RyG's Cruise Guide
Please Follow Us Online!
  • Home
  • Cruise Tips
  • Cruise Resources
    • Cruise Schedules
    • Carnival Drydock Schedule
    • Carnival Cruise Director Schedule
    • Carnival Dive In Movies Schedule
    • Galveston Cruises
    • General Cruise Blog
    • Cruise Ship Webcams
    • Just For Fun
  • Carnival Cruise Food
  • My Cruise Reviews
  • Blog
  • Contact

Costa By Carnival: Costa Firenze and Costa Venezia To Come To United States

6/22/2022

 
PictureLanai on a Dream Class Ship
       Today Carnival Cruise Line announced a new concept called "Costa by Carnival" that will debut in the United States in 2023. Costa By Carnival is a team effort where Carnival Cruise Line will operate two Costa Cruise ships and guests will enjoy the Carnival Cruise service, food, and entertainment, but will enjoy these offerings on a ship with Costa's design features. 
            The Costa Firenze and Costa Venezia are two ships that will be a part of the Costa By Carnival program. The Costa Firenze will come to the US in spring 2023 to sail from New York City and the Costa Venezia will come to the US in spring 2024 to sail from Long Beach, California. Both ships are technically classified as Vista Class ships based on their size & design, but Carnival will be referring to both of these ships as Venice Class Ships when they arrive in the US. 
                    Until the ships arrive in the United States they will continue sailing their already scheduled Costa Cruise itineraries. When the ships are assigned to Carnival Cruise Line they will each go into a dry-dock. The scope of work that will be completed is not yet determined. According to John Heald's Facebook, these Costa by Carnival cruises will be operated by Carnival Cruise Line crew, have the expected Carnival entertainment, cruises sold through Carnival Cruise sales channels, be subject to Carnival Cruise ticketing policies, and Carnival VIFP loyalty program will apply. The exact features and restaurants onboard will be announced later according to John Heald. 

For more information I recommend checking out Carnival Cruise Line's News website: Click Here (link will open in a new window away from RyG's Cruise Guide). 

Princess Cruise Line To Sail From Galveston In 2022 and 2023

6/12/2022

 
PicturePrincess Cruise Ship
       Princess Cruise Line will be sailing from Galveston for a season starting in December 2022 through April 2022. In December 2022 the Ruby Princess is scheduled to reposition from San Francisco to Galveston. 

About The Ruby Princess
              The Ruby Princess is one of Princess Cruise Lines' Crown Class ships. The ship's inaugural cruise was in 2008 and can carry a guest capacity of 3,080 and crew of approximately 1,200. In terms of size, the ship is 951 feet in length and has a gross tonnage of 113,561. 

First Cruise From Galveston
​                  In December 2022 the Ruby Princess will reposition to Galveston and is scheduled to arrive on December 18, 2022. The first cruise out of Galveston will depart December 18th and is an 11 night cruise with ports scheduled to be Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize City, Costa Maya, and Cozumel. 

Typical Itineraries & Sailings From Galveston
                  Starting in January 2023 the Ruby Princess will primarily sail 7 night cruises departing Galveston on Sundays. These 7 night itineraries are scheduled to sail to Cozumel, Belize, and Roatan. Princess' booking engine shows this itinerary being available from January 2023 until early April 2023. The Ruby Princess is scheduled to have a 5 night cruise departing Sunday, April 9, 2023 with ports of call stops in Cozumel and Progreso. This 5 night cruise is the last Ruby Princess round-trip sailing scheduled from Galveston for the season before the ship departs Galveston to reposition. 

​Ending The Season From Galveston: Repositioning Cruise
                  On April 14, 2023 the Ruby Princess is scheduled to depart on a 16 night Panama Canal cruise to reposition back to San Francisco, California. This 16 night cruise includes scheduled port of call stops in Cartagena, Panama Canal Transit (not a port of call), Fuerte Amador in Panama, Puntarenas, San Juan del Sur, and Cabo San Lucas. 

2023-2024 Princess Cruises from Galveston?
                  
At this time of writing, Princess Cruises has not announced any plans for a 2023-2024 season from Galveston. Hopefully plans will be announced soon if Princess will come back to Galveston again!

This information was compiled from Princess Cruises booking engine on 6/10/2022. Please note, scheduled itineraries and sailings are subject to change at any time. Please check Princess' website for the latest available information. 



