Notice re: 5-Day Elation out of Galveston - It's Official

[4yanx]

Just to let the last of the folks whose cruises were altered by Wilma know that Carnival has made a definitive decision regarding the 12/12 and 12/26 cruises on Elation out of Galveston. The ports-of-call will be in Progreso on 7am-3pm and in Cozumel form 8am-4pm instead of Cozumel from 9am-10pm and Calica from 7am-4pm.

 

I would have thought we would do Progreso and Calica, but they must have arranged for added tendering capcacity at Cozumel. (?) Anyway, that's the official poop as delivered to me via e-mail by Carnival.

[iluvdoxies]

Glad you finally found out!

[4yanx]

As some may know, I have been very critical of how Carnival has handled the situation for the 5-day Monday departure cruises out of Galveston. I still think they dropped the ball, big time, with respect to customer relations BUT I have to give them BIG PROPS for e-mailing and notifying passengers via e-mail even before it is posted at the website (unlike when our Sensation cruise was cancelled) and for offering an 11/29 deadline for those wishing to cancel this cruise (longer than the 48 hour standard). Progress!

[4yanx]

As some may know, I have been very critical of how Carnival has handled the situation for the 5-day Monday departure cruises out of Galveston. I still think they dropped the ball, big time, with respect to customer relations BUT I have to give them BIG PROPS for e-mailing and notifying passengers via e-mail even before it is posted at the website (unlike when our Sensation cruise was cancelled) and for offering an 11/29 deadline for those wishing to cancel this cruise (longer than the 48 hour standard). Progress!

[cheshyrkat]

... I have to give them BIG PROPS for e-mailing and notifying passengers via e-mail even before it is posted at the website...

 

They haven't notified everybody...I never got anything from them. Maybe it's forthcoming. Who knows. Why would they choose to email some before making the simple change to the website?? Again...Who knows...:rolleyes:

[4yanx]

They haven't notified everybody...I never got anything from them. Maybe it's forthcoming. Who knows. Why would they choose to email some before making the simple change to the website?? Again...Who knows...:rolleyes:

 

It is true, I don't know why, but I've seen where others received the message, too. I booked directly through Carnival and don't recall if you did the same. Maybe that is the reason. Anyway, I see this as progress since, when our Sensation cruise was cancelled, I heard about it here first, followed by the website about a week later, with notification from Carnival about 10 days after that, offering to rebook us on Elation at a higher rate.

[cheshyrkat]

It is true, I don't know why, but I've seen where others received the message, too. I booked directly through Carnival and don't recall if you did the same. Maybe that is the reason. Anyway, I see this as progress since, when our Sensation cruise was cancelled, I heard about it here first, followed by the website about a week later, with notification from Carnival about 10 days after that, offering to rebook us on Elation at a higher rate.

 

I booked with Carnival too...And the Sensation thing pretty much happened that way to me too, but it took them longer to notify us. Are you planning to cancel or are you going with the new itenerary?

[tack42]

I booked with Carnival too...And the Sensation thing pretty much happened that way to me too, but it took them longer to notify us. Are you planning to cancel or are you going with the new itenerary?[/quote

 

Just talked to my TA and she called Carnival, change is as 4yanx said.

wed Progresso 7am-3pm thur Cozumel 8am-4pm.

C'ya

Tom:rolleyes:

[cheshyrkat]

Just talked to my TA and she called Carnival, change is as 4yanx said.

wed Progresso 7am-3pm thur Cozumel 8am-4pm.

C'ya

Tom:rolleyes:

 

Ah, well then...Progreso it shall be! See you on the ship!!

[Luanne21]

When I read this earlier this morning, I didn't believe it or maybe I didn't want to believe it. I booked thru a TA and thought she would have surely notified me. I e-mailed her, and then started calling carnival. First person told me he didn't have it, but called back, and the PVP told me that she has known for awhile. While I was on the phone, my TA e-mailed me back to confirm. I knew there would be changes, but I always thought it would be Cozumel, not the other one. We had a great excursion planned, and at Progreso, it is all stuff that my teen boys would not enjoy. What is everyone going to do? Is anyone going to cancel?

 

Luanne

[cheshyrkat]

I'm going to be on that ship no matter where it goes. I have to use my vacation hours and otherwise I would just stay home, so I'll find something to do in Progreso. I wasn't expecting it either, but I had no plans for Calica/Playa del Carmen anyway.

 

Luanne, Would your sons enjoy seeing mayan ruins or something like that?? What had you wanted to do that you cannot due to the changed itenerary?

[Luanne21]

My kids would hate the ruins. They want to either get wet, or go real fast.:) I called everyone together tonight, and we are not going to cancel either. We will be on the Conquest the week before, and we have excursions for it, so we will just cruise for Elation. I didn't have anything planned for Coz, so I thought I could find something fun to do there, but they have cut the hours in Coz, so none of the excursions fit. Maybe the closer we get to cruising time, they will come out with something that actually matches the time allowed. Are you traveling with family? Where are you from.

 

Luanne

[Snoozeman]

Eat a shrimp cocktail for me in Progreso!!

[4yanx]

I'm planning on handling one of them there Tejas-sized shimp cocktails, if there is time. We, actually, prefer Progreso to Calica because we prefer Chichen Itza or Uxmal to Tulum or Coba, so it works for us. The reduced time on Cozumel is not to our liking, however. :mad: We will have a flat out blast, regardless though, I am sure of that. Just glad things have finally been decided and put in writing.

[cheshyrkat]

Luanne: Wow so you're doing Conquest then getting right onto Elation? I am so jealous!!! We are just going to have to wait and see what kind of excursions are offered, I guess! Because of the shortened times we have decided to book with Carnival when we normally would not have. I'm traveling with my mom and we are from Lafayette.

