3Sisters

@kefthecruiser You are funny! Zip lines are a true adventure so not everyone enjoys the thrill, sort of like the water slides onboard. Not everyone enjoys being jerked around by water for fun. I'm usually in for the thrill but sometimes I also prefer to just sit back and watch. It's quite the occasion to zip line. Usually, those things involve wait times, waivers to sign, and the right clothing/gear. Sometimes I just prefer to enjoy my vacation walking out in a bathing suit and flip-flops with nothing to do and no place to be. @Jim Lamb I haven't been on RCL's one in Labadee! I love the idea that the landing is right by the bar. That's such a clever design! Those waiting for you must also appreciate that amenity to kill time!

@euroguy This is a great question and I think it all depends on why you enjoy cruising. What attracts you to the cruise experience? To me, I enjoy a hassle-free family vacation, and I don't necessarily travel more than 1-2 times a year. I travel to relax, not for the destinations. If you are cruising to visit new areas and using cruises to explore or adventure then maying cruising more often is a better fit! Your question may also depend on the guest's financial situation and job schedule. For instance, my husband's job doesn't allow him to take off more than a few weeks a year so for us, cruising 1-2 times a year and taking 1-3 land vacations a year is the best situation. We also prefer little local getaways or weekend getaways on land to visit family and friends. Those have been happening quite often for us lately with cheap flights and opportunities to have long work-from-home weekends. School is also a big factor! I will begin homeschooling my children next month so that our family won't have to be so constrained to the traditional school system. That will provide us with greater flexibility to do more travel.

@SpaceCowboy9 It sounds like the one drug dog you noticed in Charleston isn't really doing the job. I'm glad that the Carnival Cruise Line crew at least acted quickly about the matter. Based on what I have heard this is not an uncommon occurrence onboard CCL ships. I'm sure the line has some pretty swift protocols in place to act on effectively. It must be so delicate to have to search a room and attempt to find evidence onboard. Do you think that CCL would have drug dogs onboard? Do you think they would be more effective than the security team searching alone?

@SusanT I would agree that drinking tap water anywhere is not the best idea. In most land-based U.S. areas the water is pretty safe to drink right out of the faucets but you assume the risk that it could be contaminated. The safest option would be to drink bottled water or to utilize the water offered in the dining rooms onboard. From my understanding, the water served in the dining rooms is not the same as the water that comes from the sinks onboard. Maybe I am incorrect. It's always better to be safe and drink bottled water onboard and especially in other areas you travel to. Getting sick from contaminated water/food is pretty miserable.

@kefthecruiser I wouldn't be surprised if RCL's beach club offered something epic like that! I love ziplining! Have you enjoyed ziplining in the past? I have only tried it twice and each time was great. Carnival Corporation actually helped fund the world's steepest zip line in the Rockland estate eco-park in St. Maarten. This is one zipline I would really love to try; it would be the thrill of a lifetime.

@Mr.Bill You are going to love cruising on Carnival Mardi Gras! Carnival Mardi Gras was actually voted best cruise ship of 2022 in Cruise Hive's best annual awards. The six themed zones will keep you occupied throughout the entirety of your cruise itinerary. You can't go wrong! Wow, 27 cruises in total qualifes you as a pro-cruiser! Keeping true to Carnival Cruise Line is likely your best bet to continue to earn solid loyalty perks. Three times a year is certainly more than average. What has been your favorite CCL ship thus far?

@Woody14 I too would like a bit more context from @Dee Dee. I don't see the value in "invading" other European areas, so a greater explanation may help here. Maybe Curaçao is not equipt for this large amount of tourism in one day. If the port is able to handle it, I think that the locals are likely equipt to do it too.

@euroguy Yes, I noticed that too! CCL has announced it will be trying out 60 new food dishes onboard one of its ships, Carnival Dream. These dining room menu changes will be a trial process that eventually trickles down to the entire Carnival Cruise Line fleet by the end of fall this year. I also think that these changes are long overdue. I'm very happy to hear this news, and I think many guests were ready for a food options change. It would be great for you to experience these new dining options on your April 2024 cruise itinerary, and I think that you will be able to do so. I also like the trial thing that the line is doing; it's going to assist the line in deciphering what items are a hit and which ones are a bust.

