MattInSoCal:

Checked the Carnival site yesterday and found that the Early Saver fare for the category I booked has decreased $70 pp. Waiting for the results of the price guarantee claim... If you booked this one already you may want to double-check to see if you are eligible for a credit.

Wow, no posts since March 25. I had a hard time finding this thread. ANYway... 

For those of you who booked Early Saver, the price on our cruise has dropped $30 pp for Carnival's Labor Day sale. Fill out those claim forms!

~ MattInSoCal

 Wife and I have booked our first cruise on the Spirit for New Years. We've contemplated a cruise for several years and decided to go for it after reading this and several other boards. Posted on the Cruise Critic board also. We're looking forward to another travel adventure! Wife is retired and I'm getting there in a year or so. You folks on here and the CC board convinced us to try New Years at sea.

Peter and Ruth

NevadaGuy:

 Wife and I have booked our first cruise on the Spirit for New Years.

Welcome aboard! As you may have read, this will be our third New Year's cruise. We're really looking forward to this as in part is will be the longest cruise we've taken - 8 days! It is certain to be a lot of fun.

See you onboard!

~ MattInSoCal 

Hey there Peter & Ruth!

Glad to have you aboard!  My husband, Brian & I actually tried to cancel this cruise due to his being unemployed for almost a year now, but we could not cancel without losing our shirts, so we figured we would just continue with our plans and try not to worry about it!  It is making us look forward to it all that much more!  The people that I have corresponded with on here so far seem extremely nice and I am looking forward to meeting all of them and now you two as well!

(Hi Matt, Deb and anyone else that I have spoken to!)

I can't believe that it is almost here!  We booked this SO long ago that it felt like it would never get here!  I am definitely going to need a serious vacation by December!  What a year!

Taz

 Anybody know about the "Cruise the Vineyards Package?" 5 bottles for $150.00. I wonder if it's just in the dinning room or can we have it in our room. Doesn't look like a bad deal.Starting to do some serious planning for our first cruise!

Hey Matt!

How was your birthday cruise on the Splendor in May?  I can't believe how close our cruise is getting!  It has been a very busy year for me and the time has flown by faster than ever!  We are only 70 days away!  I am glad we were not able to cancel since I will need this vacation more than ever by then!  Really looking forward to meeting you all!

Taz 

NevadaGuy:

Anybody know about the "Cruise the Vineyards Package?" 5 bottles for $150.00. I wonder if it's just in the dinning room or can we have it in our room. Doesn't look like a bad deal.Starting to do some serious planning for our first cruise

We bought into this on our last NYE cruise. It is a decent deal when compared to the onboard prices, but doesn't look so hot when you consider that the wines in the $150 (which is 172.50 after they add the mandatory 15% gratuity) retail for $17 on average. We may buy this package again for this cruise, though we will also be bringing wine onboard. The real downside is that the wine selection is limited, and we didn't care much for most of the wines.

They do have a pretty decent selection of bottles in the $30 to 60 price point, if you were planning on spending that kind of money anyway. We've also enjoyed some less expensive bottles.

Any wine you buy or bring onboard can be enjoyed in the dining room, in your cabin, and in most places around the ship. You can buy a bottle (direct purchase or use the package) in the dining room and if you don't finish it, bring it with you back to your room. Another option if you don't finish a bottle in the dining room is they will save it for you for the following night(s) and bring it to the table automatically.

~ MattInSoCal

Taz:

How was your birthday cruise on the Splendor in May?  I can't believe how close our cruise is getting!  It has been a very busy year for me and the time has flown by faster than ever!  We are only 70 days away!  I am glad we were not able to cancel since I will need this vacation more than ever by then!  Really looking forward to meeting you all!

Hi Taz,

Busy on our side too. The cruise was really nice, except for the stop in Astoria. We weren't in love with the ship, but are talking about trying it again, perhaps either for the GF's birthday and/or the NYE cruise.

We're just over 60 days away and are recovering in many ways from our last cruise. We haven't started planning shore excursions yet but probably will in the next few weeks.

~ MattInSoCal

 Thanks Matt.

We're considering the package. We will also bring Champagne with us. Seems a bit high priced. Thanks for the info.

Pete & Ruth

Caught another fare drop over the weekend, the biggest one for California residents. The credit we got will pay our gratuities, our dinner in the Steak House on New Year's Eve, a bottle of wine, and white a few drinks. You may want to check it our yourself if you are booked Early Saver!

~ MattInSoCal

We got lower militaty rates-should check if they went down.  First NYE cruise.  We're from Riverside County in SoCal.  The Spirit is our favorite ship.  It isn't too big or too small.  We always do balconies towards the back.  Brother in law and Sister in law are going with us.  Their anniversary is new year's eve - got to plan something to really embarras them.  We cruised with them for our birthdays this summer and they got us good.  Pay back is fair!

Do they do anything special on board for New Year's Eve?  We cruised on Easter last year and never saw a jellybean (there were a few decorated eggs on board here and there)!  We're bringing our own wine - 4 of us = 4 bottles and there will be 3 left over!

Sleepys Wife:

Do they do anything special on board for New Year's Eve?

Yes, they have countdown parties all over the ship and give out hats and nosemakers at dinnertime. We think the best one is out on the Lido deck, where the most people congregate and you get to hear them blow the ship's horn.

Edit: almost forgot, they pass out free champagne in the 15 or so minutes before midnight.

~ MattInSoCal

50 days ... can't wait.  Glad toknow that we can celebrate with a crowd,

I read this review,

http://www.zimfamilycockers.com/CarnivalSpiritCruise.html

and am now getting excited for our cruise, way too early!

Sally