Carnival Freedom Back In Service After Funnel Fire

6/11/2022

 
PictureCarnival Freedom In 2017 (Long Before Funnel Fire)
         The Carnival Freedom will resume cruises today out of Port Canaveral following the ship's funnel fire. Over two weeks ago, the Carnival Freedom suffered a funnel fire while docked in Grand Turk. Guests onboard the affected cruise stayed in Grand Turk on the Carnival Freedom until the Carnival Conquest was sent over to transport guests back to Port Canaveral. The Carnival Freedom's May 28, June 2, and June 6 cruises were all cancelled as the ship sailed to Freeport, Bahamas for repairs. 
        Yesterday Carnival Cruise Line announced the Carnival Freedom's funnel technical repair was complete and the ship is on-track to sail from Port Canaveral, Florida on June 11, 2022 with guests. The iconic Carnival funnel was not fully repaired during this time out of service and instead the funnel will be have more of a vertical appearance until whale tail sides are re-added later. This gives the ship a classic look similar to what Carnival's original ships the Mardi Gras, Festivale, and Carnivale had back in the 1970's. 

Picture Of The Temporary Modified Funnel:
                    
Mr. John Heald, Carnival's Brand Ambassador, posted a picture of the Carnival Freedom's funnel yesterday on Facebook. Below is a screenshot of the Facebook post: 
Picture
Carnival's Video Of The Carnival Freedom
                       
Carnival's Newsroom posted a video of the Carnival Freedom showing the modified funnel. This video is available on You-Tube or you can watch the video from You-Tube embedded below. If you cannot get the embedded video below to work please try this direct link to YouTube: ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPnQfjckBxU

Carnival Cruise Ship Deck Plans: How To View Pre-Cruise & While Onboard

6/10/2022

 
Carnival ParadiseCarnival Paradise In Grand Cayman
        Getting around your Carnival Cruise ship can be made easier if you have a copy of the ship's deck plan. For those that are not familiar, a deck plan is essentially a map of the ship that shows which lounges, attractions, or areas are on on each deck of the ship. 
             This first part of this post will give links to Carnival's online deck plans for each ship. This will allow you to look at your ship's deck plans pre-cruise. The second part of this post will share ways to use deck plans while on your cruise. 

Originally Published: 9/25/2020
Last Updated: 10/29/2022

Pre-Cruise: Viewing The Ship's Deck Plan
              Before your cruise I highly recommend taking a quick look at your ship's deck plan. Carnival's website has interactive deck plans available as well as a PDF copy of the deck plan that should be printable. The interactive deck plan is a helpful tool for pre-cruise research. Carnival has a feature built into the interactive deck plan where you can type your stateroom number and it will pull the stateroom up on the deck plan. 
                     The PDF deck plan is great because it is printable. If you are a first time cruiser or have never been on the particular ship before, I highly recommend printing out the PDF deck plan. 
                       Each of the links below will take you away from this website to Carnival's website. The  "PDF Deck Plan" links are directly to PDF documents that can be found on Carnival's website of the deck plan. All links will open in a new window. Your computer will need to have the ability to open a PDF document if you try to view one of the PDF deck plans. If a link has changed or is broken please let me know! 
Carnival Elation                      Interactive Deck Plan                PDF Deck Plan
​Carnival Paradise                   Interactive Deck Plan               PDF Deck Plan
Carnival Sunshine                  Interactive Deck Plan               PDF Deck Plan

Carnival Sunrise                     Interactive Deck Plan               PDF Deck Plan 
Carnival Radiance                  Interactive Deck Plan               PDF Deck Plan
Carnival Spirit                         Interactive Deck Plan                PDF Deck Plan 
Carnival Pride                         Interactive Deck Plan               PDF Deck Plan
Carnival Legend                     Interactive Deck Plan               PDF Deck Plan
Carnival Miracle                      Interactive Deck Plan               PDF Deck Plan 
Carnival Conquest                  Interactive Deck Plan               PDF Deck Plan
Carnival Glory                         Interactive Deck Plan               PDF Deck Plan
Carnival Valor                         Interactive Deck Plan               PDF Deck Plan 
Carnival Liberty                     Interactive Deck Plan                PDF Deck Plan 
Carnival Freedom                  Interactive Deck Plan               PDF Deck Plan 
Carnival Splendor                  Interactive Deck Plan               PDF Deck Plan 
Carnival Dream                      Interactive Deck Plan               PDF Deck Plan 
​Carnival Magic                      Interactive Deck Plan                PDF Deck Plan
Carnival Breeze                    Interactive Deck Plan                PDF Deck Plan
Carnival Vista                       Interactive Deck Plan                PDF Deck Plan 
Carnival Horizon                   Interactive Deck Plan                PDF Deck Plan 
Carnival Panorama               Interactive Deck Plan                PDF Deck Plan 

