kazbar

Carnival Australia have also extended their pause

17 hours ago, Roger88 said:

Why would you go to Tasmania anyway? lol I dont even know where it is. It might be of interest to those who like those extreme and wild tours. I would be afraid of going to places where I would not be supplied with a proper medical care in case of whatever. If its one of the stops the cruiser makes, I would rather just stay on board, seriously. Risking your health and the health of others on ship at this moment is not a good idea. Just saying

This comment just reaffirms the stereotypical view many people around the world have of Americans being ignorant of anything outside their own little bubble 

And just now ...

Carnival Australia posted this last night concerning the 2 ships they have ...

Carnival have extended the Cheers! alcohol package trial until December

Ive not cruised Celebrity myself, but my mum has and she said its like the premium economy version and Carnival is the casual, fun version. I have cruise P&O and find Carnival a step up from that. Im sure you will have a great time.

Everything needs to be booked and paid for on-board.
You can get Faster to the Fun added to your booking, which gets you an early boarding time, use of the priority line at guest services, priority tendering, and access to your room straight away (while everyone else waits until 1.30pm). As far as I know, nothing can be pre-booked and paid for.
A few months before your sail date, you can log in to the online check in and select your boarding time for free. Its done on a first in first served basis. As each time slot fills, it becomes unavailable for selection. There doesnt seem to be any rhyme or reason to when it opens though so just keep checking (Ive had some 6 months ahead, others 3 months, and one was 8 weeks).

The Splendor is a very pink ship, but you tend to stop noticing it after a while.
If you are on one of the lower decks (1 or 2) then it can be a bit awkward moving around the ship (especially going to the dining rooms) because of the positioning of the galley. 
Sea day brunch is great, as is kids club (I also have a 12 year old). The early shows and family friendly comedy can get pretty full, so get there a bit earlier to get a seat, if thats your thing. 

Not sure if you have cruised on other lines, but Carnival is not much different to Royal IMO

The weekly cap doesnt include the airport trains as far as I know

6 hours ago, Stick93 said:

Think of all the people who will not eat cereal on the ship now as it will come in these large dispensers that are always so appealing to children and adults.

Carnival Australia have always had the cereal dispensers in the buffet and I havent heard anyone complain about them. The cereal cant be touched in any way. It is fully enclosed. You turn a handle and dispense as much as you want in to your bowl. 

We do it all the time. We have a cabin for 3 and a cabin for 2. We get 3 spare keys for the 2 pax room and 2 spare keys for the 3 pax room. That way everyone has a key for each room. We have never been questioned on it

Interesting (the emphasis is mine)

Passengers told News Corp the woman had gone outside to vomit and was thrown overboard when a wave hit the ship, with one saying her husband saw the whole thing. P&O said there was nothing to support that version of events.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/search-called-off-for-woman-overboard-from-pacific-dawn-cruise-ship/ar-AAvNzA0?ocid=ientp

Did you get a look at them? Bank accounts dont enter into it.

That was entirely my point. I was responding to the many comments earlier in this thread from those who think its only us poor working class folk who cause trouble

They are cashed up bogans

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5405103/Barkho-family-Carnival-Cruise-fight.html

For all those worried about Carnival nickle-and-diming attracting those you deem not of your standard, the perps have money, so they are not the great unwashed that you fear, sorry ;p

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5405103/Barkho-family-Carnival-Cruise-fight.html

It's too bad they were let on in the first place. I know that the manifest isn't checked to see if anyone onboard has warrants out against them until after the ship sails.

 

So, if we have to do an online check in prior to showing up at the port, you mean the authorities don't have some way to, I don't know, quick scan the passenger list to see if anyone might be a potential issue? I can't imagine this family not having a rap sheet of some kind already.

 

It would have been nice for them to have been flagged prior and then denied boarding.

This was an International cruise so everyone onboard needed a passport and went through immigration before boarding. If they had outstanding warrants, it would have flagged them

They don't. I believe Carnival Australia are the only ones who dont offer an alcohol package

Media coverage showing cruisng in a negative light has become a bit of a common occurrence (even if the facts don't always reflect the headline). Here is the latest.

The Legend is due in to Melbourne tomorrow morning

Passengers on a 10-day cruise to the South Pacific have described it as a "cruise from hell" after alleging ongoing violence between two groups.

One passenger claims that violence has erupted on several occasions with threats made to stab and throw people overboard.

"We are so scared after witnessing a traumatic experience with yet again the same offenders. It was a bloodbath."

"We will not be leaving our cabins and are truly scared for our safety and what could happen in the next," a passenger told 9News.

The ship's operator Carnival Cruise Line has issued a statement saying: "The vast majority of the guests onboard Carnival Legend are enjoying their 10-day cruise holiday to the South Pacific."

"The ship's highly trained security staff have engaged with a small group of disruptive guests and ensured that they are fully aware of and are compliant with our zero tolerance policy."

This strong approach is in line with our commitment to safety as the number one priority.

https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/02/16/06/29/carnival-legend-bloodbath-on-cruise-from-hell

When we did it, children werent required to show photo ID as long as they were seated with their parents

Ive cruised Carnival from Australia and the US and found them to be more similar than different. We found the MDR menus offered maybe one or two choices less in Australia than the American cruises but found the meals themselves to be better. The steak and fish were especially better on the Australian cruises.

We've also sailed Royal and find the food on Carnival to be much better, the entertainment about par and the service much friendlier on Carnival.

This is Carnival Australia's policy. It is part of the cruise contract

For cruises departing from an Australian port between 1 November and 7 January, any passenger under 19 years of age on the day they board the cruise, must travel in the same stateroom as a responsible adult 19 years or older. In addition, from 8 January to 31 January, there is a limit on the number of passengers under 19 years of age who can travel unaccompanied. Once the limit is reached, a responsible adult 19 years or older must travel in the same stateroom. We can advise you at the time of booking whether the limit applies to your booking. Carnival Cruise Line can waive the responsible adult requirement at its discretion. The responsible adult is accountable for passengers under 19 years of age in their stateroom for the duration of the cruise, and the ‘Rights of the Captain’ will be applied to anyone who displays disruptive behaviour.

What is it about parents taking kids out of school willy nilly? You can't tell me they are all home-schooled. A parent with a child of school age has a responsibility to have the child in school IMO. A cruise to the Pacific Islands is generally not a high educational itinerary for most passengers. I can see why education departments are trying to crack down on kids missing school for holidays.

Perhaps I should duck and run now from all the parents/grandparents who do cruise with school age children in term time.

No duck and cover required for me but I will give you my 5 cents worth. Visiting some of our closest neighbours and seeing how different they live to the way we live is very educational. As is learning to wait your turn, seeing immigration and custom procedures, being exposed to other currencies, and becoming aware that not everyone is the same as you but we all have to get along, adults and children, just the same.

we don't have Faster to the Fun on the Aussie ships

Another vote for the Hunter Valley here - wineries and great restaurants, Hunter Valley Gardens, Hunter Valley zoo

both the connecting cabins I have stayed in on Carnival (one ocean view, 1 balcony) had a couch