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I am hooked! In 25 cruises with carnival, we are currently in our first cove balcony (getting off Dream tomorrow) and I can't believe we have missed out on this treasure for so long! It has been awesome - we have seen dolphins multiple times. Love the sound of the waves. We had a huge downpour in Freeport but stayed dry and out of the wind in the cove balcony. Planning to book another cove balcony as soon as we get home.

Absolutely true - happened to us for our upcoming Jubilee booking. I had obsessively compulsively researched/booked a very specific location at least a year in advance. Recently got a very brief email basically saying "you've been moved" (no explanation and no other cabin options available as the cruise is sold out).

We are on Dream now and they actually did run out of pins (huge number of diamond/platinum on this sailing) but they told us to come back the next day and they had more. Everything has been great - priority boarding & water shuttle, free laundry has been really quick (same day when submitted early enough).

We are sitting at the port of Galveston now waiting to board. We flew into HOU/Hobby last night (well technically at 3 am this morning after multiple delays on Southwest) and took an Uber to the port this morning. It took us 40 minutes to get here and cost $41 before tip.

We received a text yesterday stating the same, and final boarding is now 3:00, but no other info.

For reference, we were in 9370 (right above grand central) and loved it - close walk to many popular areas and no noise issues that we noticed (but we spend very little time in the room).

I think you made a good choice. We have been on Mardi Gras twice and Celebration once. Our first cruise on Mardi Gras we were also mid-ship, deck 9. It is a good location (but we have also been in a Havana Cabana and aft, deck 9 on our other Excel cruises, and all were great locations). I agree with you on staying deck 9 (or lower) in regard to the elevators. I see you are cruising over a holiday, so likely a very full ship (we were over spring break on a completely full ship). In our experience the Excel class doesn't seem as crowded when sailing full (the crowds on the Dream class kill me when sailing full).

Interesting (good to know!). I was disappointed to find that the Excel class ships don't have a library.

How was it advertised/how did you find out about it - did you book it through the app?

Yes, these cabins connect through an inside door. In our experience, it's not as bad as some hotels (where it can sound like the people next door are practically in your room) but not as private as a regular cabin. We never book these cabins on purpose, but have been assigned twice (when booking a balcony guarantee).

I agree - we tried an aft facing balcony once (but we were on Miracle). Between the soot and the vibrations we will never book one again.

We booked this type of room for Luminosa (I guess it's a spirit/vista hybrid in class?) - anyway, we paid the same price for this room as an interior (which I thought was an amazing value, not only natural light but a sofa also).

Thank you for posting - we will be on spirit when she goes back through the canal the other way in September (from Seattle to New Orleans), and I'm anticipating this will happen to us also.

So glad to hear this - we booked a balcony guarantee, knowing we'd likely get a cove balcony (and we did - under the dining room) but when I watched YouTube videos about them, I started to get anxious. We will be on the Dream and it looks kind of claustrophobic with the lifeboats above the cove balconies. I'm kind of nervous, but determined to try it because so many people here rave about them.

Oh thank you (I totally missed that). I wondered why this one included open bar and lunch (that explains it).

Apparently the over water bungalows at Mahogany Bay (listed as "VIP Private Oasis Bungalow") are underpriced as I've never been able to grab one of those before they sold out. Even my cruise booked for December is already sold out (priced at $399 for 2 people). I agree that maybe the solution is to build more as there is clearly demand.

Seriously, these are the 2 best benefits!

Since cruising resumed, we've flown into both IAH and HOU the night prior and took Uber/Lyft to the port the next morning multiple times. In our experience, going TO the port, they will allow both Uber and Lyft in to drop you off at the ship (like any other port). But leaving FROM the cruise (going back to the airport) Uber/Lyft can't pick up inside the port area. But you can walk just a block or 2 and pick up an Uber/Lyft just outside the port area. Last time we were there we stayed at Harbor House (the hotel on the pier) it's just a block and a half from the port and both Uber/Lyft recognized it as a valid pick-up option, so from now on, we are just going to walk over there to get out of the traffic craziness in front of the port/parking garage area.

We always depart from Seattle for Alaska - I'm not sure why, but we had really rough seas one day of the trip. Like I couldn't even walk down the corridor to our room without hitting the walls. We were on Panorama for hurricane Kay (and Alaska was worse than that). But it was only one day so maybe an isolated incident.

Alaska had some of the roughest seas for us (out of about 25 cruises). However, based on what you have said, I do think they would enjoy that itenerary. For our first cruise when I was not sure how we'd tolerate the motion, I booked a 6 day western Caribbean with 4 ports, figuring that if we struggled with sea sickness at least we could get break in port most days.

Nice! You have a way higher tolerance for stress than I do. 😆 Thanks for coming back and updating - glad it worked out.

Please come back and update after your cruise. Our Journeys cruise is in late September and I was wondering the same.

We will be in HMC in about 2 weeks and all the cabanas/villas sold out a while ago. I just noticed even the private oasis at $2,000 is sold out, so people don't seem to mind paying the price.

We were on Panorama last September. We started priority debarkation (platinum carrying or own luggage) at 7:25 am, we were in an Uber headed to the airport by 7:54 am. (Debarkation went quickly - had to wait a bit for for Uber).

Yes unfortunately supply...demand...inflation. I just wish my salary would catch up. But it's not just Carnival. We recently spent a weekend at Disneyland and I was just amazed at the price of everything. People complain like crazy about the price of park tickets/hotels/food & water, yet there are hoards of people there spending money like crazy, so I can't really blame the business.