Mardi Gras                            Interactive Deck Plan                PDF Deck Plan 
Carnival Celebration             Interactive Deck Plan                PDF Deck Plan
Carnival Jubilee                    Interactive Deck Plan                PDF Deck Plan
Carnival Luminosa                No Interactive Deck Plan          PDF Deck Plan     
Carnival Venezia                   No Interactive Deck Plan          PDF Deck Plan
During Your Cruise:  How To View The Ship's Deck Plan Once On The Ship 
Option 1:   Carnival Hub App
                Carnival's Hub App is a useful tool for information onboard your cruise and once you have the app connected onboard you can view the ship's deck plan from the app. This app is free to download and is available for both Apple & Android phones. Once you are onboard the ship look for instructions on how to activate the app because most features of the app are not available until you are on the ship, in airplane mode, and connected to the ship's wi-fi network. 
Carnival Hub App Ship Deck Plan
Hub App Deck Plan - Carnival Vista
Carnival Hub App Deck Plan
Hub App Deck Plan

Carnival Cruise Deck Plan
Deck Plan Paper Copy Front
Option 2:  Paper Deck Plans
                   Unfortunately, after the Covid-19 pandemic shutdown the paper deck plans are not widely available on Carnival ships anymore. However, the Guest Services desks may still have a few available during your cruise so I recommend asking. The Carnival Hub App (see Option #1) is probably going to be your best plan for viewing deck plans on your Carnival ship. 
Carnival Vista Paper Deck Plan
Carnival Vista's Paper Deck Plan

Option 3:   Ship's Elevator Areas Have Deck Plans 
                  When you are onboard your Carnival ship in each elevator/stairwell area you should see a copy of the ship's deck plan mounted on the wall. These deck plans usually have your current location marked. If you are looking for a particular area of the ship and do not have access to a paper deck plan or the Carnival Hub app, this is a great resource to help you navigate your way around the ship. The exact placement of these signs will vary, but most Carnival ships have them between elevators. You should be able to spot this signage when you standing in the elevator/stairwell area. To the right of this paragraph is an example of one from the Carnival Elation. 
​
Carnival Ship Deck Plan
Elevator/Stairwell Deck Plan On Carnival Elation
Deck plans are a useful tool for finding your way around the ship. If you still cannot find something on the ship after looking at the deck plans, ask a crew member or at guest services! Most crew members know the ship's layout well and should be able to give you directions to what you are looking for.  Have a great cruise!

Carnival Cruise: How To Check For Offers and Deals From Carnival

6/3/2022

 
Carnival Dream
        Carnival Cruise Line has an offers page within the website where you can login to see if you have any special offers or promotions. Sometimes offers are specific to you and based on factors such as your zip code, spending history, cruise history, and more. Other times offers are less exclusive, but may still be a good deal. The exact methodology for determining who gets what offers is not known as Carnival does not disclose that information, but check your offers page frequently to see if you might be able to get a good deal!  In this post I will discuss how you can get to view your offers on Carnival's website: 

