alexmom

On 9/8/2023 at 5:51 PM, CruisinCrow said:

I posted the daily schedules for our August 31 3-day cruise to Ocean Cay here: https://susancrow.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

 

Hopefully I can get a review written up soon too.  It was a great weekend, especially having so much time at Ocean Cay.  

I haven't checked for your review yet, but I have a question.  Do you have the menus for the 3 day?  I'll be on the Seaside October 12-15 and since I've never been on a 3 day, and I've never been on MSC, I have no idea what to expect.  I would really appreciate any help you can give me, although posting the daily schedules was WONDERFUL !  Thank you !

On 8/24/2023 at 9:43 AM, funNsun4me said:

That's my fear in pulling the trigger.  My first cruise on the Seaside the island was not ready. Was lucky enough to to visit on our next 2 cruises and it is our fav stop so really don't want to book and be disappointed.  Actually it is the only good stop on the sailing from Brooklyn, but the no flying hassle makes us lean to sailing from there.  I guess I got some thinking to do...🤔

I watched 2 videos on Youtube about what they had to do to CLEAR the island of all the metal pieces, abandoned mining equipment, and junk dumped into the water around the island!  That's why it wasn't ready to open the first time.  If you saw what they had to do BEFORE they could begin building bathrooms, the food court, etc you would be amazed.  This time around, all the heavy lifting is done.  My money is on them having it done on time, this time.

4 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

And if you don't have a beverage package, cappuccinos, etc. are less expensive than on other cruise lines.  Regular coffee is available from dispensers at no charge.

We just have the non alcohol package.  I didn't check for coffee when we bought it, I just remember that she was excited for the non alcohol "virgin" drinks.  She loves them !  Thanks for the information !

16 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

Most of the interior bars on MSC ships have espresso machines and can make cappuccinos and americanos that are covered under the Easy Plus drink package. Also, many ships have specialty coffee/chocolate shops with fancier coffees for an upcharge.

Bella and I could have had the basic drink package free, but, like a lot of Asians, Bella is allergic to alcohol, so we bought the non-alcoholic drink package.  She is sensitive about not being able to have alcohol so I don't drink when we're traveling together.  Will the non-alcohol package cover espresso at a bar?  I know we plan on hitting up Venchi, and we are aware that there's an uncharge.  Thank you for the information!

17 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

I can’t answer for coffee, because I never learned to like it.  I drink hot and iced tea, in limited quantities because after awhile the tannic acid gives me acid reflux.  So, I’m drawing a blank.  There is a bar in the front of the Marketplace buffet on deck 8 that has coffees.  But as you are in YC, I’m sure you will find coffee easy to find….your butler will be delighted to assist.

   As to Ocean Cay, take water shoes, as some beaches are not as good as others.  My experience was at Lighthouse Beach, the closest to the ship, but I understand there is not as much ‘surf’ at some of the others.  Once you are finished bathing, visit one of the toilet buildings.  They have showers on the side where you can rinse sand off body and feet.  I suspect it’s all cold water, but might feel good.   Unfortunately, it is outside so you can’t strip down and wash it all off…as it is not a clothing optional beach.   Hmmm…maybe MSC could consider setting a portion aside….  EM

LOL, I'm Fantastica, not YC.  I got the upgrade offer but chose to stay in the balcony where I was.  I'm just not butler material.  I have water shoes, really good water shoes, that I take with me on cruises and water parks.  I've watched a lot of Ocean Cay videos, including the ones where they literally dredged out abandoned mining equipment from under the sand!  It's been 40 years since I did clothing optional beaches, but I really like the way you think!  If you had not told us your age, I would have taken you for a 30-something!  You have a young heart and an older persons wisdom and experience.  Oh to be 20 again, with what I know now.   KJ

On 8/24/2023 at 8:44 AM, Essiesmom said:

Thanks.  I have had lots of practice writing…. My high school best friend became a librarian, specializing in maps, and her husband taught geography at a small college in PA, to students who were mostly uninterested, thought it would be an easy grade.  They found out differently.  Anyway, they traveled extensively but only in North America.  He had had a short Air Force reserve tour in Germany and a trip to South America.  She wouldn’t fly, and he didn’t like ships, although they did do the Alaska Marine Highway.

