New To Carnival - What Do I Need To Know?

Title says it all. We will be taking our first cruise on Carnival some time later this year. We have not yet decided which cruise, but we will most likely sail in September or October. Any helpful hints for first time CCL cruisers would be appreciated greatly.

Hard to answer such a broad question with no info about what you already might know about cruising??

Have you been on other cruise lines?

Are you cruising alone, couple, children???

Different info for different folks.

Hi! Have you cruised before? It would help to know in order to answer.

We are relatively new to Carnival also - we will cruise our third time with them this Sept on the Elation. We have cruised Royal, Disney, and Norwegian, in the past.

Anyway if I can offer any advice (as a sort of Newbie myself) I would love to!

I will add one thing- we use FTTF. Some people do not like it - we love it and wouldn't cruise carnival without it. Primarily because of getting into our cabin when we board. We really appreciate being able to drop our bags as soon as we board. As well as debarktation has been a breeze with FTTF. Maybe it is without?? I don't know. We always have it. Lol

If you are interested It's an excursion that you can book once you have your cruise booked. It costs 59$ per cabin, not per person. And they only have so many per cruise so get it as soon as you book and if it is not available keep looking, especially around finale payment time. HTH

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I second FTTF (Faster to the fun)...so worth it. We cruised on Carnival Elation in July 2015.

Don't get set on an itinerary. September and October can be filled with alternative routes because of hurricanes.

Title says it all. We will be taking our first cruise on Carnival some time later this year. We have not yet decided which cruise, but we will most likely sail in September or October. Any helpful hints for first time CCL cruisers would be appreciated greatly.

Best thing to do is browse here and read threads that interest you as you research/plan your cruise. You will learn 10X more that way than we can volunteer.

Buy trip insurance if you schedule a cruise during hurricane season.

How does CCL deal with tips? Is it all up to the passenger or is there a daily 'tip' fee of any sort?

Are there any charges other than the cruise fare, taxes, and port fees listed when you book your cabin?

For the Inside cabins with three passengers, are the sleeping accommodations for the 3rd passengers the beds that fold down off of the wall or ate they the beds that pop out from under the main two beds?

Is there assigned dining times or can you eat whenever you want?

Are there any things that I shoudl be aware of if one member of our party is mobility impaired?

Thanks!

How does CCL deal with tips? Is it all up to the passenger or is there a daily 'tip' fee of any sort?

 

Are there any charges other than the cruise fare, taxes, and port fees listed when you book your cabin?

 

For the Inside cabins with three passengers, are the sleeping accommodations for the 3rd passengers the beds that fold down off of the wall or ate they the beds that pop out from under the main two beds?

 

Is there assigned dining times or can you eat whenever you want?

 

Are there any things that I shoudl be aware of if one member of our party is mobility impaired?

 

Thanks!

Tips are automatic and you can prepay them or they are on your final bill at the end of the cruise. They are $12.50 per day, per passenger. You can always do the tipping yourself, but that's a hassle and unfair to all of the hardworking employees on the ship if you miss out on tipping them. Some people don't tip at all and don't realise that money is basically the employees salary.

When you book the cruise, taxes & fees are calculated in the final price. Port fees are also, but they vary based on your itinerary. This goes for all cruise lines.

If there's a third passenger in an interior, it's going to be a pull down bed, not a trundle. Some categories are exceptions and the 3rd passenger sleeps on a sofa bed (Carnival's sofa bed isn't what you think. It's more, take off the decorative pillows of the sofa and put a sheet on it! It's way more comfy than a traditional sofa bed to me).

Assigned times for dinning are usually 6:00 & 8:15. You can also select YTD (your time dining) which you can eat between 5:45-9:30, but you will have to wait like at a normal restaurant and there are waits.

If one of your party is impaired, book a handicap accessible cabin. Just call Carnival (or PVP & TA) and they will book one for you. If they are booked, usually people who aren't handicapped are in them and Carnival will move them out.

If you have anymore questions, let me know!

How does CCL deal with tips? Is it all up to the passenger or is there a daily 'tip' fee of any sort?

 

Are there any charges other than the cruise fare, taxes, and port fees listed when you book your cabin?

 

For the Inside cabins with three passengers, are the sleeping accommodations for the 3rd passengers the beds that fold down off of the wall or ate they the beds that pop out from under the main two beds?

I have researched a lot of ships, and it depends. Some cabins have trundles , some have pull down bunks, and some have a sofa. You can find out what the cabin has by doing a mock booking. When you choose a cabin it shows what kinds of beds are in cabin..

 

Is there assigned dining times or can you eat whenever you want?

 

Are there any things that I shoudl be aware of if one member of our party is mobility impaired?

 

Thanks!

If you are a smoker or hate smoke, CCL has an awesome pdf file on where all the smoking sections are on each ship. Some have a lot of areas, others only have a couple small areas..search for it website..

You can bring a 12 pack of canned soda or any other non alcoholic drink, for each person cruising. No bottles.. You can bring a bottle of wine for each person over 21.. All this must be in your carry on bags.

I would also add that if you purchase your cruise using Early Saver rates that you should keep an eye on the prices. If there is a price drop you can contact Carnival and either get a reduced rate (if final payment has not been made) or an onboard credit (if final payment has been made).

The beverages included in the price are water, tea, coffee, lemonade and juices and milk in the morning. You can purchase an unlimited soft drink package as well as alcoholic drink packages.

