cruzmaniac

Thanks Jamman54 and Patty for the great review and photos!! Hubby and I were glued to your details, descriptions and photos. Luckily for us we started when you were complete so no waiting required.  We are on day 4 (Miami) of our Christmas/NYE 10/9 day B2B extravaganza!! 19 days on Carnival Venezia plus 2 days pre-stay.  What we learned ahead of time from your review was immeasurable. 

The ship is as described with the exception of the addition of the gorgeous Christmas decorations and holiday atmosphere.  Another difference is the change in the majority of the crew and staff from cruise director and on down. MarQ is back and is very well liked and upbeat.  Bar staff is awesome and like you we have our favorites.  Like you we also had to change cabins. Although cabin type and location is identical and only switched sides of the ship our experience in that area,  and the dining room service is dramatic. Our first room steward was one of the best ever and so far our port side guy is over worked and dealing with cabins on two decks. 🫤  But our towel animals are great and all have eyes. 😊

The first of the two cruises was also an Elite cruise and the second is a Premier cruise so the casino is always packed, smokey and nearly impossible get free drinks (while gambling) that they advertise when encouraging you to play more to earn. 

Tonight is NYE and we are looking forward to the celebrations all over  the ship!!

We are counting our blessings and will enjoy the rest of our amazing cruise!! And I'm also sure and our room steward and dining team will grow on us like they always do. ❤️  Wishing all a Happy and Healthy 2024!! 🎉🍾🥂

We were on the Price twice in 2022, first on the Transatlantic Oct 30 - Nov 12 and again for the Panama Canal in December.  I will admit she can use some sprucing up but for the most part she is a beautiful ship. I hope they don't take away any of the bars or public spaces to add more cabins.  I think she is great just the size she is. Wish they would put some in larger flat screen TVs in the cabins.  Looking forward to seeing her shine the end of May.

Getting excited about our upcoming POA Hawaii Cruise the end of September. It's been a long time coming. I've managed to confuse myself while scrolling thru our reservation on my phone on the NCL website.

So I'm looking at the things they are still trying to sell me such as Hawaiian beverage package, dining package, shore excursions, internet etc . 

I know when I booked this I included the choose all four that were available (beverage package short excursions internet and dining). So wondering why they're trying to get me to spend $831 each on the Hawaii beverage package when it's already included in my reservation...

So I click on the terms and conditions and was reading about the beverage package and then I see where it says  excluding Hawaii pride of America cruises and for that you have to go down to another section and read what's included and it's still clear as mud to me.. Do they separate it from the regular beverage package because of the additional taxes they add because it's in the us and possibility of limiting drinks per day due to Hawaii regulations? It almost seems like they're not including alcohol because they don't specifically say the alcohol like they do under the other beverage package description. 

Excited and Counting down but still confused.. has anybody had any experience with this? Have you gotten all the alcoholic drinks you wanted (of course within the $15 limit)?  Thanks 😊🌴🍍🍹

On 7/30/2022 at 4:36 AM, cassie55 said:

Nothing to do with NCL but airlines automatically cancel any subsequent reservations if any segment has a no-show. It's a system issue, no manual intervention. At the airport you can advise the airline and ask them to cancel a specific segment but this will result in a fare recalculation which might be expensive. 

The airline I work for now offers special rates to NCL (as would every airline on the air programme) and any cancellation would result in tickets being upgraded to full rates.  I'm not familiar with the US market anymore (I worked for American Airlines for years but left over 10 years ago) but it will likely not be cheap.

looking for info regarding my upcoming NCL POA Hawaii air arrangements I saw your comment and profile pic and just had to ask is that a Beardie, and if so do you currently have a Beardie?  Just wondering...I'm a fancier of the breed and they are so rare I just had to ask.  Thanks.  

On 4/28/2022 at 3:46 PM, bluegirlum said:

We are 7 points from Diamond and are planning a 7 night cruise in October/November to get there.  Based on your post, it looks like we might have options on shorter cruises?  Do we automatically get double points in junior suites and above?  Any other way to get more points?

Yes double points in Jr Suites and above.

14 hours ago, cacjnr said:

Next month we sail from Southampton on Anthem of the Seas for 12 nights. After 4 nights of the cruise we will have enough days to go to diamond level  Will we get any of the diamond benefits for the remainder of our cruise? Or do we not get it until the next cruise.

Any way you could squeeze in a 4 day cruise before your 12 day Anthem cruise? Or a 2 day in a Jr Suite?  Hubby and I are doing an 11 day cruise on Anthem next month as our first cruise as diamonds. We did 2 short cruises in Jr Suites in Feb to make sure we got there!!  Now with the 88 free drinks between the two of us we are reconsidering our DBP purchase!! 

