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scubamommy!

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Posts posted by scubamommy!

  1. You can always ask your room attendant to exchange it for a bottle of red or white, they usually do with no problem. Another idea is to bring it to the beach with you on Island day. My husband went to the ice machine and filled a baggie of ice, wrapped it in a towel and put it in his backpack. We enjoyed some cold champagne on the sunny beach in Greece last time. Just don't forget to bring some cups with you. Enjoy. 

  2. Thank you! We were on Connie several years ago and there was a Russian guy ( I think) named Challa that was so awesome. I knew it was a long shot that he might still be there, but I'm sure the new guys are great too. We will be getting to know them well next month. 

  3. Thank you everyone, no need for arguements on shorts in Manhatten or not, our group likes to dress up for dinner, especially in a nice formal setting, we will book Manhatten several nights I am sure plus our 3 specialty nights. If we want to be casual one day and do shorts we'll probably do Margaritaville.  We'll try the others for lunch or breakfast. Thank you for all the replies! 🙂

  4. Anyone know who is manning the Martini Bar these days on the Connie? These are always our favorite mixoligists. We haven't been on Connie in several years and will be on her in May out of Venice. We are so excited to be back on her! Anyone cruise her recently and know who is at the Martini Bar? 

  5. Hello, just booked our first NCL on the Breakaway for 2020! I am new to the FREESTYLE style. I see there are three main dinning rooms. I have looked them up on the website. Trying to figure out of they all serve the same things every night with a revolving menu like most cruise ships, or if they all have their own set menu that stays the same every night. 

    If anyone can tell me the big difference between them? I see the Manhattan is a bit fancier, bigger with live music  which I am sure we will enjoy! But is there a benefit to the others?

     

    We are a big group of 10 and many nights we will want to dine together, I understand  we should make our reservations in advance. We have a 3 specialty dinning package and are trying to decide who wants to go where and when. What is the number one fav we can't miss?

     

    We also have the bev package where I read waters and specialty coffees are not included. Which I think is very weird! My question here is, can you still get filtered water at the buffets in a cup and do they have regular coffee at the buffets as well?

     

    I also saw that they have gelato for purchase but haven't read anywhere if they have free ice cream ( either soft serve or scooped) available somewhere. 

     

    Thanks for all your answers! Its fun discovering a new line! 

     

  6. We  live in NC and so when getting 25 gals together to cruise we HAD to choose something close. We went on Carnival due to location this past November with low expectations from Carnival ( we had cruised with them many many years ago) . We even booked the coveted Pent House for the birthday girl. They actually STILL let us down. The service was so horrible. Although we had a blast with each others company we will NEVER EVER (repeat) NEVER do Carnival again! Spoiled by Celebrity. 

    • Like 1
  7. LOL, no we are NOT talking about the same cruise line. I am talking about what happens on CELEBRITY ( each and EVERY cruise I have done with them) and you are talking about what does NOT happen on Carnival. I gave them another try after 20 years, but will not be back. 

     

    As for polishing the flat ware, if you have ever worked a restaurant you know that water spots turn up everywhere and the silverware still needs to be "polished" and roll ups need to be done. There is so much side work in the restaurant biz that has to get done that guests have no idea about. Both my husband , who is still a restaurant GM and myself have worked the service industry our whole lives, we are very understanding of the hard work it is. We know what bad service looks like and we appreciate what good or great service can do for a guest. We don't like to complain unless it is absolutely necessary. In Carnivals case , sadly, it was necessary.  

