tak81288

Generally no, you don't really see enough from a cruise, however, it does depend on the country.

For example, we rented bikes on our cruise stop in Grand Turk and were able to see the much of the island by getting around that way. I know there are other parts of Turks and Caicos outside of Grand Turk, but I felt that we saw enough in the hours that we were there.

We spent two weeks in Thailand on a land vacation and still felt that wasn't enough time to see everything, so going there as a cruise stop definitely wouldn't have been enough for us.

Personally, if checking and carrying on I don't put much in my carry on. Pretty much everything goes in my checked baggage. I may pack an extra change of clothes (in case the checked bag doesn't show up before dinner), electronics, paperwork, wallet and maybe a few other items I can't afford afford to lose, in a carry-on. That's about it.

Last few trips for me were only 7-10 days in hot weather, so I only had a carry-on. 

Have a good cruise.

I don't get bored however after our first few cruises we have found that we were not the biggest fan of sea days. As a result, when researching potential cruises, we always look for ones that have minimal sea days and long port days. By the time we get back to the ship, we are pretty exhausted.

As for land vacations, we plan things to do and see from the time we wake up until it's time to go back to sleep. We don't have time to be bored since there is never an issue of  filling the days up with things we like to do.

I wear a waterproof pouch (assuming you are referring to water activities) around my neck that fits phone, a little cash, credit card, ship card and ID. There are plenty of options on Amazon but honestly I found one at Wal Mart that works great too. I've also worn this same pouch while zipling and doing other non water activities  that required us to leave items behind.

Depending on the excursion, we may also bring a small backpack or tote to carry a few things like a water bottle, beach towel..etc... We don't keep anything of real value in that though and would be comfortable leaving it on the beach, in a locker..etc..if needed.

Not really. We try to be proactive. Fly in a day or two before the cruise, plan activities that will get us back to the ship in time,..etc...

We do purchase travel insurance, so if something still goes wrong despite our best efforts, or there were a medical emergency, injury..etc... we'd be covered.

19 minutes ago, clo said:

No reason to pay before it's due.

I pay all my bills off a few days before they are actually due date. Different stokes for different folks.

We have a separate bank account that we use only for travel. Every paycheck (every other week) we have a bare minimum that goes into that account. If there is money left over from other areas of our budget at the end of the month, we make another deposit. If we have extra funds due to a bonus or something, a portion of that goes into our travel account..etc...

As far as paying for the cruise (along with flights, hotels, activities..etc) we use a credit card, but only for the purpose of getting cash back. The credit card is paid off using funds from our travel account before the bill is due to avoid interest. All cash back we received gets deposited back into that special account.

7 hours ago, Nic6318 said:

Hi

 

I would look at booking a hotel for the day. 

 

Try to find one that would allow you a somewhat early check in. Either way, they would hold your bags till you did check in. Go to the hotel right from the ship. Then you could go about seeing the city. Use public transport. Check the West coast departure threads on this site as well as the internet for things to do and find a convenient hotel to stay at. In the afternoon you could get back to the hotel, rest up, shower, see how much energy you still have. Either take it easy or try  to take in something else until you need to head to the airport.

 

have a great cruise

 

 

I would go with this idea too.

I've been to Vancouver twice within the last year. Once we had a car and other time we did not. Driving was easy but so was public transportation/walking around. Each of those visits were totally different so whether or not you will want car will depend on what you decide to do while you are there. For example, in my opinion, if you decide to stay in the downtown area, a car really isn't necessary.

If I had 12 hours to kill after a cruise, even if I had a vehicle or went the organize tour route, it would still be nice to have a "home base" to be able to go back to later in the afternoon/early evening. I'd freshen up, maybe rest a little..etc.. before heading to the airport since this will turn out to be a fairly long day.

Have a wonderful cruise!

We don't really have anything we purchase specifically for a cruise, but once the cruise is booked, (or any vacation for that matter), we look to see what needs to be replaced from the last one and start buying those things little by little.

This is a little different from what we use to do. We use to take inventory about a month pre-cruse/vacation and do our shopping over that last month. Now we are usually done before we reach that last month.

We put our absolute favorite items in travel size bottles and containers and try to do carry on only. We also replace some liquid items with solids to ensure that we stay within the TSA rules. So we'll have antibacterial wipes instead of hand sanitizer, suncreen sticks instead of lotion.. etc.

We've never done a 30 day cruise or anything, so would probably pack differently for something like that and also would most likely have to replenish things while in port. But for a 7-10 day or so cruise, travel size is enough for us.

16 minutes ago, Plantderivedingredients said:

Haha well we're pretty lucky to be going on this cruise anyways, so even if only for their peace of mind that they can have fun and drink, I'll pay for my part. I'm just trying to figure out what carnival's policy is regarding taking drinks off the ship into the ports. 

I've cruised Carnival several times and never have had a problem taking off bottle water or soda while in port. Sometimes it wasn't even sealed. I've filled up sports bottles with ice and water from the buffet in the lido deck to have while in port. No issues whatsoever getting it off. 

The last day, it has been the same scenario. We weren't really hoarding but have had leftover soda and water that we didn't use. We just dumped it in one of our suitcases and disembarked like normal. You should be fine.

Have a good cruise !

