Cruisegirl1919

3 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

I agree. But you can only do one of those example activities (check your account) from Carnival's app.

You can order room service from the Hub app as well. And as there's no "checking out" on a ship, that's moot. 

15 hours ago, mondello said:

Was the shawarma station part of Street Eats or is it open every day? Hoping to try it on Celebration for Christmas.

Shawarma is part of the lido buffet, open every day but only during normal buffet mealtimes 

18 hours ago, Jamman54 said:

Not quite sure what you mean.....??

Assuming he meant currywurst - at Sea Dogs in the Lido Marketplace, it's one of the daily specials. German sausage with spicy ketchup 

10 hours ago, KKB said:

I was giggling...

Alice in Wonderland 

to

Phantom of the Opera 

to

Frankenstein

to

Bacchus

 

Kinda all over the place!

It's a literature theme 

1 minute ago, topaz123 said:

Nice rates on the Quick Shuttle...looks like a go if they can do the time slot...Thanks....are they dependable, etc.??

Using them for the first time in a couple weeks to get to the Mardi Gras, so I can report back after that! 

So excited for this, reading it will be a great way to get me through the next two weeks of work before boarding the MG myself! 

Port Canaveral Quick Shuttle - $30 pp to Cocoa Beach Hotels, $25 pp to and from the port and MCO 

22 hours ago, COTINGEY said:

 

 

  Because of you I also found out about the Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast, and although we are adults, we will be doing it. 

Just wanted to note that this has not returned since the restart, and there's no indication of when it will be back, so I wouldn't get your hope up too high about it. 

Just went through a similar experience yesterday: got the call from the upgrade fairy to up from an inside to a balcony, but there were none on the same deck, and we're traveling with my parents so we wanted to be nearby. They were already booked in a balcony room, so she was able to find two nearby ocean suites and upgraded both cabins (for a fee, ours was obviously higher since it was a bigger category jump). Make sure your bookings are linked as that's how she was able to see we were traveling together and process upgrades for both rooms together. 

Was booked on a VIFP offer for the Mardi Gras for $225 pp in an inside... until a call from the upgrade fairy last night, now we're in an ocean suite for $400 pp

3 hours ago, sunshower9 said:

Day 5

 

This is the menu that's added for the 8-night, the other 7 are the ones also used on 7-nights. 

The actual answer, according to Carnival's website: 

The steakhouse has an intimate but fun atmosphere, so it can be as romantic for couples as it can be comfortable for family dinners. For all the elegance Steakhouse offers, why not dress the part? The dress code for Steakhouse is the same as the evening’s onboard dress code: either cruise casual or cruise elegant. Here are the quick differences — and remember, no shorts allowed in Steakhouse:

• Cruise casual for women: casual and summer dresses, skirts, pants, Capri pants and nice jeans
• Cruise casual for men: sports slacks, khakis, nice jeans, collared sport shirts
• Cruise elegant for women: cocktail dresses, pantsuits, elegant skirts and dresses or an evening gown if you wish
• Cruise elegant for men: dressy slacks and shirts, and a sports coat is suggested; suits and ties or tuxedos also welcome

10 hours ago, lyannea said:

I've found one consistency in reading reviews on this board- those who take full advantage of the Cheers package tend to have a fantastic cruise which they boast about. Always fun to read those- rarely a complaint.

That's because they can't remember what they had to complain about! 

With that late of an arrival, I wouldn't recommend anything other than Carnival's official transfers. It's 45 minutes to an hour from MCO to Port Canaveral, and if any delays happen either to your flight or with traffic incidents, you run the risk to miss final boarding. I'd highly recommend switching to an earlier flight or one the day before if at all possible. 

Cucina del Capitano, ChiBang, and Guy's Pig and Anchor Smokehouse are all included dining venues, and anytime dining allows wider access to the first two - those with anytime dining can request a table at Cucina and ChiBang at any time during dinner service, while those with assigned dining (early or late) are restricted from requesting a table until I believe 8pm or around there. There are no advanced reservations for these restaurants, you request a table day-of via the Hub app and are added to a waitlist. Guy's is available for anyone at dinner time and you just walk up to the host stand to request a table similar to a land restaurant. 

