sprite.4

If there is a 15 drink limit per day, what difference does it make if one person has 15 drinks or 15 people have 1 drink. If the limit is hit they stop you from getting more unless you pay separate. If there is no limit then I can understand.

Exactly!

We are booked on the Pride in July 2017 going to Bermuda. That's the only "different" cruise I've seen for the summer months.

In 2013, we booked a July cruise in January. By the time we had to make final payment, price had come down 6 different times for a savings of $1,010. Also in 2013, booked a Christmas cruise in May. Again 6 different price reductions totaling $620 before final payment. In 2015, booked another July cruise in January - not a single price drop - until 6 weeks before the cruise with 3 drops in 8 days, netting $600 OBC. We have another cruise this July. While no price drops, we were offered an upsell from an interior to a balcony (both on Deck 10) for only $260. This is a bargain because we have friends who started with a balcony on Deck 10 and their price is still $500 higher than ours. :) You just never know how it's going to turn out. Keep trying and good luck!

That's awesome. Congratulations and enjoy!

I too lost my cruise virginity on the Pride! She is a beautiful ship. Glad to see you also enjoyed her as much as we did. Be careful though, now you're going to want to cruise all the time - like us! :)

Thanks Sprite.4! That's good to know you don't have to be a big spender, because we definitely are not either! But we do about 3-4 cruises a year, so I'm a little surprised we haven't been offered one. I'm wondering if using a travel agent has anything to do with it...

 

Did someone from Carnival just call you? If so, was it the same person you booked with? Also, were they offering you really great deals or do you feel you could have found similar deals on your own? Finally, did you have to accept right away or did you have a little time to think on it?

 

Sorry for the barrage of questions! I very much appreciate you sharing your info!

Hi CatieM80, we always book directly with Carnival by phone or web. This time was web. The first call we had on a prior cruise was $600 to go from balcony 8E to a suite. We chose not to accept. On our upcoming cruise we actually received a phone call and an email, which we received too late in the day to return the call. We figured we had missed our chance, but the next day they called and emailed again! We booked a 4H interior and our friends booked an 8E balcony across the hall. The upsell was $260 for an 8E balcony on the same deck just three doors down from our friends. The current cost for our new balcony is over $500 less than what their current cost is, so definitely could not have received this price on our own. Our cruise is in July, so their price could still come down closer to ours, but this upsell was awesome for us. :)

The Curacao Tourist Board sent me a link to a PDF for Architectural Walking Guide of Historic Willemstad that is fantastic:

http://www.curacao.com/en/directory/do/adventures/tours/

Some other interesting info there as well that may appeal to you.

Out of 6 cruises I have twice been offered an upsell; one I took and one I did not. We are not big spenders, family of four in a room, no big casino losses. I have no idea how they pick and choose, but I am glad they picked me!:D

When we had a 5:00 flight out of FLL, we booked a Room for a Day. For about $60 (for 4 people) the hotel picked us up and gave us a room to relax in. They also had a pool we could use. They then took us to the airport 2 hours before our flight. FLL is a tiny airport and it was jam packed with people. Was SO glad not to have to spend all day there.

To get an upsell call, must you have booked via a PVP or on Carnival's web site? I've used travel agents & have never gotten an upsell.

We have always booked directly with Carnival, either using the website or by phone.

On one previous cruise we were offered an upgrade from a balcony to a suite, but it was $600 more and we passed on it.

Guessing it's a 7 day cruise. We just did a 7 day on the Valor in an 8E balcony. I think you made a good choice. She will have the 2.0 upgrades when you sail.

It's actually an 8-day cruise, which makes it even better. I couldn't believe our good fortune. :)

We have been on the Pride 3 times, with a 4th scheduled for next summer. She is a beautiful ship, great layout, fun to explore. The Serenity Deck is the best, with it's own bar, some shade and a pool. The Red Frog Pub is a lot of fun too. Sea day brunch is a must-do. Have a wonderful time!