What do you need to know? That its not necessarily better or worse than other cruise lines you may or may not have been on. Just different. Go with an open mind, avoid making comparisons or any statements that start with "back on cruise line "XYZ"...".

We adjust our expectations every time that we sail on a different cruise line. I recommend that you do the same for your upcoming Carnival cruise, but most importantly, have fun!

--I too love FTTF, if you can get it. It's under excursions after your book your cruise, and listed on the port city. You can only buy once you are booked on a cruise, and there is no way to check if it's available before you book unless you call CCL. They only offer a limited number for each sailings. Many perks. ...if it's sold out keep checking daily as they add them sometimes depending on the number of diamond/platinum ppl sailing.

--I like the assigned dining times; it's "old school" cruising, you eat with the same table companions (who probably will become "friends") and you get the same wait team each dinner, and they will get to know your preferences. IF you choose ATD, then you may have to wait for a table depending on when you get there, and you will dine with different people and (probably) have different wait teams, although it is much more flexible.

--Buy CCL gift cards at 10% off from Verizon Smart Rewards, Citi Easy Deals or AARP and you can save 10% off EVERYTHING, as these can be used to book, plus pay for entire onboard account (unlike the RCCL "certificates" sold by the same sites which don't work like that!)

--Early or Late seating? I like Early seating because you can get to all the evening entertainment that way. The big production shows will run twice, once for each seating, but Carnival is known for doing a lot of comedy, and the comedians don't repeat shows - so if you are into the comedy you probably want early seating. Also, if you are on a port-heavy itinerary, check the times you will leave port, as that could affect your decision of which dining time to choose.

--Three words: Melting Chocolate Cake. Order it often. ....You're welcome.

Have fun! I love Carnival much better than RCCL, and it's a better value in my opinion. Don't sweat the small stuff and relax!

Cheers!

Jeff aka Recovery Dude

Tips are automatic and you can prepay them or they are on your final bill at the end of the cruise. They are $12.50 per day, per passenger. You can always do the tipping yourself, but that's a hassle and unfair to all of the hardworking employees on the ship if you miss out on tipping them. Some people don't tip at all and don't realise that money is basically the employees salary.

 

When you book the cruise, taxes & fees are calculated in the final price. Port fees are also, but they vary based on your itinerary. This goes for all cruise lines.

 

If there's a third passenger in an interior, it's going to be a pull down bed, not a trundle. Some categories are exceptions and the 3rd passenger sleeps on a sofa bed (Carnival's sofa bed isn't what you think. It's more, take off the decorative pillows of the sofa and put a sheet on it! It's way more comfy than a traditional sofa bed to me).

 

Assigned times for dinning are usually 6:00 & 8:15. You can also select YTD (your time dining) which you can eat between 5:45-9:30, but you will have to wait like at a normal restaurant and there are waits.

 

If one of your party is impaired, book a handicap accessible cabin. Just call Carnival (or PVP & TA) and they will book one for you. If they are booked, usually people who aren't handicapped are in them and Carnival will move them out.

 

If you have anymore questions, let me know!

Tips are actually $12/person/day.

If you are a smoker or hate smoke, CCL has an awesome pdf file on where all the smoking sections are on each ship. Some have a lot of areas, others only have a couple small areas..search for it website..

 

You can bring a 12 pack of canned soda or any other non alcoholic drink, for each person cruising. No bottles.. You can bring a bottle of wine for each person over 21.. All this must be in your carry on bags.

All non-smokers and would like to avoid it as much as possible.

I am looking at a cabin for three. The ones available that meet our needs all state that "Two twin beds (convert to king). A trundle bed will be provided if a third guest is booked to this stateroom. Desk and seat. Full bathroom with shower. 3 closets." What is this trundle bed like and how much does it kill the usable space in the cabin (inside cabin)?

What is this trundle bed like and how much does it kill the usable space in the cabin (inside cabin)?

What ship are you looking at? It WILL take most of your usable "free" floor space, specially if you're in an inside cabin or an oceanview in a Fantasy class ship.

With that said, your best bet is to call Carnival directly. An agent can look up all cabins available and select one that has an upper bunk or a sleeper sofa (depending on ship) and which will not require a trundle bed. I know that doing things online may seem like the easiest and most efficient way, but this is one time when picking up the phone and calling someone live will make a huge difference.

I am looking at a cabin for three. The ones available that meet our needs all state that "Two twin beds (convert to king). A trundle bed will be provided if a third guest is booked to this stateroom. Desk and seat. Full bathroom with shower. 3 closets." What is this trundle bed like and how much does it kill the usable space in the cabin (inside cabin)?

We did a trundle bed on the Fantasy in an inside on the Verandah deck. My (then) teenaged son slept on it. It takes ALOT of your floor space. We did the beds as twins and pushed two against the wall. The trundle was a little short compared to a normal bed. I would say it all depends on who is sleeping in it.

Title says it all. We will be taking our first cruise on Carnival some time later this year. We have not yet decided which cruise, but we will most likely sail in September or October. Any helpful hints for first time CCL cruisers would be appreciated greatly.

If you're looking at a Caribbean cruise, you might want to consider a Southern Caribbean itinerary. September and October are hurricane season months. Although a hurricane can develop most anywhere, they seem to be less of a problem in the Southern Caribbean. Also, if on board amenities (Guy's Burgers, Blue Iguana Cantina, etc.) are important to you, focus your attention on those ships that have the amenities you're looking for.