  8. I don't mean formal night, I just mean the dining room dinners. I could care less what others do or wear. We like to get dressed up every night in a nice dress of some kind( not nessesarily formal)  and be waited on. The rest of the world vanishes around us if we don't have to keep looking around wondering where our drinks are or where that dish that is missing is, or the worst, wait for one dinner entre to arrive before we start eating our own hot ( or lukewarm one) entre. LOL

  9. The formal dinners are the best part of the cruise in my opinion! You get to get dressed up, meet for cocktails beforehand, sit at a nice table and enjoy conversations about what every did that day and get the excitement going for the new night. Even if the food isn't extraordinary ( and it certainly is not on Carnival) the service and presentation can make up for it.  The buffet is the worst IMO. No one gets to sit together at the same time because everyone has to keep getting up to get thier drinks or next plates. If Carnival is trying to get more people to do that, and from the sounds of it many ARE doing that, they are going in the wrong direction. The older crowd ( like me) enjoy this service more than they know (obviously) and the Millenials are so used to be being catered to and waited on in every aspect of life, they will loose them in a NY minute! 

  10. 2 minutes ago, serene56 said:

    re"   your waiter-- did she NOT have two other helpers?    your drinks come from bar service  not the wait staff.  (two different departments.

     

    your luggage not getting to you til 4-- is the porters at the pier-- as more then likely they put it in the wrong bin. 

    There were a few "food runners" bringing out the dishes and doing bread. but she ( the first night) and He ( the other nights) were the only ones taking any orders of both food( including desserts) and drinks ( including coffee) of any kind. 

  11. 3 minutes ago, Schoifmom said:

     

    Then you really did have a horrible start!  So sorry that this happened to you.  It looks like they gave you an honorary Platinum status for the cruise and you didn't get all of the benefits 😞

     

    It's ok. As I stated we all had a great time. The reason  of my review here was to emphasize that service goes A LONG WAY! I haven't cruised Carnival in a long time. I know it is cheaper ( when you don't stay in the Pent House)  than most lines and expectations were lower due to this. Like when you go shopping at Walmart compared to Macy's. You don't expect the same quality. I was pleasently surprised in some aspects ( as mentioned the lunch places and the app) and completely dissapointed in the service. They could do so much better! I would rather pay a bit more and get a much better experience. Just my opinion. 

    • Like 2
  12. 5 minutes ago, Schoifmom said:

     

    I'm glad that you are a great group and could have a a great time without letting annoyances get to you 🙂

     

    "I'm sorry" you had a rough start:

    • I have never heard of being escorted to your suite.  I believe that is a different line that does that.  
    • What time did you attempt to enter your room?  Suites do not have priority room access (unless you are also Platinum/Diamond or have FTTF).  If it was before 1:30 and you don't have priority access, that would explain why your key wasn't there.
    • Priority luggage delivery is not listed as a suite perk, even though some people have reported getting that.

    To answer your questions: We went to our room after we ate and looked around, it was about 2:30. This is not just a regular suite. This Pent House is also called the owners suit and can not be booked online anywhere. There are special circumstances that allow you to book it. Because we had so many cabins I was "allowed" to pay ( alot) extra to book it. Because it was a special occasion we choose to do so, the perks were very limited , we knew this going in. The only extra perk was priority boarding and being escorted to the room with my luggage and being able to use the Paltinum/Diamond Guest Services. I was told this by my TA who was told by Carnival. My card read VIP and was Silver. I actually got a few extra perks that I wasn't told about such as the Platinum/ Diamond gift ( a fanny pack of sorts in November) a free pin and free waters in the room.   

  13. 2 minutes ago, BoDidly said:

    I made the comment on these boards years ago that Carnival most used words are " I'm Sorry"

    As others have stated the MDR has become a joke. I don't bother with it much not unless my wife request that we go.

    Although 4:00 sounds fairly decent for the luggage. Being Diamond we have received ours much later than that.

     

     

    The luggage came mid sail away party ( the party started at 4:00) so I think luggage came 4:30 or 4:45. Which I wouldn't have minded had I been told that. I would have carried the bag with the gifts on myself. I had originally been told it would be walked on ( escorted) WITH me but when we got there the luggage guys said ok and took my bags and assured me they would take it right away. I tipped them generously for it as well. When we got to check in no one escorted us on at all, no one even offered. I asked if there was any special treatment that I had heard about and they all just shrugged their shoulders......with a polite smile, but ......still. 

