Monday, April 1, 2024

12 Carnival Cruise Tips and Tricks for Maximum Cruising Fun

carnival cruise tips

So perhaps it makes sense that it has one of the most extensive children's programs at sea. The line has formal children's programming and activities for children as young as 2 years old through the age of 17. There's almost always a piano bar that's home to lively singalongs. Carnival also uses its big theaters for lots of interactive shows that involve you, the passenger, getting a little silly. They include Lip Sync Battle Carnival — a shipboard adaptation of the Paramount Network TV series — and Hasbro, the Game Show.

What to pack for a Mediterranean Cruise

It’s a fun pastime to explore the ship and see if you can find it. It’s usually located on an upper deck in a public area where anyone can access it. If you fall into that second group, check out the Serenity area on your Carnival ship. While you have to be 21 to drink on the ship, gambling is a different story. Carnival allows those 18 years and older to play in the casino.

Book Your Activities and Dining Early

Foul smells, small cabins, and no ventilation are a bad combo. Pack some air freshener with you on your next cruise. If you want to head from the back of the ship to the front of the ship, you might have to go up or down a floor or two to make your way the length of many Carnival ships.

The ultimate guide to Carnival Cruise Line ships and itineraries

If you’re unsure whether you’ve found one, it doesn’t hurt to try the door. If it’s an employees-only area, it should be locked. But if you're planning to stay connected to your life back home, you'll want to decide how you'll be connecting to Wifi. Whether this is your first Carnival cruise or your first cruise ever, there are lots of things to know about this popular cruise line. Half Moon Cay is Carnival's private island in The Bahamas.

carnival cruise tips

It can be oh-so-tempting to get up early and set your things down on a lounger to reserve that prime poolside real estate for the day. Reserving pool chairs for an extended period of time is not allowed on many cruise lines, including Carnival. Start searching for the best Carnival cruises here. No need for a wallet (especially if you pack a lanyard!), because your Sail & Sign card is all you'll need to pay for onboard expenses. Here are some of the best ways to enjoy all that Carnival offers in the way of restaurants and dining experiences. While Carnival has ATMs on board, you'd be best to bring cash with you if you want to avoid high ATM fees (some travelers report fees as high as $6 per transaction!).

carnival cruise tips

Don’t Ignore Boat Drills

And as I ate as much frozen yogurt as I could, I learned a few Carnival cruise tips about what to do (or not to do) while you are sailing. Here are the most useful Carnival cruise hacks about dining, free alcohol and more on-board you will be glad you knew before getting on the ship. Whether you use a travel agent or not, make sure to maximize your credit card points when paying for the cruise by using a credit card that offers extra points for travel purchases. This could be the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which offers 3 Ultimate Rewards points on travel and dining (excluding the annual $300 travel credit). There's also the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, which brings 2 Ultimate Rewards points on travel and 3 Ultimate Rewards points on dining. Nonalcoholic drinks in glass or plastic bottles are not allowed.

Before booking, research all of Carnival's embarkation ports

That said, understanding what is covered with your automatically applied service gratuities can feel a little confusing. I'd recommend checking out Carnival's gratuities guide for more information. But that doesn't mean you need to waste precious packing space on a gown. Yes, you definitely want to have cruise insurance in place no matter what time of year you're traveling, but make sure you look at a couple of third-party policies before you book.

There's now at least one waterslide on all but one ship in the Carnival fleet (Carnival Luminosa) — something no other line can say. The top decks of Carnival vessels are covered in family-focused attractions – pools, waterslide areas and bustling fun zones with such draws as ropes courses and miniature golf. Carnival Panorama also houses Carnival's first cooking classroom. When it comes to raucous, though, nothing on Carnival ships quite compares to the frequent karaoke nights on board.

Keep Documents Safe When in Port

If you want, you can fuel up a little early and head to the ship's buffet before it closes for another snack. Anyone who owns at least 100 shares of Carnival Corporation is eligible to receive an onboard credit during each cruise. One of the first things that guests want to pack is a camera.

The self-described "fun ship" line is the king of short, affordable, fun-focused cruises from U.S. ports to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Mexico and other nearby destinations. No matter where you live in the U.S., you're probably within a few hours of a Carnival ship. A longtime staple and favorite of all ages, the warm chocolate melting cake from the main dining room is not to be missed if you’re a chocolate fan.

6 Bahamas Cruise Tips You Need to Know Before You Go - Cruise Critic

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All of your onboard expenses are charged to your own Sail & Sign Card. Just present the card when purchasing anything on board. You can check the balance of your Sail & Sign Card accounts at onboard kiosks or through the interactive TV system in your stateroom.

Check out your ship’s alcohol policy before boarding and BYOBooze. Most cruise lines will allow for you to bring at least one bottle of wine onto the ship. My husband doesn’t drink wine so he will bring his mixers on the ship and then order a bottle of his favorite spirits and have it delivered to the room on embarkation day. This method saves us a few dollars on each cruise we take. Unfortunately, your Carnival cruise is not all-inclusive.

One of the best first-time cruise tips is learning that you can access a layout of the ships. Research your ship and enjoy virtual tours and view deck plans. Download the deck plans to a PDF file, print it out and review it before your cruise.

While it’s easy to get cups of water all around the ship, if you want to bring water into port, you’ll either have to pay for bottled water or bring your own. If you wait to book your specialty dining venues and shore excursions until you're on board you may already be too late. Again, the Carnival fleet sails large ships and there is always limited capacity. Who knew something as simple as a resealable plastic bag could be a cruiser’s best friend?

It makes it affordable to book that trip you’ve had your eye on. While drinks on the ship can be pricey — $6-8 for a beer and $10-12 for a cocktail — the bars in port cater to thirsty cruisers with cheap drink specials. Our suggestion is to try and dress up some, but don’t stress. And if you don’t want to change out of shorts and sandals, it’s your cruise.

Offer complimentary lunches, or you can enjoy Emeril's New Orleans fare or sushi for an extra charge. One of Carnival's best-included meals is the sea day brunch, offered all morning long on days with no port stops. The app is free, and you do not need a cruise ship internet plan to access it. You'll also want to carry electronics and valuables, and important medications on board with you as well. If you're in the market for a new card, apply for one before you book your vacation at sea and apply the cost of your cruise toward your minimum spend to earn the signup bonus. Carnival EasyPay is available on select cruises booked at least five months in advance.

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