Mardi Gras, One and done for us.

[CruizinSusan70]

21 hours ago, pc_load_letter said:

 

This^

 

We're cruising on NCLs Bliss next month and my wife generally preps everything. I just show up. But I look at pics and read reviews and I have to keep asking....Can we go here? Do I need to pay extra for this?

 

At least on Carnival, I know I can use 99% percent of the ship and not have to worry about special areas. (Only really have seen that on Pano since we've never been on MG)

On the Bliss there are only two areas that will be off limits to you.  The Haven and the Vibe.  So you're good for 95+% of the ship.  Check out the Cavern Club for the Beatles tribute band shows.  They are first come first seated and the venue is small, so take it into consideration and show up early.  

NCL does nickel and dime at times, but you do get the drink package for 20 bucks a day to cover tips.

[CruizinSusan70]

5 hours ago, MikeandLinda2010 said:

I was not a fan of the MG.  It is too big. I felt like we were in a hotel instead of on a ship.  I would not go on her again unless she was going to a port I really wanted to go to.  

 

I have been on 34 cruises with Carnival and I guess, I prefer the smaller ships.   

 

Linda

After seeing your cruise history, you never sailed on one of the 3 Vista Class ships, so it was quite a jump up to the 180 K ton MG.  

If you thought the MG felt like a hotel, don't ever cruise on Royal since they have a handful over 225 K and their newest under construction, the Icon OTS will be over 250 K tons. The overwhelming majority of their fleet are larger than the Breeze or the Magic.

Enjoy your future smaller ship cruises.

[Joebucks]

On 10/17/2022 at 12:51 PM, Retiredmedic said:

Wait time in most bars to get a drink was 30 minutes or better

 

Out of all of the things that have never happened, this one has never happened the most. I might believe this if you mean drinks being delivered by floating servers. Other than that, you're reaching here.

 

On 10/19/2022 at 12:17 PM, cruisingguy007 said:

 

I sincerely hope the industry moves away from the floating mall concept. Or at minimum, keeps bringing open design options online (more sea, sky, sunshine views and fresh air). The Prima class has some interesting features but I think the speedway is a waste of space and a low capacity entertainment option (much like wave rider/rock wall on RCI). I also dislike the ship-within-a-ship concept all together, if it's so awesome then make it ship wide so everyone can have a better experience and more space. I'd rather they charge a bit more to aggregate the cost and improve space ratios and experience on board for everyone; the ship-within-a-ship is a race-to-the-bottom trick that makes everyone end up with less space in the end. It's designed to make you think that without coach there would be no first class, but the reality is that without first class there would be no coach. 

 

The "floating mall" concept is a brilliant model. Sure there are pros and cons, but the pros win. People say that they hate it because they don't know how to handle change. Yet, the Fantasy classes could never sell for premium rates as there wasn't enough to keep people entertained with them. People want stuff to do. Period. That's not the say the model has been rolled out perfectly though. People may see flaws and blame the entire model, when I don't think that is fair. No one is saying this French Quarter needs to be removed from Mardi Gras. They just want things to flow better on the ship.

 

Ratios are such an overrated topic. They could have one giant bar on the ship with the best ratio, is that really what people want? The real problem is popular venues that are proportionately sized, which Carnival has a hard time getting right. It honestly doesn't matter to me the size of the ship as long as lido, theater, punchliner, dining rooms, etc are the appropriate size for their capacity. I completely agree with you on things like speedway. These were designed by corporate to be ways to capture new revenue streams. Yet they take up a lot of space, that probably could have been utilized better elsewhere.

 

While I am not a "ship within a ship" type of person, I get the appeal. Some people don't want to go to a "premium" line for some more relaxing accommodations. To have the privacy of a private pool, bar, or whatnot when you want it, along with the vast entertainment options when you want it, is a great value proposition. As long as they don't start sticking amenities in there only that we reasonably expect, what's the difference? Otherwise, the hate is typical classism that we've all been conditioned for.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

It will be interesting to see if CCL follows NCLs lead on ship size.   The Prima class actually has a smaller capacity than the previous class (Breakaway Plus).  Buzz from the Future Cruise Consultants onboard is that customers were requesting, new, well appointed, with around 3,000 passengers.  It will also allow them to sail itineraries that cannot accolade an aircraft carrier.  We were on the CCL Breeze last week and enjoyed  the size of that ship.  We docked in Cozumel next to the MG and OMG!  Watching people exit that ship was amazing.  I’ve lived in towns with fewer people!

[MagnoliaBlossom]

Retired medic, CCL has its own version of some drinks.   I used to enjoy cosmopolitans, but not the way Carnival makes them.  I asked for a classic and it was awful.   Never could find anyone who could make a descent cosmo.

[BlerkOne]

17 hours ago, MikeandLinda2010 said:

I was not a fan of the MG.  It is too big. I felt like we were in a hotel instead of on a ship.  I would not go on her again unless she was going to a port I really wanted to go to.  

