pianogal83

15 minutes ago, teknoge3k said:

Carnival dropped 'formal' years ago. As long as you're not wearing your bathing suit and raggedy shorts, you'll be fine. I normally wear a polo shirt with jeans, and tennis shoes on the elegant nights. Shorts with sandals and a t-shirt on all other nights.  

I love it! My husband had compromised with me on a dress shirt with jeans. I thought we were living on the wild side by leaving off the coat and just wearing dress shirt/tie/slacks for formal night. LOL

37 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

We rarely get chances to "dress it up" so we usually wear something like a cocktail dress for me and a suit for DH.  This last cruise was 4 days long so no elegant night but we still kept it like we were going out to a nice restaurant in Charlotte (no suit for DH, dressy pants or dress for me) which having said that, I've seen jeans and t shirts (especially on guys) at Charlotte restaurants.  I think DH and I are last of a dying breed!😎 Here's a pic from a photo booth at a wedding we recently attended.  I don't think security will allow the horned hat onboard🤣

I love your pic! We used to do the same because it was fun (for me!) 🙂  Retirement has made me into a much more relaxed and casual person, I think. We had jobs for years that required us to dress all the time so we were used to it then. Now, it's nice to be able to leave the house without makeup, hair in a ponytail or bun and jeans.  LOL  

44 minutes ago, BallFour4 said:

Leave the suit, tie and anything from the days of formal cruising from years past if you'd like. I wear khakis and a Tommy Bahama (or like) shirt to dinner and my wife wears a casual dress. Both are within the suggested dress.
 For the other nights it's shorts, a polo and sandals or tennis shoes. Also within the guidelines. Enjoy your trip!

 

.

Thank you!  You are making my husband very happy! Seriously, it's very nice to know we have options. 🙂

45 minutes ago, lasekeye said:

The black dress pants with a dressy top for yourself would be very well accepted (& comfy).  Your Hubby doesn’t need to bring his suit for elegant dinners in the MDR, a dress shirt with pants would be good for him too.

My Hubby usually brings a sport jacket & tie, but he is usually in the small, over dressed group of men…mainly because he has quite a few as his previous job required it & we have no other occasion to dress up. This time I’m going to suggest leaving the jacket at home, but he will prob still wear the tie.

I have many dresses, from my former job (day time/office stuff) that I usually bring for dinners, also because they don’t get worn otherwise.

Every cruise we notice that dinner attire is more casual….yet, still being “dinner” attire.

Thank you so much! DH also has a lot of suits/sport coats/ties from his job. Since retirement he has only worn t shirts/shorts or sweatshirts/jeans.  The last time he had to wear a suit he said he felt like he was in a straightjacket. 🙂 Like you, I prefer to put forth some extra effort on 'formal' night and have lots of option from my working days. 

Good afternoon,

After taking a hiatus from cruising due to caretaking for several years, my husband and I are excited to have 3 cruises book for this year.  I will soon be packing for the first one and wanted some input on what is currently acceptable for the Dining Room on Formal Nights.  We are definitely Dining Room people but since retirement have found ourselves much more relaxed! In the past I would go all out with outfits, jewelry, shoes, etc.  I'm mostly over that. I am thinking black evening slacks and a couple of dressy tops for me but what about hubby?  Does he need a suit as he has formerly worn?  Does he even need a shirt and tie? He wants to do wear a dress shirt and slacks but leave off the tie.  Is a tie required?  It seems I noticed the dress in the dining room was getting much more relaxed even several years ago.  Thank you in advance! 

I booked a cruise a couple of days ago sailing the end of March this year.

I've received a number of calls from the Upgrade Fairy and only purchased one in the past. On our first 7 day cruise I upgraded from ocean view to balcony for $400.00. We decided to go for it since it was an Anniversary trip. I've received several others over the years since for balconies or suites but the price was never good enough for me to accept. We book early, usually at least a year out and would have to be offered a great cabin for a really good price to give up our 4J's. That long standing record changed today when I was offered a Cloud 9 Spa Balcony (8S) for only $300 more than I paid for my 4J cabin. I think I got a great deal. Does anyone else agree? Have you stayed in a Cloud 9 Spa Cabin before? What are the benefits? Thank you!

Goff's Caye - off the coast of Belize

Saona - Dominican Republic

Tabyana Beach - Roatan

Rum Point - Grand Cayman

Eagle Beach - Aruba

Half Moon Caye - Bahamas

Governor's Beach - Grand Turk

Orient Beach - St. Marteen

Coki Beach - St. Thomas

Cockleshell Beach - St. Kitts

Eastern beaches of Cozumel

The Miracle is probably our very favorite ship. We love the decor and the crew is fabulous - probably overall the best we've had on any ship. As the poster above, we enjoyed the grill and never missed Guys but maybe that's because their burgers are too greasy for me anyway.

