KatieCharlotte

To clarify what I'm reading, if fully vaccinated people book a 4-day cruise on certain ships through April, we'll be guaranteed to be able to register for $10 testing in the terminal that morning and don't have to worry about finding an appointment and getting tested while traveling? This may be the deciding factor as to which cruise we take.

I've mostly attended only PG shows and I don't know if the R rated shows are more popular, but the Sunshine was the only ship where we had to wait outside a long time just to get a seat. We would arrive at the last minute on the Freedom and had no problem getting a seat. I don't remember any problems on the Magic either. There are things we loved about the Sunshine, but several of the public spaces were not big enough for the number of people onboard.

This thread is way out of date, but it did remind me to ask about the muster drill we just experienced. We were required to have our S&S card scanned. That would have been a good idea, but there were some flaws in the system. Several people were called out as having not been scanned. One was a member of my group. I had been standing right there when the person scanning cards told her that her card had been scanned and I saw her photo on the screen, so either the person or the machine made a mistake. A process that should have made muster faster, easier, and more accurate ended up slowing things down. I seem to remember counting by clicks rather than card scanning in the past, at least when our muster station was outside by the lifeboats. Is this a new system that will get better over time?

I agree about the lack of trivia on the Freedom. We sailed last month and some sea days had only ONE trivia scheduled. When it is THEMED trivia and you didn't watch that particular show...well it's not fun at all. Very boring cruise, trivia-wise.

 

 

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I thought I recalled only one trivia (Game of Thrones, which we don't watch) on a sea day. On the last sea day, there were three in the morning, including Harry Potter, and that was all.

Maybe it's just the Freedom and not fleet-wide.

To get back to the main topic, I forgot to mention tea time changes. The treats were just as good as usual. Service was better when we sat at a large table. I don't mind the upcharge teas even though I prefer a basic black or green tea, but I thought it was tacky that they always brought the fancy teas first and didn't explain the free versus upcharge choice. Guests had know to ask for regular/free tea, and it felt a bit awkward, especially after your tablemates have purchased $1.95 tea bags.

I understand how some might feel about the adults-only aft pools. Especially in situations like you encountered...hardly any adults there, two teens quietly talking and not bothering anyone. Some will think, no harm, no foul. Personally, I think it's nice to hear that they're still enforcing the rules in that situation. Sometimes it's hard to get Carnival to enforce their own rules. If they enforced the adults-only rule some times and not others, it would cause a lot of confusion and anger people that way, too. Someone who gets to swim with their kid back there one day, but not the next, won't be happy. So I think it's best just to enforce the adults-only rule all the time. At least that way, everyone should know what to expect.

I do understand your point about consistency and knowing what to expect. I know it would be impossible to enforce, but I always wish there was a hot tub for kids, teens, and families who want to be calm and peaceful. Or maybe make the aft hot tubs 13+, like the hot tubs at our YMCAs. Unfortunately, one of the three family-friendly hot tubs on the Freedom was closed for parts of the cruise, so sometimes there were four adult-only hot tubs (two on Serenity and two on aft) and two small hot tubs for kids, teens, parents, and adults who wanted to be on the main lido deck. Fortunately, the weather was too nice for too much time in the hot tubs. :cool:

I do wish that Carnival hadn't promoted the change to family-friendly aft pools and then quietly switched back. The up-to-date info is difficult for the average cruiser to find online. I'm all for having different amenities on different ships -- just make it easier for cruisers to know what they're booking.

Is the minimum age for aft pool and hot tubs 18 or 21?

The funtimes said 18+ for the aft pool and hot tubs. Serenity is 21+.

They were by the pool on the Freedom, but I only noticed them in the afternoons. They were telling kids not to jump in the pool. They were watching the pool, but not carefully like the well-trained lifeguards at our local pool, who are not allowed to have conversations on duty. I would call them monitors and not lifeguards, but obviously they wouldn't ignore a struggling child. There are also plenty of lifejackets available by the pool, which I don't remember from our very first cruises a few years ago.

We're on the Freedom in 4 weeks, so I appreciate the information. We've cruised several times before, but it's our first time on Carnival.

 

 

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If you have any questions, please ask. A couple "secrets" unique to the Freedom -- go up the stairs in the buffet area for barbecue, a beverage stand, and quiet tables. On the same end as the water slide, Deck 12 has foosball, ping pong, and giant chess, and deck 14 (by the slide entrance) has beanbag toss (a/k/a corn hole).

The aft pool and hot tubs were adult-only even on a spring break cruise, and they enforced it even though the pool and hot tubs were practically empty much of the time. The water was lukewarm, unlike the rest of the hot tubs on the ship, which were actually hot. I was rarely back there because this was a family cruise, but the one time I was in the lukewarm "hot" tub to sooth my sunburn, a staff member asked two teenage boys to leave. I can say that no one had complained, because I was the only other person in the hot tub and they were just having a quiet conversation. One was actually 18 but decided to leave with his friend.