Advanced reservations are available and recommended for the three specialty restaurants - Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, Rudi's Seagrill, and Bonsai Teppenyaki, at a cost of $35-42 pp. 

8 hours ago, rayj130 said:

No taco bowls on the 8 April Mardi Gras

Does this mean there aren't any options for a burrito bowl whatsoever, or just that the hard taco shell bowls are gone? I'm fine with the latter but would be bummed if I couldn't still get a bowl at Blue Iguana 

I'm in the minority here but yes please! I love the Farcus decor - it was always especially fun when first boarding to see what theme the ship would have and how it would be incorporated in each venue. I'm not a big fan of how on the newer ship all the venue names and decor are the same, it makes it less enticing to try all of the ships in my opinion. 

2 minutes ago, CruisingAgain said:

Just off the Carnival Legend yesterday in Baltimore and we had to wear masks to debark. Once off the ship you are not on Carnival anymore - you are in the port and that is US federal agency.  They require the masks - just like on other transportation (planes, etc.).  

Except the court ruling is that US federal agency cannot require a mask, which is why they're no longer required on other transportation like planes. 

Wondered if anyone had recent experience on whether masks are required in port on the buses for Carnival excursions - specifically wondering about the ruins in Costa Maya. Thanks in advance! 

13 hours ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

Jimbo 5544 just posted that as of May 1, 2022 they will start charging

He's wrong. John Heald replied to someone asking about that post that it was completely untrue and there's no plans to change them to paid. 

John Heald replied to another poster 30 minutes ago saying "Hello, no this is not true. Once again I'm afraid my friends cruise critic got it completely wrong. There are no plans to change these to paid" 

Thanks for the great review!

Did your boys take part in club o2, or did they just hang out by themselves since they had a friend? If they did use the club, I'd love to hear about their experiences!

Also, how did you set up the onboard senior photo session? I'm cruising the breeze in June and would be interested in getting my senior photos done on the ship.

Your boys also looked great in their tuxes on the formal nights. I wish more teen boys dressed as classily as they do, us teen girls definitely find it attractive! :D

Thank you Cruisegirl - it is very interesting as a parent of teen girls to hear your perspective on parents putting boundaries in place for their kids. Last year we took our girls, then agen 17 and 14 on our first cruise. We cruised from Barcelona around Italy, Monacco and Croatia. My 14 year old decided she wasn't going to observe a 1am curfew on a night before a port stop, and as a result she ruined the day I was most looking forward to in Venice.

 

I have loads of lovely photos of her scowling, she refused to walk with us, and insisted she had to only eat at Mcdonalds! There were several nights on the cruise where I was walking the decks at 2am looking for her as she had not come back to her cabin (the girls were next door to us). Whilst I take some of your points about giving kids some freedom, and allowing them some independance, I still think that whilst your parents are a) responsible for you until you are 21 on most cruises, and b) paying for you to be on the cruise, it is their right to make rules with which they feel comfortable, and your responsibility to abide by them. Kids will push at any boundary put before them, and have to learn that not all behaviour is acceptable. I don't care if their friends are running around the ship at 2 or 3am, my kids will be in their beds! I and my husband work very hard to save the thousands of £ to take our family on holiday, and kids should appreciate that and make an effort to make sure that everyone enjoys it, not just them!

 

Rant over - sorry, didn't intend for this post to be a rant, and I really do appreciate your views, but really, there is only one rule.... until you are paying for your holidays, you are not in a position to make the rules!!!

