New to Carnival

[bbagnall]

Hello all!  I am taking my mom on a cruise for her 60th birthday, she's never been anywhere so this should be super fun!  I have cruised before, but not on Carnival.  I am also an avid planner and I feel like I'm supposed to be doing something.  We are driving down from San Antonio and leaving out of Galveston on the Carnival Dream.  I booked us a spa balcony, elected for my time dining, and was able to purchase the Faster to the Fun thing.  Is there anything else I'm supposed to be doing?  Any tips or tricks for a Carnival newbie????

 

Thanks!   

[bury me at sea]

Welcome to Carnival.  You picked a great ship with a great spa.

 

You have covered most of the bases.  Remember always to check ship time if you go ashore.  The Dream will stay on Central Time regardless of the time zone in port.  You don't want to wave at a departing ship from the pier.

 

I put my cell phone in airplane mode when we leave Galveston so it always stays on Central Time.

 

Relax and enjoy!

[bbagnall]

Oh! I remembered one more thing I wanted to ask....how early do the excursions book up?  I normally don't, but I'm just going to book Carnival excursions for this trip, one last thing to worry about.  We are going to Cozumel and Costa Maya. 

[coevan]

Costa Maya does not require an excursion, beautiful beach very close by, with $25 hour massages

[RWolver672]

Make sure your Mother has the proper documentation (Passport or Birth Certificate and ID) right away.  So many have posted on here where they never gave it a thought until the last minute and then it was too late.

[bbagnall]

My mom Is getting her passport tomorrow, so check that off the list. 
 

Good reminder about the time.

 

Massages in Costa Maya piqued my interest. We are going to see the Chacchoben ruins, but it’s only half a day and we are in port from 1-8pm. Where can I find this massage place? 

[Joe817]

2 hours ago, bbagnall said:

My mom Is getting her passport tomorrow, so check that off the list. 
 

Good reminder about the time.

 

Massages in Costa Maya piqued my interest. We are going to see the Chacchoben ruins, but it’s only half a day and we are in port from 1-8pm. Where can I find this massage place? 

If you go to the Caribbean ports of call forum, I'll bet you can find a lot of info there:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/102-costa-maya/

[coevan]

5 hours ago, bbagnall said:

Where can I find this massage place? 

 

 

There are probably 10 palapas set up throughout the beach. The massages closest to the bus drop off are the most expensive, like $40. The further you walk down the beach the cheaper they become. Getting a massage listening to the ocean was awesome.

[grandmarnnurse]

19 hours ago, bbagnall said:

Hello all!  I am taking my mom on a cruise for her 60th birthday, she's never been anywhere so this should be super fun!  I have cruised before, but not on Carnival.  I am also an avid planner and I feel like I'm supposed to be doing something.  We are driving down from San Antonio and leaving out of Galveston on the Carnival Dream.  I booked us a spa balcony, elected for my time dining, and was able to purchase the Faster to the Fun thing.  Is there anything else I'm supposed to be doing?  Any tips or tricks for a Carnival newbie????

 

Thanks!   

Just make sure before leaving home that both you and your mom have all the required documentation to board the ship. Passports are best, but if none, you need an original Birth Certificate with a raised seal, and your Drivers License. Too many people are turned away at the port for not having the correct documentation to board. 

Good for you, getting FTTF! Since having it once, I try to make sure I always get it! I love the priority check in line, priority boarding, and cabin ready upon boarding! To me, in my personal opinion, it is worth every penny. And YTD is also the very best choice! Eat whenever you want, not tied to some set dinner time, whether your hungry or not at that time. I just wish Carnival would go to total YTD, rather having it approved. 

I have cruised Carnival on 5 cruises before trying RCCL and NCL, then returned to Carnival this past March. We fell in love all over again with Carnival. So much more fun than the others, and their complimentary food choices are fabulous! We have 3 more upcoming Carnival cruises booked! Enjoy your cruise with your mom. She will absolutely love it! 🛳😎🏖🌴

[Joe817]

One thing that I have not seen mentioned, and I believe is an absolute must for cruisers(at least in my opinion) is traveler's insurance. Please do consider it. There is good info on the opening page. 

[marci4tony]

Welcome to the Carnival family

 

One thing to look at as well, is the distance between the airports and Galveston.

 

We are flying out Friday - into Houston - for a Galveston departure on Saturday on Vista.  (BTW, Dream is an awesome ship! We were on her a few years ago!)

 

Unless you are very close, I would suggest flying in the day prior, and staying in TX prior to your departure.  Do not book a flight out before noon either.  And look into Carnival transfers, because UBER/Lyft will be spendy. 

 

The Carnival tour to the ruins out of CM is great - long bus ride, but hey - are you EVER going to get the opportunity to see ruins?  There is walking involved (and climbing if you choose)  The beaches in Majajaul are nice - gorgeous water.

 

Have fun!

[bbagnall]

Thanks for all the helpful info and guidance. It is very useful! 
 

Still thinking about ruins tour in Costa Maya but also found the Maya Chan, that sounds great too. What about just walking around the port area??? 

[tandemcruzr]

We always go to Majujual to get away from the crowding at the port. Lots of nice restaurants on the beach and cheap taxi from the port -- last time it was $3 going and $2 returning per person.

[tkportersat]

On 11/10/2019 at 5:18 PM, bbagnall said:

Hello all!  I am taking my mom on a cruise for her 60th birthday, she's never been anywhere so this should be super fun!  I have cruised before, but not on Carnival.  I am also an avid planner and I feel like I'm supposed to be doing something.  We are driving down from San Antonio and leaving out of Galveston on the Carnival Dream.  I booked us a spa balcony, elected for my time dining, and was able to purchase the Faster to the Fun thing.  Is there anything else I'm supposed to be doing?  Any tips or tricks for a Carnival newbie????

 

Thanks!   

Have you arranged your parking?    If you come in the day before the cruise, La Marque has less expensive lodging.  

[jls522]

I highly recommend Maya Chan! We were there a few years ago and will definitely go back if we're ever in Costa Maya again.

[tkportersat]

56 minutes ago, jls522 said:

I highly recommend Maya Chan! We were there a few years ago and will definitely go back if we're ever in Costa Maya again.

We have done Maya Chan too and really enjoyed it. 

[sabhoy]

Maya Chan!  You can get massage there, too. 

[lazydayz]

There is no need to book an excursion in Cozumel either.  Check out Nachi Cocum (sp?) for a quiet beach day, all inclusive and very few kids.

 

Also recommend Paradise Beach, much cheaper than Nachi and lot more active.  Love the pool at PB. Last time I was there, it was $3 for a wrist band, which buys you use of a chaise lounge and access to the pool and beach.  They ask that you spend $10 per person, which was never an issue for us.  

 

If you do either of these, just grab a taxi at the port.  There will be cabs when you are ready to return to the ship. 

 

The beauty of Paradise Beach is that if it is cloudy or raining, just change your plans and you are not out any money.  Shopping in downtown is quite fun.  We really enjoy the Thirsty Cougar, a bar owned by an American ex pat.  It is right on the strip, facing the water.  Great views, fun drinks and good food. 

Edited November 14, 2019 by lazydayz