That's a good point. If you are booking a cruise and prayerfully hoping to make it there during hurricane season, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. It's mainly a gamble, you have to be willing to potentially sacrifice certain ports of call for a much better cruise rate. NOAA made its predictions for the 2023 hurricane season, with a list of names for the storms. It seems like the predictions are pretty average; so hopefully, there aren't any horrendous storms destroying our favorite cruise destinations this year.

I agree with @FJB and @Woody14. St. Kitts, Antiga, and St. Martin are all really safe and scenic options! @FJB I have yet to go to Curaçao; I guess it's a little far out for a 7-night cruise out of Florida. When you visited this area, how many nights did you have to book to make it there? Did you embark from a Florida port?

@Mr.Bill A CRUISE LITE doesn't sound half bad! Everything is so easily accessible on the ship that you wouldn't even need to disembark to have a great time. There are lots of opportunities to lounge out by the pool and read, even in the shade with a nice cool drink. Let us know how your cruise vacation ends up. I'm sure everyone will be curious to hear if the cruise line provided all the necessary accommodations for you to thoroughly enjoy your travels!

I'm not quite sure if the local government will give back to its locals by providing certain enhanced spaces (other than the port area/tourist traps) and community services. From having had a brief tour of the area, I have noticed many of the local students go to private schools in the region, but for the most part, the Bahamas is still a developing country. The political climate is steady and locals do have access to secure healthcare and technology, although this area is still considered third world. The residents and natives of the area would still benefit from enhanced opportunities and services, and this taxation would hopefully assist with the development of the country. If anything, these extra taxes would enhance the spaces for tourists which will bring in lots of dollars to the area.

@Marirose This is good to know! Thanks for the heads up. I would totally assume that a bus tour is for guests who want to sit down the entire time and not walk around. There are walking tours for that! Overall, what did you think of your cruise experience onboard Enchanted Princess?

@euroguy Have you been to any ports of call in the Dominican Republic? The area is experiencing much popularity and growth, mainly due to its natural beauty, especially in its waterways. I have been to Puerto Plata before and thought it was a perfect little man-made paradise. Everything near the port was very well-maintained and tourist-friendly. I went to a waterpark for the day called Ocean World there. I booked this excursion through my cruise line but it was very simple and friendly for all. The bus was super clean and air-conditioned. Ocean World has all of the amenities plus come including a man-made beach with floats and plenty off easy food options. This excursion was a little paradise with opportunities to snorkel with the fish, swim with the dolphins, feed local birds, and even watch a shark show. It's not an excursion for someone who wants the native land experience but it was a great time if you are looking for a laid-back thing to do in the area. I took my children here for ease and convenience.

@Paulette This sounds like a fluke incident. I really hope the cruise line makes up for this change in itinerary tenfold. What other itinerary options will Princess Cruises offer you? It was pretty trusting of you to be willing to switch out your itinerary. I hope the cruise line values that flexibility and makes it up in your next booking. Maybe cruise guests aren't as flexible as you were.

In a way I see your point, that extra taxation comes from a "greedy" perspective, but on the other hand I see the added value for the local people. This of course is objective and depends on how much of this taxation will actually go into bettering the standards and systems for its native residents versus pouring all of this income into better options for tourists. It can be intimidating to purchase anything in the Bahamas now due to the extra tax guests will need to pay. Prices are always inflated for travelers anyways so this heightened-cost perspective is not uncommon. I'm not sure about the taxation on MSC Cruises' private island, but I would imagine it may be able to dodge these additional taxation laws since it basically governs itself.