Check out the extended balconies on the aft sides such as 7258. It's our favorite cabin! My profile pic was taken on the super long balcony of 7258!

From Carnival's website:

"EasyPay is available to prospective passengers who make deposits at least 90 days before the final payment due date. Any cruiser who signs up for the program will see his or her credit card charged each month for three months, starting 30 days after the initial deposit is made."

Hmmm.....who has the bad math here, me or Carnival? According to my calculations, in order for your card to be charged 30 days AFTER your deposit and then 3 installments, you would have to book at least 120 days out.

Thank you, Cool!!:*

We are sailing the Glory next Saturday, May 27th and a question has come up in our roll call regarding the room safe. When I sailed Glory in February of this year just before dry dock, the safe still required a magnetic card. However, I thought I remembered that was to be changed out in dry dock. Could anyone who has sailed the Glory since dry dock let us know if we will still need cards with a magnetic strip or if the safes were changed to key in a 4 digit number like some of the newer ships? Thank you!:cool:

Did anyone ever figure out what ON REQUEST dining means? I was waitlisted for My Time Dining and just checked my Cruise Details for our May 27th sailing and saw it had been changed to ON REQUEST as well. Thank you!

We are another with no cruise booked. In 2010 - 2013 I was cruising 3-5 times a year. We had our last cruise in Feb. of 2014 and it was the first one we did not enjoy. We decided to take a break from cruising and have been enjoying other types of vacations. Cruising used to be so cheap it was hard to pass. Now I can go other places just as cheaply or more so. We are flying to Vegas for 8 days this summer. Flight, 4 star resort and rental car in a bundled deal from Expedia cost less than a 7 day cruise in an interior room.

The 4J's used to be a good value. Evidently Carnival caught on and now they are not much cheaper than a regular ocean view. They are a much smaller cabin with NO sofa. The window lets in light but you really don't see the ocean plus the bed is under the window unless you have twin beds which prevents really enjoying looking out the window.

The first night or two when we stay in these rooms, especially if sailing through the Florida straits which tend to be a little rough, the noise of the waves hitting the hull keeps me awake. There is also much more movement. We like it as it feels we are being rocked to sleep. However, if you have movement issues, it could be a problem.

They are a LONG walk from most anywhere. However, they can be a plus to help walk off those extra calories. We spend most of our time in the Adults only area in the back of the ship so it's not particularly convenient. For our next cruise, we have chosen the aft.

The biggest advantage to the rooms and the ONLY reason we sometimes choose them is the access to the secret deck. There is no comfortable seating here and you can't see the ocean unless you are standing. But it does provide a nice view when entering or leaving port and a great place to take pics.

Unfortunately this will be the first Thanksgiving in several years that we have NOT cruised Thanksgiving week. We've been on the Liberty for 2 of those weeks, including last year. There was nothing special on Thanksgiving Day. We were in port, I think Grand Turk. The only way you would know it was Thanksgiving was a couple of special food sculptures in the Buffet and there was a special Thanksgiving Menu in the MDR. However, do NOT get Turkey in the MDR, it tastes like lunch meat. If you want turkey, go to the buffet where they will be carving a real turkey.

I see you booked the Brilliance. Beautiful ship!!!! I've sailed on two of her sisters and it's my favorite class of ship. I can't even really put into words why. I just love it.

Awww...this is exciting! I know nothing about RCL ships so I based my choices solely on the home ports and ports of call. Thank you!:)

So...what happened last month on the Liberty that caused you to cancel your next 3 Carnival cruises and defect to RCI?

Nothing. We had a great cruise on the Liberty. However, the evening we returned from that cruise, I went online to book our February cruise for next year and decided to read Cruise Critic first. There I found that CCL had been giving out free cruises - reportedly to the tune of about 100,000. Somehow, I just couldn't plunk down a $500.00 deposit after having just dropped $1500.00 on my S&S the week before, while others who had cruised only once or twice were being 'rewarded' with a free cruise. Some even posted their underage child had been given a free cruise! I guess I feel that if Carnival is going to reward anyone, it should be those who have been loyal to them. However, it has become increasingly clear in the recent past that Carnival is more interested in 1st time cruisers so we feel it is time for us to move on.

Good evening! I have booked my first 2 RCL cruise after completing 11 cruises on Carnival and 1 on Princess. I would love to know what to expect in terms

of differences. Thank you!:D

Love it :)

4 of my 7 cruises are on a spirit class ship.

I should also add, if you plan on getting an extended Bal. Cabin. see if 7258 is available You wont regret it :)

Another aft hint.

Take the stairs up to the lido deck, but don't go out to the Buffet area.

Come off the stairs and make a U turn

Go thru the doors and the serenity area is just waiting for you :)

Enjoyed 7258 on the Miracle a couple of years ago on the 8 Day Exotic Southern "Saints' Cruise. Carnival doesn't do this itinerary anymore and it was great. This was our best cabin EVER!!! HUGE balcony made for some gorgeous sunset sailaway pics!

