Minkster1973

I want to be friends with KPfromCT. :)

We were originally scheduled to sail on Glory out of FL in February, but the airfare was really high, so we changed to Freedom out of Galveston and decided to begin our adventure with a road trip. So much cheaper and we don't have to worry about airline luggage guidelines. It will also take the stress off of debarkation and trying to get to the airport in time. We will move at our own pace to get on the highway and head back home to Kansas. Win/win!

On Glory, I can't stop thinking about the huge round loungers on the Serenity Deck. I spent my last afternoon napping on one and it was amazing!

I'm really looking forward to seeing Freedom in February!

I don't understand thinking it's not a good deal.

If I wake up in the morning and have a Kahlua and coffee or a mimosa or two, a couple of drinks at lunch and dinner, and then spend an evening bar hopping, it's easy to reach 6-7 drinks.

I drink ice water throughout, so I was never fall-down drunk or anything. Also, I never woke up feeling hungover. I imagine it's due to the drink at breakfast and all the water I drink in between.

I only drink once or twice a month at home.

The point is, to each his own. The Cheers Program is offered because there's demand for it. To people being judgmental regarding people who choose to let loose on their vacation, mind your own business. No one is forcing you to purchase the program.

For me and my friend, it's worth it.

On my first cruise I didn't do any excursions. My time at the ports was amazing too. I did a lot of walking, people watching, had a nice lunch and a few drinks, and I enjoyed just being at each stop.

I prepaid my tips and whatnot before boarding the ship, so all the pressure was off regarding money I had to spend.

My next cruise in February I'm doing the same thing. My BFF has never left the country before, and she is similar to me in that she doesn't need to be entertained. We will enjoy our time together at each stop and not stress about schedules or anything regarding money.

Both of us are single moms and getting away to paradise is quite welcome. The two of us together can have fun anywhere, so there is no pressure to spend extra money this time. We just want to be.

Our plan is to go again a year later, and then we will splurge a bit on doing something extra. We've already started saving for the next trip.

Saying all that, just enjoy your family. Let the stresses of home and a lack of work go and just be with those you love. There's so much you can do without spending a ton of money, and great times can be had.

My hope is you have a wonderful experience bonding with your family. That's what vacationing is all about, right?

So, are you saying you placed all your winnings on your card? Hmmmm, I don't win in the casino, so that wouldn't work for me?

 

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That is exactly what I did. I only took money out at port, and I did no excursions. I had a blast walking around to different shops and taking silly pictures I would never get a chance to take at any other time. I don't need to spend extra money on excursions. There is so much to do at port.

I've only been on one Carnival cruise. It was in January of 2013 and it was a gift from a couple of dear friends, which included the cruise and a plane ticket to Ft. Lauderdale.

During my cruise, I visited the casino regularly and always dropped my winnings back onto my S&S card. When I left the ship for different ports, I would get cash for food, drinks, souvenirs, and whatnot, and anything left over was immediately put back on to my S&S card.

I didn't purchase the Cheers Program, but I pretty much maintained a good, relaxed buzz all week and ended up having the time of my life. I had no idea the kind of money I was spending that week. I didn't keep track one time. I just kept doing the same thing every day.

You know how you always say, "Yea, I'm not drinking the last night of the cruise so I can be alert and get through the day traveling home tomorrow"? Yea, I said the same thing, but I ended up drinking with new friends and having a great night. When I woke up the morning of debarkation, I was a tad bit nervous that I had got out of control that last night, and when the bill was slid under my door, I was almost nauseous thinking of how bad it could be.

When I opened my statement, this is what I saw:

Needless to say, I don't expect to have that kind of luck again. My next cruise is in February, and of course I will try to repeat history, but it is unlikely, for sure.

My first cruise was the second week of January and I will sail that time of year from here on out.

1. It is great to leave freezing temps for the tropics.

2. I remember a few children on my cruise, but not enough to have affected my vacation in any way.

3. Most importantly, after the stress of the holiday season, it feels like the perfect time to get away and relax.

4. When I priced my next cruise, it was cheaper than other times of the year.

I echo the staff sentiment, for sure. I admittedly have no other line to compare it to, but I know good service when I get it. The staff is wonderful and they all appear to love what they do. It makes my time with them so much more enjoyable.

I would also add that Carnival does a great job keeping people busy if they want to be busy. There is always something to do or something to see. If you want an active vacation, there are options, and if you're looking to relax, there are plenty of places to seek out for that too. Carnival has the ability to make everyone's vacation a positive experience as long as a positive experience is what they're looking for.

So would you say they treat those with the cheers program a little "better" if you will? Maybe throwing in a little extra liquor or does it have the opposite effect?