We've just returned from our cruise on the Freedom. We've been on a variety of ships, from the Fantasy-class to the Dream-class, over the past five years or so. There's been a lot of talk about cutbacks versus improvements, etc. I thought I'd give my opinions on some of the changes in the experiences we've had, good and bad.

First, embarkation and staggered check-in -- I'm not sure how this works at every port and for every ship. We arrived slightly early -- the taxi showed up 10 minutes before the time we scheduled and we hit zero traffic. There were two "lines" -- on time and early/late. No one was in the on time line when we arrived (about 11:15 a.m.). We entered the early/late line. Everything was quick and smooth. We were zone 10. Getting cards outside the room at 1:30 p.m. felt strange but we had no issues.

Cabin service -- I was a little worried when they were frantically finishing rooms/replacing towels at 1:45 p.m., but the cabin service was excellent. The steward gave my teenager the Comfort Matters card when I was not in the room but ended up just asking me if I wanted once or twice a day service (that was how he described the choices). I said twice-a-day, and he did I good job pretending to be thrilled with my choice. Towel animals were after morning service instead of at evening turndown.

Dining Room -- No real complaints. I didn't miss tablecloths. The food was hot and mostly good. Service was excellent. We really do prefer set-time dining. On our last cruise, we tried anytime dining and did not have good service. I miss some things about the old menus and the choices felt more limited at times, but some new options were good. They really need a basic fruit plate appetizer for kids.

Evening entertainment -- Unfortunately, we feel this area is lacking. We appreciated the Dive-in movies, but we would have liked more variety in the live shows in the theater and more family-friendly comedy nights. As my daughter said, the productions are basically all the same but with different music. We went to one and were bored. On past cruises, we enjoyed the magic shows, comedy juggler, etc.

We like the new-ish venues, like the Red Frog pubs, better lunch options, and the Dr. Seuss library for families.

We were surprised and disappointed by how few trivia contests were available. Is this a fleet-wide change? I hate to think that trivia is being replaced with money-maker activities. When we attended, the room was packed. One of the scheduled trivia contests turned out to be a "mistake" in the FunTimes -- when people complained, they ran it a half-hour late, with a different theme.

My traveling group has some unique circumstances that make patience a bit more challenging on this cruise. It helps to know what to expect.

I'm over halfway to platinum, so someday I will be going right in too. :D

I haven't cruised since check-in times were imposed. We're cruising out of Galveston and have 11:30 a.m. check-in. From what I've read, the earliest time for the Freedom is 11 a.m. -- if you don't book last-minute like we did. I'm not thrilled with check-in times, but I was relieved to get a decent time. I just have some questions.

Are there separate lines if you arrive during your time or earlier/later? Is there a short grace period? If we ask for a taxi from our hotel at checkout (11 a.m.), the taxi is on-time, and we arrive at the port at 11:15 a.m., do we hand off our suitcases and get in the on-time line, get in the early line, or stand around for ten minutes?

Also, what time does non-priority boarding usually start for the Freedom? Can we expect to move pretty quickly from entering the terminal, checking in, and hearing our number called? (I have members of my party who need to know what to expect.) Thanks!

Right above that, on deck 10.

The ice cream is caddy corner from the pizza station on 9. Nine can be noisy because of the pool and the pizza. Deck 10, is convenient enough and should be quite enough

Thanks for the info. Deck 10 at the back of the ship looks perfect.

I welcome any information on other quiet spots that aren't adults-only. I saw a video showing couches on the exterior walkway on Deck 3, but now I'm thinking that's a smoking area?

It's simple.

 

There are only 2 small signs that most will not see anyway

 

The crew informs some they are not allowed to touch anyone's personal belongings

 

The crew does nothing in most vasss when advised of a so called chair hog.

 

Even if the crew is informed that a chair has been saved for over 40 minutes, how can they trust a strangers word? They would have to start the 40 minute clock when they are told, not when someone else claims it was saved for 40 minutes.

 

 

 

So what it comes down to, for the most part, 8/ the crew won't do a think about it.

 

 

So, get there early and save some seats or go find an empty chair as far away from the pool as possible.

This is what frustrates me -- telling people that they have to go early and save seats. This is what makes the problem so much worse.

It is simple. Don't save a seat before you plan to sit in it. If you've left the area (and not just to get something and come back), take your belongings with you.

Well therein lies the problem. No one cares what practice benefits EVERYONE, they only care about THEMSELVES. Why should they care that you don't have a chair as long as THEY have what they want?

They have to send someone in their party to save seats at some early hour and abandon their towels/flipflops/etc for hours at a time, and they can't pick different seats later because someone else has "saved" those seats.

Even when I cruise without my kids, I have no interest in sitting in the same spot all day long. Don't most people want to split up their day between spots in the sun versus shade (or following the sun), spots near the pool or somewhere quiet to nap, near the food or with a good view, etc.? Wouldn't everyone like the luxury of wandering by at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. and sitting for a bit before moving on? I've been on Carnival cruises where that was possible and cruises where it was not.

