What do I need to know about going on a Carnival Cruise?

Question

My husband has booked us to go in June for our 20th anniversary. I am excited and wondering what I need to know that our travel agent is not telling us. I am planning to enjoy myself, I just want to know what to expect.

Answer 1

My wife was the one to do the 'Unthought' of list. HERE is what she packed :
1.) Waterproof underwater camera. The FUJI model worked just great. I shot up 6x32 shot rolls. So, IF you are going snorkelling or scuba, TAKE A CAMERA.
Please, do not go in the water @ the beaches with sun tan oil on.
The suntan products....SPF blockers are KILLING THE REEFS all over the world. Wipe your self off with a towel, atleast.
CopperTone wont tell you that.

2.) Be prepared for the 'cattle drive' when you get to Miami port to board.......AFTER you have verified a credit card and passport. Its quite a wait to get on the boat.

3.) Be ready to eat what ever you want, and plenty of everything!
The midnight buffets are worth skipping lunch!! And, the Bistros all over the place on the Lido deck
Hopefully you got a balcony suite. Naked sun bathing is everywhere, up by the funnel.....many!
So, if you want some real privacy, get a balcony OR upgrade to one if you have gotten a cabin reserved already.

4.) On lobster night.........DONT FORGET TO ORDER ALL YOU WANT.

5.) Room service is pretty good.....Its someone else hauling tray after tray to your room.What could be better??
Nothing major on the menu, but to help a good drunk get on to bed, its worth it.

6.) Dont jump to the water from the 6th deck balcony. However the flying fish still look big from up there ;-)
KNOW the emergency exit plan and pay close attention to the 'sfty briefing' before you cruise......before you even leave port.

6.) GET READY TO RELAX.....AND DO IT!!! You have NEVER seen BLUE water as that in the Carribean! Just awesome.
And the SUN is just incredible. The night before arriving to a port of call...leave your curtains open so you will wake up to sunshine and green!!!! St Johns was way cool.
The ships pool is salt water...you can float forever! Sun burn was not a problem. Should have been I do think, tho.

Last one is DO NOT BOOK ANY EXCURSIONS ON LINE BEFORE YOU GO.
The ship has the best ones. We learned that the hard way.

Answer 2

I am sure you will have a great time! I have been on many Carnival cruises. If it is a seven day cruise, you will have two formal nights, so remember to bring something dressy for those. Even if you don't like to lay out, there are tons of activities to choose from on ship days! Of course, you can always just lounge around somewhere and read a good book.

I love the singalong piano bar for night life activities. The shows are usually fun. too!

Also, I never gain weight on cruises because I never use the elevator and I stay active with all the fun activities. Have a blast and a half!

Answer 3

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Answer 4

The only down side to cruising I found was gaining weight. There is an abundance of food on the ship. They have their regularly scheduled meals and buffet's in between. Everything you'll need will be on the ship and you really don't have to worry about forgetting anything. That's the beauty of a cruise.

Answer 5

Comfy clothes, swimsuitS (you don't want to always wear a wet one the next day), casual clothes, comfy walking shoes, one formal thing for the captain's night at dinner, a camera, sunglasses, a ton of sunscreen, a hat or cap, a totally empty credit card (you'll need this to get your ship credit card so you can bill stuff to your room), some cash (for cabs on shore and tips) and a hell of an appetite!

You might want to bring your own beach towel unless you plan on buying overpriced ones on board or on the excursions. Have fun, it's a blast!

Answer 6

Take a bathing suit, a good book, and lose 10 lbs before you leave home. It is physically possible to not enjoy a Carnival Cruise, but it has never happened to me!

However, if you are queasy about motion, I strongly suggest an OUTSIDE cabin.

Answer 7

take some clothes to grow into. My brother in law said the only thing to do on their cruise was to eat and everybody gained weight.

Answer 8

you have to pay for drinks.. but you can buy a drink card
for an amount of money. one card cost the same for
everyone .. whether you buy one drink [pop,liquor, juice,ect.]
or one hundred

also, make sure you go to the cruise meeting they have
they give you alot of info on the sore excursions.

other than that? have fun & take lots of money..

Answer 9

take w/you a survival kit,life jacket of your own,and know the emergency exits gl have plenty of fun dont forget the emergency kit like water, can opener, can foods,flash light,

Answer 10

One thing I can tell you - don't call it a boat - they'll get really mad.