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Carnival Elation To Have 30 Staterooms Added During 2020 Dry-Dock

11/16/2019

 
Carnival ElationCarnival Elation (Before 2017 Drydock)
         Earlier this week Almaco announced it will be outfitting the Carnival Elation with 30 new staterooms during the Carnival Elation's 2020 dry-dock. Almaco is the same company that was responsible for adding new staterooms during the Carnival Elation's last dry-dock to the Grand Deck.
            The 2020 dry-dock's stateroom addition will be taking place on Deck 9, which is the Carnival Elation's Promenade Deck. It is unclear at this time where on the Promenade Deck the new staterooms will be added. I reached out to Carnival Cruise Line's media department requesting more details and have not yet heard back. Furthermore, the booking engine has not yet been opened for these new staterooms. 
                The Carnival Elation's March 2020 dry-dock will take place at the Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport, Bahamas. The ship's time out of service is scheduled for 3/02/2020 until 3/25/2020. 
             I  will update this post if and when I learn more about the Carnival Elation's new staterooms. Please see my unofficial dry-dock schedule that I post known ship dry-dock updates: Click Here. 

The information in this post is from Almaco's press release regarding the Carnival Elation. Click Here to read the full press release on Almaco's website. Please note, clicking this link will take you away from RyG's Cruise Guide. 

Carnival Cruise Thanksgiving Dinner Menu 2019

11/15/2019

 
Carnival Cruise ShipsCarnival Ships Docked In Cozumel
         Carnival Cruise Line has posted their Thanksgiving Dinner menu online for Thanksgiving 2019. For dinner on Thanksgiving the ship's dining room will serve a special menu that contains several items not normally served in the dining room, but the menu also contains several of Carnival's typical dining room options. The menu was posted by Mr. John Heald, Carnival's Brand Ambassador, to his Facebook page. 

Carnival Cruise 2019 Thanksgiving Dining Room Dinner Menu
Below is a list of the items that are planned on Carnival's Thanksgiving Dinner dining room menu. I have excluded food item descriptions for the sake of space, but if you scroll down you can view a link to John Heald's Facebook post for the full menu (including descriptions). 
Appetizers
Cold
Shrimp Cocktail
Beef Tartare
Grilled Peach, Tomatoes, and Torn Mozzarella 

Hot
Pumpkin Leek Bisque
New England Oyster Stew
Smoked Brisket Slider
Mascarpone & Prosecco Arancini

Salad
Field Greens
Tomato Salad
​Caesar Salad

Main Courses
Seafood
Grilled Jumbo Shrimp
Roasted Bass
Salmon

Meat
Slow Roasted Tom Turkey
Pan Seared Steak
Smoked Pork Loin
​Braised Duck Legs

Vegetarian
Pappardelle
Roasted & Dressed Petite Eggplant
Chickpea Stew and Baby Carrot Pilaf 

Desserts
Melting Chocolate Cake
Bourbon Pumpkin Pie
Honey Plum Crisp
Southern Pecan Pie

Steakhouse Selections
​
Carnival's menu states a surcharge of $20 applies per entree. 
Lobster Tail
Surf & Turf
Broiled Filet Mingion
​Grilled Lamp Chop

If you would like to view the actual menu and each food item's description I recommend you check out the embedded post below that is by John Heald on Facebook. Clicking into this post will take you away from RyG's Cruise Guide to John Heald's Facebook page. The menu items listed above were taken directly off this photo of the menu that was posted, but you can get better information on the food descriptions by looking at this post:
If you are cruising during Thanksgiving, have a great cruise and enjoy the food! Please note, I am not responsible for any changes that may occur to the menu as I am simply re-posting information Carnival released. Check with Carnival for the latest information!

Carnival Cruise Is Switching To Pepsi Drink Products: Effect On Bottomless Bubbles and Cheers Beverage Programs

11/13/2019

 
Carnival Cruise Bottomless BubblesBottomless Bubbles Advertisement Sign
         Today Carnival Cruise Line announced starting in January 2020 Pepsi products will be sold on Carnival's ships. A variety of PepsiCo products will be sold including Bubly, Pure Leaf, Naked Juice, Gatorade, Mountain Dew, Starbucks, Pepsi, Pepsi Zero Sugar, Sierra Mist, and Sierra Mist Zero Sugar. A full list of the PepsiCo products planned to be sold & served onboard can be found below.
                The full variety of PepsiCo beverages will be available as Carnival ships deplete inventories of Coca-Cola products and receive shipments of the PepsiCo beverages. Carnival's website states for some time ships may have a mix of Coca-Cola and Pepsi products onboard until the Coca-Cola inventory is sold out. 
                  Through this change in beverage suppliers, Carnival will be taking an additional step to reduce single use plastics on the ships. Carnival's website states more aluminum and glass bottling will be used, but soda dispensers will be used when space allows. It is unclear which ships or bar areas will receive soda dispensers. 
                 There will be an impact to Carnival's beverage package programs, Cheers and Bottomless Bubbles. Some of the newly offered beverages will be available under one program but not the other, both, or not included in the program for either. Carnival's website notes that the change to PepsiCo products is not changing the price of Cheers or Bottomless Bubbles. 

