BallFour4

In a perfect world it can be. At tourism destination times it's far closer to an hour. I make that drive from near Kemah to UTMB a couple of times a week during the day and home in the evening. .

Well... I live close to Kemah and work UTMB often. And it's closer to an hour than 36 min. And an Uber would be at a nuts price x 2. Google maps at 9 PM is different from Nissan Murano earlier this evening.

That's an hour away at posted speeds. There is no need to leave the island.

The other posts give you the answer, and it's interesting that TABC elected not to enforce it for years. In the past few they have set up a table here in Galveston after US Customs when we debark with people akin to selling you siding at the Costco exit wanting to know if we purchased alcohol while aboard the ship or in port. We don't and we don't answer. With the new scan feature leaving the terminal is virtually a non-stop process and they have given up. Imagine a drink package like a balloon, air (or in this case money) is released with each purchase. Carnival collects $$ from those that purchase the package and then each drink from a cruiser debits that amount. It's not different from an insurance company business model. Embarkation day is a heavy drink purchase day, so Carnival knows that with that level of consumption mixed with drink sharing they would lessen their profits per day if they opened it up. So... they don't. Carnival and the balance of the industry cost shift the revenue needed per passenger away from cruise fare to alcohol, spa, casino, shore excursions and coconut monkey drinks to bring in the cash needed to keep the funnel fleet (minus one) afloat. A few years ago there was a documentary that aired explaining the process for profit, and how much was needed per passenger on each cruise. It varies based on the costs for provisions, fuel and other things that smarter people than me can share here. See you at sea. .

My wife and I are lido deck, port side, up front balcony cabin people. We've been on the fleet of Conquest class ships and booked the same cabin number for all of them. During that window of time we cruised the Triumph from here in Galveston perhaps ten times and most of those were inside cabins. Here's how we made it workable. Lido deck inside cabins. The open deck just a few steps forward was great for sail away and port arrival. A Maglite type LED flashlight on the nightstand for both sides. Leave the bathroom light on for the late night pilgrimage. Take a Bluetooth speaker (I love my Bose Revolve) and have a ocean waves track on your phone that repeats. The sound of the water is magic for sleep. Clear the area around the bed of things you'd trip on if you were to walk around the cabin in the dark. Set an alarm on your phone and disable the automatic time zone update. Enjoy your vacation. Do some or none of these. .

Opinions are never wrong, so I won't attempt to dissuade you from yours. I would like to see the term gratuities taken away and have a surcharge like resort hotels do. I recently had a company event in Henderson, Nevada and we were charged a resort fee for each nights' stay. The cruise industry has bled cash since the start of the Covid pandemic. They all struggle to get adequate crew staffing and as a result the service levels (like cabin service twice a day) have not returned. I've seen first hand people at Guest Services with a monster bill ask to have gratuities removed. In my opinion this alone is enough reason to make them part of the cruise fare. See you at sea. .

Go to the excursion times listed and click. You can then view how many tickets remain. For our Alaska trip next summer a couple are sold out a year in advance. .

We sailed the Breeze in November, our first return to cruising. Here are some of my photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/d6DHtHHjYrjNobtd9 Agree with some of your observations, especially the comedians. There is little excuse for no real material. Picking someone(s) from the audience and being vulgar and rude to them is measure of poor talent. We go to Nachi Cocom in Cozumel every cruise and it never gets old. The Italian restaurant for dinner was the best decision on our cruise. Superb meal. Breakfast lines were long for those that slept in. The omelet stations further back were never crowded. The past guest party was well attended and they had plentiful drinks. They took orders and had the galvanized tub of 16 oz aluminum beer selections. They loaded my arms with four of them for our friends when we left. Debarkation was a mess for the family that decided to carry their own bags. We were home using priority self-debark before they got to their car. Alaska is next!

It has to be a ship by ship thing. In November we had the captain, a large representation of his staff, plentiful drinks and lots of food. They loaded me up with 16oz beers to take to the rest of our party that were not platinum or diamond due to a tub full of beer and poor attendance. This was on the Breeze from here in Galveston. .

You've already received the comment I wanted to lead with, and that is don't be the travel guide (and complaint department) for others. Look in the mirror, that person is on vacation too. My wife and I have been on 37 cruises, on those over the past ten years or so from here in Galveston another couple or as many as twenty people from other families have joined us. I have them all over for burgers, load up the Mac on Apple TV and show them the ship, the shore excursions pages, the Do's and Don't sections and then share the contact information for our PVP. We do tell them some tips for a good day at sea and share our experiences with the excursions we have done in the past. Only then do I tell them our dinner plans, our specialty dining choices, shore excursions and our schedule. My wife is a retired teacher, I'm in medical sales. We book things well in advance on the Outlook Calendar. Tell them all "I am on a cruise ship you will be on. Here are our plans, join us for all or none of these. We eat dinner at 6 PM, go to the shows every night and then find the piano bar. Join us for those or none." We do have a favorite meet up place on the ship, it's one of the tables by the burrito bar on the starboard side of most of the Carnival fleet. Most afternoons you can find us there with cards, dominoes or a cold adult beverage. Does my plan work? Yep. So far we have a big group going to Alaska next summer and are working on a last minute Breeze trip for the summer. Come go with us. See you at dinner. .

