My husband and I are going on a Carnival Western Carribean Cruise, any tips?

Question

Neither of us have ever been on a cruise before so we need packing tips, how to get through check in, things to do... just general stuff. We appreciate any tips!!

Answer 1

Here is what NOT to do....

As soon as you board the ship, you will be approached by servers with tropical drinks on the tray.  Don't accept them.  They are often 8 to 10 dollars each, and since you don't pay for it (you sign for it and pay for it later when you leave the ship), it is not uncommon for someone to drink hundreds of dollars worth of drinks.

On the contrary, if you do drink SOFT DRINKS, buy the card that allows you unlimited SOFT DRINKS.  They cost 15 to 25 dollars, but it is well worth the cost.  Paying for each one will run your tab quite high.

You can book the side trips either from the cruise company or buy it individually from unaffiliated venders on ports of call.  If you buy it from anyone else but the cruise company, and if your return from the trip is delayed, the ship will leave without you.  While it is usually less money to buy it from someone else, extra few dollars for the cruise company sponsored trips will gurantee they will wait for your return.

Answer 2

we have already been on one of the Western Caribbean Cruise, and have a 2nd planed in Sept too, once you go on your first cruise you will be hooked.

thins you need well the obvious clothes for the amount of time you will be gone with a few changes too, casual is fine for any time. eating in the dinning room was the best advice I was given for my first cruise, (no shorts of bathing suits) the is at lest one formal night (2 on 7+days) and semi to just dressy is fine, if you don't want to be formal.

remember you will be charged tips on your sail and sing account of $10 a day per person, and they do work for that too, and have fun at  the same time. Dont be afraid in the dining room to ask for more than one plat of whatever you want, between my husband and I we order 3 plats of each to try everything, it is all that good!

Answer 3

Ive never been on a cruise but im sure its gonna be very nice : D enjoy yourselfs! : ) x

Answer 4

Congradulations on your first cruise. You are going to love it.

Tips:

Packing: No one is going to care if you wear the same skirt, shirt, dress, shoes, or shorts more then once so keep this in mind while packing... Also there is only one power strip in the room, and usually in the stupidiest place of all, so I would bring along an extra power strip, you could buy that at Walmart for a few bucks. This would definitely come in handy if you are bringing a curling iron, flat iron, cell phone chargers, electric shavers, and whatever else. Also I would like to also encourage you to buy a little tote thing that hooks on to the back your your bathroom door, like a storage caddy or something. Those come in handy, as the bathrooms are really small, and it can get crowded very quickly, as there is not alot of space in there. That way you can put your toothbruses, razors, toothpaste, and other things in there, and again, only a few bucks at Walmart or something. Also if you are going on a 7 day cruise, then you are going to need 2 formal outfits, a dress, nice skirt and blouse for women, and a dress suit, slacks and a dress shirt and tie for men. Also you are going to need to semi formal outfits, like slacks and a dress shirt for men, and a nice skirt and blouse or nice pant suit for women. Then the rest is casual night, which is like a blouse and khakis or slacks for women, and a jeans and polo, or khakis. Something to that effect. Try not to overpack.

Check in: Depending on when you are cruising you might need a passport, but until then you need a marriage certificate, stating that you changed your name, a birth cetificate, and a drivers license. They make you fill out this form stating if you have had any symptoms of NoroVirus, etc.

Things to Do: I would be really cautious in Jamacia, because things happen in Ocho Rios, so be careful of flea markets, because some of the people can be really pushy. So just be careful. The climbing the fans things is really fun, but just make sure you where lots of sunscreen. Also if you go to Grand Cayman, you can go snorkeling, or go to the string ray exhibit or something. That is usually really really fun.

Answer 5

Take all the things you would normally take on a holiday but make sure you take a formal dinner suit for him and an evening dress for her...just in case you get invited to the Captains Table.....

When calling at various ports..if a trip is on offer,,take it..it will be well worth it.

Best wishes, Mike.

Answer 6

Get a key chain of pepper spray and NEVER leave it behind and NEVER EVER go somewhere on the ship alone and NEVER go off the main paths when touring other towns. DO NOT LET YOUR GAURD DOWN EVER!

Oh and have fun

Answer 7

Your Number One thing to do is to "Swim With The Stingrays at Stingray City" in Grand Cayman.  You are not actually swimming since the sandbar is only chest deep.  The stingrays are huge - but friendly.  You feed them squid from your hand.  It is a safe experience.  It is also the most remarkable thing to feed these large animals and to interact with them.

Take the excursion from the ship.  It costs a little more than booking it yourself but if anything goes wrong with timing, you are covered.  The ship will not leave without a booked excursion returning.  The ship will leave even without you if you book through a private vendor.  