Just off the Liberty, Feb. 8-15 sailing and there was no Tea Time listed in the Fun Times!:eek: I wonder if they have just discontinued it without saying anything?

I turned Platinum on our previous cruise so knew what to expect for Platinum perks. In addition to expedited boarding and a nice, relaxing time in the Captain's Lounge, I received a nice cooler bag and a plate of chocolate covered strawberries. Unfortunately, the strawberries were not delivered until the next to last day and we didn't eat but one. They didn't seem really fresh, probably because it was late in the cruise. We got them earlier the last cruise and they were much fresher!

We did not take advantage of the free laundry (I like to do my own laundry) or the early tender perk.

I addressed the dinner menu and service in the MDR in an earlier post so this post will deal with the other dining venues.

We enjoyed brunch on the 2 sea days. DH ALWAYS gets Filet Mignon and Eggs.

I got the Huevo Rancheros with chicken the first sea day and thought it outstanding. The chicken poppers that went with it were really good as well.

It was BIG! I couldn't eat but about 1/2!

The second sea day I got the Egg's Benedict and Cheese Grits. I LOVED the cheese grits! I also tried the warm chocolate brownie dessert for the first time (usually get the banana pie, which is yummy). I have found a new favorite! I think I liked it BETTER than WCC!!

The other days I either had a freshly made spinach, pepper and mozzarella omelet or just coffee, rolls and fruit. DH enjoyed the sausage from the buffet.

I usually do the Buffet for lunch as I get a raw veggie salad and some protein (chicken or fish). I LOVE the Bouillabaisse from the Fish and Chips bar so had to have it one day. Also had a late night pizza snack twice. Both times the pizza was freshly made and piping hot! If they could figure out how to make the crust a little less tough, it would be amazing! I love the Quatro Fromaggio!! Yum!!

DH loves Guys burgers (but limited himself to 3 during the week), did Fish and Chips a couple of times and buffet the other days.

We did not do the Mongolian Wok, Burrito Bar or Room Service nor did we purchase a drink program. Our bar tab usually runs about $100 bucks. I had a glass of wine with dinner a couple of nights and a drink in the comedy club 3 or 4 times. DH doesn't drink.

Overall, the food was acceptable, we certainly didn't starve. A few things were outstanding!

Josh Weitzman, aka Big Sexy, was our CD and as usual did a great job.

We skipped the Welcome Aboard Show but did see "Just Rock". Although we've seen this show before, this was by far the best performance of it we've seen. The guy/girl vocalists both had exceptional voices and were well matched, the dancers were much more in sync than usual and the sound engineer was right on top of the mix and all cues. The Liberty Band with Mike was amazing as always.

We also saw a Chinese Juggler that was entertaining. He was somewhat of a stand up comic but was a really amazing juggler. He must be new as we've never seen him before. I hope they keep him around.

The only other show we saw in the Main Theatre was the Love and Marriage Game which is always fun. All 3 couples were quite entertaining and as usual the oldest couple were a hoot.

We also took in a couple of afternoon Jazz sessions in the Atrium with a combo from the Showband (trumpet, alto sax, bass, electric guitar, drums and vocalist). They were swingin!

There were 2 bands that alternated playing in the Promenade by the casino. One was a Latin band and the other a rock band. Both bands were good but I would rate the Rock band as GREAT! One of the best I've heard. All had wonderful voices and "in tune" harmony. (Read..better than the original singers for the most part!) The keyboard player is unforgettable - not only in his skill but his overall stage "presence"!! If you ever see him, you will know what I mean! He must burn about a million calories each set! LOL

The piano bar was rockin' as well. Jonathan must be a new piano man for Carnival but I would bet he'll be around for a long time, unless he gets an invite to Vegas. He's that good with the whole package, INCREDIBLE keyboard skills as well as a great voice. He is a little too country for my taste so we didn't spend as much time as we would if he had a more varied repertoire. Hopefully, he will work on expanding his repertoire to appeal to a broader audience. If so, we would just stay in the piano bar every night!!

Last but not least, the 4 comedians we had throughout the week were hilarious (and I've heard some real sleepers!!). I had heard 2 of the 4 in recent cruises. Something new, was that there was actually a late night (I think 11:45) comedy show on the first night. I liked that!!

The few times we stepped into a Karaoke event, we couldn't stand it and left. I really don't get why Carnival still does this. There was never more than 10 or 15 people in the lounge anytime we went by.

We don't do bingo, or trivia shows, hairy chest contest, mixologist or movies on Lido so I can't speak for those. Of the activities we did attend (with the exception of Karaoke) EVERYTHING was first rate. Josh had the best lineup of talent I have ever experienced on a cruise. He batted a 1000 as far as I am concerned!:D

Glad you had a great cruise!! So sorry to hear how it ended! I agree that Carnival should have been more helpful! You have a wonderful attitude about it all!:)