With the Vista sailing 7 day runs expect Terminal 1. The Breeze (and any other) that makes a 5-5-4 rotation and vary the terminals. The Breeze is here every other Saturday, Monday and Thursday to keep on the 14 day cycle. The webcams are a really cool thing to watch. Start with the Emerald Cam to see the ship come in range and then switch to the cruise cam. .

I get your frustration. It's akin to a Kübler-Ross response. And in reply to your post several have said the Carnival Cruise Contract you and all of us that sail in the shadow of a funnel agree to is referenced. That document was written by a legal team well versed in maritime events, things that go astray, Murphys' Law, etc. I'd be in the anger phase as well. The bottom line is Carnival has limited their liability and offered compensation. I haven't seen them flex in 46 years of cruising. I posted the link and relevant paragraph below. I wish you and your family well on your new vacation plans. If you were stuck in Galveston I'd come get your family, we're grilling burgers and chicken and enjoying the pool this evening. Sometimes it's time to paint your bottom white and run with the antelope. Come on, food's hot, drinks are cold. https://www.carnival.com/about-carnival/legal-notice/ticket-contract.aspx Carnival has the right without previous notice to cancel this contract at the port of embarkation or any time during the voyage and shall thereupon return to the Guest, if the Contract is completely canceled, his Cruise Fare, or, if the Contract is partially canceled, a proportionate part thereof. Under such circumstances, Carnival shall have no further liability for damages or compensation of any kind. In the event a voyage is terminated early due to mechanical failure of the Vessel, Guest is also entitled to transportation to the Vessel’s scheduled port of disembarkation or Guest’s home city, at Carnival’s discretion and expense, as well as necessary lodging at the unscheduled port of disembarkation, if required, at Carnival’s expense. .

Pre-packaged food is permissable to carry off in Cozumel as well as bottled water. .

I'll bet we know the same people!

Short answer = No. Long answer = if you plan to do any international travel in the next decade or cruise a few times it remains a good idea. There will be at least ten posts about "if you get injured or something happens you can't get home" and those are not true. Sure, some exceptions take a while, but we have personal experience with two couples that had a death in their immediate family while cruising with us and both were escorted from the ship in Cozumel and taken to the airport for a flight back home. It's not always that easy, but I still have a passport. .

We've seen an entire family put ashore in Jamaica, and they were still talking trash. This was on Royal Caribbean. Interesting to watch the webcams here in Galveston when the ships return. The deck zero gangway often has a couple or more escorted to the awaiting police cruiser with newly acquired handcuffs. "Went on vacation, wound up on probation..." .

This policy stated from the Carnival FAQ on page one of this thread reflect the rules set by Carnival Cruise Lines. They have zero to do with TSA. They can, and do enforce the policy changed to reflect no knives or scissors. TSA isn't visible in the cruise terminal, the security screening is done by a private company. I'm not sure how to be more clear on the two points regarding Carnival changing the rules and private security. I contributed a Swiss Army tiny key ring size knife in November that had been on at least a dozen cruises on two different lines from here in Galveston. .

Good question! I'd guess the kind a old-school barber uses to shave with. Dunno... .

https://photos.app.goo.gl/onKQT9YCFduQsJqSA The Vista is a weird ship. They crowd people in areas and some are far too small. The theater looks like a ballroom in a suburban city Marriott, the atrium design looks like a aging Las Vegas hotel and a few more. But, we did have a great cruise. Geez, all of them have been fun from the Mardi Gras in 1976 to the Breeze a few months ago. And Basic Sailor, love the shark comment. At 63 and living in the bay area I've caught a few sharks! Enjoy a few of my Vista photos from the above link. .

That's a better explanation. I carry a Garmin GPS in my bag to check speed and location (along with a ham radio HT and other geek stuff) and 20 knots is needed to make the Cozumel to here in Galveston run on time. .

Here's my guess. It's only that. The inshore winds on Thursday night were gusting to 37 mph. Combine that with a fast moving line of rain that battered the gulf offshore for about 90 miles out and that might have been the cause. .

Again, NOPE. The screening here in Galveston, Miami, Ft Lauderdale and the other ports we've cruisef from on thirty-six trips in four decades are from private security companies. .

Why do you keep posting this? The security screening at ports is NOT TSA and the rules they enforce are established by the cruise line. I posted the link, the text from it about knives and you want fellow cruisers to complain about overreach? . .

Welcome to the new rules and guidelines. Here is the link where you will find this and the text below: https://www.carnival.com/help?topicid=1202 Prohibited Items Knives, scissors and open razors. (Recreational dive knives are allowed, but must be held in the custody of the Guest Services Manager or Chief Security Officer and must be checked out/in by the owner for dive excursions during the cruise. Large scissors used by scrapbook and quilting enthusiasts are at times permitted with prior notification from the Security Services Department, but are held on board in the same manner as dive knives.)

The more you toot, the better you feel. #stopmenow