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MMastell

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About Me

  • Location
    Maple Plain,MN,USA
  • Interests
    Cruising
  • Favorite Cruise Line(s)
    All of Them
  • Favorite Cruise Destination Or Port of Call
    Asia

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  1. You can have the post office hold your mail for 30 days. It will be kept and when signing up you have the option to pick it up at the post office or have the carrier deliver it. https://holdmail.usps.com/holdmail/ If more than 30 days than it is best to do temporary forwarding to a family member or friend. https://moversguide.usps.com/mgo/disclaimer We have done this for years with no problem. Also sign up for Informed Delivery to get a daily e-mail that shows you what is in your mail each day so you know if something important does arrive. Take care, Mike
  2. Per Carnival website: " Not permitted in the dining room: Cut-off jeans, men’s sleeveless shirts, shorts, t-shirts, sportswear, baseball hats, thongs (flip-flops) and bathing suit attire. Only "cut off jeans" are not allowed. I have seen plenty of jeans on Elegant night on many cruises. Comprehension matters.
  3. My entry level was Celebrity and I was hooked. From there I sailed on HAL, Princess, Renaissance, Radisson (Now Regent), RCL and NCL. I stayed away from Carnival because of reputation. I had 20 cruises under my belt before I tried Carnival and I was somewhat surprised. I wasn't a fan of the Farcus decor but it was a good bang for the book. I like the evolution that Carnival has done and the days of hairy chest, belly flop contests and longer cruises are not booze cruises. I am now over 100 days on Carnival and they are definitely the best bang for the buck and I love that they have expanded their itineraries because I'm burnt out on the Carribbean.
  4. We did Carnival Pride last May on a casino offer and it was $900 for 2 in an aft balcony for 12 days. We are doing Luminosa for $1200 pp for 2 for 22 days. We also booked Splendor for $2100 for 2 in a Vista balcony. All are casino offers with OBC. The thing is that I do gamble but have never lost more than $300 on a cruise in all my years of cruising. I think the best is that you sign up for the Players Club, have a high loyalty program level (Platinum or Diamond) and then the offers come more often and better deals. I only take offers on cruises I want to do or are on the bucket list. For our upcoming Luminosa and Splendor cruises to Australia the airfare was more than both cruises combined. Plus there is pre, between and post cruise hotels, excursions, food, car, etc.. The total cost ends up being a low five figures but without these offers it may have been a long time or never before I would do this. Take care, Mike
  5. With the 3 cruises I've had this year on Pride, Panorama and Glory I hope Carnival does not put in a price increase until their staffing issues have been resolved. I overlooked a number of things in regards to the dining room, steak house, cabin and ship condition because of the lack of staff. If they increase pricing and maintain the same level of service and maintenance then I will look elsewhere.
  6. No, but a little more heat than Nacho Cheese Doritos. 😄
  7. I like this soup but it is not "spicy", let alone flaming. A little heat but not what I was expecting the first time I had it.
  8. The 50% is worth it but the free bottle is not good at all. We've tried the red and the white and both were never finished. We have taken the free bottle when we dine but ask for it unopened and give it to someone who wants it. Take care, Mike
  9. In many years of cruising I've always said that the cost of the cruise or airfare aren't the reasons you get travel insurance. You have already paid for the cruise and the airfare and in the grand scheme of things it will not really hurt your finances if you cancel. If you can get a refund great but it's not the primary consideration for insurance. The main consideration is if you are sick or injured while outside of the country. This can truly put a dent in the family fortune if you have to pay for hospitals, doctors, medications, medical evacuation back to the U.S. and other expenses. Depending on the reason this will be a minimum of five figures and easily get to six figures if it's serious. Foreign hospitals will require a pre pay deposit before they administer more than basic emergency care. Some not even for that. The vast majority of U.S. private health insurance policies, including Medicare, do not cover you outside of the United States. It's possible that some will but make very sure that they will and will guarantee payment. If you are a very healthy person with no pre-existing medical conditions you may want to look into what if any coverage you have with your credit card. Amex and Chase Sapphire Preferred and others have good benefits but do not cover pre-existing conditions. If your pre-existing condition caused or was complicated by the illness or injury they will not pay and you will need to supply a lot of documentation substantiating it did not before they will. I look at insurance as a necessary evil. The same as your car or home owners insurance. You pay the premium and will probably not use it but when something happens you are going to be damn glad you have it. It's up to the individual but remember that when you travel outside the U.S. other countries don't play by our rules so don't think it's going to be the same there as it is in your home town. Take care and get the insurance. Mike