I believe it would be far easier for crew to enforce the no-saving rules if they did not fear getting negative feedback from the customer whose stuff they remove. Perhaps if once you have your belongings removed from a unoccupied chair, no post-cruise survey for you and it is notated on your account should you complain at guest services.

I just wish there was a way to successfully educate and guilt passengers through friendly reminders once on board. We've had people overhear us talking about chair hogs and explain to us that you have to save chairs first thing in the morning, or you won't get one later. Well, no, not if no one saves chairs. The same seat can be used by several different people at different times of the day, or "saved" by one person all day. Which practice benefits everyone?

Yes, the aft pool and hot tubs are for adults. The ones closer to the Lido are for all and are the ones that are covered in rainy days.

Am I correct that the pool and hot tub are adults only but there is no age limit for sitting in the loungers in that area? Or can you recommend other quieter spots for a teen who would like to quietly read a book in the sunshine, near an ice cream station? :)

The chair hog debate is a well-worn subject here. My personal view is to let the hogs have the trough and take a nice chair somewhere else. The hogs seems to congregate around the pool area, and it sometimes smells.

I don't typically sit around the main pool either, but I sometimes want to in the morning when that's the only area getting morning sunshine. It's frustrating when the loungers in the sun are "saved" before 8 a.m. There are also often families with children who would like to use the pool in the calmer morning hours, and they can't sit close by because someone has saved the loungers to use later in the day.

I have also seen chair hogs take up all the loungers on Lido and/or all the spots on Serenity. I overheard a couple explaining that they had spots in the sun and spots in the shade on Serenity. :mad:

I always wondered if when people come back for their chairs, they don't start a fight with the people that took the chairs?

 

I saw a video where a women went to the back of the lounger and easily dumped the guy off into the deck.

 

Has anyone encountered problems doing this? I would be too scared some crazy would start trouble with me or my husband.

I maybe possibly caused an argument hours after I scooped up all the towels and dumped them on one chair. :evilsmile: The chair saving on that particular cruise was like nothing I'd seen before -- people were saving every chair by the pool for their entire extended family for three hours before they showed up. I enjoyed a lounger for the amount of time that I wanted to sit and then left. Other people came along and were grateful for the empty spots. I heard a rumor that the savers showed up long after and were not too happy.

We've cruised during the Final Four many times. On ships with a big screen, it was always played on the big screen. For all of us sports fans, it's a fun experience. When we sailed on a ship without the big screen, they played the Final Four on a screen in the comedy club and had a large crowd.

I know there are always a bunch of posts about chair hogs so I did my own investigation.

Last week on the Fascination, All the chairs around the immediate area of the pool were taken ( a towel- a shoe- a book were placed on them) by 8:30-9am on the only sea day.

I decided to ask the pool attendants (there were several) if this was allowed?

I pointed out the 2 signs that were posted by Carnival (very strategically placed as well) stating that chairs that were not to be reserved. The signs went on to say any items left on chairs for more than 40 mins would be removed and kept at the towel station for safe keeping.

The response.....oh I don't know what that means???? We not touch guests belongings, it not allowed.......

I pointed out that there were 6 chairs right where we were sitting that no one had been sitting in during the 2 hours we had been there. There were so many people who wanted to sit by the pool but there were none available.

All I got was a shrug of the shoulders........I guess it means its ok to do. Another Carnival rule not followed.

I saw it enforced on the Sunshine Serenity Deck in the afternoon, but not on Lido in the morning when enforcement was also needed. If people have left their items for more than 40 minutes, feel free to pile them all on one chair (or put shoes on the ground) and clear loungers for people to actually use.

Thank you for the info and posting the menu. Forgive me, but I'm completely uninformed about BBQ -- which sauce would be sweet and not too spicy?

Also, do the Conquest-class ships have beverage stations on the floor above Lido with the BBQ?

" it’s a challenge to make sure you have everything you need."

 

 

no it's not

For some people, the challenge seems to be kindness and humility.

I am always afraid that I will forget, lose, or not realize that I need important documents, because I know that I am not perfect. I appreciate all info and reminders, as well as stories about how people managed to get what they needed and salvaged their trips.

We have stayed on Riviera on several cruises, because our top priority is to have a quiet room for sleeping and Riviera is typically great for that. My daughter who is prone to seasickness always prefers to be outside in the breeze but has no complaints about our cabin being low versus high on the ship. How much we feel the sway has depended more on bad weather and the ship's speed, but I have heard that people actually feel less lower in the ship.

On my first cruise, I had hoped that the sea would feel close out the window, but it really doesn't. You are not actually on the lowest deck of the entire ship. One nice thing is the easy of returning to your room after an exhausting port day in the sun, especially with kids.

Saw some pictures from the Vista's sail away yesterday and the Pats/Jags game was on the big screen so they seem to be able to show the games.

The only thing I could find on John Heald's FB page were posts by people saying that the playoff games were being shown. I think that during the regular season, there are no guarantees that specific games will be shown. You can't expect that when you travel anywhere. But they do seem to make every effort to show the major, nationally/internationally televised events.