Sea Raven

Yay!! Following this since I will sail my first ever b2b on the Mardi Gras in May.

I actually have never ordered an omelette on Carnival, but I have eaten my fair share of Eggs Benedict. In the MDR, I order them without meat and get a side of bacon. Their hollandaise is always fresh and surprisingly pretty darn tasty. Next time I may order a cheese omelette just to try one.

Last couple of cruises, we simply walked right to the muster station upon boarding, chatted with the crew member for a moment, watched her don a life jacket and she told us to meet there if called to do so in an emergency, and we were on our way. Easy peasy. After we got to our cabin, we watched the video that was playing on repeat on the television.

Thanks so much for this review and all the pics. You have helped me make the decision to book the Venezia Journeys cruise I had my eyes on for 2026. Plus, I couldn't resist the chance to go back to Tortola.

Afternoon tea is alive and well. This past May aboard the Magic, tea time was very well attended.

This is a valid question, and I believe that sometimes new cruisers can have unrealistic expectations for their first time. If every bite of food is not life-changing, and every show or excursion not awe-inspiring, they can feel let down. Research and reading everything you can about any new experience is very helpful. Having said that, I have sailed on the Magic three times and enjoyed each one immensely. In my opinion, she has one of the most organized dining staffs I have encountered and told them that on my last sailing.

They did this on my 10 day Journeys cruise on the Magic back in June out of Norfolk. It was listed as a Throwback to 1987 Captain's Gala. The Cruise Director, Captain, and other officers attended and made speeches. Drinks and canapes were served. It was held in the main theater and after the presentation, everyone was encouraged to come up and dance on the main stage to live swing and jazz style music.

The first cruise is an Eastern Caribbean with the ports of Nassau, Grand Turk, and Amber Cove. The second one is a Western one with Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Mahogany Bay as the ports. It will be my first time on the Mardi Gras!!

Just simply book two adjacent cruises on the same ship and you are doing a back to back. I have two consecutive trips booked on the Mardi Gras next May. The first leg is in a balcony cabin and the second leg is in the Ocean Suite next door. They are booked as two separate cruises.

The outside deck area of the Red Frog Pub has a couple of wooden swing type seating areas and they tend to be pretty quiet and centrally located on Deck 5.

There was a post 8 hours ago on Carnival social media that showed a young couple enjoying their cruise on the Sunshine and participating in activities around the ship. They made mention of the fact that despite the crew having to brave previous rough weather,they were able to board and have a great time. They made no comments that would lead one to believe that the ship had in any manner been "destroyed" as some news accounts quoted.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels this way, especially when you see the pictures from the ships that had the beige or slightly pink tinted ones. I feel like they are in the same category as lace doilies under Grandma's lamps.

On my last two cruises (May and October) I was in a suite and not only had access immediately upon boarding (priority), but the sign and sail cards were ready and waiting. We were in and set for the day.

The port terminal is located in a busy downtown area, and can require patience. If you park and take the shuttle bus, it can go faster than being dropped off. My last two cruises (May and October) out of Norfolk went pretty smoothly. If everyone waited for their designated arrival time, it would be even better. Luggage is handled straight through on the shuttle buses or by curbside porters at the terminal for those arriving on their own. It can look chaotic and confusing, and people are milling about, but once inside they are pretty organized.

Yes, this is the case. Both of my cruises since the restart have been in suites, and in both cases the cabin is ready to be occupied and the sign and sail cards have been delivered. It actually makes sense to keep this procedure because on any given sailing, there is a finite number of suites. They can easily be guaranteed to be ready as opposed to a random and changing number of platinum and diamond cabins.

This. I pretty much exclusively book suites these days and I hope it sticks around. In the way back time, about 2008 or 2009, when you booked a suite you got cabin ready at boarding and priority luggage. Even though it was never officially stated anywhere. Back then my boarding pass and luggage tags said VIP. Fast forward to the introduction of FTTF and this suite perk quietly disappeared. Then, at about the same time, equal treatment of cabin ready was given to D and P passengers. It would be nice if this new policy is their way of reinstating a valuable suite benefit.

Interesting. Once I retire, I plan on trips with different cruise lines. I'm looking forward to experiencing all the options and differences.

Well, then I will try a little harder to get to Ruth Chris since I have one about 15 mins away from my home. Been a while since my crumbs were swept 😁

This is why you need to be careful what you wish for. Sometimes there's a good reason why they *don't do it like they used to". And really, when is the last time you actually witnessed a crumb sweeper being used ANYWHERE?

Society in general has massively changed over the last 30 years. Casual and comfortable is the new standard. People now show up for job interviews in pajamas. And speaking of pajamas, I have read on these boards where it was standard for the room steward to lay out a ladies nightgown in the evenings. On cruises, I sleep in leggings and a t shirt. I don't actually need or want them laid out for me. So does this count as a cutback or an improvement?

On my current booking, I have anytime dining selected. I can select prepaid gratuity or take it back off. It gives me the option either way. For the record, I have never read about that anywhere that I can remember.

The TV no, but they give you waters, soft drinks of your choice, a fruit tray, tortilla chips with salsa,, sour cream, and quacamole, and a cheese plate.

Since your cruise is on the Venezia, which are relatively newly scheduled, none of the Half Moon Cay excursions may have posted yet. Not all the excursions are available yet for my Magic sailing out of Norfolk which was added to the schedule when the Venezia replaced the Magic in New York.

I know that mine will not be the popular opinion, but I support this wholeheartedly. The sheer amount of food waste that I witnessed just on my October cruise was disheartening. People ordering multiple entrees for breakfast, brunch, and dinner was quite common. Most only picked at each one, some even left whole meals untouched. I guess the thought of "free" food just triggers something in certain people. It is an issue that I hope Carnival can at least try to control.

I am sailing on the Magic to Bermuda on the 23rd, so I can report back here with an update. Past October crises have included kids trick or treating, adult and children's costume parties, and other activities like Thriller dance lesson classes and such. They also decorate parts of the ship and provide Halloween themed backdrops for the photographers.