I appreciate your response as well. This comment isn't directly aimed at you, but at everyone reading this post. I guess I haven't clarified well enough that the point of this was not at all to complain about my own parents' rules, and I did not mean to come off as being entirely upset about my own curfew. While I may not necessarily agree with everything my parents set in terms of rules, I accept them because I think we have established a fair compromise. I included my own boundaries in order to juxtapose them with those I discovered in other posts, which is what I meant to address throughout my post. I think every family should strive to find a balance between giving their kids freedoms and keeping them safe and creating an enjoyable vacation for everyone. Obviously I know that my parents have the ultimate say over everything, but I appreciate the fact that they trust me and are willing to listen to my views and attempt to compromise.

Nice to read a reply to parents, but honey, you have no idea. You are your parents life, their hopes and dreams in human form. You are their heart walking around in the world. Of course they want to protect you. Be nice to your parents and get over the 1am curfew. My mom has always said that nothing good happens after midnight and guess what- she's right.

Thank you for replying in a kindhearted manner. I definitely don't have a major problem with my curfew (it's more of an 'oh, everyone else is still out. That stinks' sort of feeling) and as I stated, I am willing to accept it as a trade-off, and I believe my parents are very fair to me. They also have considered discussing the matter closer to our departure and possibly pushing it back now that I am older. I'm still not going to be one of those kids who is gallivanting around at 4 in the morning- and I wouldn't want to be. I just created this post to express my opinions after I read through other posts on this site, and wanted to hear what others thought as well, although some adults are not as willing to have any sort of discussion in a civil manner with a teen who thinks differently than they do.

Cruise ships generally don't take the view that an 18 or 19 year old is an "adult". Many ships require a passenger of that age to have an older person be responsible for the teens. If the teen gets in trouble, the parents of an 18 or 19 year old will be thrown off the ship, along with the teen. So, since the parents will be held responsible for whatever the young adult does, the parents get to have some say in what the young adult does.

 

For younger teens, many ships impose their own curfew. Usually around 1 or 2 a.m. If there's a shore excursion the next day, and the teen is a "grump", it doesn't just affect their enjoyment of the day, it also affects their parents. I would not be happy to have spent thousands of dollars on a cruise, to have to spend time with a grumpy cabin-mate.

 

Curfews are also for the safety of younger people as well. I'll never forget the report of two older teens who were held hostage in a stateroom at night. The young lady was raped. I have both a teen daughter and a teen son. I will worry about my daughter for a much longer time than my son, for just this type of scenario.

 

A ship is like any downtown area. Things are generally safer during daylight. Passengers on cruiseships have easy access to alcohol, which sometimes makes people do stupid things. A curfew keeps teens away from getting involved in a bad situation.

 

Parents don't stop worrying about their children just because their children reach a certain age. I remember my father visiting his mother when he was 60. His mother told him to dress warmly.

I can see where you're coming from on some things. However, I believe some of your ideas stray too far to the extremes. For example, one usually has to commit a pretty serious offense in order to get themselves and their family thrown off the ship. If you're weary of your eighteen or nineteen year old doing such a thing, why would you bring them along in the first place?

Also, personally, I am a lot more likely to be a grumpy cabin-mate if I know I missed out time with my new cruise friends or if I'm embarrassed by the fact that I am the only one that has to leave because my parents say its time for me to go to bed than I would be if I lost a couple of hours of sleep. Many of my teenage friends are the same. If your child is really that ornery when they are tired, then I could understand an earlier curfew. But for the most part, us kids are going to be happy we're going to the beach/zip lining/parasailing/whatever the excursion is, and are happy about the new friends and memories we're making, than we are grumpy about losing an hour of sleep. Nobody looks back on their life and remembers the nights they got a full night's sleep.

Overall, I'm not saying that teens should be allowed to run like banshees all night and then disrespect their parents all days. I'm saying that if you bestow us with a little extra trust, it'll make our vacation even better, and we're less likely to abuse it.

Also, I find it discomforting that you "will worry about your daughter for a much longer time than your son" because of one tragic story. Unfortunately, there have also been cases of boys being sexually assaulted on ships, so if you are going to worry, distribute it evenly, instead of perpetuating the sexist ideas that girls have to be more protected, while boys get more freedom.