3Sisters

@Larry Vervack At some point, I believe you could combine those CCL benefits, but I have heard is may be no longer. I would send out an email to confirm if you can still combine those to benefits. Since I don't qualify for the military benefit, I haven't attempted to confirm this myself, but it's certainly worth double checking. If you are the one booking the reservation, you will absolutely quality for that military benefit. I have also read on the boards that some guests have only received this perk in the past if they make the booking via phone. If you receive a solid response, let me know. I would be interested to see if Carnival Cruise Line is still offering the option to combine these perks.

@LukeJ I tend to enjoy watching karaoke but not participating. If the crowd is too rowdy, I prefer to avoid the karaoke scene all together. It's much better when the guests are good singers! Watching the singers make a fool of themselves is not fun for me. I have noticed most cruise lines have a karaoke option onboard at least once a sailing. It seems like a popular thing to do when you are hyped up on your drink package. Live music by professionals is certainly more my thing. Now I can't get a drunken Mariah Carey solo out of my mind! I agree, that's really the worst.

@DMG I understand how you feel about the solarium. I do, however agree with @FJB. I don't think the limited amount of time children are allowed there should be a huge issue. It's only about a 2-3 hour window. You can avoid that without issue, not having to worry about the kids bothering you. I understand how nice it is to have a kids-free zone, but the solarium is kids free the majority of the day! If the hours were expanded, I could see how that would be extra frustrating, but as it is now, it seems quite reasonable.

@FJB That's not a bad alcohol bill at all! From what I remember you stating, you ended up getting the better beverage package this time around for yourself only, is that correct? I love that Celebrity Cruises offers this happy hour free drink timeframe for its elite guests. It sounds like you and your wife really know how to get the most out of your elite benefits! Sharing a bottle of wine at dinner is a great idea, especially when you can get it at a discount. My husband and I typically drink about 2 glasses of wine each at dinner so that would be a smart idea for us. I didn't know cruises lines offered the option to save the bottle of time for the following night! That's really excellent. When you book a future cruise onboard a Celebrity Cruises sailing are you able to receive better rates or incentives for booking while at sea?

@brian amos This is really upsetting. I wish that MSC Cruises handled this much differently and it seems there was plenty of opportunity to notify guests of this change ahead of time. How did you know this MSC Sinfonia change would occur so early on? You seemed to have some inside knowledge on the situation ahead of time. Was this your first time cruising with MSC Cruises? If so, I'm sure this entire process has ruined your perception of the line. It's such a shame.

@bombarc I agree with you. I doubt Bermuda will be replaced; it's highly unlikely. There just aren't many other options nearby and it can be really difficult to make another pivot last minute due to weather. @rookiecruiser Considering this is your first cruise, you kids will absolutely love the kids club onboard. There are entertainment options for them pretty much all day every day. If you throw in the pool and the arcade, your kids will be more than entertained! They will love the evening shows too. My younger children even enjoy the nightly shows. They are very interactive! @Howard Your feeling is likely correct based on your track record. It sounds like you may have experienced this before in the past. It would be annoying to have to skip Bermuda but it almost seems more likely than not. It's a really fun stop so hopefully you will be one of the NCL cruise itineraries that actually makes it there!

@RoadTravelled It's officially making a comeback! It's going to be a highlight to Firenze for sure. @euroguy will get to see it on his upcoming itinerary in real life! David is going to shine onboard. Honestly, I can't think of a better CCL ship for him to be placed on! Could you?

@Bubble Sickness in November, or fall/winter season is common regardless of where you are! Sickness travels quickly, especially when you guard is down. The best way to avoid sickness is by being aware and taking care of yourself. Keeping healthy is an important part of having a great cruise! In terms of food borne illness, that can be inevitable too. Cruise lines are typically held to very high standards (which I greatly appreciate). If you know anything about food safety, you will make educated choices at the buffet as @LukeJ mentioned. Some foods are more risky in general like bottom feeders. Tap water and ice onboard, and off the ship, can be a bit sketchy. Just sticking to wine and bottled water is a good choice for me! If you see things coming right off the grill at the buffet, that's when you grab your food. It's nice and fresh! I also like to get simple pizza or things that can stay out at room temperature for a while without developing any questionable bacteria.