On 3/20/2022 at 1:21 PM, obx_fintoo said:

That's it!  Thanks for following along.  If there are any other questions that I didn't answer, just let me know.

 

Happy cruising!

Thanks for all the great information on your cruise!!  My hubby and I will be taking an Elite Casino cruise the end of June so this helps us know more of what to expect.  The drinks every benefit -  how does that work?  Do you have to qualify in the casino first by playing so much $$ or is it from the time you get onboard like the Cheers package?

Thanks!!

Thanks for all the replies and info regarding availability of Sprite Zero/Diet Sprite on Royal Caribbean ships. It sounds like I should be able to find something that will work as a calorie free or low calorie drink or mixer.  I'm not a big soda drinker but do enjoy it mixed with Vanilla vodka occasionally 😊.

Here is a link to Sprite's webpage and what it says about Sprite Zero and Diet Sprite. 

Thanks again!!

😊 

https://www.sprite.com/products/sprite-zero-sugar

Does anyone know if Diet Sprite or Sprite Zero available on Royal Caribbean ships?  We are getting ready to cruise on Independence of the Seas next month. I'm allergic to cola drinks but drink the clear diet sodas. 

Thanks.

Hello,

I just found your topic today on a search for info on hagroup.com email.  Hopefully by now you have gotten your issues squared away and are still following this topic.  I too was confused with who the letter came from and contact incomplete information provided.  Would you possibly still have eperez's information as my letter only gives a phone number of 855-468-2418 and the answering system answers and asks for an extension number.  There is no etension number on the letter/invoice so after repeating for me to enter the extension number it hangs up on me.  I just emailed eperez@hagroup.com and haven't heard back yet but wondered if you have an extension number so I can call back again.  I just want to pay this off but was cautious due to incomplete information provided.

Any help is appreciated.  Thank you!!

We are on the same cruise as you. It is our first river cruise and we are still trying to figure out what to take also!

Getting close, did you do the pre or post cruise package?

Which cruise are you on? We are on the Budapest to vilshofen wine cruise that is on the AMABella Nov 9. I am taking lots of layers, walking shoes, and a rain jacket that is layer able.

My first cruise was on Carnival cruise lines, the Festivale in 1993. My cruise director was a gentleman by the name of David Fee. Does anyone know what ever happend to the ship and / or David? I've now cruise over 25 times on numerous ships, but I always remember my very first time. I would love to hear from anyone that knows anything about the ship and it's cruise director.

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I took my first cruise in 1992 on the Festivale and my second in 1993 on the Tropicale, on both cruises I had the same cruise director, David Fee. Isn't it amazing what you can find on the internet these days!

From FLOTSAM & JETSAM The Ship Society of South Africa newsletter I obtained this information regarding the Festivale:

With Carnival later creating substantially larger cruise liners, the Festivale eventually became redundant and was chartered in 1996 to Dolphin Cruise Line to become the SS Island Breeze. In 1998, when Dolphin, Seawind, and Premier Cruise Lines merged to form Premier Cruises, Inc., she was purchased outright from Carnival holdings. In 2000, she was painted red and given the name The Big Red Boat III for Texas-based cruising. The new Premier venture was a disaster and in September 2000 Premier Cruises ceased trading and the ship was seized by creditors for non payment of debts and laid up at Freeport.

There she sat until 2003 when scrap prices made it worth the effort to fire up her neglected boilers for the final voyage to the scrap yard at Alang in India. The ship became The Big Red Boat for her final voyage to the scrap yard. When she was beached that summer, she was the largest passenger ship to date to be scrapped in India. Ironically her record was not broken until 2005 when the still slightly larger Rita (ex Windsor Castle) arrived.

Regarding David Fee I found an article that indicated that he left Carnival after 12 years as a cruise director and returned to the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee, where he opened the Comedy Barn Theater. It apparently has prospered and his enterprises are many at this time:

Fee/Hedrick Family Entertainment Group is an East Tennessee entertainment conglomerate dedicated to family, faith, and fun. For more than ten years, co-owners David Fee and Jim Hedrick have operated family friendly, funny, original, and inspiring theatrical shows. The Fee/Hedrick lineup includes:

Comedy Barn® Theater

Black Bear Jamboree Dinner & Show

Blackwood Breakfast Variety Show

Magic Beyond Belief

The Miracle Theater™

Hope this response finds you as I know it has been many years!