WKUTopperFan

The Riu is a great property (the all adult one... there is two on the island). I have done day passes there twice on cruises. I would highly recommend it.

I've found this very interesting. I hope things work out for you and you get to keep both cabins. Let is know how it all plays out!

Carnival gets my gambling dollars because I don't have to pay for anything (my suite, my drinks, RS, etc are comped) and I can SMOKE in their casinos. The moment Carnival bans smoking in the casino I'm off to another line that better suits my taste ( I sailed on the Celebrity Apex on a comped trip over Thanksgiving and loved the ship/cruise but hated not being able to smoke in the casino). My casino host is well aware of my stance on smoking in the casino and where I would go if it was taken away. I'm sure I'm not the only one out there that has voiced this to their host. I'm glad some of the ships have put in smoke free casinos for non smokers... hopefully that takes pressure off eliminating smoking in the main casino! Smoke um if you got um!

This! Why people can't simply follow directions for such an easy process is beyond me!

I have stuck with Carnival exclusively due to the free suite offerings and the like (Elite sailings, DOU Everywhere, etc) until I discovered UR Comped about 8 months ago. I shared with them my comp offerings from Carnival and they matched me with offerings from other cruise lines. I sailed in a comp Sunset Veranda for a week on Celebrity Apex Thanksgiving week all inclusive (drinks, gratuities, WIFI). I'm now getting free room offers from Celebrity directly. I also have a booked comped Junior suite on Royal in May through UR Comped to give Royal a try again on a big ship. That said I'm still cruising Carnival. I have a comp suite this month on Horizon with DOU Everywhere and free play and doing a Comped suite in Europe this summer with DOU Everywhere with a little less free play on the Pride. The casino always wins though... they get their money back plus some. I think Carnival has the most generous offerings for their gamblers for casinos at sea; however their method is not spelled out clearly like other lines.

I always prepay my gratuities just to keep that charge from showing up on my account at weeks end (Lord knows its big enough from the damage I do in the casino). After reading this thread I feel like I now need to tell crew that I prepaid my gratuities when I tip them which I think is tacky so they know they can keep their tip. I always hand my room steward a twenty when I meet him/her as I have a couple special requests (ice, extra washcloths). I also usually leave a five on my pillow daily for the cabin steward for when he comes to make up my suite (I assume this is split with the assistant???). The thought that these cash tips are going into a pool after reading this thread makes me angry... I prepay my gratuities with the understanding that goes into a pool but my cash tips I intend to go to the person providing me service. At weeks end I leave a card and another piece of money for my cabin steward based on the service I've been provided. I sure hope that my stewards have been getting to keep that money over the years.

Thanks for the information. I'll look into that. I thought they only did 4 or 5 night sailings. This is cool news to me!

First drink onboard is a Funship... favorite drink onboard is a Cucumber Sunrise at Alchemy Bar (that would be my first but Alchemy isn't open when you board!).

After taking my first Celebrity cruise over Thanksgiving on the Apex (I'm a Platinum on Carnival and currently have two cruises booked... one on the Horizon this month and a European cruise on the Pride in September), I'm now looking to spread my vacation dollar with other lines. I was thrilled with my cruise on the Apex. It was just a step above the Carnival experience. The ship was more refined, there were less kids, specialty dining was amazing, no signing receipts when you get a drink, wine list was great, no annoying announcements all day, entertainment top notch and TURNDOWN SERVICE. All that said, there were aspects of the Carnival experience I missed (Guys Burgers, Smoking in the casino, Alchemy Bar to name a few) so I won't abandon Carnival but I think I want to try out other lines. I'll definitely sail Apex again... this time in a suite so I can check out the Retreat experience. I want to sail on Virgin as it's adult only...I just don't like that they only have such short sailings. I'm looking forward to getting on the Horizon at the end of the month and comparing it to my Celebrity experience in November... hopefully I will still love my Carnival sailings.

I'm cruising in February and hate to hear they no longer have the Wasabi mashed potatoes... those were my favorite. Hopefully they haven't changed the mushroom appetizer.

Oh wow... I won't be ordering a chocolate delight on my cruise next month. YUCK! I will use my laundry perk though!

For me, I've never had a problem using an additional card to get a second drink (be it my partners, my mom's, a siblings, my brother in laws, etc). The bartender or coffee shop person sees my face when they scan my card and they assume I'm just grabbing a drink for who I'm with. Never had a problem. This works for Cheers and Drinks Anywhere Promotion from the casino.

My recommendation after dining at both on my Mardi Gras sailing in April would be go with Rudi's. The entire dining experience was better at Rudi's compared to the Steakhouse. I wish I would have dined a second night at Rudi's that sailing but they were booked solid and I couldn't get in a second night.

Charles... after I've thought about it and considered comments I'd come to that opinion. A passport isn't required for sailing so having one that proves nationality is all that matters. That's all the birth certificate does for those that sail without one. I'm going to use my passport to check in with online and at the terminal. Begrudgingly I'll order a birth certificate as I need one and carry it with me... but have no intention of pulling it out.

After taking in everyone's valuable comments and opinions I have decided that I will begrudgingly order a birth certificate as a backup to my passport. I would give myself a 97% chance that my passport would easily get me on the ship (I bet most of the screeners aren't even aware of the 6 month rule as the country's Carnival sails to don't have it). However, I don't want to to take that tiny risk of being denied boarding so I'll have a birth certificate. I should have sent that passport off Nov 28 ( but i doubt id have gotten it back on time)! When I check in for the cruise I will be typing in my passport. I intend to use it. My experience is watching that birth certificate line move really slow.. I don't wanna get stuck in it.