Booked a 4H interior deck 10 on the Valor in July. Got a phone message AND an email from Carnival about an upsell. It was too late to call them back so figured we missed out. No such thing! They called again the following day. Was upgraded to an 8E balcony for only $260 total for 2 people, same deck, literally a dozen steps from the 4H we had booked. Can't believe our good luck! :D

We have done four near adults (15 and 18 yo kids) in a balcony room. It is definitely doable - better if you can get everyone to clean up after themselves (my daughter leaves everything everywhere). Need one of those over-the-door organizers to keep everything off the small counter and out of the bathroom. Need to keep clothes and shoes to a minimum. I have never cruised in an interior, but I think I heard they are smaller than a balcony room. Whatever you choose, it will be a great deal of fun! Enjoy!

When we booked, we put 2 women in one room, 2 men and the kids in the other. We girls bought Cheers. Went to guess services and got an extra key card for each room. Easy Peasy. Plus you should have seen the look on the room stewards face when the men asked that the beds be made into a king. :D

Congratulations on snagging a cabana! You are going to LOVE it! :D

We've purchased FTTF twice. Once was in Baltimore, which was driving distance for us. We got there early, so no lines. We had a cabana at HMC, so we already had priority tender. If you don't have a cabana, you definitely want to have FTTF because HMC is so awesome you want every possible minute there. We used Guest Services only once. Debarking with FTTF was awesome. Whenever we were ready (no special time), we went to the designated area and were instantly escorted to the front of the line and right off the ship.

When we flew to Ft. Lauderdale, we were escorted right through the lines at the port. The special line at Guest Services was truly fantastic on the last night of the cruise when we needed to have airline check in and boarding passes printed and were able to bypass at least 25 people waiting in line. We had a late flight, so were in no hurry to get off the ship, and just stayed as long as possible to kill time.

In both instances, being able to drop your luggage in your room right away was a huge plus for us.

That's awful! :eek: While Verizon isn't responsible for them being stolen, can they at least give you the codes? If they haven't been used, that's all you would need to credit your account online or with Carnival. I most certainly would be hounding the construction company, complete with threats to call a lawyer and to give them horrible reviews on every website I could think of. Good luck!

Just got back from Margaritaville a couple of weeks ago. Both my DD and I got a wristband. They were serving alcohol at 9 am. You just went up to the bar and got a drink any time you wanted. The frozen margaritas were a little weak, but when I ordered one on the rocks, it was waaaaaay strong.

We were somewhat disappointed in the way it was presented however. We were told it was $50/pp, but they did not mention the 26% tax & gratuity. My son wanted the all-you-can-drink soda package that was touted as $8.95. The waitress asked which souvenier glass he wanted with it, and only after we got the bill did we find out that it really was $16.95! :eek: Evidently, the glass was "extra".

We were told we could use the wristband at the swim-up bar, but when I tried, they said we had to go to the other bar. The food was hit or miss. The cheeseburger in paradise was awful, burnt and nasty. The club sandwich was huge and quite good.

Overall, it was a good value if you wanted to have several drinks and a sandwich.

I ordered the High Seas Deluxe Tote package in early March. What arrived in my Pride cabin last week was the Sail Away package instead. The towels were not nearly as nice as the blue embroidered ones that I ordered. These were thin, like all the cheap beach towels you see everywhere. When we went to complain, we were told that they no longer sell the blue towels. We returned the whole thing and got our money back, no problem, but we were disappointed.

Very nice! We are sailing on the Pride in a couple of weeks. This makes me even more excited!:)

Thank you for the information. Luckily, we are coming from the other direction. :)

$220 for me! :D

July 2011 - 7 days booked at $3,882 (4 people).

July 2013 - same ship same week, booked at $4,230 (better itinerary), ended up paying only $3,220 with price drops before final payment.

July 2015 - same ship, same week, same better itinerary, booked at $4,110 - no price drops at all before final payment.

We have done this. You must have one person from each room go to guest services to make the request, I guess to prove you both agree. Keep in mind, one room's window will be partly blocked by the open door, cutting their view and light some. Not huge, but then again, it wasn't my room. :rolleyes: