Emrys

22 hours ago, Kellys said:

Do passengers have choice of morning or evening stateroom cleaning

Norwegian Cruise Line is making changes to just once daily room cleaning.

I'm not a fan of Freeport, was never much to do when going ashore. Nassau is often a port that not as many passengers go ashore at.

On 12/26/2022 at 10:06 PM, RoadTravelled said:

We've eaten there multiple times and always find it satisfying and typical Italian food in a well-themed venue.  On our last cruise aboard the maiden voyage of the Carnival Celebration we also tried for the first time the new Rudi's Seagrill.  By far we both agreed that it is now our favorite specialty restaurant.  Excellent food, well presented, superior service, and beautiful room all add to a very wonderful experience not to be missed.

A shame Rudi's is not featured on the other class vessels. Glad you enjoy the experience there. Any other favorite venues onboard Carnival Celebration?

On 12/28/2022 at 9:06 PM, DeanneB said:

Oh no whahaha!  That is amazing if only I can ride those.  😅 I am curious though just what other attractions can they add on ships.  They have everything already.

 There has often been talk of a lazy river going around the open decks, but that's difficult to do with the stability of the ship.

Has to be Icon of the Seas due to the innovation! However, I like all cruise ships to be honest!

Very odd indeed! Maybe the cabin is not occupied and the staff are just storing it there temporarily. Or maybe @kefthecruiser is correct and they want to take advantage of the beverage package! 😂

I voted for Grand Turk in the Turks & Caicos. That destination is stunning and where the cruise ships dock, easy access to the beach. What's better than being on a nice Caribbean beach with the ship in the background!

@Jim Lamb and @FJB, the issue has been fixed!

Merry Christmas to you too and all Cruise Hive readers! Nothing better than a cruise related gift! A gift card, a ticket, cruise Lego and even a Barbie ship! 

Sorry about that, very strange indeed why it's stuck! I've tried a few things but no luck yet. Will make sure it's back working again for you as soon as I can.

Hi @Jim Lamb and @FJB, I've started looking into the issue and just seems to be this page: https://www.cruisehive.com/category/cruise-news

All the other pages are working correctly, including the home page and the latest news in the individual cruise line categories. We'll work on it more on Monday. Does seem to be an issue for everyone.

13 hours ago, Kendall James-Vargas said:

Royal Caribbean has released some new U.S. departing itineraries for the 2024-2025 cruise season. Is anyone ready to book a Royal Caribbean cruise for the year 2025?

 

Now that all the drama with protocols is coming to an end, I think cruise bookings will skyrocket over the coming years for sure, including those new itineraries from Royal Caribbean.

On 12/12/2022 at 7:56 PM, Kendall James-Vargas said:

Princess Cruises has released some fun fleet-wide holiday menus for those who plan to spend this year's holiday season with the cruise line. Does anyone plan to spend the holidays onboard one of the line's ships? Princess Cruises has had some pretty big promotions these past couple of months! I was tempted to book its Black Friday promo. The line offered 60 different sailings under $60 per person, per day for guests!

Wish I could! Too much work to do and a five year old to deal with!

On 12/2/2022 at 2:08 AM, FJB said:

I hope you are right - I don’t want to wear a mask on my vacation!

Throw that mask away! Unless you're cruising in Australia!

26 minutes ago, 3Sisters said:

@Kendall James-Vargas Do you know if this experience costs anything? I would love to explore this "Wonderverse."

Can take a look here: Celebrity Cruises Wonderverse: Explore Beyond in the Metaverse

It's expected really. Princess Cruises has already increase some other services, including the service charges and Wi-Fi. It will continue through 2023 I'm sure.

4 minutes ago, Kendall James-Vargas said:

Unfortunately, it looks like Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings will be reducing its shoreside workforce by 9%. This is such a bummer, but it seems like the shift in leadership may have something to do with it. Several of the new managerial changes will go into effect January 1, 2023. I'm thinking this may be the beginning to a new wave of changes. 

A real shame for all the shoreside staff. I have a feeling there could be more on the way by other cruise lines, especially with all the recent cutbacks needed.

12 hours ago, Tanaka said:

I have been waiting for recruiter call for 3 months now ,to do my second interview with Carnival .Why do do they delay so much I really need this job

It might be related to the agent that it's all going through.

More cruise lines are following now. Holland America Line has just increased its service charge too!

On 11/23/2022 at 3:09 PM, RoadTravelled said:

Based on what I've researched and discussions with various crew, I would be skeptical that a lead MDR waiter made only $700/mo.  That might be what he makes in tips though.  After all he does have an incentive to make you want to tip him?  My understanding is that bar and waitstaff positions are highly coveted on the ship as they get loads of tips — both pre-paid, automatic gratuities applied at the end, and individual tips along the way.  I would suspect that it's more likely that an experienced lead waiter makes in the neighborhood of $1,500 - $2,000/mo.

Also, it's very important to note when talking about income for crew, that Carnival provides them housing, food, transportation, laundry, uniforms, medical, internet, etc. that for the most part does not come out of their pocket, like would be the case for a land-based waiter.  So, let's say that for a land-based waiter those type expenses amount to a conservative 60% of their income.  So, that makes the ship waiter's income in comparison to be between $2,500 - $3,333/mo.  This represents a very healthy income that they can use to support both themselves and their families back in their home country (where spending power generally is even more powerful with these dollars).

Great post @RoadTravelled.

As a former crew member myself, it sure is a good place to be saving money, due to low expenses. Many departments do rely on tips to make more money than the basic salary. I think a big aspect of making sure the crew do get good tips are those that the passengers never see, such as those working on the lower decks ironing all the bedding sheets and those cleaning the public areas. They sure do work hard and deserve good tipping for sure!

It's another similar design to the new LNG cruise ships that Carnival Corp has be ordering for the sister brands, including, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, P&O Cruises and AIDA Cruises.

On 12/6/2022 at 3:13 AM, FJB said:

 

I’ll book if you book and may even buy you the 1st drink! 

Wife, daughter, and I went on the Edge 2 months before the Wuhan shutdown. Nice ship but not fans of the infinite veranda.  Last month when deciding on our first cruise since the Edge, I presented the family with 2 choices - Edge class ship going to ports we had already been or the oldest ship in the Celebrity fleet going to ports we had never visited.  It was a unanimous vote for the oldest ship! 

Haha, I'll remember you offered that first drink! Some of the older Celebrity ships have already been upgraded, including the blue livery. Which older ship is it?

We've still got another Celebrity Edge-class cruise ship to look forward to, which is currently under construction at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France. The name of the vessel will be the Celebrity Ascent and she will arrive in December 2023, in Fort Lauderdale Florida. The new vessel will sail seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries. Just wonder if anyone is thinking about booking the new ship?

Hey @M Meiklejohn, I guess it depends on the situation. Are you referring to something specific that has occurred?

Hey @LittleSisBeck, thanks so much for posting! It's never a good situation when a medical emergency happens. often, the passenger would just get further attention at the nearest port. It really does depend. I do think it's just one of those things regarding the recent emergencies, especially as the ships have been so close to port. There have been plenty of chopper situations over the last few months too. To be honest, I would never be angry at the cruise line for this, if it was me needing the medical attention, I would be very grateful. Were you on one of the impacted Royal Caribbean vessels?