Step #1:  Login to Carnival's Website
​                Start by logging into Carnival's website. Carnival's website is www.carnival.com. At the top of Carnival's website there are buttons that say "Create Account" and "Login". You will want to select the "Login" button and then enter your username or email address & password. If you do not have an account, you should create one. Make sure your VIFP number is linked to this account as you will need that number in the process of viewing any offers that might be specific to you.  If you have difficulty getting an account setup or linking your VIFP number, you should call Carnival's customer service. 
Picture
Step #2: Click On "Today's Deals" 
​                   
Click on the "Today's Deals" red link that has the flag waving icon. This link will take you directly to the page where you can see any offers that are applicable to you. 
Picture
Step #3: You Are On The Offers Page
​                   
After clicking on the "Today's Deals" link you should be on the offers page. If you are properly logged into Carnival's website you should see your name and VIFP club number on the page. The page is divided into multiple sections which include VIFP Club Members - Only Offers, Limited-Time Offers, and Trending. The VIFP Club Members - Only Offers are tied to your VIFP Club number. 
                        If you are interested in seeing the prices offered under the offer, you can click the blue "Shop Now" button located by the offer. From my experience, the price shown on the offer's cover is typically the cheapest cruise available under the particular offer fare. The price will vary upwards depending on itinerary, ship, length of cruise, and number of guests in a stateroom. Carnival makes it clear that the advertised rate on the front of the offer is "from" which means cruises other than the lowest price will be higher. 
                     If you decide to book I highly recommend you understand the terms & conditions of the offer you are selecting. For example, I have seen some deals and rate codes in the past stipulate that deposits are non-refundable. Please just make sure you understand the terms & conditions of the offer before you book to avoid anything unexpected later! 
Picture
Picture
And that is it! I have personally seen some great offers on this page before. However, I have also seen some offers that were not great at all and would have cost more than just booking at a normal fare. Do your research to make sure you are getting the best deal possible for your vacation. I hope you are able to see a good offer that works for you and fits in your budget. Good luck and happy cruising!
This information is subject to change at any time. Please make sure you are aware of any terms & conditions that you are booking and further are aware of the travel documentation requirements needed to satisfy getting onboard. 

Carnival Cruise Stateroom Continental Breakfast Room Service

6/3/2022

 
Carnival Cruise Line Stateroom Continental Breakfast Room Service
             Carnival Cruise Line typically has hanging ordering forms for stateroom continental breakfast room service. When offered, guests will complete the continental breakfast order form and leave it on their stateroom door before 3am in order for it to be collected. The continental breakfast menu is not as large as what you can get in the dining room for breakfast or Lido buffet, but there are a variety of choices. You can also select a window of time that you would like the order delivered. This continental breakfast service is not offered on debarkation morning. Please note (as of 8/12/2022) - due to crew staffing shortages this continental breakfast service is not being offered on each cruise. Ask your stateroom steward onboard if this is taking place on your cruise.  You should still be able to order continental breakfast through the regular room service phone number at designated times, but the door hangar has been unavailable. 
                Below are screenshots of the stateroom continental breakfast room service menu from my Carnival Cruise in May 2022. Please note that the items offered & prices are subject to change and could vary by ship & cruise voyage. Enjoy & have a good cruise! 
​
Picture
Interested In Carnival Cruise Food?
Please check out my Carnival Cruise Food unofficial guide by clicking here. 

Carnival Cruise Room Service Menu

6/3/2022

 
 Carnival Cruise Line Room Service Menu     UPDATED FOR OCTOBER 2022!
             Carnival Cruise Line has updated the room service menu effective October 1, 2022. At breakfast some items are complimentary from 6am - 10am, but during the other parts of the day pricing is ala carte per item. 
                Below are screenshots of the new room service menu posted by John Heald on Facebook. Please note that the items offered & prices are subject to change and could vary by ship & cruise voyage. Enjoy & have a good cruise! 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Interested In More Carnival Cruise Food? 
​Please check out my Carnival Cruise Food Unofficial Guide by clicking here. 

    RyG's Cruise Guide
    Blog 

    Please Connect!
    Facebook:
    Click Here For Our Profile
    ​
    Instagram:
    ​Click Here For Our Profile

    Cruise Review & Pics! 
    Now Posted!
    Carnival Breeze 5 Day 2023
    Click Here To View

    Quick Links:

    Carnival Cruise Directors
    Carnival Dry-Docks
    Carnival Cruise Food
    Carnival Bar Menus
    Carnival Movie Schedule
    My Cruise Reviews
    Galveston Cruise Guide
    Archives:
    2023 ARCHIVE
    June 2023
    ​May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    ​January 2023
    2022 ARCHIVE
    December 2022
    ​November 2022​
    ​October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    2021 ARCHIVE
    December 2021
    November 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    2020 ARCHIVE
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    2019 ARCHIVE
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    2018 ARCHIVE
    December 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    2017 ARCHIVE
    December 2017
    November 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    2016 ARCHIVE
    ​December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    2015 ARCHIVE
    ​December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
Home        About Us        Contact Us        Privacy Policy & Disclaimer

www.embarkandaway.com     Thank you for visiting RyG's Cruise Guide!
RyG's Cruise Guide is not affiliated with any cruise line or travel organization. Any information is subject to change at any time as the cruise industry is always changing. I always recommend checking with your cruise line for the latest information related to onboard amenities and any relevant health or safety protocols. 

Connect With Us!

Or check out our Instagram:
@rygscruiseguide