Carnival Secrets they usually don't tell you about

[Almost Packed]

You state "Why do they think that it's fine for them to leave the ship with people who are going on excursions, when they are not going? "

 

I ask YOU "Why do YOU think that it's fine for CARNIVAL to let people off the ship who are going on ONLY THEIR excursions???

 

Why do I have to wait 45 minutes or more because I didn't book one of their overpriced, sub quality, cattle herding excursions!!!!!

 

Glen

 

 

I wonder why when i fly, they don't put me in first class....i paid for coach...but hey, what's the difference!!!! it's like any other thing. you pay for ...it's a service. that's the benefit of booking with the cruiseline...duh!

[girl125]

wow, we're cruising for the first time 30th December (VICTORY) and I have learned so much on this forum already !

 

how do i find out what other people will be on our exact cruise through this forum?

 

we do want to book our OWN SHORE excursions to save money ....but I'm nervous about the "tender" tickets & stress and time getting OFF OF THE SHIP in time! please advise....thank you !

 

we picked 6:30 pm to eat...should we have picked the later time?

 

please reply ! ! THANK YOU ! !

 

Tricia:)

[Egore]

wow, we're cruising for the first time 30th December (VICTORY) and I have learned so much on this forum already !

 

how do i find out what other people will be on our exact cruise through this forum?

 

we do want to book our OWN SHORE excursions to save money ....but I'm nervous about the "tender" tickets & stress and time getting OFF OF THE SHIP in time! please advise....thank you !

 

we picked 6:30 pm to eat...should we have picked the later time?

 

please reply ! ! THANK YOU ! !

 

Tricia:)

 

 

Try here to see who will be on the ship with you.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=337

[lhc2266]

Just wanted to leave a tip about my recent experience with the bon voyage department. I ordered 4 drink coupons, 1 bottle of wine, and a cooler of Corona from the bon voyage department. The cooler of Corona was in my room upon arrival. However, the ship stated it could not provide my wine to me on Sunday, the day of departure, due to some laws in Galveston about selling alcohol on Sunday (hmmmm . . . ). So, I waited, and the purser's desk REFUSED to allow me to have it in my room. They would only allow me to have it at dinner. I was naturally worried about the corkage fee, and I specifically purchased it so I could have a glass of wine BEFORE dinner in my room. I still could not get it until dinner on the second night. I was able to convince them not to charge me a corkage fee. Also, the drink coupons could only be received at dinner the first night. I went ahead and used those for some glasses of wine, but I was charged a $2.30 difference for each glass (ouch!).

 

My tip of the day . . . skip bon voyage. It isn't worth the hassle, and if you get anything delivered to your room, you are lucky. It is easier just to smuggle . . . Ok, let the slamming begin! :)

[NCTribeFan]

Several posters have noted that the drink coupons will be delivered to you in the dining room on the first evening. And in all the threads about the coupons, there are wide variances in whether people are charged extra for the amount above the value of the coupon. Some are, some aren't.

 

Until they are in international waters, I imagine they are bound by local laws. But if it were after 1 pm, I'm not sure I see what the problem was.

 

Oh well. Thanks for sharing.

 

No need to "smuggle" on the wine. You're allowed a bottle per adult, which I will be taking. Once that is gone, I'll purchase a bottle in the dining room.

[glentally]

I wonder why when i fly, they don't put me in first class....i paid for coach...but hey, what's the difference!!!! it's like any other thing. you pay for ...it's a service. that's the benefit of booking with the cruiseline...duh!

 

Dear Little Brain from Little Elm,

 

It's not a service little one! It's a monopoly ( duh ) . If it was such a great service we all would be doing their crappy excursions.

 

Let's review your comparison to 1st class. Once again another scam. Why do you think they have so few 1st class seats? Just like the cruise line. Pay our exhorborant fees so you can have a few drinks and a wide seat! That's not a service it's a ripoff also.

 

All I said was if ANYONE could prove they were going on a PLANNED excursion, sacred cruiselines or other they should all be able to get off the ship at the same time.

