booked my first cruise need tips!

[katie1234]

My husband and I booked our first cruise, 7 days in the western Caribbean on the carnival glory in November! We leave out of Miami and go to Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, and grand cayman. i have a couple questions

1. How much cash should i bring? I know excursions are put on your card but what about pictures or other things?

2. what should i pack aside from clothes and bathing suits?

3. any tips on good excursions in any of these locations, we are up for anything fun!

Any other tips you have on the ship or the ports or just tips for a first time cruiser would be great!!:)

[spookwife]

1: that is entirely up to you and how much you want to spend in port. EVERYTHING on board is on your on board account. you can guarantee it with a credit card, or cash. if it is in cash, Carnival requires a rather hefty up front deposit. NO ONE recommends using a debit card.

 

2: a cover up to go from cabin to poolside. comfortable walking shoes. many women bring their own hair dryer( the ones on board ain't all that) SUNSCREEN. anti nausea treatment( I am a big fan of ginger) SUNSCREEN. floppy sun hat. Did I mention SUNSCREEN? shoulder or crossbody bag for port. oh, yeah, and SUNSCREEN. maybe a light sweater for evenings( gets a tad windy on deck)

 

3: get a froder's for each port to research what you may want to do. going through the ship versus on your own is personal preference

[paul929207]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

1. Everything you purchase on the ship (photos, tours, drinks, etc) is charged to your room account. Most use a credit card to settle that. You would need cash for many purchases off the ship, although some will take credit cards.

[Krazy Kruizers]

In your carry-on suitcase -- pack your prescriptions (make a list of them so you will remember what to pack), cameras, anything valuable!! Also take your own Tylenol and other over the counter prescriptions you may need (for colds) -- they are expensive on the ship and in ports.

Grand Cayman -- Stingray City!!

[cb at sea]

EVERYTHING you purchase on the ship goes on whatever form of payment you're using...for most, it's a credit card. You will probably want cash for ashore...cab fares or small purchases, tips, etc...

 

Pack as you would for any beach vacation. Bring long pants/collared shirt for men for dinner.

Nothing special is needed just because it's a cruise.

 

Read up on your ports, so you'll know what interests you in each place. THEN you can decide if you need an excursion to do those things. Many times, you don't need to pay someone to show you a good time. Research is key!

[Keith1010]

I would check out the ports of call board for each Island to get ideas of what to do.

 

Keith

[rakuroda]

My husband and I booked our first cruise, 7 days in the western Caribbean on the carnival glory in November! We leave out of Miami and go to Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, and grand cayman. i have a couple questions.

Aloha katie1234 :D

 

Welcome to CC. The first thing you need to do is READ, READ, READ. Figure out how to use the Search This Forum & Search This Thread functions. You've found the First Time Cruisers thread so search for clothes to pack. Regarding how much cash to bring depends on how much you have to spend. DO REMEMBER to bring tip cash for cruise port luggage handlers and room service servers to ensure good service. Shore excursions you need to READ, READ, READ.

 

Read the Carnival Glory Roll Calls and find the one for the date of your departure. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=329

 

Then read the Florida departures thread about others that have cruised from the Florida ports http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=495

 

Then read the Ports of Call for the Caribbean to learn what others have done in there. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=587

 

Write down your questions on a note pad and search again for similar questions. Finally, organize your questions and then post them in the appropriate thread. You get better answers that way.

 

There are tips galore on this website, there is even a thread about how to smuggle liquor onto the ship on your body (what a waste of time). Just take your time and SEARCH & READ.

 

Aloha :D

Edited July 9, 2015 by rakuroda

[anamarieus]

TAKE HAIR CONDITIONER. it is not offered on the ship, well maybe in the fun shops. but it is expensive. you will need it if you have longer hair esp after swimming in the ocean.

 

take a screw top plastic tube that goes around your neck to stuff in your bathing suit that contains your cash whilst in the ocean snorkeling.

 

In grand cayman, def do the stingray city excursion.

 

Roatan holds a special place in my heart. I hope u enjoy as much as I did.

 

Belize - it was raining when we arrived and the snorkeling was bad.

 

You will love the Valor - see if the sauna and steamroom are still free in the locker rooms of the gym and if they are take advantage of this when u can.

 

and the fish and chips up the steps in Rosies Restaurant. :D only available at lunch so I would do it at embarkation. go there instead of the buffet.

