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First time cruisers with lots of questions


laomaktk
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Hi all! My family (hubby, teenage son, & I) are sailing to the Bahamas on the Ecstasy very soon. None of us have ever cruised before and I've got several questions.

 

1. The internet plans, are they per room or per passenger?

2. Is there a standard night which is Elegant night or will we just find out when we get on board?

3. I know we can pre purchase a drink package but do you know if lemonade is included in it? I mostly drink water, but the teenager would prefer lemonade and doesn't drink soda.

 

That's what I've got to start. We're really looking forward to our trip. Thanks for any input.

 

Lori

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Hi,

Lemonade is free and available all day long.

So is coffee,iced tea, tea bags and milk.

You can get juice in the AM and all day from room service for free too.

I think the internet plans can be shared but only one device can be on them at a time. Sorry I don't use them so others will be on soon to tell you more.

How long is your cruise??

Generally speaking "elegant" night is the night of your first full day on board the ship. IF you embark on a Saturday then elegant night will be on Sunday(for example)

Remember that you can dress up as much as you want but the only actual requirement for men is long pants and a shirt with a collar.

They do not need coat and tie unless you want that for a family portrait.

 

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polo might be pushing it. Just wear a casual button up plaid shirt w/o a tie. I have gotten away with it. It's not a big deal. I walked around with sneakers that night too while everyone wore tuxes...no big deal

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Polo shirts have collars(the ones I am thinking of) and no one will stop him from entering the dining room.

Rarely will you see anyone in a tux these days!!

The only time I have ever seen someone turned away on elegant night was an older man coming in wearing shorts and a t shirt.

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On all of the cruises that I have been on, the internet package was per device. I could use it on all of our devices, but only one at a time. You will get login information and should be able to log on from any device. If one device is logged on and you try to log on from another device, it will log the other device off or you may have to log the other device off first. Be prepared for very slow internet service.

 

While out at ports, some restaurants and places have free internet or will let you use it if you buy a coffee or something.

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Polo shirts have collars(the ones I am thinking of) and no one will stop him from entering the dining room.

Rarely will you see anyone in a tux these days!!

The only time I have ever seen someone turned away on elegant night was an older man coming in wearing shorts and a t shirt.

some places say they want a button up. YMMV

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some places say they want a button up. YMMV

 

Carnival's stated dress code for men for Elegant Night requires only a collared shirt, not a buttoned and collared shirt. The polo shirt will be fine.

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Hi all! My family (hubby, teenage son, & I) are sailing to the Bahamas on the Ecstasy very soon. None of us have ever cruised before and I've got several questions.

 

1. The internet plans, are they per room or per passenger?

2. Is there a standard night which is Elegant night or will we just find out when we get on board?

3. I know we can pre purchase a drink package but do you know if lemonade is included in it? I mostly drink water, but the teenager would prefer lemonade and doesn't drink soda.

 

That's what I've got to start. We're really looking forward to our trip. Thanks for any input.

 

Lori

 

I can help, as a recent Carnival cruiser:

 

1.) There are usually 2 formal nights and 5 casual nights. You can usually find the dress code for the following night in your Fun Times/Activity Schedule.

 

2.) Internet plans are PER PERSON. The Carnival Hub app doesn't count against your charges, as it is a Carnival product. However, the texting feature within the app is $5 PER PHONE. Honestly, I wouldn't purchase a plan, you're on vacation, it's time to put the phone down and smell the roses. Whatever you need to check can wait until you get back.

 

3.) I don't think lemonade is included in the drinks package, and honestly, it doesn't need to be. You're allowed to carry your drinks around, and you can get lemonade at the buffet on the Lido Deck for free.

 

 

 

Sent from my LGL22C using Forums mobile app

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Carnival's stated dress code for men for Elegant Night requires only a collared shirt, not a buttoned and collared shirt. The polo shirt will be fine.

 

 

 

Carnival's policy requires slacks and a "dress shirt;" a "polo" is NOT a dress shirt by any stretch of the imagination.

 

If you remember the concept of lowest common denominator (LCD) from math, there is a strong and vocal crowd on here that advocate for LCD because they don't want to dress....but it is not within the dress code.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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Carnival's policy requires slacks and a "dress shirt;" a "polo" is NOT a dress shirt by any stretch of the imagination.

 

If you remember the concept of lowest common denominator (LCD) from math, there is a strong and vocal crowd on here that advocate for LCD because they don't want to dress....but it is not within the dress code.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

That was my understanding. I rem my dad asking if a polo worked and they said no. So we didn't even try.

 

 

But I do wear dark jeans, casual button shirt that is walmart quality (actually it was costco but you get the idea), and converse shoes. The waiter only sees the top part so I was able to get away, LOL! :')

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Carnival's policy requires slacks and a "dress shirt;" a "polo" is NOT a dress shirt by any stretch of the imagination.

 

LOL, a Polo shirt may not be a dress shirt to you but it's 100% certainty he won't be turned away on Carnival elegant night for wearing a POLO and dress pants. WILL NOT HAPPEN!

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As has been said, lemonade it free on Lido deck. Take a travel mug of some kind. Your son can fill it with lemonade, carry it around with him if he wants, or keep some on hand in your cabin so he doesn't always have to go get a glass. I thought their lemonade was very good. If any of you are soda drinkers, you are allowed to bring up to 12 cans of soda per person on board with you.

 

Internet plans are per device. We now have the option to pre-purchase an internet plan online (and it's discounted), but it must be purchased for the entire cruise when done online. Just log in to your Carnival account and look in the FunShops section. Otherwise, you can purchase it once you're on board, either for the entire cruise or on a per-day basis. Typically, if you purchase one on your first day for the entire cruise, it's also discounted.

 

If you have smartphones, download the Carnival Hub app from your app store. They're free to download and, for the most part, free to use while on board. You do no need one of the internet plans to use it. You get features like deck plans, FunTimes schedule (plus you can set an alert for an activity you're interested in), access to your S&S acct., etc. You can also pay a small fee if you want to activate the chat feature on the Hub app to communicate with each other. The chat function costs $5 per device and that's for the entire cruise. If you think you'd like to use the Hub app, just be sure to download it to your phones before the cruise. When you get on board and it leaves port, be sure to put your phones in Airplane Mode. Then you can turn wifi back on to use the Hub app or the internet plan, if you purchase one.

 

Have a great time! Last year was our first cruise and we loved it. We've booked our second and are taking a family for their first cruise.

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LOL, a Polo shirt may not be a dress shirt to you but it's 100% certainty he won't be turned away on Carnival elegant night for wearing a POLO and dress pants. WILL NOT HAPPEN!

 

Like I said...LCD.

 

And it doesn't make it right.

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Make sure you take a power strip because you will only have one outlet in your room.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Be careful here... Some power strips are not allowed. I had one taken out of my luggage a while back. (I got it back on the last day)

 

That's when I switched to a plug like the one in the link below.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Outlet-Wall-Adapter-Shaped-Prong/dp/B0081A4GEC

 

I always pack it in a carry on with my cords/chargers/cameras/phones etc.. Never had any problems with it.

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