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Free drinks? iPad? Cold on ship and other random questions


Lionheartbella
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Hello everyone! First cruise to Bahamas on Carnival Ectasy is coming up next week and I have tons of questions.

 

1. We don’t want to purchase the drink pass- so does Carnival offer any FREE non-alcoholic drinks? My teens want to know. IS lemonade or tea included free?

2. Is it typically cold in the restaurants and show/special event areas. I am prone to being cold very easily.

3. Is there a need for me to bring my iPad?

4. Are there typically any healthy options on board- salad bars, green smoothie offerings etc?

5. Is there a fee to use the on board computer room? I own a small business and may need to check in.

6. What’s a good way to cover the paper boarding tags so they aren’t lost or won’t come off once we check them?

7. Is there a good way to get an Uber from our off-port parking lot large enough for 6 people with luggage?

8. How do I not overpack? HELLLPP! Thanks for any tips and advice. Love this site! :D

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Lemonade, water, tea and some juices are usually free ... Shows are usually freezing so I would recommend packing a lightweight jacket or sweater ... I usually take my iPad for movies/books on the plane but it usually stays put away during the cruise as there is too much to explore ... They usually charge for internet use ... My first cruise I had way too many bags and lugging them around was a pain - I recommend only taking what fits in a carry on size suitcase and one backpack ... For luggage tags I found these on Amazon and they worked great: https://www.amazon.com/Cruise-Luggage-Holders-Steel-Loops/dp/B017BVF8L6/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1510886073&sr=1-1-spons&nodeID=1234358011&psd=1&keywords=cruise+luggage+tags&psc=1

 

 

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I would suggest reading the FAQs on the Carnival website as there's a lot of good info there.

 

We haven't been on Carnival in years, but when I print out our luggage tags, I fold them as best I can and stuff into the plastic sleeves that can be used with lanyards. Then I use plastic cable ties to attach to our luggage, camera cases, backpacks, etc.

 

I remember that the Carnival menus would have a symbol to indicate healthy options. I guess they still have some sort of coding. You can get salads with lunch and dinner, no problem.

 

You have to pay to be on the Internet...this info should be on the Carnival site.

 

And I would definitely bring a sweater or wrap for when you're out and about in the public areas as usually those are kept air conditioned.

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Hello everyone! First cruise to Bahamas on Carnival Ectasy is coming up next week and I have tons of questions.

 

1. We don’t want to purchase the drink pass- so does Carnival offer any FREE non-alcoholic drinks? My teens want to know. IS lemonade or tea included free? Free: Ice Tea, Lemonade, Juice (AM), Milk, Chocolate Milk, Hot Chocolate, Hot Tea

2. Is it typically cold in the restaurants and show/special event areas. I am prone to being cold very easily. Yes. I always bring a sweater for the evenings.

3. Is there a need for me to bring my iPad? I bring mine to read books on Lido or balcony. Also use it to connect with the Carnival Fun Hub App

4. Are there typically any healthy options on board- salad bars, green smoothie offerings etc? Yes Salads and Salad Bars and vegetarian dishes

5. Is there a fee to use the on board computer room? I own a small business and may need to check in. Look to prepurchase internet minutes for a discounted rate otherwise you can purchase packages onboard.

6. What’s a good way to cover the paper boarding tags so they aren’t lost or won’t come off once we check them? I purchased plastic cruise luggage tags on-line. Work great.

7. Is there a good way to get an Uber from our off-port parking lot large enough for 6 people with luggage? Can't help with that one...never used Uber. Check to see if your off-port parking lot doesn't have shuttle service.

8. How do I not overpack? HELLLPP! Thanks for any tips and advice. Love this site! :D

Use neutral colors for pants/shorts/shoes that can be worn on different days with different outfits. Roll your clothes.
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If your off port parking lot doesn't have a shuttle then you can use the uber app on your phone to schedule an uber but make sure you select XL which fits up to 6 ppl and not the regular uberX which is a regular car that fits 4. Uber XL is usually about $5-$7 or so more than the regular standard uber.

 

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We "laminate" our luggage tags with clear packing tape which we always seem to have on hand in the house. Works great!

 

Lay out all the clothes you want to take on a bed. Then take half away. Think about what you wear in a week at home. You can re-wear dresses for dinner (nobody will notice), mix and match pants and tops for evening wear too. Same for shoes. You can easily get caught up in the "I have to bring all this formal wear and accessories" syndrome, but really, anything a cut above sloppy is fine for evening wear. That should reduce what you bring by quite a bit.

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Carnival has you pay for internet access by the day, not minutes. They have three plans. The lowest limits access to specific social media sites. The middle and top tier get to most things, though not anything streaming audio or video. The on-board computers require you to have an internet plan to do anything useful on them.

 

You can request an Uber XL. Though with six of you and luggage, two regular Ubers may be easier.

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A lot of people take their laptop or whatever ashore. You can find WIFI ashore and use that. You are not on the ship so its free. Ask a crew member where to find this. They email home, stay in contact with their home so know where to find it!

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