Bush985 Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 Just got off the phone with Carnival regarding our orgional booking 11/14 for those who haven't been following. We have been trying to get our travel refund that was promised (it's been really a pretty big fight) but finally feel like we are making leway. Needless to say, the rep was telling me it's been a tough few months for Carnival with all thats happening. He was less than thrilled about the new cancellations. I'm hoping to have our final answer by tomorrow regarding our travel refund... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMorgan Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 Just got off the phone with Carnival regarding our orgional booking 11/14 for those who haven't been following. We have been trying to get our travel refund that was promised (it's been really a pretty big fight) but finally feel like we are making leway. Needless to say, the rep was telling me it's been a tough few months for Carnival with all thats happening. He was less than thrilled about the new cancellations. I'm hoping to have our final answer by tomorrow regarding our travel refund... Thanks for the update. I remember your situation. Imagine working in customer service for Carnival over the last few months. Rough job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chroniq Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Norwegian Cruise Line (The i305 of cruise lines due to controversy) is on Undercover Boss tonight... Should make for good television. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eltoro96 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I'm going on the Carnival Dream in February. I'll take some pics of the slides there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMorgan Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Did anyone hear about the recent "wave" of illness to "wash over" the Radiance of the Seas? ararararrrrrrrr.... After 150 people reported flu-like symptoms, the ship turned around and went back to port. This happens more often than most people think, right? I feel like I read about these kind of things 3 or 4 times a year. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/08/AR2011010802907.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 ^^RCCL actually have/had modified iPhones on Oasis for rent and everyone who used them LOVED THEM!!!! They would have the days activities listed, maps of the ship, menus, and you could call/text any extension on the ship including other of these modified iPhones. Then all of a sudden they disappeared this fall and have not come back nor shown up on the new Allure. The official response from RCCL is that they're being reprogrammed and updated, but unofficially apparently there were problems with people stealing/defacing/modifying them and they're trying to figure out what to do. All ships on RCCL have something called DECT phones (which look very similar to the Disney phone you showed) that are available first come first served with priority to parents with kids in the 3 - 5 age group for free and work really well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMorgan Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 GOOD NEWS! I am really close to convincing my man to go on a 14 day cruise through the Mediterranean on the Mariner of the Seas as my birthday present!!! It would be the first half of April, so I'm not sure if it will be really summery warm down there, but it will still be warmer than up here in Hamburg, that's for sure. Anyone ever been on the Mariner or one of it's sister ships and care to share any details? I've only ever been on the Monarch of the Seas, the Aida Blu, and (technically) the Disney Dream. Anyone been to any of the ports in the "Holy Land" itinerary and want to share any tips or anything I can tell Markus in order to get him more motivated? I'm psyched and just need a little more convincing power... The itinerary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 ^Check out Robb's Birthday Cruise thread from last year as that was on the Mariner. Going from the Monarch to the Mariner, you'll love it!! It's an incredible ship. The one thing to keep in mind with that itinerary is that a lot of times the Isreal and Turkey ports can be cancelled due to violence in the area. If you're okay with that, then go for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMorgan Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Oooh, it does basically look awesome, doesn't it. OK, I need to put the hard sell on Markus and see if I can persuade him to go for it. It's just such a great deal at the moment! $749 for a two week cruise in the Mediterranean (not including flight) on the Mariner of the Seas just seems like such a steal! That includes $100 onboard credit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoopLover Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 I have been to many of the places on your itinerary. Be sure to take many tours. Great choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moinab Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 That's an AMAZING deal, Morgan! I could easily spend two weeks on the Mariner, regardless of the ports! We had such a great time on Robb's Birthday cruise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMorgan Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 It is a done deal! We are booked on the Mariner, leaving Rome on April 5th, which means I will be celebrating my bday at sea somewhere in the Mediterranean. Yipeeeee! Things reminds me of two questions: Does RCCL do anything "special" for birthdays? And when I say "special", what I mean is "free". Just out of curiosity, if you miss your ship on the first port, is it technically possible to still board the next day in the next port? Our flight is kind of close, (although we booked it thru RCCL so it technically should be fine), and I was just wondering what happens if you miss the boat. Anyone have any experience? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disneyfan1313 Posted March 5, 2011 Author Share Posted March 5, 2011 ^ For Birthdays they will do a cake and sing in the dining room. Your stateroom host/hostess *might* do something small for you as well. They do offer packages for birthdays (for a fee) which can get you decorations, larger cakes or deserts, wine, etc. You can meet the ship later if you miss the original port. I actually did this once... on purpose! I couldn't make the first few days of a cruise due to work obligations so I flew directly into Grand Cayman and checked into the ship when I arrived! It was a bit of a weird experience but it is possible and ships are very prepared for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 ^^Elissa can probably answer this, but I know for shore excursions the ship will wait for you if you booked it through Royal Caribbean directly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjune4991 Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 My girl and I are planning a cruise in the Caribbean for either the end of this year or next summer. We are looking for a 4-5 day cruise. Any suggestions for cruises which cost less than $400 per person? Or at least the possibility? