CarolSW

4. What time do they open up the rooms these days?
1:30 pm seems to be the time most ships open rooms for passengers on embarkation day.

That may vary if the ship has been delayed in returning from its previous voyage. 
Sign up for text messaging from Carnival to stay up to the minute regarding such a situation. 

HERE is the current info regarding cost/insurance on Walgreens.com…
https://www.walgreens.com/topic/promotion/covid-testing.jsp?ban=covidfy21_newtestingpg_brandstory_main_01.09.2022

“Is my COVID-19 test free at Walgreens?

Also wanted to note this on the CVS site regarding cost/insurance at this time. 

https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing/?icid=coronavirus-lp-nav-general-testing
 

“Is there an out-of-pocket cost for patients with insurance?

Patients with insurance should not have any out-of-pocket costs for a covered COVID-19 test, but you should check with your health plan to confirm before scheduling a test. If you have health insurance, you must bring your card with you to the test site. For patients who test negative for COVID-19 through a rapid test and come into the clinic, the clinic visit should be considered part of your test by your health plan. You likely will not have any out-of-pocket costs for the in-clinic visit, or for testing to further evaluate COVID-like symptoms, but you should check with your health plan to confirm coverage. You will be responsible for any patient cost share as determined by your insurance. If active coverage cannot be located, your test will be submitted to the federal program for the uninsured for payment.”

 

 

I’m anxious of course about our upcoming Vista journey June 4.

If, engines willing, it embarks as planned, I will try my hand at a Live review, to give reports of how she is faring during that sailing. 

This is encouraging.

My Walgreens here in Houston showing the same 3-day window to May 23.

So hopefully they are NOT discontinuing testing at Walgreens.

Thanks for the info!

MANY THANKS for this heads’ up!
Geez, you’d think we would have heard on the news about the disappearing free testing opportunities.  
I just scheduled our required tests with Emergent Testing for our June 4 cruise.

We had gotten our 4th shot from them so they had all of our insurance info already.
At this time I am uncertain of any cost, since my priority was to secure a testing spot/slot in light of nothing showing for availability at Walgreens OR CVS, which were our go-tos for previous cruises.
Will do the background research on that now….

Something to be considered….we know folks have tested positive while ON cruises, even if they have tested negative prior to embarkation.  
AND as an unvaccinated person, she is at greater risk to become ill if she comes in contact with CoVid.
What will happen if this young lady gets sick during your cruise?

Will you take some self-tests to be able to screen whether this might be CoVid?

And if it IS, remember YOU are responsible for her well-being on this trip.

Will you report her illness to medical on the ship?

Are you prepared for that, and whatever you will have to do as a result of an ill dependent child on the ship?

If reported, my understanding is your daughter might need to quarantine with her as her roommate.  
Not sure what they do about minors having to quarantined in an area away from where their family is. 
And then how will you travel home?

There are a TON of what-ifs that you should consider in the situation, ESPECIALLY with an un-vaxxed dependent.  
And you may have already thought all of this out, and if so, well done!

YOU know best what YOU are comfortable with and prepared to do. 
YOU will decide what is best for your family.

Best of luck to you.

We ALL want you to have a great cruise vacation! 

THANK YOU for the review and the pictures! 
Glad you enjoyed your cruise, and your review will help others enjoy theirs too 😎

OY!

Not liking where this is going, says the lady who is on the final countdown to her June 4 cruise on this ship.

The family has already said no to the vac, but paid for the cruise anyway, gambling that the mandate will be lifted.  That gamble they are taking is making your plans uncertain and uncomfortable.  I would be anxious under those conditions myself.  It is not fair to you to have this uncertainty lingering when you are trying to make plans for YOUR trip.
 

Approach the convo by giving them their money back, letting them know you are finalizing your plans and need to be clear on who will be sailing with you.  I don’t think you need to set any deadline.  They either decide yes or no NOW based on the requirements as they are now.  This is YOUR cruise, and you are in charge!

25+ cruises and we did our first inside cabin for NYE this past holiday season.  We liked it!  It was small, but it gave me fewer decisions on where to put stuff.  We loved the darkness for sleeping.  It was a spa cabin and that gave us access to the thermal suite, and we were only steps from the Serenity Deck.  Loved all of those things.  We have booked another inside spa cabin for July for that reason.

Our first cruise back after the shutdown was in a Cove balcony.  I know people love those for being so close to the water, so we tried that.  I was not crazy about it because it was on a low deck which felt very far from everything we wanted to get to.  The actual balcony is also very small, barely enough room for my husband and I to maneuver around the 2 chairs and tiny end table.  We did not end up using it very much.  I am glad we tried it so now we know that it’s not where we want to spend our cabin money.

The aft facing balconies are our favorites, because you can watch the mesmerizing wake. We love that.  IMHO the absolute BEST cabins are the corner afts, with the wrap round balcony.  Each class of ship has its own version of those, as does each cruise line.  
 

It’s good to look for pictures of your ship/cabin # in a Google image search to see what the room looks like.  You can find videos as well that will show you the whole picture, including the balcony size.   I always try to do that before I book a specific cabin to be sure there are no surprises when I get on board! 
 

Bon Voyage! 

5 hours ago, Wanna_Cruize said:

If you go here, you can access detailed explanations of every cabin on every deck for Mardi Gras. 

https://help.goccl.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5687

 

Seems to be a TA site only that I can’t enter.

Appreciate the effort to share, but it does not seem to work for most of us.

Thanks anyway!