  Anyway, when I was stationed in Germany I did a lot of traveling and wrote lots of descriptive letters home.  I think my mother sent copies to all the relatives.  After returning to the States I widened my travel sphere.  And I found that my friend’s husband needed slides for his classes.  Pictures of geography, architecture, costume, customs, cemeteries…. Yes, he did a module on death customs.  I also started keeping a nearly daily journal to describe what I saw and what I thought/felt about it.  My first big trip was a bit over two weeks to China in 1983.  A lot more trips followed, and I have many boxes of slides.  I stopped taking slides when he retired in 1996, and no prints after I went digital in 2004.  I stopped keeping a written journal when I started traveling with a laptop.  Not that I minded the writing, but arthritis in the hands made it tedious and not as readable.  And it all had to be typed up when I got home, so with the laptop I could just print it out.  Of course, the notebook was always there in case there was no electricity to charge the computer…like in Mongolia.  One lightbulb three hours in the evening, except on Mondays.  
   When I briefly visited Tunisia in 1978 I realized that I really wanted to visit places that were as different from my upbringing as possible.  My criteria became:  they don’t use the same alphabet, they don’t use the same kind of toilet, and the last criteria added was ‘you can’t drink the water’.
  Anyway, enough of that.  Just glad someone enjoys reading it.  EM

Dearest Lady !  This was a delightful read, full of good info and even better STORIES !  I'm pretty sure that you and I suffer from the same disease - fernweh - which is German for "homesickness for a place you've never been".  I also love to people watch, they are endlessly entertaining, and you can judge all you want because they can't hear your thoughts.  Many times my judgements are positive and then I get out of my comfort zone and articulate them.  People need to hear the positive when they do something right, or when they are rocking a hair color or outfit.  So many times i've seen people do the right thing and they think nobody sees, but I do, and I say something.  Conversely, be rude and belligerent and I'll hand you your ass.  And I have also been in the position where I have to apologize, to a room full of people or a salesperson, so no holier than thou crap here.

I read this blog because I'm taking a 3 day to Ocean Cay, my first cruise on MSC,with my son's ex-fiance, who we both remain friendly with.  She's going to be 28 October 27 and I was born in 1953, when dinosaurs ruled the Earth! She's a energy bomb that goes off early in the AM and goes all night.  All I care about is sunning and swimming but I'm adding dancing to my bingo card, I draw the line at karaoke.  We were initially on a 7 day but she works 2 jobs and could only get off 6 days, so we'll have a couple days in Orlando, where I can sun and swim some more before heading back to Minnesnowta, which has been promised a Polar Vortex winter this year

Your blog has been delightful.  I'm sorry your beach day was unpleasant but I look forward to being knocked onto my round bottom several times as we have a day and a half of beaches-and I will do them all!  The only information I didn't glean from your blog was COFFEE, or as my husband calls it, my reason for being.  My Italian mother got me started on espresso (and MILK) when I was 3. Is there a really good coffee place onboard?  I don't do lattes, but cappuccinos and Americanos are essential to my mental health and the other passengers wellbeing. (not really joking)  It's an Italian ship, RIGHT??? So that's my only question.

Thanks again for a fun read, and I hope to hear about the coffee onboard the Seaside.

Warm regards,

Kristine

On 8/17/2023 at 1:18 PM, jcpc said:

Thanks for your review and all your pictures.  From your review I take it that you may have a bit of a problem with overweight people -- referring to them as plus size female driver of scooter, fluffy lady in a beach wheelchair, and hefty middle-aged woman falling off a barstool.  I personally thought the adjectives of plus-size, fluffy, and hefty were not necessary and actually took away from the entire review.  But as they say - you do you, I'll do me!  Again, thanks for posting.

Wow.  I'm 5'5" and 215 pounds.  I do not have a problem with plus size (factual) and fluffy (that's CUTE, that's adorable, that's actually kind of sweet), hefty is just MEH.  I think it may have had more to do with her maybe being a sloppy drunk.  I'm round.  I used to be built like a flaming BARBIE DOLL, but 2 c-sections and 40 years later, and I look more like my Spirit Animal, Roseanne Barr.  Just saying.

I have so many questions that I barely know where to start!

I'm cruising with my son's former fiancé, who we both maintain friendship with, and she's a dancing queen.  I know that there's going to be a White Night dance party but I was wondering about other special events.  We are only on the 3 night cruise to Ocean Cay.

Bella has also been known to do the karaoke thing if given the chance ; ) and I wonder if the Seaside has that option?

She is also allergic to alcohol (it's a real thing, Google it) so we will be getting the non-alcoholic beverage package, but we are both coffee drinkers and wonder if my dry cappuccino or Americano and her lattes are included, or it there's a coffee card we can purchase like on Princess.