 

The ones with no plans can stay on the ship the extra hour as they don't know what they want to do anyways!!

 

Glen

[ptbcruiser121]

Where exactly is the deli located on the Sensation, and will they be open the day we board at lunchtime?

Sailing away on Monday. . .

 

 

 

I don't know about the sensation but i know that on the conquest the deli is open from11 to 1 everyday.

[girl125]

It isn't worth the hassle, and if you get anything delivered to your room, you are lucky. It is easier just to smuggle . . . Ok, let the slamming begin! :)

 

No slamming from me...give me tips / suggestions / hints ! It'll be my first cruise on 30th Dec . ... .tell me HOW to smuggle ! :D Suitcase? pocket ? Please tell ! or email me ! ocean80002000@yahoo.com

 

hee hee

 

:)

[big dog daddy]

Dear Little Brain from Little Elm,

 

It's not a service little one! It's a monopoly ( duh ) . If it was such a great service we all would be doing their crappy excursions.

 

Let's review your comparison to 1st class. Once again another scam. Why do you think they have so few 1st class seats? Just like the cruise line. Pay our exhorborant fees so you can have a few drinks and a wide seat! That's not a service it's a ripoff also.

 

All I said was if ANYONE could prove they were going on a PLANNED excursion, sacred cruiselines or other they should all be able to get off the ship at the same time.

 

The ones with no plans can stay on the ship the extra hour as they don't know what they want to do anyways!!

 

Glen

 

 

when you are a fatass like me, the extra seating comes in handy....

[girl125]

hi ! anyone able to give me suggestions about how to get off the ship quickly in Grand Cayman since it'll be "tenders" instead of WALKING off ?

 

i'm worried about this process from the reading i do on this forum !

 

Please let me know !

Thanks !:D

[Almost Packed]

Glen, my little brain and I are not going to give you another thought after i respond to your comment.....

perhaps you should re-read your comments and your questions you posted. then perhaps you would understand my comments...but i doubt it. just like anything in this world, there is a price to pay. i want a balcony, i pay for it. i want a suite, i pay for it. if i want an inside cabin with no view, i pay...or don't pay. you did ask a question....i merely tried to answer your question. carnival has a right...it's a privelage they give their guests who choose to purchase excursions booked through them. there is nothing wrong with that. it's their boat! that is a benefit you get for paying the extra dollars....just like when you purchase a suite...you get to enter the VIP line. is that wrong? is that a monopoly lol!!! lol!!!! lol!!!

btw, almost all seats in first class are full. not sure where you get your info from, but it's not from facts.

i am not going to turn this thread into a sparring match with you. ask a question, you may get an answer....and it may be one you do or don't like, but no need to insult.

that is all my little brain and i have to say.:D

[girl125]

Glen, my little brain and I are not going to give you another thought after i respond to your comment.....

perhaps you should re-read your comments and your questions you posted. then perhaps you would understand my comments...but i doubt it. just like anything in this world, there is a price to pay. i want a balcony, i pay for it. i want a suite, i pay for it. if i want an inside cabin with no view, i pay...or don't pay. you did ask a question....i merely tried to answer your question. carnival has a right...it's a privelage they give their guests who choose to purchase excursions booked through them. there is nothing wrong with that. it's their boat! that is a benefit you get for paying the extra dollars....just like when you purchase a suite...you get to enter the VIP line. is that wrong? is that a monopoly lol!!! lol!!!! lol!!!

btw, almost all seats in first class are full. not sure where you get your info from, but it's not from facts.

i am not going to turn this thread into a sparring match with you. ask a question, you may get an answer....and it may be one you do or don't like, but no need to insult.

that is all my little brain and i have to say.:D

 

Hi ! I think it DOES MAKE SENSE that you want a balcony, you pay MORE, ....if you want a bigger seat on the plane (first class), you pay MORE ...if you want a fancier and larger steak, you pay MORE...but I do agree with Glen that you shouldn't get to leave the boat SOONER THAN OTHERS JUST because you booked a trip WITH CARNIVAL.