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  14. 5 minutes ago, sanmarcosman said:

    I'm sorry, too that you had to endure the deep labor cuts that Carnival implemented 3 years ago in the MDR. Bar service  in the MDR has been non-existent for us since 2011 and now we stop by a lounge to take a drink into dinner with us.  Better luck in your future travels.

    Thats really to bad. We DID take a drink to dinner with us but on a two hour dinner ( many nights it was almost 3 hours for this big a group) one needs more than one martini to tide them over. Some nights the girls didn't even want to go to that nice dinner because of the drink service. But maybe thats Carnival's intention. Too bad, they just lost several new potential customers from my group. If you haven't sailed Celebrity , you should try them. They cater to you at dinners and throughout the entire trip!  

  15. Well, we went on the Carnival Ecstacy a few weeks ago in November and stayed in the Owners Suite PH1 to celebrate my 50th Birthday with 24 girlfriends. We all had an amazing time because we know how to have fun and blow things off, not let the little things ruin it for us. But I must say I have never heard the words " I'm sorry" so much in one week.  Here are my thoughts:

     

    1- I stayed in the Pent House suite with my mom ( who is 70) and the room was really lovely. The couch could be replaced but everything else was neat, clean and updated. The bathrooms were especially nice, although the lighting wasn't the best, especially for makeup. Minor nuisance. We never heard any noise from below ( neither to loud music from atrium or the pool) and the only place we could slightly hear the runners from above was in the bathroom. Never bothered us a bit. We ordered room service one morning and it came right on time, we enjoyed it the huge balcony.

    Downfall: We were never escorted to our room as I had been told and when we got  there we  were told our keys would be at our room, no keys to be found, making us go all the way back down to guests services to retreve them. Our luggage ( which I had been told would have priority) didn't arrive till after 4:00 and I had planned a little sail away party in our room and had gifts for my guests in one of my bags. We had to scramble mid party to get into the luggage to retrieve them all. Not as I had imagined it at all. The guys who brought up the lugagge said they were sorry it was so late.  We had ordered some pastry/party nibble plates to be delievered for the party and they never arrived, the charge was taken off the bill with another I'm sorry . There were chocolate covered strawberries upon arrival from our TA that we did enjoy. Our room steward was not the tidiest or wasn't seen to often. My main request was that I had fresh ice every morning and in the evening. Never happened. Well, I had fresh ice two times, that I had to ask for each time I saw her. Of course she was sorry with a sweet smile. 

     

    2- The dinning room was a nightmare the first night. We had late seating at 8:15.  Never have I had worse service on a cruise or on land anywhwere. Our server who I think was new was over worked and had a hard time understanding English AND speaking it. She was the head waiter for all 24 of us at two tables. When we asked for things she would hastily shake her head yes, making us think she would order it for us but then it would never come. We asked for our first drink ( mostly wines) several times. Our appetizers came, our salads came, our entres came and we finally got our first drink mid entre. We are all drinkers so this was a BIG DEAL! Some of us got a second drink, some that ordered did not. Some of us got coffee when ordered some it never came for. Several didn't get items they ordered. She apologized all through and after dinner, and I felt bad for her, but even worse I was embarressed I had planned this crusie for all my guests. Bosting of the wonderful 2 hour relaxed dinners that we got waited on and no one had to cook, clean up or cut up thier kids foods for was a big drawl for a group of moms like us! Night two could NOT be like this! I went to the desk the next morning and asked for a new server. They apologized and apparently they assigned us the best server on staff for the rest of the nights. He was MUCH more professional and quite nice and tried his best to make us all happy. He was trying his hardest and doing the best he could. The problem was that he needed HELP. 24 guests at 2 tables are alot to take care of. NOT his fault. I can't believe how overworked the staff is on this ship. Needless to say every night someone's dinner was late or never even came. He always smiled and really was genuinly sorry I think. 