 

I have been on 34 cruises with Carnival and I guess, I prefer the smaller ships.   

 

Linda

I can adapt to different ship sizes but prefer smaller.

 

Come to think about it, that is exactly the illusion the ship within a ship concept is all about. That and highlighting the bourgeoisie and the proletariat differences. The bourgeoisie want it all, subsidized by the proletariat.

[crewsweeper]

20 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

I can adapt to different ship sizes but prefer smaller.

 

Come to think about it, that is exactly the illusion the ship within a ship concept is all about. That and highlighting the bourgeoisie and the proletariat differences. The bourgeoisie want it all, subsidized by the proletariat.

Proles are the ship staff.  Terms you're looking for in sea-speak are "steerage" and "first class".  The first class (suites and diamonds) want it all, subsidized by the steerage.

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, crewsweeper said:

Proles are the ship staff.  Terms you're looking for in sea-speak are "steerage" and "first class".  The first class (suites and diamonds) want it all, subsidized by the steerage.

This Diamond pays for cruises. Perhaps you should replace diamonds with gamblers.

[IntrepidFromDC]

3 hours ago, crewsweeper said:

Proles are the ship staff.  Terms you're looking for in sea-speak are "steerage" and "first class".  The first class (suites and diamonds) want it all, subsidized by the steerage.

 

1 hour ago, BlerkOne said:

This Diamond pays for cruises. Perhaps you should replace diamonds with gamblers.

Leave us degenerates be, Blerk!  We're trying to fly under the radar with these free cruises as long as possible!  The rest of you down in steerage, keep pedaling!

[WhaleTailFlCruiser]

I have been on MG three times and haven't really ever had an issue. 

 

Food is very much a personal preference what is good for one person is terrible for another one. So I tend to take food reviews with a grain of salt. 

[WhaleTailFlCruiser]

On 10/19/2022 at 3:20 AM, CruizinSusan70 said:

How about the first of six ships with the introduction of the Prima from the Prima Class on NCL.   Smaller than their Breakaway and Breakaway Plus Class ships (142.5 K tons) with only 3100 passengers.  No floating mall like RCI or MSC. 

Carnival is trying to play catch up to their competition and they are finally coming out with mega ships with the 3 in the Excel Class, while NCL is going the opposite way and so is RCI with the Icon Class.

 

Icon class is going to be as big if not bigger then Oasis class. 

[kwokpot]

15 minutes ago, WhaleTailFlCruiser said:

 

Icon class is going to be as big if not bigger then Oasis class. 

It's the largest cruiseship in the world at 250,800 GT.

[CruizinSusan70]

12 hours ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

We docked in Cozumel next to the MG and OMG!  Watching people exit that ship was amazing.  I’ve lived in towns with fewer people!

Wait till the Icon OTS comes out in 2024.  250 K tons, but only 1000 more people than the Excel Class and 40% bigger.

[CruizinSusan70]

6 hours ago, WhaleTailFlCruiser said:

 

Icon class is going to be as big if not bigger then Oasis class. 

250 vs 225.  And 40% larger than Excel Class, but only 1000 more passengers.

[KmomChicago]

11 hours ago, WhaleTailFlCruiser said:

 

Icon class is going to be as big if not bigger then Oasis class. 

 

Earlier size expectations were all over the place - at one point Icon class was supposedly going to be "only" 200k, i.e. going back a little smaller than Oasis class.  I think the confirmation of the larger size just came out a few days ago. Wonder of the Seas is 236, as Oasis has been growing a bit, so yes, it apparently turns out Icon is going to be bigger. 

 

As for NCL and Prima, yes it does look like they are getting away from new Breakaway ships and going slightly smaller rather than larger. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. 

[BlerkOne]

11 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Wait till the Icon OTS comes out in 2024.  250 K tons, but only 1000 more people than the Excel Class and 40% bigger.

40% bigger in what sense? Gross tonnage has nothing to do with weight, or indeed, overall size.

[Illbcruzn4life]

On 10/22/2022 at 11:46 PM, CruizinSusan70 said:

On the Bliss there are only two areas that will be off limits to you.  The Haven and the Vibe.  So you're good for 95+% of the ship.  Check out the Cavern Club for the Beatles tribute band shows.  They are first come first seated and the venue is small, so take it into consideration and show up early.  

NCL does nickel and dime at times, but you do get the drink package for 20 bucks a day to cover tips.

I priced out a cruise recently and they wanted $22.20 for a 7 day cruise for drink gratuities for 2 people.

 

Plus you pay extra if you don't book the sailaway rates which don't include any freebies. I don't know if it's just my imagination but it seems NCL port charges and fees are always higher than other lines.