 

One port stop that I'm going to has a friend (living there) that I haven't seen in 10 years ! I would like to spend as MUCH time as possible with her. So, I do INDEED know what I want to do at this port stop ! (someone implied that if you don't have an excursion booked, you should wait around on the ship and leave the ship later because you "don't know what you want to do" ...but this just isn't the case ! ) I do indeed KNOW that I want to visit her !

 

Everyone on the boat pays to be on the boat, and the more you pay, the better ROOM you have . .. .but you shouldn't be allowed to leave the ship sooner on port days JUST BECAUSE you have a Carnival tour booked. This is ridiculous and silly.

 

In this specific aspect (about who gets to leave the ship first), I do agree with Glen. I THINK THAT CARNIVAL SHOULD STATE THIS IN THEIR EXCURSIONS THOUGH...for example, the $79 excursion in Cozumel is $95 (same excursion!) if you book with Carnival ! That is $16 more ! Geez ! It should state clearly "THIS TRIP WILL COST $16 MORE THAN WHAT YOU WOULD PAY IF BOOKING ON YOUR OWN ONLINE, YET YOU GET TO LEAVE THE SHIP FIRST ! ! "

[PCMAINTTEAM]

Hi ! I think it DOES MAKE SENSE that you want a balcony, you pay MORE, ....if you want a bigger seat on the plane (first class), you pay MORE ...if you want a fancier and larger steak, you pay MORE...but I do agree with Glen that you shouldn't get to leave the boat SOONER THAN OTHERS JUST because you booked a trip WITH CARNIVAL.

 

One port stop that I'm going to has a friend (living there) that I haven't seen in 10 years ! I would like to spend as MUCH time as possible with her. So, I do INDEED know what I want to do at this port stop ! (someone implied that if you don't have an excursion booked, you should wait around on the ship and leave the ship later because you "don't know what you want to do" ...but this just isn't the case ! ) I do indeed KNOW that I want to visit her !

 

Everyone on the boat pays to be on the boat, and the more you pay, the better ROOM you have . .. .but you shouldn't be allowed to leave the ship sooner on port days JUST BECAUSE you have a Carnival tour booked. This is ridiculous and silly.

 

In this specific aspect (about who gets to leave the ship first), I do agree with Glen. I THINK THAT CARNIVAL SHOULD STATE THIS IN THEIR EXCURSIONS THOUGH...for example, the $79 excursion in Cozumel is $95 (same excursion!) if you book with Carnival ! That is $16 more ! Geez ! It should state clearly "THIS TRIP WILL COST $16 MORE THAN WHAT YOU WOULD PAY IF BOOKING ON YOUR OWN ONLINE, YET YOU GET TO LEAVE THE SHIP FIRST ! ! "

Then I guess you are saying that you pay $16 to get off the boat first. It seems to me that those booking through carnival are paying for the privelige of getting off fist.

[coevan]

Glen, you have a narrow mind and very thin wallet. First class a rip off? Have you ever heard of frequent flyer mileage? It's not always about the money, unless you don't have much. Isn't luxury all relative to what you want, can afford, and experiences in life.

[lhc2266]

No slamming from me...give me tips / suggestions / hints ! It'll be my first cruise on 30th Dec . ... .tell me HOW to smuggle ! :D Suitcase? pocket ? Please tell ! or email me ! ocean80002000@yahoo.com

 

hee hee

 

:)

 

Try rum runner flasks in your checked luggage, placed inside ziplocked baggies. If you google that you should be able to find them. Several threads here have mentioned them, and yes, they work. No problems, no leakage, and we had a very nice mini bar set up. We did purchase the fountain fun card, as well as the thermal drink glass that the bartenders would fill with soda. Oh, and my hubby and I both brought on a bottle of wine each. We also purchased our fair share. In addition to the bon voyage ordered items, we purchased two bottles of wine on two separate nights at dinner. Alfred's and Gauguin's were favorite watering holes on the Conquest, and we dropped quite a few $$ there too. Yep, it was a GREAT cruise! :)

[NCTribeFan]

There's a lot of pages of posts here.