We are both curious about what the menus are on such a short cruise.  Is there a formal night?  Where would I find this information?  Are there any themed events on a 3 night cruise?  

It's been AGES since I've been on CC and it looks and feels really different from pre-Covid.  I sure hope people are as helpful as they were back then!

warm regards,

Kristine

On 6/10/2022 at 2:56 PM, Saint Greg said:

 

JH posts them on his FB page. As soon as he posts them there, I update my page for people who don't want to dig around his FB page. It's usually a week or two out so It'll be close to Thanksgiving before those are released. But if you bookmark that page, it'll be there.

Thank you !  I went to your blog the first day you posted about it and I thoroughly enjoyed it!  

17 hours ago, Caps_Shield said:

He may be more comfy standing in the corner of the room.  I'm 5'10 and like just fit.  Granted it was on other ships but at 6'4" that could be feet hanging off territory.  Maybe he will find a single cruiser person to hang out with and the sofa will not be an issue 🙈🙉🙊

He was 6'4" when we took our first cruise on the Carnival Dream for his 17th birthday.  He has slept on sofas and upper pullmans this whole time - on the Allure, the Royal Princess and the Caribbean Princess - with no problems, and of course, the Dream.  The video I saw on Youtube said the bed was uncomfortable because of metal bars, or pieces, in the sofa bed.  I'm just trying to find out if that's a real thing.

I'm wondering how comfortable the sofa beds are in a cove balcony.  My 6'4" 27 year old 190 pound son will be sleeping on it.  We do have a pullman in our cabin, which he's slept on before, I heard someone in a Youtube video say it wasn't very comfortable though.  Since this is the reschedule of the Mardi Gras birthday cruise that was cancelled May 2021, I want him happy.  Thanks in advance for any reviews of the cove sofa beds on Mardi Gras that I can get !

On 6/3/2022 at 3:56 PM, Saint Greg said:

Dive-in movies

 

June 2022

Death on the Nile
Father of the Bride
Uncharted
Dune
Encanto
No Time To Die
Spider-Man: No Way Home
The Lost City
The Matrix Resurrections
Cruella

Will you be the person I contact to see what wonderful movies will be available on the December Mardi Gras sailings ??  Will I find it on your Travel Blog?

Cinematically,

Kristine

On 6/4/2022 at 6:49 AM, sgttami said:

Agree.  I don't get canceling a cruise because they don't have Dive In Movies!

We don't casino.  We don't do much bar hopping, or bars in general. We don't Bingo. My DH will not dance and we really don't want to take a "class".  We LOVE movies.  We LOVE them.  I'll never forget watching Gravity on a moonless night in the middle of a dark sea and the stars spread out like huge handfuls of diamonds across the sky.  And Captain Phillips, the next night, had added adrenaline because of the same dark sea and star strewn sky.  We're on the Mardi Gras in December, and if we could see Top Gun: Maverick again, WOW !!

I loved this tour !  Thank you !  My son was wondering if there were any anchor points for him to hang his hammock and I saw what looked like viable candidates on the door hinge and the big white pole opposite it.  We'll be on the Mardi Gras in December.  Hopefully it won't be too humid for him to sleep out there then.  He's such a nerd!

On 11/16/2021 at 5:16 PM, Wennfred said:

The reason why his question wasn’t answered was that there’s no BINEX ID DIAGNOSTIC  test that I could find so there’s a chance he or she may of wrote down the wrong name of the test, there’s only one BinaxNow test that I know of and posted above. If you find the one he/she mentioned then link it here because I couldn’t find it myself.
 

There is also a BinaxNOW OTC that you can buy at Walgreens for $23.00 and test at home on your own, this is NOT the Proctor eMed test and it will say OTC on the package.

 

I take this Abbott BinaxNOW OTC test with me on travel and onboard just Incase I start to see any symptoms of Covid, I can pull it out of my luggage and test. This OTC box comes with 2 kits inside it.

Fred

Thank you Fred, for such a thorough reply !  The information  you posted will help a lot of people.  

Frank12 posted a screenshot of the  Walgreen's tests and the middle one, with the red dot, was the one I was talking about and it's called BinexID Now.  I tried ordering from Optumkits but was told that I didn't qualify, no reason was given, but I finally found out why from another cruiser on CC.  I forget what her explanation was, because I've read way too many posts about kits arriving with no fluid in them and have zero interest for dealing with that.  I'm going to go with Walgreen's because I simply don't want to deal with this anymore.  I have a photo on my phone of Carnival's test requirements, the pharmacist should be able to figure it out.  I'm also going to urgent care and see what they have to fulfill the requirements.