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 ^ My first suggestion would be to really think if you can extend that 4-5 days into a 7 day cruise. I do think the extra couple of days really makes a difference. You will get to really know the ship and you won't encounter that feeling that right when you're getting into the swing of things, it's time to leave. We did an 8 day cruise and I felt even one extra day made a HUGE difference! Think about it if it's a possibility, and then look into some of the nicer RCCL ships, either the Freedom class or the Oasis class. You won't be disappointed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAL Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 ^Robb, is there much difference between the Freedom and Oasis as far as how people spend their days at sea? Looking online, I know the Oasis class has the zipline and more alternative dining venues. Is it a big deal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMorgan Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 My girl and I are planning a cruise in the Caribbean for either the end of this year or next summer. We are looking for a 4-5 day cruise. Any suggestions for cruises which cost less than $400 per person? Or at least the possibility? Robb's advice is really good. If you can make it work, a few more days will be very welcomed when it's all over! That said, our first cruise was a 4 night Bahamas route on the RCCL Monarch of the Seas out of Port Canaveral. It was very affordable and because the ship is small to mid-sized, we didn't feel like we "missed something" when it was time to leave. There was enough time to take advantage of everything we were interested in didn't have to spend a lot of time considering "Well, if we do this, then we aren't going to have the time to see that." Know what I mean? We had a great time and it made us really excited to get on a cruise again, (which we are doing in April). I did a quick search for the same cruise and came up with these prices: This is from Southwest Vacations website. As you can see, very affordable! If you want to see more of the ship, this is a video-tour I made: I'm sure you can find other comparable cruises with more interesting ports of call, but for the price, (and I mean seriously, that is rediculously cheap when you consider what you get), I can recommend the Monarch. I think general consensus here in the thread would be try to avoid Carnival Cruise Lines if you can. They are generally the most affordable of the "famous" cruise lines, but it seems they are lacking in quality and costumer service. I have heard and read positive things about them, but over all it's not so good. So, 4 days on RCCL is probably still a better bet than a week on Carnival. I can't speak from experience, though, just from popular opinion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edh Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 I really hate how so many people keep saying bad stuff about Carnival, yet it seems like most of them have never beeen on a Carnival cruise. I have been on one before that went to Cozumel/Grand Cayman, and it was great. The one problem we had the whole trip was our ship arrived late due to fog, and it caused us to get on the ship late. They did give us vouchers though to get an on board credit for the trip. Other than that, it was great. Food was great, entertainment was great, staff was great. I would gladly do it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 ^ I think almost all of us who have been presenting our opinions of Carnival have been on their ships. Not sure where you're getting that we haven't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edh Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Well maybe it wasn't as many as I thought, but it seems like a lot of people won't go on Carnival, and it is only because of what other people say. Everyone could have a bad time, but it dosen't mean every ship is bad. My friend took a Royal Carribbean cruise and said it was horrible and loved Carnival. But being 25, I like the younger crowd, so that could be why I liked Carnival so much. And for some cruises at $230 pp for 5 nights, it is well worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjune4991 Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 See I've been on a Carnival cruise and I loved it. I don't remember having any problems with it, though I was either 12 or 13. That was the 4 day cruise from Miami, to Key West and Cozumel, and then back to Miami. I have found similar prices Morgan on other lines, so it just depends on what I can find price wise and compare them with quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disneyfan1313 Posted March 7, 2011 Author Share Posted March 7, 2011 As someone who has cruised on Carnival two times in addition to sailing on every major line (with the exception of HAL) I feel like I can throw my two cents in here. Carnival is a VASTLY different product than what is offered from the other major lines. They pattern everything about the cruise from the music to the activities to the food / drink selection to appeal to a first time, lower middle-class cruiser. There is nothing wrong with this at all - they are simply filling a market that there is a demand for. Just as some folks prefer wal-mart (who chases after a similar demographic) to Target or gas station coffee to Starbucks. Many of the folks on this board (and generally folks who have cruised more than a few times) prefer other lines and the experiences that they offer to the one that Carnival offers. Frankly, if you look for deals, the prices on RCCL or NCL are not much more expensive and you get a much better experience. Lets face it - cruising is a TON of fun, no matter what line you go on. Every one offers a unique experience and I encourage everyone to try as many different lines as possible to find out what you like the best. If I could - I would create a hybrid - I would take.. The food of Princess The service and entertainment of Disney The itineraries of Celebrity The nightlife of Norwegian The luxury of Cunard and throw it on an RCCL ship with RCCL activities... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMorgan Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 Well put! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirkFunk Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 A moment of real talk: If you are paying $400 for a cruise in the summer, you are taking an older mass market line ship to the Bahamas. Period. And if you are doing that, the differences between the RCCL ships and Carnival's ships are minor. They are older, smaller ships that are equally maintained, almost equally staffed, feature food that is effectively the same, and have roughly the same number of activities and public space. The differences are largely cosmetic. Probably the most obvious one is that Carnival has more balconies on their Fantasy class vessels because they tacked them on a couple years ago in a strange jerryrigged sort of way. If you're looking to be told a specific boat or line for that trip, honestly, I wouldn't bother. What you should do is this: A) Who offers you the most room for your money? Sovereign class (which is what you would be on with RCCL) has some of the smallest cabins at sea, particularly with the inside cabins. Carnival does have plenty of small ones in this category as well. Note that the difference is not likely to be hundreds of dollars, but perhaps probably 30/40/50 at most. But then, if your budget is $400, that's a chunk. B) Look at the itinerary, and then check http://cruisett.com/ports.php?PortID=455&date=40 to see who else is there with you. If you can find a boat that happens to be at Nassau or Freeport by itself, that may be worth paying a premium. On the other hand, getting an 116 square foot inside on a 20 year old liner that ends up sharing its ports with 2-3-4 other ships could be a recipe for misery. With those boats, you are not going to see or feel a difference. Seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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