Go to Chakkanaab Park in Cozumel for wonderful snorkeling and looking at the park.  Huge iguanas wander throughout the park.  Crystal clear water for snorkeling.

The person who advised to take pepper spray is 100% wrong.  You could not get that through security either on the plane or on the ship.  You are very safe - except in Jamaica.

Have a great time.

Answer 8

Plan your night activities on the first day or earlier!

All the people on the ship are trying to get into the same show! Book early!

Also bring extra towels!

Snacks for your room!

Make a packing list because if you forget tiny things they will cost you 10 times as much on a cruise!

have fun. do everything!

Answer 9

Carnival is the one that had a fire in the lower deck a few months ago while they were at sea.. They have been giving special rates to rebuild their dignity and get customers to come back since the incident. Just wanted you to know.

Answer 10

Make sure you bring sea sickness medication in case you need it. I was fine until dinner time. Something about the huge dinning room made me sea sick. Also, put aside some money to tip the staff at the end of the trip. When the boat docks, make sure you know how much time you have for some sightseeing(bring a watch) and make sure you are back on the boat at the designated time or they will leave you. Don't go into anyone's room unless you know them and have fun!!!

Answer 11

Well, bring headache medicine, and medicine in case you get sea sick. A toothbrush, hairbrush, obviously clothes, a pair of sneakers and sandals. A bathing suit. A cell phone if possible. Make sure to not get drunk on the cruise and stay away from the edge, because of all those incidents. Have FUN.

Answer 12

Pack an emergency kit with sea sickness meds, diarrhea meds, sanitary wipes, pain meds, migraine meds,Tums, a strobe light that can be attached to a life vest, lip and sun burn ointment, mints and temporary tooth repair filling.

Pack yourself some Crystal light drink powder paks. Drinks are expensive on ship and you can ask for ice water and make your own to cut costs.And eat on ship to avoid food poisioning.

Common Sense Things:

Carry something that can be used as a weapon on you in case of an attack(God forbid) :0) And your identification and wallet is kept hidden from all. don't be flashing money around.Have fun but be fully aware of all that is around you before entering into rooms and strange places, this means not getting drunk but stay sober and never let your drink out of your sight.

Plan on taking an credit extra card one you have not used or extra cash for emergencies. Make sure it is used just for that only.

Pack a sweater for cool evenings (air conditioning can feel cooler to those from cooler climates)

Sun Hats/Scarf

Polaroid Sun glasses that cuts glare,time watch that has an alarm or beeps to let you know that you need  to get back to ship before it leaves.

Swimwear and coverup

t-shirts, long cotton flowing skirt,shorts,cotton or linen sun dress, sandels, tennis shoes, and one dress up outfit and shoes for a special night affair.

Night wear for sleeping.

Binoculars(small),digital camera/extra batteries,straw hand bag for collecting shopping or collecting,

Check in is simple not much to  mention except get there early.

Answer 13

I would recommend that you stay a night before and after your cruise in Miami or what ever port you are at.  We made this mistake and nearly didn't get to go on our cruise because of the airlines.  Also on the way back, flights can be a nightmare when a cruise lets out, so take the extra day and  you will appreciate it better.   If you are a coffee drinker, it would be nice to take one of those refillable lidded mugs.  It makes for less trips to fill and nice to take to your room.  You can take excusions, but for the most part, we loved just running around at the ports with no real destination.  Catching a cab is a good way to tour the islands.  I have never been to the Western, just to the Eastern areas so don't have any advice on those areas other than to be aware of having you time taken up by a timeshare or vacation lecture.  You might find shopping a bit cheaper a bit out of the way as they are geared for the cruise ships at port.  If you get a DI (Diamonds International)  card from the ship, you can stop at any DI at any port and get a free charm for your bracelet at each port you stop at.  The bracelet itself is only 5 or 10 dollars.  A nice little souvinear.  bring plenty of sun block/lotion, dont' forget your camera, wear comfortable walking shoes.  Enjoy the shows on the ship.  Wear something nice as the ship loves to take photos of you!   Have fun!

Answer 14

Get hold of a book by Berlitz entitled "Ocean Cruising & Cruise Ships".  It is Douglas Ward reckoned to be "The World's foremost authority on cruising"

ISBN number is:- 981-246-534-0

It's quite a thick paperback which tells you all about cruising.

It lists every cruise line and all the ships.

It goes into great detail about each ship - the good and bad.

Tells you what to expect on the different ships and facilities.

Describes the cabins, the staff and what to expect from the other passengers.

In other words - the cruisers "Bible".  I wouldn't book a cruise on any ship now without having read about it first to see if it is my sort of ship/cruise.  They can be very different.

I love cruising by the way - special place for The Oriana because that was our first try at cruising.