@LukeJ What's funny is I used to live by the beach, and I never really went that often. Now that I live far away from it, all I want is a sunset on the beach. I prefer the being at the beach versus being in the ocean, but I really miss all aspects of the beach. I miss the birds and the breeze. I miss the sound of the waves and the sand in my toes. It's really something you can easily take advantage of! When the weather is bad, I completely understand avoiding it, but when the weather is nice, it's the best place to be. There really is nothing like it. When I cruise now I'm looking for good beach stops. I want to be back as often as I can!

@rookiecruiser Without Bermuda, it's hard to believe you will stop anywhere instead. There aren't many options nearby, and I'm assuming you will be looking at many sea days in concession without a stop. NCL is notorious for skipping stops that don't end up being replaced in any way. That's a pretty fun itinerary aside from the potential missed stop! I love the length of the itinerary too; ten days is perfect. Unfortunately, I have read that the weather has been poor, but NCL will more than likely end up not replacing this port of call. You may be spending some extra time at onboard pools instead. Will this be your first time on Norwegian Getaway?

@ed_ng Hopefully this is all easily mapped out for you. I doubt the cruise line will just leave you hanging without clear direction. Celebrity Cruises should give you clear pickup/drop-off instructions. Have you contacted the cruise line directly about the meeting point? It's hard for me to believe this whole process could be so vague! I can't imagine I would bank on this shuttle system without more details!

@euroguy That's just the truth! You can't please everyone. You never really can. I hate to see it just sit around. It's a beautiful piece of art, a statement piece for sure. Permanently placing David on Carnival Firenze will be a bold move but I think majority of guests will absolutely love it. I love that you have positive memories of it on board and feel so fondly about it. I think you are going to get to see him in all of his glory again pretty soon! My fingers are crossed anyways. I forget where it was placed on Carnival Pride back in the day. Was it in the main atrium?

@Karen May I hope guests aren't doing that. I mean, it would be a smart way to advertise, but that's totally against the purpose of cruising ducks! I would leave personal information out of the fun. It's really unnecessary. I like the idea of a smiley face sticker. It reminds me of the good old days when Wal-Mart used to hand them out for kids are they walked into the store. Now you are just lucky to find a cart that goes straight! @Sheri I haven't been on that Facebook group, but I will check it out. I don't like the idea of making cruise ducks a game of advertisement, and I can hope that guests continue on this tradition in an ethical and appropriate manner. If you plan to participate in the duck fun, keep it lighthearted and fun. Please don't ruin the fun for others! @Cleve I thought your pun was hilarious. DeDUCKting cruise costs could be a perk of these rubber duckies, but it shouldn't ruin the fun! It's all about QUACKing up and spreading joy!

@KeithG This is such a good offer. You must be stoked to get onboard Carnival Jubilee! Did you see Gwen Stefani will be the godmother of the ship? You are going to have a blast cruising out of Galveston in style. Do you think you will try out the BOLT roller coaster? I'm so thrilled for you and your cruise next week. I hope you post your review of the ship. Let's see how small the molten cake really is!

@LukeJ I vote drier corridor! That's genius. Can you imagine just walking through this corridor post-pool into the buffet area? How glorious would this be? I love this idea. The ships could also use a better system to dry the floors of the entryways post-pool. Guests walk in all wet and make the floors all slippery. It's hazardous. Self dying floors could be excellent. I'm not sure how cruise lines could achieve this but it would be a game changer for cruise ships.

@euroguy I just registered with the STEP program for my upcoming cruise and I feel so great about it. It's a super simple process, and takes barley any time at all. More guests should use this when traveling to areas with level 3 advisories. Thanks again for sharing this with everyone. It's peace of mind for a new cruiser or even a seasoned cruiser like myself. Dressing low key is the way to go. Making minimal purchases and not coming off as flashy or an easy target is important. Remember, you can be in danger anywhere, even in your neighborhood. It's important to always have your guard up and be cautious in an area. Make eye contact with predators and let them know you see them and are paying attention. Obviously avoiding or shying away (acting nervous/scared) will make you an easy target. Be bold and keep yourself safe. No one else will keep you safe. You are your best advocate!

Carnival Jubilee has officially announced its Godmother, Gwen Stefani! At the end of this month, Stefani will christen Carnival Jubilee at the Port of Galveston in a grand ceremony, like CCL always does. She surely deserves this title! I love Gwen Stefani, and I hope she sneaks in a song during the ceremony on February 24, 2024. As a person from the 90s, she's a true icon in my eyes.