 

Snoozeman: you have to tell me exactly how to get to the shrimp cocktails!!! I'll have one in your honor!

 

4yanx: I hope the ship offers something to Uxmal. I don't want to go as far away as Chichen Itza and I hear Uxmal is really good...I know that even with limited port time Dzibilchaltun is really close too...We'll have to keep waiting and seeing!

[4yanx]

4yanx: I hope the ship offers something to Uxmal. I don't want to go as far away as Chichen Itza and I hear Uxmal is really good...I know that even with limited port time Dzibilchaltun is really close too...We'll have to keep waiting and seeing!

 

In the message, it says that Chichen AND Uxmal will be offered through Carnival. I called to see if they could give more info and was told, no, they did not have a list of shore excursions from Progreso anymore because it is no longer a standard Carnival port. I was told to look under Cozumel for information regarding Chichen tours but that there would be nothing in the way of a description with respect to Uxmal. Further, I was told that advance booking for the shore excursions will not take place but, rather, one would have to book after boarding. Mad scramble, I'm wagering. I hesitate to mention this as I'd like to be near the front of the line, so keep it between us! :)

 

Not sure how a private tour would work, given the shorter time in port. If one does not have the priority to disembark given a Carnival-sponsored tour, I doubt there'd be time to go to either Chichen or Uxmal.

[tack42]

In the message, it says that Chichen AND Uxmal will be offered through Carnival. I called to see if they could give more info and was told, no, they did not have a list of shore excursions from Progreso anymore because it is no longer a standard Carnival port. I was told to look under Cozumel for information regarding Chichen tours but that there would be nothing in the way of a description with respect to Uxmal. Further, I was told that advance booking for the shore excursions will not take place but, rather, one would have to book after boarding. Mad scramble, I'm wagering. I hesitate to mention this as I'd like to be near the front of the line, so keep it between us! :)

 

Not sure how a private tour would work, given the shorter time in port. If one does not have the priority to disembark given a Carnival-sponsored tour, I doubt there'd be time to go to either Chichen or Uxmal.

 

I found this link for Progreso shore excursions offered by Carnival but not sure if they are still offered. http://www.carnival.com/Port_Of_Call.aspx?portCode=PGR&itinCode=GL4&embkCode=GAL&durDays=7 These were available in the past and maybe for this Elation cruise 12/12. It would be nice.

C'ya...Tom:rolleyes:

[cheshyrkat]

I bet there will be some kind of scramble at the shore excursion desk! I wonder when they'll decide to open up and if they will have decent hours to handle all the bookings! I don't think that Elation has Funvision...Does it? Damn, I wish I had brought my list of Progreso's shore excursions from the Conquest in September! I never in a million years figured I'd be headed back there!! Well, maybe we'll make it to the head of the line...who knows.

 

The priority disembark thing won't really matter so much in Progreso because it's not a tender port and things go pretty fast once they start letting people off the ship. Chichen would be a stretch though...You just have to catch the bus that will take you off that looooong pier and the ride is about 5-10 minutes. You'd have time, but I don't think I could enjoy myself worrying about whether or not I'd have enough time. So Carnival excursion it will be. You can get tours out of the little open air market there and they are loads cheaper than Carnival's. I'm just not comfortable with that there, though. It's my own hangup, but if you are into it, it's definitely there!

[Luanne21]

I remember in June when I first heard of Progreso. There was some sort of unrest and all tours there were cancelled. I don't think we have a sure thing here. There is also another storm out there. not sure where it is. I just refuse to worry about all this. I'll just order another foo foo drink on the ship, and stay in port. You can archive the progreso excursions, but the time there is so short, it will be hard to do anything. The same goes for Coz. Wanted to do ATV's for boys, but with the new times, you can't do it.

[cheshyrkat]

Okay I looked at the link...Thanks for fishing that up, tack! I remember seeing people leaving for one of the ATV tours and that looked like it might be a lot of fun and the ATV's looked brand new. The Kodiak thing looked positively scary, though! Some of the vehicles used, namely the shuttles to get off the pier and that take you on some of those tours, are like the Frankensteins of vehicles. They are obviously chopped up and re-welded to suit the needs of the present owner! The people who got on the top level of the double decker shuttle I took refused to get back up there on the way back to the ship, so be sure you are adventurous! :p Luanne, that might be enough excitement on its own for your kids!! I think that they will find a way to make time for the ATV type excursions though. They were very popular and sold out so I imagine they are money-making for whoever makes the money off the shore tours. And I'd imagine that we may be delayed in port waiting for the tours to Chichen and Uxmal, too.

 

And I still don't know what I want to do in Progreso...:rolleyes: There's a bar right by where we were docked on Conquest...

[Luanne21]

You are talking about the ATV's in Coz right? They want to do those, but look at the times. They start to late to do either one, as I read it.

 

Luanne

[cheshyrkat]

No, I meant the ATV's in Progreso. They bring them up the pier to right where the ship is so we saw them drive off as we headed to the shuttle.

[Luanne21]

Thanks, I am going to check on that. Do you know if they take the beach way or jungle way?

 

Luanne

[cheshyrkat]

That I don't know...Sorry! I hope you can find something to entertain your children. Surely they'll have to change the times on all the shore excursions. I can't imagine that they would offer any kind of tour that they have no capacity to actually fulfill. They just haven't changed anything on the website yet, would be my guess. Don't stress!

[4yanx]

Tom: I am much obliged for that link. I've wanted to see Uxmal since I was about 10 years old (they could have built several more pyramids since then), so I am hoping the rest will choose this over Chichen Itza.