I was a longtime fake home tanner.  Somewhere in my fake tan journey I learned to use sunscreen when swimming with a fake tan.  We should ALL use sunscreen anyway, but some website recommended using it to preserve your fake tan when swimming.  It did help as I recall.  I haven’t been “faking” it the past year or so though.  I am semi retired now, so I have time to return to my girlhood days of “laying out” LOL.  It gives me enough color to not look like Casper.  But I am not completely opposed to wearing a pair of panty hose if my legs need more help! 

This is when a real person, like a Personal Vacation Planner, can help.

If you don’t have one, you can just call the Carnival number and the person assigned to your call should be able to take care of these issues.  The website is often quirky for no reason, and the PVPs can help override that.  I have also found the random person who answers my call can do the same thing.  I know they sometimes get a bad rap, but I have not had any bad experiences with an actual person on the line.  I cannot say the same thing about the website.  I always call now if the website acts up, and it is taken care of much sooner than waiting for the website to settle down.  

After 25+ cruises, we booked our first inside cabin for New Years Eve ‘21.

It was a great deal because of the start-up, and we wanted to see if we would like it.

It was tiny for sure, but it was cozy.

I had fewer decisions to make about where to put things. 
It was exquisitely dark, which made for great sleep.

We were in a Spa interior so we had spa perks and it was a short hike to the Serenity Deck.

We decided we would book another spa interior, and did so for this summer.

IMHO I would take a spa interior over a Cove balcony because those Cove balconies are so far from the action, usually on deck 2 or 3.   Lots of the other typical balconies don’t have much room, just a few feet of balcony space, and that isn’t worth it to me.  If I can get an aft balcony,  especially a corner aft, that’s my 1st choice.  But inside cabins on upper decks, especially in the spa section, are fine for us.  It all depends on what we have budgeted for each cruise. 

I think the wrap around balcony is usually worth the upsell cost.  It is often 2-3x the size of typical balconies, and you get 2 views - side and aft.  A corner aft is my favorite cabin.  
 

That said, I would NOT pay $1k more for it, but if it is $400, I’d do it.  Anything less than that is an absolute no-brainer YES IMHO.

22 hours ago, WhaleTailFlCruiser said:

Snails? You are far more adventurous then me 😂😂

When they are covered in tons of butter, garlic and cheese, you forget what you’re eating 😛

Excellent review so far!

THANK YOU for taking the time to write it and share.

😊

41 minutes ago, snowdogsmm said:

Can you switch devices on one plan?  For example my iPad and iPhone?

 

YES you can use one plan on your iPhone and the same plan on your iPad, just not at the same time. 

It will be OK,  and you will be OK!

2 hours ago, jmu82 said:

Thanks for all your information and tips.  We're all packed up and ready to go.  Flight to Florida today and board the ship tomorrow.  I know I still packed too much!  I'll have to work on that.  But I've never been on a 16-day cruise!

You will really enjoy having the laundry benefit on a 16 day cruise I bet!

Never been on anything longer than 9, but hoping someday…..

Enjoy your cruise of more days, less to pack, and FREE LAUNDRY!

Thanks for your honest review. 
I appreciate your candor.

However, that picture of the Whataburger bag is triggering a mighty longing for ANYthing from that hallowed eatery.  And I live in Houston, so it’s not like I can’t get it.  But I HAD NO IDEA I would have such a visceral response to a simple but highly suggestive photo like the one you posted.  And anytime I scroll through this great thread looking for new replies I SEE IT…over and over again and again.  I am sailing on Vista twice in the coming months, and I would like to look as cute as you do in your curtain sundress, but the Whataburger triggers are putting that into serious question.  Have mercy!!   

30 minutes ago, victory2020 said:

Is it $51 for the entire cruise?????

Per DAY

1 hour ago, BlerkOne said:

Looks like Internet will be going to $21.25/day if not purchased in advance, or approx $15.94 (14.45) if purchased in advance.

I am fine with the gratuities increase.

Not happy about this one however.

I was very disappointed in my “premium” internet package on my 2 post-restart cruises on Carnival so far.  Connection was really spotty and slow, like I would have expected years ago, not in ‘21-‘22. 
It was highway robbery at $14+ a day.  Now I feel like they are holding the internet hostage.  
UGH. 
I need an internet hack LOL.

PS - I know the replies will be “don’t use the internet then - it’s a cruise!  Enjoy THAT!”  and  “cruiselines want you out and about spending $$$, NOT with your nose in your device”.  I also know these are all totally “first world” problems in an increasingly dangerous bigger world.   I remind myself of that with every petty annoyance that crops up on a daily basis in my life! 

Just a note: according to the article linked in the op, bookings will not be open until APRIL 7. 
Just want to save you some time and frustration searching for a cruise that’s not available to book just yet.  Only 3 days away though…..,.

Was sooooo excited to see the progress on the new RCCL terminal this past weekend!!
I had my doubts last summer when we were 18 months out from the Allure OTS making a home in Galveston, and it did not look as if ANYthing had happened yet.

NOW you can see it rising from the pier, and it already looks wonderful!

This is NOT a great photo, was shooting from Harborside Dr. in a moving car last night, but it got me pumped about what’s coming, and hope you can feel it too!

Second photo is the artist’s rendering from the link posted in @HostKat’s post above.  Link repeated here:

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/27074-new-royal-caribbean-cruise-terminal-in-galveston-taking-shape.html?fbclid=IwAR0zQnploBWlaYIImmAEzDtgFXVLFIdS2bzuzHx1jf7xCe5fa28MrBWsOEc