3Sisters

@FJB It's so cool that your daughter was able to do a 2 week Viking River Cruise this month! These cruise ships are so VERY different from the major cruise lines. The major cruise lines offer a vast amount of amenities, especially for someone younger like herself. The areas she is visiting sound very amazing. So even if the ship isn't the best, the destinations totally are! You have a vast history of cruising. I would say, take a Viking River Cruise only for the destinations you visit and the itinerary. Don't take this cruise for the ship because it likely won't compare to some of the great ones you have been on!

@FJB I really agree with this statement. Most cruise lines are not able to be in tune with everyone's emotions and feelings; in fact sometimes they come off as cold-hearted. I wish it wasn't so, but an intimate experience can really only be found with an intimate cruise line or specialty cruise experience. If you are willing to pay for the top-notch staterooms and experiences, then you will receive top notch care.

@Ed sims It's a bummer that your cruise had to divert away from the Faroes. At the same time, I see the value in what you are saying. It does sound like this diversion and many others, will have a significant environmental impact on the Faroes. It was certainly the best PR move. Where will you reroute to? Hopefully, you will get to see another surprise port of call! 

@Random person Do you have any additional updates from your family? 

Based on this message, it sounds like CCL is properly covering the guests' costs for this mishap. I'm glad Carnival Cruise Line is offering to cover the airfare and hotel/food as well. That is very generous of the cruise line. I don't think many cruise lines are that generous actually. I hope by now your family was able to make it on a flight back! 

@Seaawgs That's definitely not the best scenario. I like the idea of giving the cash directly to the crew, without the crew having to deduct any taxes or report it to the cruise line. It's nice to just make a little extra something to have and use at your leisure without having it come out of your paycheck. To me, tipping extra cash is such a better reward for the crew. Now that my wheels are spinning, having the cruise line filter and manage the gratuities received is not the most beneficial to the crew. I wonder what is the preferred method of receiving tips from a crew members perspective. I think I would tip more cash than the mandatory gratuities cruise lines enforce today. What do you think @LukeJ? This envelope method could possibly keep the crew incentivized to provide the best customer service possible and actually find it worthwhile to do so. 

@Woody14 I agree that eventually, all CCL ships are going to offer this new menu. @Lvb I would keep an eye on any updates. My guess is Carnival Pride will end up getting the new menu. Check out this viral video clip about the enchiladas served onboard. They don't look too appealing. Needless to say, CCL is getting some heat for the quality of that dish. Hopefully, the other options are of higher quality than these enchiladas! 

It's possible CCL offers this trial menu on some ships and keeps the good and tosses the bad, creating a whole new menu fleetwide. That would make the most sense. From this article, these enchiladas aren't going to make it to the final menu rollout. 

@LukeJ I like your idea of all speaking up on this topic! Bottled water can be convenient but it's not environmentally friendly. With all the claims and attempts cruise lines are making to become more eco-friendly, this should be one area that is enhanced. If cruise lines have done away with straws, why not steer clear of plastic bottles? Now I'm thinking about bottled alcohol. That may be a tricky one to get rid of. I doubt guests will go for draft-only beers. 

@rindybar MSC Yacht Club should certainly be providing you with conditioner, and if for whatever odd reason it isn't in your room, just ask your butler for it! The brand provided should be the MSC Spa brand, smelling delicious. Regular, non-spa brand body wash and shampoo are provided to all guests in the shower, but your experience will include top-of-the-line products. I hope you get the opportunity to spend time in the thermal suites!

@Delmar Sam I like your tenacity and how on top of it you are. I agree that you should make your frustrations known. Unfortunately, I encounter robotic customer service agents far too often. I don't enjoy talking to customer service agents because it oftentimes feels like I'm talking to a wall. I really hope the cruise line follows through with its advertised ports of call. After all of the time and energy you are putting into this, I really hope it pays off for you. Otherwise, I think you will be more than furious and disappointed at the cruise line's efforts, or should I say, lack of effort.

@Random person Oh no, I'm sorry your family is having to go through all of this during their cruise vacation! That is so stressful. Do they have a flight out today or will they need to stay on the ship overnight? Is the cruise line allowing guests to stay onboard until their flight departure time? I hope the cruise line isn't having guests evacuate the ship with nowhere to go.

@kefthecruiser Thanks for the history of tipping while cruising! I don't remember cruising with this tipping style, but I was still a child in 1999. I really appreciate your perspective actually. I prefer to tip for excellent service, and I don't like "not knowing" where my tipping is going. I love to tip and go above and beyond for those who went above and beyond for me. Maybe if the cruise lines pay their employees just a little bit more, then utilizing this optional tipping method could be better for the crew. It depends on the person how much they will tip. People like myself would tip greatly, others possibly not so much. I see the value in this system.

@LukeJ Do you think optional gratuities would be beneficial? I happen to disagree with that. I believe that if gratuities weren't mandatory most guests wouldn't tip. I would totally tip, but I don't think that the majority would do the same. 

I definitely think it's worth it to at least walk into the gym and take a look around. There are usually options for physical activity on the daily agenda included in your cruise fare such as dance classes to poolside yoga too. Usually, the treadmills have some amazing ocean views. I really enjoy walking/running in the gym on sea days. I love the idea of running with the views of the endless sea and sun. You will often find a walking/jogging track on the upper decks, but it can get pretty hot during peak sun hours in the middle of the ocean. A sunset walk would be a great time but that occasionally cuts into the dinner hour. It's worth to try and catch one endless sunset on a sea day! 