 

pack your suitcase then take half of it out. u need room for souveniers. figure how much time u will be in your bathing suit and beach clothes and pack wisely.

 

go to the front desk on embarkation day and get them to hole punch your sail and sign cards and hook them onto a lanyard so u don't have to worry about losing them. I personally use a retracting key chain I hook onto my belt loop.

 

call your bank before u leave and tell them u are traveling and be aware not to put a hold on your account if a flag pops up on their end for having charges pop up on your CC in diff countries.

 

take some ginger chews, you can get them off amazon to prevent seasickness.

 

use your phone as a flashlight as if u have an inside cabin, it will be pitch black in there without the lights on.

 

Take a power strip to plug your stuff up.

 

Get an apple cloud account to upload and free your phone of precious photo and video space.

 

Pack essentials in your carryon - such as glasses, contact solution and storage, bathing suit, medicine u may need. anything u think u need on the lido deck before u get access to ur cabin.

 

Bring 1$'s to tip porters to make sure your luggage gets safely to your room.

 

If u are spending the night in Miami or FLL, bring all of your luggage from your car into the hotel room to prevent thieves from striking. I live in Miami and it is a constant crime.

 

Make photo copies of all of your ID's, passports and birth certificates, one for your luggage, one for a trusted friend. leave your itinerary with a trusted friend.

 

 

 

 

:)

[Cruisin' Chick]

One place I suggest you read up on is the cruise line's website. Plenty of info there that will answer your questions as well as questions you haven't thought up as of yet.

 

My biggest advice is to arrive in your embarkation city at least a day ahead.

[train460]

little French key in Roatan.

http://www.littlefrenchkey.com/

 

charlies cave tubing in belize

http://charliescavetubing.com/

 

book thru their websites. nothing paid until you show up.

ZERO issues.

you can thank me later

 

We went with charlies last year on our cruise stop in belize.

wanted to do the cave tubing, several options on the ship but a friend recommended charlies.

we get there and there is all of 4 of us. and the 2 guides.

they carried the tubes to the spot, we passed several massive groups and just went around them. personal service, questions answered etc.

you wont be disappointed

 

Get a battery operated candle and put in the bathroom for a night light.

battery operated fan for the noise.

power strip.

some use a over the door shoe organizer to put in you bathroom stuff.

highlighter to plan stuff on the ship.

don't miss the game QUEST, (for adults) and a love and marriage show if they have one.

Michael

Edited July 10, 2015 by train460

[Teeara]

Pack a small umbrella for shore excursions. Some of those places won't have much shade (especially if you are thinking of doing the Tulum Mayan Ruins excursion out of Cozumel). The sun is brutal in the Caribbean. And if you do the Tulum excursion, book it ONLY through the ship. It is a definite all day excursion and you do NOT want to miss the ship. Ship sponsored shore excursions will cause the cruiseline to hold the ship whereas independent shore excursions will not.

 

Definitely find your roll call and start talking to others who will be on your cruise. It's lots of fun and you might just make some new friends, too!

 

As they say, bring twice the cash and half the clothes. No joke. You do not need 5 outfits a day with 12 pairs of shoes. You do not need to impress anyone at dinner.

 

I don't think Quest is offered anywhere except on Royal Caribbean cruises, so since you are sailing Carnival you can ignore that.

 

Definitely do Stingray City in Grand Cayman. Fantastic excursion. Same with cave tubing in Belize. This is one, though, that you might look into booking independently. Less expensive and not as likely to miss the ship.

[anamarieus]

Pack a small umbrella for shore excursions.

 

 

What a great tip!!! I am writing this down now!!!

[WoodsDrive]

Before I left, I set out my cash and divide it by cab fares + tips, each port city, cab back to airport, meals, tips, etc. Then folded a post it over the top and wrote what it was for. This made keeping our cash organized easy.

 

I read here to take cash equal to one fare. It worked well for hubby and me. Another tips is set out your clothes to pack, and put half of them back. I didn't wear half of what I packed.