PepsiCo Beverages That Will Be Served On Carnival's Ships:
               Once the roll-out is complete the following PepsiCo beverages are expected to be on the menu for Carnival's ships (per Carnival's website). I have also included information about whether the PepsiCo beverage is eligible for consumption under Carnival's Cheers or Bottomless Bubbles beverage packages:
Beverage Name
Included In Bottomless Bubbles?
Included In Cheers?
Pepsi
Yes
Yes
Diet Pepsi
Yes
Yes
Pepsi Zero Sugar
Yes
Yes
Caffeine Free Pepsi
Yes
Yes
Diet Pepsi Caffeine Free
Yes
Yes
Sierra Mist
Yes
Yes
Sierra Mist Zero Sugar
Yes
Yes
Mug Root Beer
Yes
Yes
Diet Mug Root Beer
Yes
Yes
Mountain Dew
Yes
Yes
Diet Mountain Dew
Yes
Yes
Bubly Lime Sparkling Water
Yes
Yes
Bubly Grapefruit Sparkling Water
Yes
Yes
Bubly Orange Sparkling Water
Yes
Yes
Naked Green Machine
No
No
Naked Mighty Mango
No
No
Naked Strawberry Banana
No
No
Half Naked Lively Greens
No
No
Half Naked Peach With Ginger
No
No
Pure Leaf Honey Green Tea
No
Yes
Pure Leaf Tea & Lemonade
No
Yes
Pure Leaf Unsweetened Black Tea
No
Yes
Pure Leaf Sweet Tea
No
Yes
Gatorade Lemon Lime
No
Yes
Gatorade Fruit Punch
No
Yes
Propel Electrolyte Water
No
Yes
Propel Strawberry Raspberry
No
Yes
Propel Peach Mango
No
Yes
​Starbucks Frappuccino
No
Yes
​Starbucks Double Shot Espresso
No
Yes
             If you are a beverage package user (Cheers or Bottomless Bubbles) I recommend checking onboard to make sure you desired drink is included in the package you selected. Please keep in mind beverage availability and inclusion in a beverage package is subject to change. I compiled this list using Carnival's website on 11/13/2019, but information could have changed since this time.
Carnival's Press Release:
Click Here To View -  will take you away from RyG's Cruise Guide to Carnival's News website. This webpage will open in another window. 
Carnival's Beverage FAQ Section Over The PepsiCo Product Change:
Click Here To View -  will take you away from RyG's Cruise Guide to Carnival's website. This webpage will open in another window. ​

Carnival Cruise Deli Menu: Grilled Cheese Sandwich Review & Info

11/8/2019

 
Carnival Cruise Deli Grilled Cheese Sandwich and French Fries
          Carnival Cruise Line's new deli menu has several different sandwich for cruisers to enjoy. This new menu has been slowly rolled out to most Carnival ships, but is not yet fleetwide. 
            One of the new sandwich options available from Carnival's deli is the Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich. The menu that is posted at the ship's deli says this sandwich comes with "rustic panini, cheddar, and mustard mayo". One ingredient not specifically mentioned in Carnival's menu description was some sort of butter looking spread that was applied to the bread prior to the cheese being put on the sandwich.


​Overall Rating:
             On a scale of 5 stars (5 = highest rating and 1 = lowest rating) I would give this sandwich 4.5 stars. My reasons for giving this sandwich a high rating are as follows: 
  • The Cheese:   Prior to toasting the sandwich, the deli chef put cheese into the sandwich. At first I thought the amount of cheese looked small, but the cheese melted in the toaster and filled the entire piece of bread. I estimate the height of the cheese (after melting in the sandwich toaster) was about 1/4 of an inch. There was plenty of cheese on this sandwich and each bite of the sandwich had a cheesy taste. 
  • Mix of Bread & Cheese Per Bite:  The proportion of bread and cheese allowed for a blended flavor. The slices of bread on the top and bottom of the sandwich were a little thin, but this did not bother me because I got this sandwich mainly because I wanted the cheese. Both the bread and cheese tasted good!
  • A Little Hard To Eat:  I ended up eating this sandwich with a fork and knife because with each bite the cheese wanted to stay attached to the other part of the sandwich. 
  • Customization Is An Option:   Carnival's deli menu is very standardized, but most crew members are willing to make small customization to sandwiches. 
  • You Can Get Sides From The Deli To Go With This:   The new style deli menu includes the option to get a side of french fries, potato and egg salad, as well as a salted chocolate chip cookie with each sandwich. The fries can be regular french fries or truffle fries. I tried the french fries and salted chocolate chip cookie with a different sandwich. The fries were really good and the chocolate chip cookie was good as well. 

