New to cruising - help!!

[luckycruzer]

if you have to give your Sign and Sail card to someone..you ARE BUYING something. (Bingo takes cash) If you are unsure..just ask. Signage is waay better than it used to be..even 5 years ago. ie: peeps got ask for the Sail a way drinks, after the nice Steward offered them to you..then asked for your card..now....no mistakiing it!

 

Firefly, and all others are a great help ...Fire, ROCKS !

[btdmcg13]

Thank you so much for all your help. I feel a lot more settled now about embarking upon my 1st cruise :D

 

Keep all the suggestions and advise coming please :)

[arpie05]

If cruising to Mexico - bring Bio-degradable Sunscreen as several of their national parks require in Cozumel (I think).

[Cruise, J.D.]

I'm sure it has been said, but my number one piece of advice is to research the ports and find 3rd party excursions. 9 times out of 10 it will be cheaper and better than what the ship offers. Cruise Critic has port-of-call message boards with a wealth of information on reputable operators.

 

Don't forget to find some time to simply do nothing! One of my favorite things to do is to hang out in a lounge chair looking at the ocean.

[Rachel83706]

Thank you all for your detailed speedy replies!

 

 

Good tips about booking excursions with the ship... I would be in a state of panic if we missed docking!

 

 

If you don't mind doing some research, there are MANY reputable companies that offer the same excursions as the ship. Not only are these cheaper and less crowded, most of them guarantee you make it back to your ship on time.

 

I usually go on carnival.com to see what excursions are offered for my cruise ... then I search the web to find similar excursions. I have never had a bad experience yet - and I saved a lot of money too :) (but you are from the UK, so your money is worth more anyway haha :p)

 

Edit - Sorry Cruise JD! Didn't see your post (to quick to add my 2 cents) Didn't mean to copy you LOL

[Rachel83706]

It has been 2 years since my last cruise and I am going again in August (:D)

 

What time do they kick you off on the last day? I told them I didn't have to catch a flight - so I guess I'll be one of the last group to get off (maybe) but I am trying to plan something out...

[rudechuck]

Just to add to the expert advice already given, muster (safety) drill is mandatory. Do not miss it.

 

You will receive a copy of the Fun Times (daily schedule) the night before. Take a highlighter and mark the activities you're interested in, but as said before, make some time to do NOTHING as well.

 

Cruising is the most hassle-free way to travel. I love exploring on land based vacations, but I cruise when I just want to relax and be taken care of :D.

 

You will love it.

[Anyislandwilldo]

one think I would recomend is bring half the clothes you think you need. Most of the time you are in a swimsuit or shorts so your dinner clothes can be worn more than once. Trust me, no one will notice. And dont forget sunscreen. We honeymooned with a couple many years ago and the wife fell asleep in the sun. She then spent the next few days in the cabin because she was so badly burned she couldnt put clothes on. not a fun honeymoon.

 

 

 

Congratulation on your upcoming nuptuals. Remember to enjoy the day. :D

 

 

Sunscreen! Sunscreen! Sunscreen!

Most people don't realize how intense the sun is in the Caribbean. You can start a sunburn after 30 minutes in the sun. Come prepared!

[code_d]

You can just tip the auto tips you have already, plus what is added on to drink orders, and add on the room service order yourself when it comes (my first cruise I never tipped the room service, didn't know :o). Some tip the Maitre D

 

We love to meet our room Stewart first day and give them a cash tip up front (plus we do auto tips) with requests for ice, extra pillow, a fan, and leave the towel animals for the whole cruise. Then by end of cruise we also tip a bit more if they were on it during the week (so far each was!). We also find the places on the ship we like to relax and tip the servers some cash on top of auto tip and we most often have a very loyal server(s) the rest of the cruise.

 

The dinning room has better food than the buffets by far, and the extra charge steakhouse is well worth it!

 

Avoid the spa- it is an overpriced advertisement for more stuff. You can get massages cheap at about every port.

 

The Lido burgers, pizza are awesome.

 

The drink they hand you when you get on the ship on the lido deck is not free. :D

 

Chairs with stuff on them on the Lido deck are fair game after 30 min from the CHOGS (they probably but stuff there in the morning) and can be removed and given to Carnival employees (can't save chairs).

 

We do our own thing at the ports. Research a bit for things at a port and the locals have better options that are cheaper. One time in the Dominican we just got off to find a local coffee place and a guy off the pier said he wold give us tour around island- $35 bucks they drove the two of around to all the spots (including coffee) and even to a private water fall! What a great time and what a great price!

 

Every Port about has a 'Mall' at it and they are all about the same.

 

Use this site it has EVERYTHING you need know. There are many threads on what to bring, do , and for first timers. Utilize that search feature!:cool:

 

And have a great time!! Congrats! We did our honeymoon on the Fantasy and was a blast!

[jsfromsc]

Go to Carnival's site http://www.carnival.com/, scroll down to the bottom and under Customer Service click on Carnival FAQ's. You'll find the answer to all sorts of questions there.

 

Have a great time on your cruise!