[kelkel2]

My husband and I booked our first cruise, 7 days in the western Caribbean on the carnival glory in November! We leave out of Miami and go to Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, and grand cayman. i have a couple questions

1. How much cash should i bring? I know excursions are put on your card but what about pictures or other things? If you are talking about pictures on the ship, those go on your sign and sail card. No cash spent on the ship, only tips. You can either use a credit card to back that up or back it up with cash. We use our credit card so we don't have to worry about adding cash to our account. That can be set up on you account online with carnival.com. As far as cash goes for using in the ports. We usually bring around $300 (there's only 2 of us traveling as well) in denominations anywhere from $20-$1's We like the $1's so we can tip on the ship. For instance, room service. We also tip taxi drivers and pay for taxi's in the ports with cash. Small knick backs in port are also paid for in cash. If we make a larger purchase I will put it on my visa, by NEVER my debit card.

2. what should i pack aside from clothes and bathing suits? I would also pack a suit cover up, a nice outfit for formal night. It can be anything from a dress you would wear to a wedding to a sun dress. Make sure you bring camera and batteries. I also get cold all the time and depending on the time of year you cruise it can get chilly late at night in the ocean breeze up on the decks, so i bring a hoodie. /COLOR]

3. any tips on good excursions in any of these locations, we are up for anything fun!

Any other tips you have on the ship or the ports or just tips for a first time cruiser would be great!!:)

 

See my responses to your questions in red.

[angelwinks_ca]

My husband and I booked our first cruise, 7 days in the western Caribbean on the carnival glory in November! We leave out of Miami and go to Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, and grand cayman. i have a couple questions

1. How much cash should i bring? I know excursions are put on your card but what about pictures or other things?

2. what should i pack aside from clothes and bathing suits?

3. any tips on good excursions in any of these locations, we are up for anything fun!

Any other tips you have on the ship or the ports or just tips for a first time cruiser would be great!!:)

W

 

We just did the Glory in March! If the cruise director is still Dr. E, you will love him!! He's so much fun!

 

We did this itinerary our first cruise and minus Grand Cayman, its our itinerary for our next cruise as well! We LOVE these ports!

 

We only use cash for sourvenirs, tips, cab, and wine and water/pop. Everything else is on the credit card. Ship card account goes on the credit card.

 

Excursions - read the message boards here. Check out Trip Adviser and Other cruising websites.

We went to Zunantunich in Belize (booked with cruise line). AMAZING!!

We Ziplined in Roatan at Gumbalimba Park (booked with cruise line). AWESOME!!

We did the 7-mile beach in Grand Cayman (cab) and never again. WAY WAY too busy for us!

We just shopped in Cozumel. Ventured away from the touristy area and felt safe and found some unique shops

This upcoming cruise we booked:

Cuzumel - Nachi Cocom all inclusive - LOOKS GREAT!

Belize - nothing planned yet - might just shop in the cruise area and enjoy the quiet ship!

Roatan - Victor Bodden Group Tour

 

Excursions can cost A LOT of money!! My advise...if its an all day, book with the ship! If its not, if you feel comfortable, book with an outside company which is often cheaper.

Set a budget and figure out what you REALLY want to do! Ziplining, cave tubing, ruins, all inclusive? THEN find which port offers the best of those options and plan that first. OR say you can only afford 2 excursions, think about where you can go off and tour on your own by cab or group bus. I would NOT recommend Belize! Belize is where I would plan an excursion. I find Grand Cayman and Cozumel is the best of the 4 for going off on your own based on safety and accessible places beyond the port.

 

The message boards on this site are amazing for tips for new cruisers. They will give you great packing advise! We are planning our 4th cruise next month and our packing list is still changing. Things I thought I wouldn't need, I did and things I brought and didn't use. I love the over the door organizer but since this upcoming cruise we will be kid free and not need as much room, I'll likely leave it at home! One think I cannot do without is my travel medicine cabinet!! Finding meds is not always accessible and each time we have needed something! Daughter had bad ear ache last cruise. AND an allergic reaction to something! Think gravol, immodium, benedryl, etc. Unfortunately these are items where thinking WHAT IF comes in handy and could make a difference in the quality of your cruise.

 

Have fun planning!!

[lahlah57]

Yes...we bring a breakdown of $1 and $5 bills for tipping. Take simple medications with you....seasick pills.....diarrhea meds...... nighttime/ daytime cold meds...advil/tylenol.....small first aid kit.

Some may think....you do not need that but once an incident occurs you are looking for it on board ($$$) or wasting time on a vacation searching for it in port. Preparation is key.

Hand wipes and clorox wipes in small packs for a purse.....don't need to deal with norovirus.

Good for on the ship as well as off on an excursion.