Common Questions:
  • Is this menu item free?    Yes, the Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich is available from the Carnival Deli on ships that have the new deli menu. When ordered from the deli, this sandwich is free.

​The review of this sandwich reflects my opinion. If you have food allergies or dietary restrictions please do not use this review to make any decisions about whether this item is suitable for your consumption, because this information may not include all ingredients or facts related to the food dish. Consult Carnival to get a full listing of ingredients. 
​Also, food items and menus served can vary by cruise. 
​​

Carnival Freedom To Sail Alaska In Summer 2021

11/6/2019

 
Carnival Cruise In Tracy Arm FjordTracy Arm Fjord in Alaska
        Carnival Cruise Line recently announced the Carnival Freedom will be re-deployed to sail Alaska cruises for summer 2021. With the deployment of the Carnival Freedom to sail Alaska, Carnival Cruise Line is increasing its Alaska cruise capacity. 

Overview Of The Ship's Alaska Itineraries:
              The Carnival Freedom's Alaska cruises will begin after a 17 night Panama Canal re-positioning cruise departing from Galveston. Starting on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, the Carnival Freedom will begin sailing seven night round-trip Alaska cruises departing from Seattle, Washington. These cruises are scheduled to visit Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, Victoria, and have a scenic cruise day in Tracy Arm Fjord. The port of call stop in Victoria is an evening stop.  The Carnival Freedom's Alaska cruise season will end with an 8 round-trip cruise from Seattle that visits Juneau, Skagway, Icy Straight Point, Ketchikan, Victoria, and has a scenic cruise day in Tracy Arm Fjord. This 8 night cruise will depart on Tuesday, September 14, 2021. For more details on both of these itineraries see the tables below:

Carnival Freedom's 7 Night Alaska Cruise Itinerary Departing From Seattle, Washington:
                 Carnival has the Carnival Freedom scheduled to sail this itinerary weekly starting April 27, 2021 and the last cruise on this itinerary beginning on September 7, 2021. Please note, this itinerary is subject to change!
Day #
Scheduled Port of Call
Scheduled Arrival
Scheduled Departure
1
Seattle, Washington
-
4:00pm
2
Sea Day
-
-
3
​Tracy Arm Fjord (Scenic Cruise Day)
​-
-
4
Skagway, Alaska
​7:00am
8:00pm
5
Juneau, Alaska
7:00am
3:00pm
6
Ketchikan, Alaska
7:00am
1:00pm
7
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada 
8:00pm
11:59pm
8
Seattle, Washington
7:00am
-
Carnival Freedom's 8 Night Alaska Cruise Itinerary Departing From Seattle, Washington:
                    The Carnival Freedom will end its 2021 Alaska cruise season with an 8 night round-trip cruise from Seattle, Washington. This cruise departs on Tuesday, September 14, 2021. ​Please note, this itinerary is subject to change!
Day #
Scheduled Port of Call
Scheduled Arrival
Scheduled Departure
1
Seattle, Washington
-
4:00pm
2
Sea Day
-
-
3
​Tracy Arm Fjord (Scenic Cruise Day)
​-
-
4
Juneau, Alaska
​7:00am
11:00pm
5
Skagway, Alaska
7:00am
8:00pm
6
Icy Straight Point, Alaska
7:00am
3:00pm
7
​Ketchikan, Alaska
7:00am
1:00pm
8
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
8:00pm
11:59pm
9
Seattle, Washington
7:00am
-
The Carnival Miracle will also be sailing a variety of 10 & 11 night Alaska cruises from San Francisco, but this will be topic of another post! 

For more Alaska cruise information, including some generic Alaska cruise tips, check out Alaska guide:
Click Here

​
All information was compiled from Carnival Cruise Line's booking engine and press release. Please visit Carnival's website for more information. All information is subject to change at any time! Make sure you check Carnival's website or with your travel agent for any changes to the ship's itineraries. 

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RyG's Cruise Guide is not affiliated with any cruise line or travel organization. Any information is subject to change at any time given that the cruise industry is always changing. Due to the Covid pandemic, crew staffing shortages, and supply chain issues information could change without updates being made here. I always recommend checking with your cruise line for the latest information related to onboard amenities and Covid protocols. 

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