CVS wanted $159 per person, so I really want to avoid that one!  I have a tiny SS check that pays for the cruises and other travel I arrange for my family, and by the time I tithe, pay my phone bill, and my Ulta CC bill, I have roughly $280-250 a month.  And even then, many times I donate large portions of that remainder to various cat rescues and animal shelters, Go-fund-me (mostly for other people's medical bills), and sometimes I go nuts and buy myself a cute shirt or sweater at TJ Maxx or Marhall's.  Dropping $477 for covid tests is an onerous burden.  Especially since this is a rebook of my son's may birthday cruise, and there's no roller coaster or Shaq's Chicken on Horizon !  Sorry, I know I'm venting, I'm very grateful that my husband's salary covers our bills and that I can spend my SS the way I want to, this covid crap has me stressed out, put out, and seems to be sucking out all the joy I have in blessing my family.  Thanks for listening.  warm regards, kristine

Walgreens in Maple Grove has the Binex ID diagnostic test that they do in the drive through, the only other test is the one that gets sent to lab and takes days to get a result!!  DOES CARNIVAL ACCEPT THE BINEX ID DIAGNOSTIC TEST FOR VACCINATED PASSENGERS?  Simple question, asked by someone on page 1 of this thread and never answered.  I'm sorry, but I've looked at Carnival's covid FAQ's until I'm blind, but I have no idea if the BinexID test fits any of the descriptions of accepted tests.

I've checked with my Doctor's office, same deal, it's sent to a lab, and they won't guarantee WHEN it comes back.  There's no place close to me that does a rapid antigen test - Virginia is LITERALLY the closest Walgreens to have the rapid antigen test.

We fly into Miami on December 10th and sail, hopefully, on the 11th.  I'm assuming an icicle's chance in Hell of obtaining a test once in Miami, unless we book port tests with Carnival.  Change my mind.  We have insurance and we have an HSA that will reimburse us.

I'm getting so frustrated that this is turning into epic stress for me.  This cruise is a rebook from the May 15th Mardi Gras cancellation of 2021.  Now we are on the Horizon, not the Mardi Gras, because rebooking Mardi Gras within the brief timeframe we were given was so much more money than the cruise fare we originally paid.  I'm starting to feel that $600 OBC is vastly insufficient for my inconvenience.

On 11/2/2021 at 10:35 AM, Homosassa said:

What reason did you receive for not being eligible?

 

 

Of course it didn't tell me why I wasn't eligible, that would have been helpful !  It took another CC member to offer up the answer.  I was purchasing for the 3 of us who are cruising, that's apparently not ok.  I'll try it again, as a back up, but Walgreen's does the BinexIDnow and we're doing it the day before we fly to Miami.

If Walgreen's somehow fail to get our results to us the next day, we will have the proctored kits as back up.  Am I the only person who thinks this test 2 days before cruising BLOWS ?

On 10/29/2021 at 8:16 PM, AK2CA said:

They accept the Abbott BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test with eMed Telehealth if you are fully vaccinated  Be sure it is the Home Test and not the Self Test.  I got mine on eMed but I think they are out.  I believe Optum has them.  Here is a link: https://store.optum.com/shop/products/abbott-binaxNOW-COVID-19-ag-at-home-test-kit-3-pack/

I clicked on the Optum test link ON THE CARNIVAL SITE and after answering their stupid questions, I was told that I'm not eligible.  Holy Hell.  And there's no way to get answers from Carnival because their contact phone numbers only connect to bookings, managing reservations, tech problems and post cruise comments.

17 hours ago, gtouch said:

You are traveling with 15,16 and 17 year old boys.........first off God Bless You I wouldn't have the energy.

LOL !!  I'm in a cabin with my DH !  The cabin with the boy band is being herded by my 26 year old DS !!  I'm a grumpy 68 year old that the oldest boys call Grandma Badass, which infuriated my daughter as a bonus!

I took their 2 younger siblings, who call me the Chocolate Grandma because I don't try to pass off organic fruit leathers as a treat, on trips for their birthdays - one to Odyssey Dells Waterpark for a week and one (a train fanatic) on the Amtrak Empire Builder to Seattle and back, with a stopover for the Spaceneedle and Chihuly Glass museum.  By the way, did you know that you can order a pizza delivered to the train when there's a station stop of 20-30 minutes??  So.  Much.  Fun.

So you see that the older boys were owed a trip from Grandma, and I still intend for them to have it.  I'm going to see if Carnival will transfer us from the Horizon in Jan '22 to the Magic Dec '22.

