beachbum53

4 minutes ago, chadci said:

I wonder how they’ll be conducted moving forward on some ships. I love the ones held in the theater, bars, dining pond etc. the ones outside shoulder to shoulder... maybe not as much. 

Dining pond? Will this be one of the new features on the Mardi Gras?

1 hour ago, opensaysme said:

Any particular reason why you always choose starboard?

It may depend largely on which side of the ship your very first cabin was. For our very first cruise, many years ago, we booked through a travel agent, and we had an ocean view cabin on the port side. Ever since then, more or less out of habit, we've always had a cabin on the port side. I think most humans are creatures of habit, and tend to automatically book one side or the other without any forethought. 

4 hours ago, RWolver672 said:

Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing which way the ship will pull into a port.  Sometimes port is next to the pier, other times starboard is.  That and there's a chance that another ship might be on the opposite side of the pier and all you can see is the ship.

After having been on 14 cruises, I can confirm this. If you're someone that likes to step out on your balcony in the morning in your birthday suit (after the ship has docked), it's best to peek through the curtain across your balcony door first, for obvious reason.😉

7 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

Then you will never cruise, or possibly go out ever again.

 

That is not how vaccines work.

 

They do not kill anything.  The cause you immune system to react to the vaccine, so when you get exposed to that microbe again, your body reacts quickly and massively.  And your own immune system prevents you from getting sick.

 Whatever. I'm not a doctor. The main thing is that a shot or some sort of immunization is developed that will end the pandemic and makes it safe for us to travel again. 

35 minutes ago, AF-1 said:

beachbum53;  look at my signature;  I am right down the street from you.  

I didn't pay attention to that before. So, you do know about the challenges we face here in the Buckeye state. We do have a land-based vacation planned for the end of this Sept., but we're prepared to postpone our plans if necessary. I know, based on what I've been seeing here on C.C., that there are a number of people that are eager to go out on a cruise as soon as possible, like within the next three or four months.  We're okay with waiting at least 12 months.

1 hour ago, AF-1 said:

beachbum53;  hope you get your confidence up to fly and cruise.  I am optimistic that current situation will be better by Oct time frame.  We shall see

I don't know about where you live, but here in Ohio, not everyone is following the guidelines about social distancing, or staying at home, or not being in groups of ten or less. All it takes is for one person who is a carrier of the virus to infect others. As much as we would like to get away from home and go on a cruise, or even a land-based vacation, we're not willing to take the risk. I'm normally a very optimistic person. But, as things are currently, I'd rather spend my off time safely here at home than two (or more) weeks in intensive care in a hospital, or possibly not live to see tomorrow's sunrise. 

There are a few things that would have to happen before I would consider booking a cruise some time within the next 12 months. First, that an inoculation has been developed that kills the covid-19 virus and is available for everyone. Second, that all airlines are in full operation. (The closest port that we can drive to is Baltimore, about a six hour drive). Third, all hotels, restaurants and bars are open again for business.  We won't be booking a cruise or packing our bags until the pandemic is over with. 

50 minutes ago, rukkian said:

That might be tough, as there are people that cant get vaccinations (allergies, or some other condition), and then you have the religious exemptions.  I agree it would be prudent, however.

I would imagine that the CDC will take all of that into consideration, and that there will be some sort of alternate anti-virus medicine for those that can't (or won't) get a shot.  

I can easily foresee, not just for cruising, but for air travel as well, that once an inoculation for the Corona virus has been developed and proven effective, we will all need some type of shot record to prove that we've been inoculated prior to traveling. Just as it is becoming mandatory to have a passport, it will be mandatory to have proof of inoculation. Those that have chosen not to get an anti-Corona shot will not be allowed to fly on a plane or go on a cruise. 

34 minutes ago, salty dingo said:

Every single day I am spammed with an "offer"... it got way past ridiculous. Today I have had enough and unsubscribed.

 

Anyone else having this issue? Carnival is not alone here... NCL is spamming me too. They are next.

I'm not sure I would call it "spam". It's really no different than getting junk mail in your mail box, except that no paper is wasted. I get all kinds of junk email every day. I just click on where it says "unsubscribe", then delete it. A little annoying, but no big deal.

Once cruising does start again for ALL cruise lines (not just the Carnival brand), and an inoculation for Covid-19 has been developed and approved, I foresee passengers and crew members needing proof that they have had the shot prior to boarding. It could easily be a year before the cruise lines, as well as air travel, have fully recovered from this pandemic. The cruise industry will recover, but it won't be any time soon. We just have to be patient. 

