bnorris10

For hand washing I use their little bar of soap - For showers I bring my own shamp/condition/soap

This. This goes with anything from the shop. Forgot a few things last time, and paid a huge price. For my next cruise, we are typing up a universal packing checklist well in a advance.

I have one that we have used for years and when ever we travel I pull it up and print it - cross out what i won't need for the trip - Some items are only on the list if we travel by car such as having a cooler or trail mix - some items are only on their for cruising such as having my singles for tipping, etc. Over the years I have maybe had to add a few items here or there that comes up that I need but it works out lovely for us

Ladies, if you are married, make sure the name in your passport and driver's license match, or you may experience problems when asked for a second government ID.

Wrong if you have a passport you are not required to show your driver's license

I will have my passport its just my passport and drivers licence are different names

That does not matter as you only have to show your passport when boarding

You could attempt to get a room that has the bed and a sofa bed

I usually bring about $100 a day for the casino for me and then like $50 per day for the hubby as he rarely gambles but want to make sure he has a little cash if he want's to

I also bring $100 in one's for possibly room service, the piano bar, or random tipping that I feel is necessary like for singers or bar tenders I like, and the porters

I also bring $100 in five's for the same reason as above

I then bring 5 twenties - Usually end up giving $20-$40 to my room stewart depending on how well they kept us stocked in fresh ice and how friendly they were, then the other 3 twenties are used for dining staff depending on how many people we have helping and if we get really good service

Then I generally bring about $100-$300 in cash for port shopping depending on where we are going that is because in some ports I know I won't need much cash since we been there so many times like Freeport and Nassau etc

Then of course I have my credit card to cover onboard purchases

Nope the most you can ever really try to get out of them is some OBC

If you want something for free try NCL that is constantly their promotion but you make up for the difference in the price you pay for the cruise

Have fun make sure you join your roll call so you can possibly meet others on the ship ahead of time

I used it for my upcoming cruise and really like the option. I prefer to pay a bit every month towards the cruise rather than one large payment and this just makes it easier. Nothing to remember, just wooshes the payment automatically.

I don't really see any cons. You can always opt out of it if you need to for any reason.

You can make small monthly payments using a credit card just go and make a payment anytime you want and at least with a credit card you can earn some points to use for later

When I went on my first cruise in 2013 when I woke up in the morning both me and my oldest daughter were sick to our stomach so we headed over to the liquor shop that also sold meds and decided to get the bracelets because at this point we were willing to try anything the lady helped us put them on and like 30 minutes later we were still not feeling good so i pulled out the directions and realized the lady put them on in the wrong spot you basically wanna put your pointer and middle finger next to your wrist line and the plastic part of the bands go right after that - so we readjusted our bands and within like 20 minutes both of us were feeling better - So yes they work - you can get them at walmart for like $8

She won't be allowed in the clubs but maybe join a group for your cruise and see if you can't try and meet another family with kids similar age so you have a leg up knowing someone once on the ship

While it may be creepy she could also hang outside the club and see if she can meet some people that way also

I've never heard this, is it specific to pregnancy or nausea in general?

nausea in general from my understanding of it

U will get it back eventually I rather save the 10 to 15 percent on the gift cards and wait a little longer to get a refund

Also fttf does not get you off the boat earlier except in tender ports

If u want to get off early carry your luggage off and u can walk off first

like the previous poster said bring the documentation from your doctor verifying how many weeks you are along because you are close enough to the 24 week they could refuse entrance

Also if you happen to start getting nauseous on the boat get into the swimming pool I know it sounds weird but it will help with the nausea

I love this site. I've never thought to store them under the bed. This is going to give us so much room with 4 of us in one stateroom. Any other travel hacks? I know someone posted on a different thread about the over the door organizer which I plan to buy.

Bring a expo marker and you can write notes on your mirror

I personally thing over door hanger not worth having I don't ever need it

Bring a old gift card or business card to use for your room lights

Go to casino for a free lanyard

Get free deck of cards from guest services

Also what night is formal night?

2nd night

My three kids (16, 15, 13) and I will be sailing on the Carnival Freedom on January 5, 2019 for 7 days. I am needing some advice on several things...

1. Are excursions worth it? Could we just find our way to a beach on the ports?

2. Is the soda package worth buying?

3. What are some of the hidden fees I need to be aware of before sailing?

4. What are the don't miss activities for my kids and me?

 

Thanks SO much!!

1. In most cases you should have no problem finding your way to the beach by grabbing a taxi cab but research the port ahead of time to find the best beach location so you can tell the driver where you want to go

2. If you drink more than 3-4 glasses of soda per day then yes it's worth it

3. There really are not hidden fees - There are extra fees for specialty restaurants, gambling, spa services, excursions, alcohol, sodas, and speciality drinks and those are all optional so you don't have to get them

4. It really depends on what you and your kids like to do the hubby and I NEVER miss the piano bar, we also never miss elegant night on the 7 nighters because we love getting our lobster, my daughter loves the slides and will spend forever on them

Tip the room steward the VERY FIRST time you see him. Let him know who you are and in what cabin. You'll get better cabin attention then waiting until the end ....... We always do this and they are very appreciative. Cash on top of prepaid grats.

I have never had to tip a room steward for fabulous service - my room stewards have always been awesome

????

LMAO

I meant we had to wait for them because they booked thru MSC so I imagine its the same way with carnival

I did not have to purchase a cake for my birthday or anniversary for both occasions I was brought out this single serve cake that was delicious

We have been on quite a few 3 day cruises including carnival liberty - and really i have never seen anything totally crazy - if people start acting out and make you uncomfortable move to a different part of the ship there is plenty of room for everyone to enjoy themselves

You also get special spa products shampoo conditioner etc in your room Elemis ... yummy yummy i love that stuff

My guess is it was a carnival excursion guest

when I was on MSC we ended up having to wait in port an extra 4 hours waiting for guests to get on the boat because they booked thru carnival - the delay did not effect any of other ports

You really don't have to tip anything other than what is already being tipped to begin with but if you decide to

For the steward I generally tip one lump sum at the end unless they do something extra special for me then I will tip them after what ever special thing they did for me - For instance one time I tipped a guy on my first night because we blew our fan out on a wrong converter in Europe and he went and dug up a fan for me to use while on my trip so he got an extremely good tip at 2 am in the morning LOL

For people I visit often like i go to get my milkshake every day and generally its the same person there so i will slip them something at the end of the trip

Same with bartenders if I have some faves I will slip them something at the end

The piano bar we slip a few bucks each night we go

If you going to the Caribbean December is a nice time to go its not to hot yet still warm enough to enjoy the beach

first week of December is usually pretty cheap