     

    3- The shows and entertainment were fun and enough to keep us all happy in the day and and at night. They played Bingo, did the pool games dance/ singing competitions and had fun at the pool bars!  We loved the piano bar! Several of the girls in our party came out ahead in the casino which was a surprise. One won $400 and another $320 and another $2,000 ( on penny slots!) LOL. Only complaint was that smokey smell you left with after spending any amount of time there. Oh and if you are a single girl looking to meet someone this is your place to go, the guys line up after last call just like vultures! We were all married but had a good time watching it all take place.  The comedy was great, we all enjoyed that several nights! The dance club was really fun if we got there early enough but the late night crowd was a bit rough looking ( not sure if it is always like that or just our cruise) . There were 3 body guards there at all times and we REALLY would have loved to dance more or had another option to go to dance but no such luck. We loved the 70"s night and the 80's music and pop rock but that only lasted so long before the heavy Rap and booty shakers took over the entire club. When we asked security where else we could go to dance they said they were sorry, understood WHY we wanted to go elsewhere, but this was it. sigh...... 

     

    4- The pool bars were great and the breakfast and lunches were a hit! Favs included the Guys Burgers, the Taco Bar ( loved the breakfast burritos) and the Pizza at all hours of the day and night. The servers were very attentive with keeping our drinks full, I am sure all the extra tips we were all giving out helped. The hottubs were overcrowded, but we nudged our way in when we could. Downfall: The pizza bar always had a line and the guys there seemed to move at a slow pace. They should just always have pizza made, it's popular, someone will always eat it. Why wait to make one till it is ordered??? I know, I know they are sorry! The servers  in the moring dinning room were on top of their game and the food was always great there. We all went in smaller groups whenever we were ready and some ate at the buffet on different days. No complaints about any of the breakfasts! 

      

    5- There was a few girls who had rooms on the 5th and 6th floors that had awful smells. After complaining and several days of different things to fix the problem from air fresheners, to plungers to even the plumber coming nothing ever fixed it. They were sorry and let all those that had problems order from the steak house menu one night to make up for it. Hmmmm.

      

    6- The ports were fine, I had been there before but many had not. We went to Nassau and Princess Cays. Boarding and debarking was all VERY SMOOTH and efficient.

     

    7- I loved Carnivals message system and online app to keep up with menus and events on the ship, which was very inexpensive and easy to use. Yes, spotty at times, which I had read, but worked better than expected and really glad to have it for a group this big to stay in touch! 

     

    8- The Spa was nice , however not cheap and messed up a few appoinments from over booking. They were sorry and added some comped services to the girls who it happened to, but they had to go at odd hours instead of the choices they first booked with.

     

    9- On my actual Birthday it was formal night and we got a GREAT shot of all of us on the staircase by the Alchemy Bar that I will forever cherish! John was very kind and sent a ship on a stick, chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of champange to me that night to the room. Very very very sweet. What a nice surprise!  If only I had some ice to keep it cold. 😉 There were two different cakes ordered on two different nights from two different girls that both had to be removed from the bill due to them never coming at all.

     

    10- The BEST for LAST. The ALCHEMY BAR made our cruise so much more fun than it would have been without it. Those guys, Jason and Zoran( the mixologists)  were AMAZING and catered to our every whim and call. They humored us, made fun of us and had fun WITH us! The cocktails were amazing, they jokingly named a corner of the bar for us and we went there EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT. both before and after dinner at some point. I can't say enough about them! They are the true stars of the Ecstacy. A ship that although she is old, looks pretty darn good even though she needs some new decor. Although, more importantly in need of some plumbing issues fixed and CERTAINLY needs more staff! 

     

    As I mentioned, we all had an amazing time. I had all these girls from different walks of my life come together, many who had never met before ( or never cruised before) and all got along so well. Many were exchanging numbers and info when we left which made my heart so happy. It is not often you can get 24 girls ( aged 30-70) together, have so many things go wrong and have NO DRAMA and all leave perfectly happy! We all agreed we are going to cruise again in 2020 together , however sadly Carnival will not be our cruise of choice. We origianlly picked this ship because it was close to home to drive for about 1/2 of them ( NC) and the others ( MI and OH) flew there. The price was right for so many different budgets to work with. However the fact that we ( mom and I)  splurged and got the Pent House Suite with very poor service was my  personal biggest disapointment. My husband and I love to cruise Celebrity and I think we will stick with that line. The older and smaller ships there are fine because they make up for it in service, which in my point of view is honestly the most important thing. Luckily for me, my next cruise is only 6 months away and its on Celebrity Constellation, a ship and line I know I will be much more happy with! 