 

Perhaps if a couple of you wish to debate a particular issue, starting a separate thread is warranted, so people don't have to read through post after post of back and forth arguing about something that has nothing at all to do with "secrets they usually don't tell you about?"

 

'preciate it!

[glentally]

when you are a fatass like me, the extra seating comes in handy....

 

that was good!! I'm just too cheap!!

[jacquid]

PLEASE people...this is a forum for TIPS and Questions...read the title ! If you don't agree with something that is YOUR opinion. If someones advice is DEAD wrong FACTUALLY then state it, not just because you disagree !!

 

Having said that..here's my question..Is it worth getting to port early ( leaving from Tampa) and is there any secrets to getting "processed" earlier so that I can start partying ?

 

Thanks much !!!!

[jacquid]

Sorry Bob they don't. You can try a bendable binder but that's about it !

 

Happy Crusing

[rpclmc]

PLEASE people...this is a forum for TIPS and Questions...read the title ! If you don't agree with something that is YOUR opinion. If someones advice is DEAD wrong FACTUALLY then state it, not just because you disagree !!

 

Having said that..here's my question..Is it worth getting to port early ( leaving from Tampa) and is there any secrets to getting "processed" earlier so that I can start partying ?

 

Thanks much !!!!

 

Not truly answering your question here. If you haven't been to San Diego or you don't get there much, you might consider getting there a day or two early (I don't know if you already are or if you even can since I see you are cruising in a couple of days). San Diego has a lot to do; mainly an awesome zoo, art area (and I don't even like art that much, but the musuems are great) and Sea World.

 

You can usually get on the ship earlier than you can get in your room. If you get on the ship early, you have to take your carry on luggage around with you, but you could always just state out a good bar and start your partying.

 

Linda

[Almost Packed]

on the conquest, they let us drop our carry off luggage in our cabin right after we boarded.

[rpclmc]

on the conquest, they let us drop our carry off luggage in our cabin right after we boarded.

 

I may be wrong and it may be different on different ships, but I understood (and also experienced it on Freedom of the Seas this last November) that if you board before 1:00 - 1:30 p.m. the rooms aren't ready. We were on by 11:45 a.m. and our room was not ready until 1:00 p.m. That is just what I have read and experienced.

 

Was this the canopy tour/zip line in Jamacia? We thought about doing that but chose not to. We did the flight line/zip line in Labadee (the private section of Haiti that RCCI goes to). It was awesome, although I was pretty darn scared, I sure am glad I did it.

 

Linda

[suzy1212]

I may be wrong and it may be different on different ships, but I understood (and also experienced it on Freedom of the Seas this last November) that if you board before 1:00 - 1:30 p.m. the rooms aren't ready. We were on by 11:45 a.m. and our room was not ready until 1:00 p.m. That is just what I have read and experienced.

 

 

 

Linda

 

On the Conquest in 2005 we were allowed to drop our carry ons off early, but in 2006 and in 2007, they wouldn't let us go to the cabins until after 1:00 or so.

[cruzinnluvinit]

On the Conquest in 2005 we were allowed to drop our carry ons off early, but in 2006 and in 2007, they wouldn't let us go to the cabins until after 1:00 or so.

my guess is they have more disinfecting to do. It takes awhile to get the cabins all clean after the last group leaves. I know we try to stay on board as long as we can so that doesn't make it easy for them to clean for the next group.

 

Linda

[stanford's girl]

.

 

No need to "smuggle" on the wine. You're allowed a bottle per adult, which I will be taking. Once that is gone, I'll purchase a bottle in the dining room.

I just got off the Spirit on Nov 14th and I carried on 3 bottles with me and they saw it but didn't say a word.:cool: But just so you know, you can only carry on wine at your port of departure. We bought 1 bottle of wine in Ixtapa and they confiscated it when we got back on the ship and held it until the last night. :(