My experience is that the more nice and respectful you are with staff, the better service/product you get. It's no different than anywhere else. If you take care of your server, they will take care of you.

We fell in love with Carlton on Glory on our last cruise and we ended up bringing him into our circle of fun. He was a blast, always offered to take group pictures for us, never let us see the bottom of our glass (even if we were drinking non-alcoholic beverages), and he remembered our names and our card numbers. He was unbelievable! We felt like he actually sought us out every night to take care of us.

I always tossed in a buck each time I had an adult beverage and he was so appreciative of it.

Bite of the Iguana

We had a cabana when we went to Grand Turk and I personally think it's a waste of money.

The service is super slow, but so is the service if you have a table at Margaritaville. I've actually never had worse service than when I was at Margaritaville. However, the slow service is much easier to take if sitting in a comfortable cabana that is air conditioned.

Our cabana was mostly used as a very expensive walk-in locker for our personal items. Truth be told, it wouldn't have been a huge deal to carry my beach bag with me as I shopped, walked along the beautiful beach, and while relaxing in the pool. We could've all worked together to keep an eye on two beach bags and it would have been a lot cheaper.

Still, it was nice to have the option of going to a private place to relax for a few minutes. I think your mom would love it.

On my January 2013 Glory cruise, I enjoyed The Bite of the Iguana. On my February 2016 cruise, I look forward to trying Kiss on the Lips! :D

I have to add something from " wikipedia"

 

" Bourbon whiskey is a type of American whiskey: a barrel-aged distilled spirit made primarily from corn. The name is ultimately derived from the French Bourbon dynasty, although it is disputed whether Bourbon County in Kentucky or Bourbon Street in New Orleans inspired the whiskey's name.[1] Bourbon has been distilled since the 18th century.[2] The name "Bourbon" was not applied until the 1820s, and the Kentucky etymology was not advanced until the 1870s.[1] While the liquor may be made anywhere in the United States, it is strongly associated with the American South in general, and with Kentucky in particular."

.....and it's not considered Nectar of the Gods. ;)

Right you are. Add 'Sippin' between Tennessee and Whiskey. :D

Absolutely. :)

Tennessee sipping whiskey. I think there is actually a law in US that to be officially classified bourbon it must be made in Kentucky

And it must not taste near as smooth and good as Jack Daniels. :D

I meant to add that the only one I remember on Glory was Maker’s Mark.

Jack Daniel's is not a bourbon - it's a Tennessee Whiskey.

I would guess they are sold out then. You could keep an eye on your excursions page to see if any open up.

When is your cruise?

Some people need to have something to bitch about.

On my cruise in January of 2013, a couple was sailing on Carnival for the first time and all they talked about was how inferior Carnival is to the other cruiseline they knew. At one point I stood up and told them a vacation is what you make of it and walked off.

I refuse to allow people like that to ruin my good time.

The only people I've ever seen make negative remarks about Carnival are in their 60s and up.

Their belief is that Carnival is a huge booze cruise. I didn't feel that way on mine. There was a group of men in their mid to late 20s that got carried away a few times and once even picked up a server and threw him in the pool, but most people kept to themselves, chit-chatted when provoked, and always had smiles on their faces.

I don't really argue with people who talk poorly about Carnival. To each his own. I will eventually try other lines, but for now I love Carnival. :cool:

I really don't understand why anyone would have such a dramatic reaction to human error. There's an add/remove button next to vacation protection when you log into your account, your card was never charged, and no one was hurt.

Keep an eye on your account regularly. Problem solved. What's the end goal here? Are you looking for OBC? A free cruise? The PVP to be fired? In my opinion, the error is not worth anything close to that. Just accept you need to keep an eye on your account because humans are involved and move on. Sheesh!

When I was on Glory in January of 2013, you could smoke in the cigar bar. I'm not sure about now.

Mmmmmm! Bite of the Iguana! Yummy! :D

I did my first Carnival cruise on Glory in January of 2013 and had a magnificent time. It was truly an amazing experience and I've been looking forward to another cruise very soon.

I finally booked another one on Glory for February of 2016. We're doing almost the exact same itinerary, except this time we are going to Half Moon Cay instead of Nassau.

My BFF of 30 years is joining me for her first cruise and we are so flippin' excited for it. Glory was a wonderful experience. We had a great steward, the service staff were on top of their game, the crew was positive and appeared to love what they do, and I met lots of new people I still keep in contact with to date.

Cruising is what you make of it. Don't set your expectations too high. It's not a luxury/4-star experience. It's a reasonable way to see lots of different beautiful locations, eat a variety of foods you do not have to make, drink froo-froo drinks you wouldn't normally partake of, and to acquire some sun and relax. Plus, when you leave your room, it's clean when you return. Who could ask for anything more for less than $1k per person per week?