look really nice but the sanctuary pool looks spectacular and more secluded and I’ve read mixed messages on whether the pool is free or is it part of the paid portion?

Serious inquiry here. We’re platinum on Carnival and have also cruises Royal Caribbean a few times. 
I just booked a Crown Princess cruise for Super Bowl week 2024 out of San Francisco (my home so no flying or hotels necessary).

But now as I look at videos of the ship it seems a little dated, the showers look extra small and there doesn’t seem to be any entertainment areas other than the theater. 
I was able to put a request on my booking for a hand held nozzle for the shower but videos I’ve looked at seem to show the shower as half the size of a phone booth (I’m dating myself with that description lol)

I love the idea of sailing out of San Francisco but I’m not impressed with what I’ve seen on YouTube. Please, anyone who’s sailed on it and loved it I’d like to hear from you.  
As an aside I’m also curious how much they charge to use the sanctuary area and if the pool is only accessible to those who paid the daily charge.

Thanks

On 6/8/2023 at 9:05 AM, klfrodo said:

From an older person, let me just share that you're playing a losing game. You're betting thousands for a free cabin and free drinks. The house wins every time with that strategy. In time, one of you will probably develop a problem. Might be a huge problem, might be a small problem. Either way, if one partner develops a problem, it's a problem for both persons as a team to work through.

 

I'm not against having fun and throwing a couple of thousand to help support the gaming community. But only play what you can afford to lose and have fun at the same time. Once there becomes an objective to playing (winning, hoping for retirement, receiving free upgrades, etc) it's no longer for "fun".

 

If you see this as a lecture, please accept my apologies. I'm just a grandpa trying to share some wisdom I've learned the hard way over the years.

Lol. Okay Grandpa. Thanks for the lecture. Of course if I’m calling you grandpa you must really be old cause I’m 68! 
In all seriousness, you’re correct in everything you say, but not to worry for me. I gave up gambling when I had my first kid 46 years ago. No desire at all. But now we’re in a good position to spend a few dollars here and there without it impacting the lives of anyone including ourselves. So why not bring a few thousand hoping to maybe bring a few thousand more back but knowing we might bring a couple of hundred instead but with the added possibility that we might get one,two, three or more free cruises out of it.  And if we don’t? Well, that’s life. If you don’t give it a shot you’ll never know. 

29 minutes ago, icft said:

As I said, if comps are what you are after then only play on one card. But please don't take up two chairs at one machine. They are so close you block out playing on the machine next to yours. Very rude.

Not to worry. Respect is my middle name. If we sit in two chairs it’s only when the casino is not full. We don’t have a problem with one sitting and one standing behind watching and would never hog a chair without playing. 

49 minutes ago, icft said:

We have cruised on casino offers since before covid. We both have our own cruise "entertainment" allowance. I spend almost all of mine in the casino while my wife likes to shop on shore. The result is I get the better offers.

 

If getting offers is the only goal you will be better to do all the gambling on one card. But that would involve one person sitting around while the other gambles which is not something we are willing to do.

 

But I have to say, gambling for offers is not something we consider wise. There are no "free" casino cruises; you pay for them with your gambling losses. Sure, there are those who say they gamble very little and get great offers, just as there are those who say they were picked up by aliens and anally probed.

 

If you enjoy gambling and would do it with or without comps then the comps are great. But gambling for comps is not cost effective in our opinion.

Thanks. And good advice. 
In answer to your question as to what one would do as the other gambled, we’d sit at the machine (as we usually do anyway) but take turns using the same card as opposed  playing machines side by side. Wouldn’t matter whose card we pick, but whoever’s card it is we’d stick with it for the entire cruise. Which gets back to the original question. Is it better to put all the eggs in one basket or share the wealth looking to have different offers to each of us.

14 minutes ago, Calnev1 said:

On my last casino comped cruise I woke up one night because my rump was sore.  Do you think something happened in the casino?

If you woke up and it was sore that’s a good thing cause if you lost it you wouldn’t feel it!!

My wife and I dabble on the slots here and there but nothing serious.

We are however thinking of rolling the dice (metaphorically speaking) and bringing a few thousand to play with on our next cruise in the hopes of getting some of the offers that many others seem to be getting.

My question is for those of you who have gotten Carnivals attention and are getting cruise offers did you and your spouse pick just one players card (cabin key) to play with maximizing the money played on it or did you split the money and gamble on separate accounts thus doubling up the chances of one or the other getting the free or discounted cruise offers. 

41 minutes ago, Sprocket said:

Just a heads up I asked for a hand held shower which was great, but there was nowhere to put it when shampooing, soaping etc and just having it dangling drove me crazy.  My cabin steward wasn't happy but I had it removed and just used a washcloth.

This cabin also didn't have any kind of a shelf in the shower which is not at all standard in the showers, not sure why this one had nothing.

Do you mean they gave you a handheld shower but didn’t have the clasp to set it in (which is pretty much standard on a hand held shower nozzle)?

On 5/16/2023 at 10:50 AM, Illbcruzn4life said:

Yeah I dont get it when I see post from people that have cruised Carnival 7 to 8 times and won’t try a different cruise line because they want to make Platinum. 

Haha. That’s me!  And I question myself why do I care so much for making platinum when outside of a couple of small bags of free laundry and boarding 10 minutes before the rest there’s not a lot to brag about once you get it.

I do have a Princess cruise on hold and I’ve got 36 more hours to decide if I want it. 
But the stupid temptation to stay with Carnival and knowing that they don’t count Princess towards the 12 more days I need for platinum keeps me from finalizing the booking. If I don’t book it I’m probably just not gonna go anywhere (it would be a Super Bowl cruise) cause it’s the only one that sails from my home port that week. 

Just now, chrysalis said:

you can request a hand held from your Steward

Really? Thanks.