I completely agree with that. There is something so wonderful about having a specialty drink too. Although basic tea and coffee are included, it's really not the same as a specialty option on vacation, especially if you aren't an alcoholic beverage drinker. As a person who hasn't utilized this package before I am intrigued to hear if this option can be utilized in all the onboard cafes or just the typical bars and MDR. 

@gbrad There are plenty of parking options near Port Miami. The simplest, but most expensive, will be the closest parking lot. Park and ride options will be the most affordable. Here is an informative article with parking options. https://www.cruisehive.com/all-you-need-to-know-about-miami-cruise-parking/25738

If you are flying in, it's sometimes best to get a hotel nearby that has cheaper or even included parking fare! Sometimes hotels nearby even offer a shuttle to and from the airport. If you get a hotel close enough to the port, it could be a pretty affordable Uber or taxi ride back and forth. 

@Charmayne You should have access to booking the coffee package for Princess Cruises' itineraries! Did you reach out to the cruise line and see if they could add it to your booking?

@Arh I saw this! I would be so bothered by this. The cruise line should definitely reimburse you for not being transparent and upfront about this. Essentially, the cruise line didn't honor what it advertised. That's not fair.

@kefthecruiser & @benjellos Did you see this NCL article in the news? https://www.cruisehive.com/norwegian-cruise-line-advises-guests-of-strike-impact/106555

Guests have been advised about an air travel strike. This is a whole other mess for the NCL guests that are cruising on the Norwegian Breakaway. 

Has anyone on the boards cruised with Margaritaville at Sea before? I noticed the line's Heros Sail Free promotion, and I love how generous this line is to our real-life everyday heroes. I assumed that Margaritaville at Sea was adults-only, but I was incorrect. I would love to hear some reviews of the cruise line from anyone who has sailed with them before.

@euroguy Do you have any insider updates on your upcoming CCL sailings? I know you had a couple in the works. I was also curious if CCL gives you the upgraded wifi option for those cruises! I would imagine if you have a booking assistant you are likely getting access to only the best wifi available onboard! 

@KeithG I'm right there with you. The simplicity of cruising makes it super convenient. Planning a vacation takes time and lots of effort. I love just booking a cruise and knowing that everything will be taken care of once I arrive at the port. I agree that sightseeing/exploring can be better on land, but at this stage in my life, I'm going for relaxation over sightseeing! 

I love patisseries! All of the delicious cuisine options, in combination with the unlimited food options on board will be endless amounts of food. I hope you are able to get your steps in during your cruise to counteract all of the food. I usually try to hit the gym a couple of times and take the stairs most of the day to counteract the amount of food I end up enjoying on my cruise. 

@Cindy63 That is a fact! It's a bummer Ocean Cay will be closed to the public but as an area of conservation, it's sensible to continue to upkeep the area with a close. I will explain why. Ocean Cay just received an honor from Mission Blue calling it a Hope Spot for its outstanding conservation efforts. Aside from this recent honor, this private island furthers the efforts of the MSC Foundation and the launch of its Super Coral Program. What really makes MSC Cruises' private island stand out amongst the other private islands is its conservation efforts and commitment to sustainable efforts over the standard hyped-up guest amenities. 

I'm not sure if you agree, but the only vacation I truly feel relaxed on is a cruise. All other vacations have an element of coordinating a flight or catching a taxi. It's even a hassle at times to book a big place to stay with family because someone ends up doing all the cooking. I absolutely love the consistency of cruising. I can always expect a good time, unlimited everything, and not have to worry or rush anything during my time on board.  

I think I was right on the money about an industry shift. Royal Caribbean stated that it will be utilizing new waste-to-energy technology for two of its new ships. This will be the first time for the industry as solid waste becomes power on these cruise ships. The two ships that will feature this technology will be Icon of the Seas and Silver Nova. It's a very interesting process and I wonder if other lines will follow suit and begin to implement this sort of sustainable system for its ships.

In addition, I completely agree about the food waste onboard. Maybe this is why cruise lines have become so repetitive with food offerings. Perhaps cruise lines only stick to guests' favorites to avoid a potential waste of food if the dish isn't as popular as the rest. 

@Mr.Bill All of this information should be linked to your Carnival Cruise Line account. If you can't find it in your CCL account, I would check your email and see if you can add it to your account for safekeeping. If you previously accrued this credit, you should have it in an email, but if you booked with a package that includes an onboard credit it should be listed in your booking receipt. You could always call the cruise line to verify what cruise credits are associated with your booking number. It's definitely best to do it now before you get on board your cruise. 

I have yet to cruise to Asia! I wish I had pictures to share of an experience like this. Ironically enough I was showing my children info about Asia and its culture. They were very surprised to learn that it's not only the largest continent but also holds the largest percentage of the world's population. Unfortunately, Asian cruises were postponed for several months during the shutdown. Of all areas, I think Asia took the longest to restart cruising afterward. At least cruises have resumed since! Resort World Cruises sails throughout Asia and announced it will be sailing some LEGO-themed itineraries this summer!