[Eli_6]

I went on Mardi Gras for the second sailing when she was at only like 65 or 70 percent capacity.  I had a great time, but I commented many times to my husband that I would absolutely NOT want to sail her at full capacity or anywhere near close.  

[CruizinSusan70]

3 hours ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

I priced out a cruise recently and they wanted $22.20 for a 7 day cruise for drink gratuities for 2 people.

 

Plus you pay extra if you don't book the sailaway rates which don't include any freebies. I don't know if it's just my imagination but it seems NCL port charges and fees are always higher than other lines.

You can't always get the sailaway rates and the regular rate is a bit extra.  If you're a bare bones cruiser who doesn't spend extra for specialty meals or Cheers, then the sailaway would obviously be the closest to Carnivals rate since they don't provide packages similar to RCI. 

[cruisingguy007]

1 minute ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

You can't always get the sailaway rates and the regular rate is a bit extra.  If you're a bare bones cruiser who doesn't spend extra for specialty meals or Cheers, then the sailaway would obviously be the closest to Carnivals rate since they don't provide packages similar to RCI. 

 

What is sailaway rates? I've only seen pack and go rates for cruises that are less than 90 days out. Is this some kind of casino rate? 

[CruizinSusan70]

4 hours ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

What is sailaway rates? I've only seen pack and go rates for cruises that are less than 90 days out. Is this some kind of casino rate? 

Sail away rates are on NCL.  They sometimes get gobbled up by travel agents and on some sailings do not offer that much savings over their regular rates, which are the rates that the "Free at Sea" are based upon.  The sailaway rate would be a bare bones rate with no perks attached, so you don't get the drinks package for 20 bucks a day to cover tips or the other perks that NCL includes.  

[TxTeach79]

Yeah, Free at Sea is a MUST for NCL, otherwise the packages, etc., are exorbitant. I'm very curious about Prima. I've been interested in her for a while, and the early videos and tours I've watched, well, I'm not sure how to feel! The food hall looks awesome, but I have two major concerns: some venues (Sid Normans, Improv) look like they'd be tiny on a Fantasy class ship.... and the free open decks up top look almost non existent between the speedway and Vibe. She's in Galveston, which is my home port, so I'll probably jump on eventually, but I'm a bit hesitant

[CruizinSusan70]

4 hours ago, TxTeach79 said:

Yeah, Free at Sea is a MUST for NCL, otherwise the packages, etc., are exorbitant. I'm very curious about Prima. I've been interested in her for a while, and the early videos and tours I've watched, well, I'm not sure how to feel! The food hall looks awesome, but I have two major concerns: some venues (Sid Normans, Improv) look like they'd be tiny on a Fantasy class ship.... and the free open decks up top look almost non existent between the speedway and Vibe. She's in Galveston, which is my home port, so I'll probably jump on eventually, but I'm a bit hesitant

The open deck space is on deck 8, Ocean Blvd, which has twice the open deck space as the Waterfront has on the Breakaway and Breakaway Plus Class ships and you can do a 360 all around the ship.  Syd Norman's and the Improv are small and will be a problem.  As things progress, some more of the shows will have to be switched to the theater similar to how it is now done on the Prima and is done with the Beatles tribute bands being switched from the cavern Club to the theater once a week on the Bliss and the Encore.

We figured it was going to be a game changer for NCL similar to how the Excel Class is a game changer for Carnival.  We are on the 11 day repo cruise from Galveston to Miami next week and on a B2B at the end of February out of Port Canaveral.

The Prima is leaving Galveston tomorrow for a 4 night private sailing for 100 teachers and their families that won a contest.  The entertainment at the festivities is Kelly Clarkson.

Edited October 25, 2022 by CruizinSusan70

[MikeandLinda2010]

On 10/24/2022 at 4:44 PM, Eli_6 said:

I went on Mardi Gras for the second sailing when she was at only like 65 or 70 percent capacity.  I had a great time, but I commented many times to my husband that I would absolutely NOT want to sail her at full capacity or anywhere near close.  

When we went on her we were at full capacity. I felt the new layout of this ship really was helpful, in that, it did not feel crowded.  Others on our facebook group, on the same cruise, complained that they felt like we were packed in the ship.   Guess it is all perspective.  

 

Linda

[crusinthrough]

On 10/17/2022 at 12:51 PM, Retiredmedic said:

Havana Bar was our go to bar but no one there could make the classic Daiquiri. They just put rum and lime juice in a glass, shook it for a second and handed it to you. I asked why they were not putting a simple syrup in it, they told me the drink does not have simple syrup in it just rum and lime juice. Tried another Daiquiri in Brass Magnolia bar and they made it the same way. 

Why not order a Daiquiri with simple syrup? 

On 10/17/2022 at 2:09 PM, Retiredmedic said:

I did meet 3 Mexican national at the shopping area looking at the map of the Caribbean. Grand Turk hired them to repair the dock.

What is the significance of Mexican Nationals repairing the dock?