  10. If you are waiting for a heart and depending on what level you are at in the system you will most likely be in the hospital. If you are level 1 or 2 you definitely will be in the hospital and probably also at level 3. I received my heart three years ago and traveled up until nine months before I was admitted and then it was six weeks until I received the heart. There were many waiting 2 to 3 months. Regardless traveling without insurance is a bad idea for someone in this situation. I personally would never book the cruise line insurance because the policy protects them as much or more than you. The airlines are a total mess right now and if you are unable to handle delays or changes then it may not be the right time to travel. Take care, Mike
  11. I sailed the Pride on the May 29th cruise and I agree that the ship was in desperate need of work. While they painted on a number of port days and replaced some glass it was still rough when we disembarked and it sounds like there is still work to do. Rust doesn't bother me too much but when the balcony railings are splintering, carpet is torn and stained, beds need replacing and wall panels are missing then I have an issue. Our bathroom door literally came off mid cruise. Our cabin steward told us that it was the third one to come off in his section and he had repair orders in for two others. I overlooked a lot of this because the staff were good, the food was somewhat sub par except for the GF desserts and the price was very low for an aft view extended balcony. The only thing I don't give them a pass on is the shore team. They screwed up in almost every port with inadequate transportation to get out of the ports, canceled excursions and bad information. I enjoyed myself but I have to say that in almost 70 cruises the Pride was in the worst shape of any ship I've sailed. To the cheerleaders remember: If it's a fact it isn't a complaint. Take care, Mike
  12. Since cruising restarted I've only cruise Carnival once and that was last month in Europe on the Pride. I have to say that there wasn't too much in the way of food that was great but I have to say that the Gluten free desserts and cakes they had at the buffet each day were wonderful. As someone with Celiac Disease it's rare for me to have a gluten free dessert that is excellent. Most of the time they are barely edible. Hats off to Carnival for taking the time and effort to provide these offerings even though the five pound weight gain was all their fault. 🙂 Take care, Mike
  13. I've sailed almost 70 times in the last 20 years on every major and minor cruise line. I am not one who likes formal dinners or formal dress but likes good, well prepared food. I also like to see parts of the world other than the Caribbean even though I love getting away for a Caribbean cruise to just relax. I'm not a party person but love a good drink and a fun night in the casino. My wife and I do mostly our own excursions on shore, either private or on our own. I have never had a cruise excursion I thought was wonderful. It really comes down to perception and expectations when you choose a cruise line. Seabourn will give you a wonderful itinerary, great service, definitely better food and a nice cabin. To me this is great but not worth the price unless it's a unique itinerary then I will pay it. With RCL, NCL, Carnival you are getting basically the same experience with slight differences. More "stuff" to do on RCL, more options on NCL and more of a party atmosphere on Carnival. Of the three I'll take NCL because I like the multiple options of the standard ships. The newer and bigger ships on each line will give you more options but the core product is the same. My overall favorite lines are Oceania and Azamara. They are laid back, great itineraries, elegant but not overly formal with excellent food. I like the small ship atmosphere where I can still go to the casino, have a drink at a nice bar, dinner when I want and just relax after a day on shore or on a sea day. On the luxury lines you will occasionally run into the snobbish passenger but overall most don't care who you are or your bank account. Granted you won't be wearing cargo shorts and flip flops for dinner but if you have on a pair of Dockers and a polo you won't be out of place on most nights. I sailed Cunard once and it was the only time that I found a larger number of snobbish people. Perhaps it was a culture clash between European and North American ideas. I haven't cruised Cunard since because I could have a better experience on another line. It all comes down to what is right for the individual. I strongly encourage anyone to not just cruise one cruise line. Try different ones and make your own decision on what you like. You may be pleasantly surprised. Take care, Mike
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