@Old Cruiser I didn't realize the kids cruise free offering was circumstantial. I have only cruised with my children while having an additional adult accompanying me on the same booking. I'm curious if you had to pay the full guest amount for your granddaughter because there wasn't another adult in the stateroom. If that's the case, I don't think the line should advertise kids sail free if it's not an all inclusive perk. Did you receive any discount at all for your grandchild? I have to pay the minimal port fees, gratuities, and taxes per kid, but that is nominal compared to the full cost to cruise.

@LukeJ The waves/current can take you away fast! I get nervous going on to kayak on the ocean without a guide. This circumstance certainly involved novice kayakers; I agree completely. When you get so far out that you are loosing sight of land, that's when you need to use all of the help measures you have. When you kayak, you should have different measures of alerting others for help like snares or whistles. Thankfully the cruise ship saved the day, but this story could have had a disastrous outcome. It's much simpler to kayak a lake or somewhere without a strong current.

@KeithG That's a great offer! When I look at the VIFP I see an offer named the same with an up to $100 to spend on board offering. I wish I got that option, but you musts be higher up than I am. @Woody14 I have yet to book a suite stateroom. Usually you get a certain amount of credit based on the stateroom type you book with. Maybe for a balcony Keith G can earn like a $300 spend onboard credit. I typically will book an interior so that may be why the $100 option is only showing up for me.

@LukeJ That's too funny! I love Bob Marley. I can't agree more. How lucky are we that we get to cruise and be so knowledgeable about the industry? There is nothing like being able to afford a vacation when others around the world are struggling to put food on the table. When guests complain too heavily about cruise vacations, I just think about how privileged we are and how ungrateful we have become. Many people dream of a place where the food is endless and abundant. These are the things that can go under appreciated. We are so blessed to have these opportunities, if only more people across the globe could get their hands on a single cruise experience. That would be some cruise! It would feel life changing. I'm willing to bet, first time cruisers (who are appreciative of the experience) won't have anything negative to say about the experience.

@brian amos This doesn't sound right. MSC Cruises always gives money back to its guests via credit or rebooking on another itinerary option. I have had an itinerary canceled by MSC Cruises due to Covid, and I was given a 125% cruise credit for a future cruise. I would love to hear more about the travel agent/travel agent company you booked with. This is very out of character for the line as other users have mentioned in the other threads you have created about this cancellation. Something just doesn't seem to be adding up here. From what I remember, you paid this cruise in full. That means, if the cruise line changes the sailing dates, you are entitled to reimbursement.

@brian amos Thanks for the update! To further understand this post, I would like to figure out what compensation MSC Cruises offered for this change. I'm assuming you now have a future cruise credit of a value of 125% of the cruises fare for the cruise line. The other option was to do this sailing on 08/02/2024 instead of the original cruise date of 05/04/2024? These new dates didn't work for you? All airline companies are like this. They will not refund you any money from airfare unless you purchases travel protection. This is the same for cruise lines. With documentation, however, the airlines will oftentimes issue a credit for a future flight to be used for an alternate cruises itinerary, such at the sailing on 08/02/2024 that you mentioned. Is that new date a non negotiable for you?

@LukeJ I also view the future of cruising as bright and successful, but I really hope the ships don't keep getting bigger! The size we are at now seems big enough. In terms of chips opening doors, we are on our way to that. That's something I wouldn't participate in. I wouldn't participate in the micro chip idea at all as a regular form of payment or identification either. Drones down the hallways would be fun but possibly hazardous because of the limited space. The hallways are so narrow onboard! It can be hard when a scooter is crossing for sure. A music playlist for your room is ingenious! That should already be a thing! I usually just play it on speaker on my phone. I would love a pool with music playing underwater like the Hard Rock has. That would be so easy to do! I'm going to think of more futuristic additions and get back to you on this.

@euroguy I guess CCL doesn't need to notify guests of any addition, including the David statue. Thanks for sharing the article! It sounds like there is a great chance it will make its way back on this ship. Maybe the cruise line is being ambiguous just for the fun and thrill of it all. It's fun to surprise guests with exciting new things! Do you think some guests will have negative things to say if it does appear onboard Carnival Firenze? I can almost assume some fiery feedback from certain guests. It's an Italian style ship! David fits the theme perfectly.