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Mardi Gras / Live / Solo / Nov-27-Dec-04-2021...

sid_9169

By sid_9169,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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sid_9169 "Live from...." Rare

sid_9169

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Well, that's going to do it for tonight. I did set a new record by staying up until ten o'clock tonight... I just went down to say my final goodbyes to the "Nikola's" at Alchemy, and I'm off to bed. I gave Nikola#1 my special pen, which I bring one on every cruise to sign my drink slips. Nothing fancy, but a real ink pen, like a calligraphy pen, with the flat metal tip. Old school... Anyhoo, it was great having such knowledgeable and creative bartenders, even if I wasn't able to take full advantage of my Cheers program like I normally would... Goodnight all, and we'll wrap this thing up tomorrow... Thanks again for reading:)

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Guest BasicSailor

Guest BasicSailor

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11 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

 Goodnight all, and we'll wrap this thing up tomorrow... Thanks again for reading:)

Just think, one more chicken and egg biscuit. Let the good times roll, until next time! 

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LeeRB

LeeRB

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I have been feeling that “something isn’t right funk” lately when I look at the websites for the lines sail. While I do not have any cruises currently booked; I have canceled 3 since the COVID crisis started and sailings stopped. I got off my last ship (Rhapsody OTS) on March 7, 2020. 1 week before cruising was shut down. At that time I had 2 pending cruises on the books (Empress OTS and Independence OTS), as the FPD approached on both; it became more and more obvious to me that those sailing would not happen and I canceled both taking the full refund (not FCC) option; the 3rd cruise was the Brilliance OTS which I booked in late February 2021. That cruise was scheduled to sail on November 13th 2021, I also started having a bad feeling about that cruise not happening and I also didn’t like what I was and was not seeing about the rules for that cruise; so I called my TA and cancel it June 21, 2021. Somewhere around the first week of July the Brilliance OTS was change out with the Serenade OTS and the itinerary changed along with cabin assignments for the guests still booked. Because of those 3 cruises I have decided to wait until at least mid-2022 before booking again; hopefully things will have settled down by then. One person even said they understood my “anxieties under the present protocols” I don’t think I am anxious about cruising; I saw some rules/requirements that are game stoppers for me, so I canceled the cruise, simple as that. I am not going to spend the amount of money a balcony cabin (with the single supplement) costs, just to ride around on a big ship and possibly not be able to get off the ship unless I am on one of ships bubble excursion. For me the ship is not the destination it is the bus that gets me to the POC’s.

 

So much for some back story; after thinking about it, I came to the conclusion that the off feeling (at least in my case) mainly an accumulation of a bunch of  smaller things associated directly with COVID-19 that can change on a daily basis and some other thing that are not directly a result of COVID. I probably have left out things that others have thought of but here goes.

 

Directly caused or related to COVID-19         

            How the day to day living ashore has worn us down mentally in the last 18+ months

            The anxiety of not knowing what the new normal will be like

            The little nagging voice in the back of our heads asking how will an outbreak onboard impact us?   
            Will our itinerary to change before/after we sail?       

            Will ship excursions be the only way to go ashore, or are independent and local vendor excursions permitted?

            Mask wearing protocols onboard and ashore

            Other individual POC restrictions/protocols

            The possibility of a false positive test before/during a cruise

            Coordinating the pre-cruise test (it takes me 2-3 full days to drive to port)

 

Not necessarily caused directly by to COVID-19 issues

            Disappointment caused by us building up our own expectations to high

            Itineraries heavy in “Private Islands” and ‘Compound Ports’

            Politicians getting ahead of the science

            ‘Talking Heads’ in the media frequently contradicting each other and constantly beating the fear drums about almost everything

            “Experts” constantly moving the goalposts and disagreeing with other “Experts”  

            “Experts” flip-flopping on positions confusing the public and damages the expert’s credibility.

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Saint Greg "Live from...." Rare

Saint Greg

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6 hours ago, sid_9169 said:

Oh my gosh, now my eating superpowers are starting to fail me. It was probably that second chicken sandwich of the day... Whatever it is, it's something.........


yeah I thought you might have a problem eating that at 2:30 with the steakhouse at 5:30.

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Saint Greg "Live from...." Rare

Saint Greg

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5 hours ago, sid_9169 said:

I guess that you could say I didn't get the fullest out of Alchemy Bar this week. Even though, the great drinks and service from the Dream Team of bartenders, "the two Nikola's" was amazing. Cheers to you two!...

 

 

 

PXL_20211204_011526506.jpg


Manol! Manol = Maria’s significant other.

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LeeRB

LeeRB

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Sid

 

 

You did a good job on your reporting, don’t beat yourself up because you thought it may have been a little below your best. We all seemed to enjoy and I plan on checking out some of those places next time I'm in Cozumel.

 

 

Cruise burnout is a real thing I had it several years ago. All but 3 of my 1st 15 cruise were Carnival and I almost quit cruising because it wasn’t fun any longer. A friend of mine kept after me to try RCI and when I finally did it was a refreshing change from Carnival and I now sail Carnival, RCI and Princess.

 

 

The little differences in the lines is enough to break up the monotony of sailing one line most the time. I know you sail Virgin from what you have said so that is a start. I have also found by sailing solo in cabin for 2 you can move up through the loyalty programs quicker on Princess and RCI. Princess gives you credit for 2 cruises vs. 1 if you are sailing solo and RCI will give you double points for a balcony and below or triple points for a JS or above. With Carnival all you get is 1 credit per night regardless of what cabin category you are in. Those extra points help you climb the loyalty ladder faster and open up extras sooner.

 

 

Anyway take care and shake the cruise funk off and above all else enjoy yourself on that next cruise. Cruising should be somewhat back to normal by next spring.

 

 

Edited by LeeRB
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SNJCruisers

SNJCruisers

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15 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

You mean bacation.

 

I wonder if this is just on Mardi Gras...or if it's just in the buffets. I think I ordered a side of bacon every day in the MDR on Panorama. 

Believe it's the buffets only where people tend to take more than they eat and much is wasted.  Haven't seen any mention of the MDR's in the fleet cutting anyone off.

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SNJCruisers

SNJCruisers

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14 hours ago, audcc77 said:
🎶The world is black, the world is white
It turns by day and then by night
A child is black, a child is white
Together they grow to see the light
To see the light
And now, at last, we plainly see
We'll have a dance of liberty  🎶
 
Perhaps we could all use some words which unite, rather than divide us.  

A little Three Dog Night....

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SNJCruisers

SNJCruisers

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10 hours ago, sid_9169 said:

I can't take a chance that someone walks off with my suitcase. I've been too far, and through too much to lose those bottles...

If you don't tape a sign on the outside of your suitcase stating that there are liquor bottles inside, you stand a substantially higher percentage of it being where it's supposed to be in baggage claim when you arrive.

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sid_9169 "Live from...." Rare

sid_9169

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Well, I said that I wanted to catch a sunrise, so today is my chance... I couldn't sleep anymore, and I wanted to try and make something out of the final hours on board. I'm currently waiting at Bar Della Rosa for it to open. A lady just walked by with all of her luggage, so she's been up longer than me. Looks like they don't open for twelve more minutes.

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