9 hours ago, cruisetime25 said:

We leave Orlando at 5:30 pm with our 5 yo daughter.  Any suggestions of doing something outside airport until then?

You might want to check and see if your cruise line offers any post cruise excursions that are of any interest to you  

We have done this before and once the excursion was over,  they dropped us off at the airport for a late afternoon flight. 

6 hours ago, Letacraig said:

Thank you. Any particular time you like to show up and for a particular reason? 

We usually fly into the departure city a day or two before the cruise begins and are staying at a hotel. Due to having to check out of the hotel around 11am or so (depending on the hotel) we usually show up to the port shortly thereafter. 

For a variety of reasons some show up later. Some people hate crowds and in general it is less of a crowd and shorter lines if you get to port after the initial rush of people are onboard. Others fly in the day of the cruise so the time they arrive depends on their flight time...etc

In the "old days" I carried a watch, a camera, and a map. Today I carry my iPhone, which is a multi of all things a traveler needs.

 

The ships would have a newspaper out each day for reading the news. Today, my iPhone does that.

 

My point is, I do use my phone on the cruise, and in port, and I am still disconnected from work, and everyday life. That doesn't mean for me that I need to be in the 18 century and turn it off. It's a tool, in my pocket that I need to use.

This pretty much sums it up for me. I will use the "tools" on my phone (music, camera, Kindle app...etc) while staying disconnected from every day life. It's just easier for me to stick my phone in my pocket with everything I need vs carrying around a bag containing a camera, a book, a music player...etc...

I have taken several Carnival cruises. Since we prepay as much as possible and don't spend much onboard, I have used cash on each of those cruises. On my last cruise, I only put down $40. The recommended amounts listed on their website are just recommendations. You can put down as much or as little as you wish.

No one asked for a credit /debit card with that low of a deposit.

Have a great cruise.

I don't gain anything and actually lost a couple on my last cruise. I am pretty active in port and do a little bit more exercising than I do in everyday life (taking the stairs, snorkeling, hiking...etc)

I definitely eat what I want, but if their are multiple things I want to try in the buffet, I just get sample sizes versus just piling things up on my plate. I also don't overdo it and stop eating when I am not longer hungry.

I think I spent $30 on my last cruise 7 day cruise once onboard. One photo and a few drinks and that was about it. I definitely did not deprive myself, but just was not interested in what was available to purchase onboard. However we did prepay gratuities and pay for 2 ship excursions in advance.

For 2 of the 4 ports we purchased tours while in port. All souvenir purchases, a few drinks..etc occurred in port. Although our onboard spending was low, it wasn't like we didn't not spend any money or were extra frugal.

The value of a drink package really will depend on how much you anticipate drinking. For us it is not worth it. We may have a a couple of drinks throughout the day and evening, but will mainly drink ice water especially in warmer climate. Other people may drink different beverages all day.

Another thing to think about is how many days in port you have. There will be days when you may not be on the ship for the majority of your day but you are still paying for the drink package. Some people still get their monies worth on a port day because they may drink a few beverages in the morning and then several more when they get back on the ship in the evening, but others do not.

If you have more questions specifically for Carnival here is a link to their forum. All the Carnival experts hang out there.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=215

Shorts are definitely acceptable on Carnival in the MDR and you will most likely see many people wearing them. Carnival is very casual.

Have a great cruise!

I do not gamble with flights and always arrive the night before. You may or may not have any delays. Many people can come on here and say they did it and it all worked out. It does not mean it will for you. Many people can say they had a delay. It does not mean you will.

What happens with delays and cancellations? Well if you do not get to the ship in time, the ship leaves without you. You will then have to see if it is possible to meet the ship at one of the port of calls or you miss the entire cruise.

Honestly, I do all of my research prior to the cruise and the majority of it happens on the internet. I may grab a guidebook from the library and ask friends or family for advice when needed.

As far as on the ship, the most useful app for me is the Kindle app so that I can read while lounging on deck and such. I also love puzzles, so download various games ( word search apps, sudoku..etc) just to have little activities to do during various downtimes. None of those things require an internet connection. I know none of these apps are travel or cruising related but that is pretty much what I use when cruising.

You're 18 year old can do everything on the ship except drink alcohol. There really aren't any organized activities specifically for 18-20 years. Carnival may have some sort of singles meet and greet on the first or second night of the cruise. I have poked my head in on one of those before and several young adults attended, but I know the attendance for those can be a hit or miss, but it never hurts for him to check it out if your sailing has one . If your son is somewhat outgoing, and just hangs around the pool and such, he will meet people his own age.

As far as camp carnival, they are pretty strict on the ages and more than likely won't let him in. They have been reports (on here) that 18 year olds that were still in high school were allowed to attend Camp Carnival by showing their school id, but I'm not sure how often that is allowed.

I'm sure your 18 year old will be fine.

Enjoy!

 

ps i would be taking the RC snorkel tour, would that make a difference?

When taking an official excursion, they will most likely have a place to store your items either on the boat and/or in the vehicle they use to get you to the place where your excursion begins.

If your hair blowing around will bother you, I would plan to keep it tied back. It can get pretty windy on deck.

Weird question I know. I am funny about hand soap and always take my own to a hotel. Can I do that for a cruise? I like to take my bath and body works liquid.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Yes. You can bring your own soap.