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You are only allowed to bring onboard one 750ml bottle of wine. Provided you are an adult above or 21 years of age. A good trick is to book your ticket early, but make payments in installments. That way if prices decline, you can ask Carnival or your tour agent to match your ticket price to the lower price and they will honor. If you want to go on a cruise on a low budget try some of the older Carnival ships.
You can bring on non-alcoholic drinks (some lines)
Unlike some cruise ships we had no sofa in the cabin as there simply wasn’t the space. For the most part we feel like cruise cabins are well-insulated and noise from the ship can’t be heard. We had an interior cabin on deck 7, located above the Circle C teen club, and the Liquid Lounge theater. Music and bass was clearly heard in the evenings (including feeling the vibration of the bass in the floor) and went on until about midnight. If you are a light sleeper, we’d suggest looking carefully at the deck plans to make sure you don’t get a room that’s right above a public area.
Consider those package deals to save money
Travel insurance is something you don’t think you need until you need it. It costs a fraction of your cruise price and delivers an unbelievable amount of protection against delays, cancellations, lost baggage and injury. Check out options from third-party travel insurance companies like travelguard.com. While I prefer to book a cruise directly on the cruise line website, I always use Kayak (or a similar service) to compare the prices and choose the cruise I want to go on.
There can be a HUGE difference between ships
Still, we suggest bringing an adapter or two to increase the number of plugs available. This list varies from relatively small tips to make your cruise a little more comfortable all the way to big secrets that the cruise lines don’t like to talk about. And while experienced cruisers may know some of the things on this list, you can rest assured everyone reading will learn at least a few helpful hints. Scroll around a little, and you may never pay cash for a flight to a cruise ship again.
Book the Bolt roller coaster soon as you board
On the topic of beverages (wine!), if you'll be bringing some on board with you make sure to pack a corkscrew or bring wine with a screw cap. Corkage fees onboard Carnival cruises typically run about $15. You can usually also find a quiet spot on the Serenity Adult-Only Retreat. This area of the ship is 21 and over and has lots of space for lounging while you watch the waves---and a bar to get your frozen drinks. The Lido Deck is always popular, but there are quieter decks onboard if you're looking for a relaxing spot to read a book. You'll find these quiet spots at the very front of the ship, though the exact deck will vary depending on which ship you're traveling on.
Reserve a spot as early as you can to make sure you get to try the attraction. You'll use your phone for all sorts of things on a Carnival cruise — snapping photos, scanning QR codes to pull up menus and using the HUB app. A couple of evenings will be deemed Cruise Elegant, but you don't need a tux. We've all seen people wear jeans on these nights, and no one turns them away.
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Purchase your card and if you win, you can walk away with cash. It’s not unusual to see people pocket hundreds or even thousands of bucks playing the game on the ship. The cruise industry relies on your generosity to help pay their service employees. That’s why you shouldn’t skimp when it comes to tipping. From baggage handlers to room service waiters to casino waitresses, you’ll want to slip them each a few bucks whenever they give you good service.
The staff doesn’t check what deck your cabin is on, and they simply want passengers off the ship so that they can get ready for the next group. Each day the bar will have a different drink of the day special. But just because they highlight it doesn’t mean it’s a deal. Often the cruise lines just call it the “drink of the day” to draw attention to an option to get you to buy it, but don’t cut the price. Other times it might just be $1-$2 off the regular price. Everyone knows about dinner in the main dining room… but they usually eat the buffet for lunch and breakfast.
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Do your research before the cruise and book seats at the specialty venues you would want to eat at. With these deals, you pay a bit extra, but then you get more included in your fare (such as Princess Plus). This can include Internet access, drink packages, your onboard daily gratuity, and other perks. What’s often the case is that the price for the upgrade is significantly less than what you’d pay for these items individually. If you plan to buy them anyway, a package is likely worth the money. Typically, cruise lines offer a low “headline” fare that is enticing.
If your group is big enough, you might even be able to book a private tour with an independent tour operator. I admit, I've never done this, though I know I should — if only to wipe off the remote control for the cabin TV. When you first arrive at a ship, before you even get on board, you'll likely be greeted by porters who will whisk away your luggage.
Arriving and the cruise ship terminal for the very first time can be confusing and stressful so we’ve got some quick tips to help you out. You can also read our full guide on Cruise Ship Embarkation. It can be oh-so-tempting to get up early and set your things down on a lounger to reserve that prime poolside real estate for the day. Reserving pool chairs for an extended period of time is not allowed on many cruise lines, including Carnival. Carnival offers a plan called Carnival Vacation Protection.
It’s perfectly okay to ask questions and learn as you go. There’s a lot of information for first-time cruisers to know, but cruise enthusiasts and crew members love to use their knowledge to guide other guests. After all, each of them started out with a first cruise.
There usually are a bunch just steps away from your cabin with tables waiting for you. Carnival ships have a coin that’s mounted on the ship that acts a memento of its construction. If you like to hunt for these coins, you’ll find the Horizon’s on deck 14, just forward of the Dr. Suess Waterworks. As for gratuities, those can be paid in advance through the hub app, while fine dining gratuities are paid onboard. For example, cruise to Ketchikan and watch lumberjacks compete in axe throwing competitions, while you feast on all of the dungeness crab that you can eat! One of the best things about a cruise is the choice of foods, both on and off the ship.
At the heart of most cruises are port calls that, in many cases, are very short — often just a few hours. You want to have a plan for what to do in these ports or you'll miss out on a big part of the cruising experience. On debarkation day, it’s a mad rush to get off the ship. If you have time, you might want to wait until things calm down, but if you have an early flight, then don’t worry about leaving before your deck is called. Here you will set up your boarding information and your onboard expense account. Then, you can print out your boarding pass for embarkation day.
But if you know your port of call well, then book with a third party travel operator to save up to 50% on price. If you want to make sure you get the shore excursions you want, book them online prior to your cruise. The most popular excursions often sell out before the ship even sets sail.
Shhh… don’t tell anyone, but you can actually debark the cruise ship when you want when your trip ends. We’re usually not a fan of downloading a new app if we don’t have to. These programs include daily schedules, messaging to others on the ship, ship maps, and even tracking of your onboard spending account — all from your phone.
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