     

    Thanks for reading my review, hopefully it will help anyone deciding on which ship/line, if this is the right one for you. Feel free to ask me any questions. I'll try and check back soon. Cheers!   

     

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    • Thanks 1
  16. DH and I received an offer for one of the two penthouses on the Imagination a few Christmases ago and we jumped on it. Loved it! Well worth the $1,200 extra. Had booked a Junior Suite. Over 800 square feet with separate bedroom, huge bathroom and closet, living room, dining area, bar, and 100 square foot deck. One of the reasons we took it was because my DB and SIL were also on the cruise and it was nice to get together in a large space for cocktails and room service lunches. When we checked in at the terminal, we were escorted onto the ship and picked up our S&S cards at Guest Services and then escorted to the penthouse. When inside the cabin, we did not hear any noise from the Lido Deck pool area at all. Would definitely do it again if offered.

     

    Love to hear that! Thanks! We splurged for my 50th Birthday coming up and are in PH1 on Ecstasy next month! Going with 24 girls ( in other cabins) so I am excited to have this cabin to add to the week-end memories. Noise doesn't bother me so not concerned about that! Let the party begin! ;)

  17. Yes, thank you, I am sure there aren't a ton of folks on here that have been in PH1, even though this IS where I learned of that cabin. However I am also sure that there ARE many who could answer general questions about the spa on Ecstasy. It certainly can't hurt to post here as the whole forum IS about asking questions. Thank you.

  18. I just read over the Cloud 9 Spa page on the Carnival website and have caught a few threads here about the Spa benefits in a Suite or Spa Suite or Spa pass for the day or trip. My question revolves around the Ecstasy, the ship we will be on and no where does it list any of the services from Cloud 9 Spa page as existing on the Ecstasy. But I did read there WAS a spa on the Ecstasy.

     

    Can anyone help me out here. There is a Spa on Ecstasy right? It just doesn't have all the special pools and hot tubs and bells and whistles? But I thought I saw where there was a steam room on the plans? What about a Sauna? And IF there are steam rooms/saunas are they open to the public or the Suite cabins?

     

    We are in the Owners Suite on the same floor so will be easy to get to but is there anything there we get to take advantage of for free due to this Suite?

     

    Since this suite is not listed anywhere it is very unclear what to expect. My TA didn't even know it existed. I had her look into it due to these boards and we are very excited she was able to book it ( due to a large group of cabins we are booking) .

     

    What can you tell me about the Spa on the Ecstasy? Thank you

  19. My children were 9 & 10 when we first cruised Celebrity and they absolutely LOVED it! There are not as many kids and visual things for the kids to do on this ship but the staff makes up for it tenfold! They have scavenger hunts and plays and activities galore that they personalize for the kids. We had the kids eat with us for dinner but they begged to stay at the kids club. They would dress for dinner and ask to go back as soon as they were done for movie night and pillow fights and more. I had heard it wasn't the best line for kids and was worried but mine are dying to cruise again soon!

  20. We like the late seating, we like long dinners with lots of wine and conversation. Never feel rushed, plenty of time to nap and freshen up after ports or pool deck, plus there is usually a late night comedy show we can catch as well as watching and joining in the dancing later. Good to hear tehre are less tables there, I like it that way! Always had great service!

  21. I am celebrating my 50th in November. I decided to splurge and booked the pent house suit. I have 24 girls going with me ( in other cabins) and I don’t think anyone could be more excited to turn 50! Great way to make a milestone birthday be exciting! Enjoy your cruise, planning it and looking forward to it! That’s 1/2 the fun!

     

     

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