Somebody wish me luck !!! ; )

6 minutes ago, BoozinCroozin said:

We are good. Just lost a lot of money on all expenses for cruising. Just go with the flow and enjoy when we do go. Flights were the quest of everything. Cruise lines were great. Hotels very accommodating. Airlines, Southwest and American, nearly useless. We used all the credits, but would have never spent like that is it was cash.

We wound up using ours in May to fly down to Orlando, although we also went to St Pete and Daytona Beach too.  The best part was not paying one red cent because we also have a timeshare from Bluegreen. Food, car rental, and Epcot and Volcano Bay tickets were our only expenses and all accommodations were at resorts so we had a full kitchen.  And Orlando has a BUCKEE'S !!  If you've never been, I highly recommend ; )

5 hours ago, BoozinCroozin said:

Trip insurance won't cover anything if you choose to just let things lapse. The kids that are legally able to be vaccinated will not get an exemption. In that case you will get FCC for each one individually. You are at the mercy of your airlines for how they compensate for canceling a flight. If you booked a hotel, it is based on the refund policy you chose.

 

Insurance is only valid for specific reasons. It will not cover denied exemption because that is a choice. The cruise line will be giving you an FCC and refund of taxes and port fees. Insurance won't cover any of that. Flights would only be covered if you missed the flight and couldn't get on another flight, regardless of whether you are cruising or not. Their stance is you could have still flown and/or taken the credit. If you booked non-refundable hotel(s), then they will not cover that either because you still could have used them. Nothing prevented it. Each piece of the entire puzzle is treated as a separate piece. If one is lost, the others can still be used. The only way the covid portion of the policy works is if one person tests positive. They will require proof of that. 

 

Your best bet before losing money and watching FCC's be assigned to individuals is to cancel when you can for a refund. Anything beyond that will be a pain to get money back. Believe, I have gone through it for a year. Because of BS flight credits and expirations, we have $2,000 in flights, $200 in ground transportation, $30 luggage storage fees, $90 in luggage fees where I could have just driven for $150. 

Wow, I'm really sorry that you're dealing with all that !  I feel like a small and whining idiot compared to what you're going through.  And you have given me the best advice so far, however, my husband has just been informed that his vacation time in January has been revoked because 1 of their designers has gone to 20 hours a week and they need him in January because of several trade shows setting up during the time he requested off !  WTH !!  I'm beginning to think this cruise is CURSED !  Not sure what happens now.  I'm thinking that I call the travel agent first and let him tell me my options.

We usually fly Southwest because I loathe the Lindberg terminal here in MN, plus I hate baggage fees.  We have had to cancel them before and they are easy and generous in that department.  And I am a rewards member with all the hotel chains so I get great refundable rates with AAA and I just cancelled a reservation with no hassle and rebooked in the same hotel chain for a lower rate.  We're headed to the Black Hills for 5 days in a few weeks.  My husbands job is really stressful so I schedule small getaways for the safety of everyone.

Thanks again, and good luck, sincerely !

11 hours ago, klfrodo said:

If Carnival cancels the cruise, Carnival refunds everything. Insurance does nothing. The insurance that you bought from Carnival is sold and managed by AON. Carnival just sells it as a 1 stop shopping event. (Plus they make a commission)

I'm sorry that I wasn't clear, I purchased AIG from the travel agency, not Carnival.  I will read it very carefully, as it has been suggested that Carnival denying exemptions isn't a valid insurance trigger.

Thank you Jamesgnu, Elaine5715, Broadway Girl, and K_e_short for all the help and advice.  You all seem to have some experience with moving reservations and cancellations and I have none

9 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

If you don't get the exemptions, Carnival will most likely allow the deposits to be refunds.  However, that notification does not occur until after final payment.  

I would be very surprised if your travel insurance covered anything due to COVID unvaccinated refusal.

At the time that I booked us, I purchased the insurance.  There were no covid vaccines in July 2020 when I purchased, so I'm pretty sure that if they try to deny coverage, I have plenty of ammo.  No one should be forced to take the mRNA vaccines.  I've told them that the J&J is safest for them, but they say no, even though my 26 year old son took it with no heart inflammation side effects.

31 minutes ago, klfrodo said:

Travel insurance? What are you going to try to claim that makes you think travel insurance is going to reimburse?

If Carnival cancels my cruise, trip insurance refunds everything, including non refundable deposits.  I cannot cancel my cruise because of covid concerns, but if Carnival cancels me, I'm golden.