4 hours ago, geckoaz said:

But i want the side i can see the pier runners.

Best place to watch for pier runners is the deck above the Lido deck.😉😄

Serious Question: Cruisers will you continue? 

Serious answer: Absolutely! 

We already had two future cruises booked months before the Corona outbreak hit the U.S. The Mardi Gras in Nov. 2021, and the Conquest in March 2022. 

Here's a question that seems to come up about once a month, especially from first-timers. "Which side is better for booking a cabin, Port or Starboard?" My answer: Makes no difference. The ocean looks pretty much the same on either side.😁

1 hour ago, queenpailhead said:

So due to my kids' activity schedules and the spring break cancellation our 7 day cruise in april became a 5 day in November. Thus, we have a metric butt ton (an actual measurement unit) of OBC spread over our 3 rooms (4 teens, 2 adults). My understanding is none of it can be used prior to boarding. Of course we will use $500 give or take for tips (do I have to go to guest services for that? this is only our second cruise and we prepaid tips on the last one), but what are the best ways to use the rest? I'm thinking internet for the kids maybe (which plan is best for teens??), and I think my husband and I may splurge for a drink package.

 

Are there many excursions left by the time you board? Our ports are Half Moon, Nassau, and Grand Turk. I'm not really interested in a photo package and we're on the Sensation so no good specialty dining options.

If you're planning to book any excursions through Carnival, it would be best to book them well in advance, especially those that have limited availability. For example, you could book a Beach Villa at HMC for $599.99. There are a limited number available  (five  I think), and they get booked very quickly. Take the time to look at the excursions offered through Carnival at each of the ports. If you see something that would be of interest to everyone in your family, book it as soon as possible. If you have any questions about combining the OBC, or booking excursions, call  Carnival Guest Services at 1-800-764-7419.

My suggestion is, do what you need to do to protect yourself prior to going on vacation, whether it's a cruise or land-based vacation. Make sure you're up to date on all of your inoculations, and that you're in relatively good health prior to departure. We do not live in a sterile world. There is no way to make and keep a cruise ship, airplane, hotel, restaurant, or any tourist destination 100% germ or virus free. Stop worrying about "what ifs". Let yourself relax and go have a great vacation. If you can't, then stay at home. 

Two often repeated topics. #1 Is FTTF worth it? #2 Can I have the gratuities removed from my S&S account?

No worries geckoaz. Once cruising starts back up, all of the "hot button" topics will start back up again too. 

Turkey wrap with a little mayonnaise, and french fries. 

On 3/24/2020 at 4:08 PM, rickcherryb said:

Thinking of booking a cruise on the Panorama in 2021. Has anyone experienced a cove balcony cabin? We have been on regular balcony cabins, but not a cove balcony. Please give pros and cons if you can. It sounds like it would be cool though.

It's a good idea to take a close look at the ship's deck plans before choosing a cove balcony, to see what's above the cabin you're considering. We typically try to get one that's just below the Excursions Desk, or anywhere that's not below the galley.

Until Carnival sends out an email to everyone letting us know that they're open for business, it might be a good idea to wait. When  the cruise lines do start taking bookings again, I foresee lots of travel agents and PVP's getting carpal tunnel from typing almost non-stop on their keyboards. 😉

Our next cruise will be on the Mardi Gras in November 2021. By then, there will most likely be an inoculation for the corona virus, and hopefully the world will have returned to normal (or as close to it as possible). 

Why don't you give Carnival a call? I'm sure someone there should be able to give you up to date information. 

3 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

First, let's clear up some things.  When the two posters say they were given a power strip with a surge protector, could you explain how you determined it was surge protected?  Just because it has a lighted on/off switch, does not mean it is surge protected, that is only a circuit breaker to limit current.  Did you find any other clue that the device was surge protected?

Here are two pictures I took of the power strip that was loaned to us by the Security Dept.  In the closeup, you can clearly see the words "Surge Protection" .

23 minutes ago, Stick93 said:

These guys are not exactly rocket scientist!

Good thing. Otherwise, the Apollo moon mission might've landed somewhere in South Dakota. 😁

If I knew ahead of time there'd be a better than 50/50 chance of being quarantined, I'd see if the cruise line could book these guys. Nothing like some rousing Polka music to keep things from getting boring. 😁