@Mr.Bill Calling the cruise line would be a reassuring thing to do. I do believe that the medical staff would be able to handle a catheter replacement with ease. It sounds like you will have plenty of cushion with a newer catheter in place. The likelihood of complications is likely pretty rare. I would be more concerned if you were traveling away from medical care, but thankfully cruise ships have a great team to help with any necessity guests may have. It's a bummer you have to cruise with it, but I'm glad to hear you are still going to get on board and have a great vacation. It's all about perspective!

@Seaawgs That's good to know. I guess you prefer to benefit from booking with this Celebrity Cruise package because it automatically includes the basic options. Then, you pay a slight upcharge for the premium beverage package. I guess there is a small incentive to upgrade prior to embarkation. It's so nice to hear that you are willing to essentially pay more by purchasing onboard with a hard-working crew member. I love this mentality. It means to me that you are able and interested to connect with the crew onboard. To me, connecting with the crew members is a huge bonus to cruising. I enjoy tipping extra for the members that work hard to take care of me during my vacation.

@Renee28 Hi, do you have an upcoming cruise you are looking forward to onboard a Carnival Cruise Line ship?

@kefthecruiser I like your more engineered-focused jargon. clearly, my more basic, everyday lingo doesn't include as many of those concepts, which is why I chose the term "sleeker." In my mind, sleeker is slimmer, a more aerodynamic sort of configuration. From what you are saying, I'm gathering that the cruise ship hull design is selected based on a combination of depth, width, and length that will properly accommodate the amount of volume/density necessary for the ship. I'm glad that the weight distribution onboard wouldn't create any sort of extreme tilt. That's some intricate design work. Thanks for the history of coal transport. It was an interesting perspective and a thought-provoking read.

I think you are likely correct. This is a sneaky money-making strategy. I prefer a more blatant and honest approach. I usually do better with that, and I get pretty frustrated when cruise lines try to push upselling while onboard. When I'm casually meandering the ship, I don't want to be constantly harassed. Here and there, I'm fine with it, but I don't enjoy the constant push for sales onboard. I do find it hard to believe that this VAT makes sense. I did some research on Spain's Value Added Tax, and I found there are lower rates for certain things related to travel and food/beverage consumption that would actually lower the traditional 21% VAT to a rate between 4-10%. The way @J441 received this taxation seems wrong.

@Seaawgs Are you able to pre-purchase the beverage package and the update once onboard and just pay the difference? That doesn't sound half bad and it's certainly rewarding for the crew constantly selling the package all day. Does purchasing this upgrade onboard offer you some sort of onboard spending perk, like earning additional loyalty points? Is that why you typically wait to upgrade your package onboard? That's a good strategy, I haven't heard of it before, never leave "animal" on my plate. My husband wouldn't let any of my family members do that. He's all about protein!

@euroguy What is a meca iCal issue? I'm unaware of much of the logistics behind cruising, but I am certainly curious! If this has anything to do with calibration, I would think Carnival Panorama could handle that with corporate. As we all know, time is money. I truly hope this issue isn't posing a threat in any way to the safety and security of cruise guests. If there was a safety issue, I would imagine that this issue would need to be addressed immediately. Maybe if there isn't a sense of urgency for repair, it's secure enough. At least I too, would like to look at this news with a glass-half-full perspective. If you have any updates on the topic please share so I can follow along.

TikTok is definitely not going to influence my decision-making because I don't have this social media platform! If I had to guess, I think that cruising is dominating due to the diversity of options and the low, all-inclusive price point. Maybe this is why so many cruise ships are filling up and booking out quickly even though the prices are becoming more and more inflated.

@Barbara Davis Carnival Cruise Line definitly allows for solo cruise guests to cruise onboard! I agree that the cost normally about doubles when cruising with a single guest onboard CCL. I do realize that in order to optimize monetary gain, Carnival Cruise Line has staterooms that accommodate a maximum capacity of four guests. Thinking from the cruise line's perspective, I agree that creating staterooms that can accommodate more guests is overall most beneficial. Would you be opposed to cruising with another line? There are many other lines with better options for solo cruise guests. I also know that @euroguy may have some insight here.