STBMrsP

You go to Sting Ray City, Turtle Farm, Rum Factory and Hell.

Hi! Can you give any kind of idea about how much time is spent at each place? I looked up the tour on their website, but it doesn't go into much detail, and it's only a 4-hour excursion. Just wondering if you are able to get out and actually swim with the rays and the turtles, and do rum tasting, or how that all works. Thanks!

Unfortunately, I don't live anywhere near a port and so I need to fly there. I may have to just end up carrying it the whole time until we're on the boat. :eek:

I am just wondering what people have brought on the boat with them and how best to pack those things. We are getting married in port at Cozumel in May, and thinking about bringing some things rather than pay some of the insane amounts for the extras. For instance, thinking of doing silk flowers, or eco flowers (anyone have any experience with this brand?), but really not sure how the heck to pack these without squishing them! Also, best advice for packing wedding dress - it's not a chiffon, or flowy dress, but not sure what material it is. Also, has anyone ever used the laundry services for their dress on board for steaming? Really would love to hear what you've brought and how you did it!

Thanks! :)

Update...

I've found a couple of things on Etsy to adorn/include in our welcome bags. Pics are attached.

Bag Tags:

They are a super price! Just a nice little touch if you don't want to spend the $ to personalize the bags themselves. Also, I think people would be more likely to use the bags if they are not personalized.

Welcome Cards:

I think the welcome cards allow you to leave a nice, personal note of appreciation with everyone. The nice thing about those is that it's a digital file for a single amount, and you can print as many as you need. I've been in touch with the store owner, and she is willing to work with you to customize - I'm just going to do a welcome card with a note on front and map of the islands on back. She also adjusted the price accordingly!

MindyMarie, we are not going to have very many people attending. We booked just a few days ago, and so a lot of people that we would normally expect to try to make the trip just aren't able with the short notice. I definitely know that I want to do tote bags, and the koozies are a good idea. I'll have to check out that Etsy shop. i'm struggling with trying to keep costs down while still providing something nice for the guests that are taking so much time and spending so much money to be with us. And, unfortunately, with a small number attending, I'm running into higher costs of items such as the bags. I will certainly try to update this as it gets closer and I'm finding things to include!

Thanks Mailgirl183! This site looks like it's actually affordable, even for the tote bags. I will have to bookmark the website for sure!

Or on Carnival (and NCL) you could load what's left onto your players card at the casino and then cash it out. You might lose 3% (on NCL) but it's better than waiting 6 weeks for a check.

Thanks! I would not have known this, but it is great to know for those of our guests who will not have a credit card!

I will be on the Carnival Conquest for a 5-day trip in May, and cannot find anything about whether there is to be a formal night. Does anyone know where I could find this information? I've seen many posts about formal nights, and many that said this isn't a thing anymore. Just looking for some direction on this.

Secondly, I am getting married in port on this trip, and curious about the laundry services onboard. I would probably be looking for steaming to get out wrinkles. Anyone have experience with their laundry services/steaming?

Is this something that can be done after fact? Do you know what the standard times are for early or late? The cruise line website is not so user friendly with these kinds of questions.

If you're using cash, I would check into what happens if you don't use all that you deposited. This is my first cruise, but I have been researching the cruise line website and these forums about everything under the sun. On Carnival, at least, it stated that you can open an onboard account using cash, but that if you don't spend all of what you put into it, you would have to wait for them to send you a check for the unspent balance. Might want to just look into that a little bit.

Newbie question.... can you choose what dining time? I noticed that when we booked our cruise a few days ago, that it says "Early Dining". We never saw an option for that when we were booking.

Hi all! I am getting married in Cozumel during our cruise on the Carnival Conquest in May. I'd love to do welcome bags for the guests that do choose to cruise with us because it's a huge chunk of time and money they're spending to celebrate with us. What are some of the items that you've seen guests really appreciate? Also, if anyone has suggestions on inexpensive totes that can be personalized, let me know!

Thank you!

Somebody did point this out to me when I first posted, and I have since found that board and posted there as well. However, if it were not for the people on this board, I would not have known that skipping a port was even an option! This has proved an invaluable resource just for that alone!

I couldn't deal with the uncertainty! I've changed my wedding to Cozumel instead, and already feel like a huge load has been lifted off of my shoulders. I want to thank you all for your honesty and suggestions about the Grand Cayman port. It's still in our cruise itinerary, so hopefully we'll still get there, but I feel much better about this!

I've been freaking out a little bit about having my wedding in port at Grand Cayman, mostly because I have been told that the port if frequently skipped. Any brides on here get married in port at Grand Cayman? I'd love to hear about your experience!

Hello everyone! Congratulations to all of you! I just stumbled upon this thread, and boy am I glad I did! My fiancé and I finally gave up the big wedding/courthouse argument and settled on a cruise wedding. I'm so excited, but it's coming up quick, and we haven't booked it yet because the entire payment is due right away - so, needless to say, I'm freaking out a little. :eek:

I have been browsing through the thread, and see a lot of great advice - I am definitely setting up a Facebook group! Our wedding will be in May in Grand Cayman (as long as it's still available when I can book later this week). At this point, I think I'm just going to forego the STDs and do the FB group. We are not planning to invite very many people - just those who are closest to us - and they already are aware of the dates.

Questions I still need answered pertain to a few different things:

1. How do you pack/transport/store the dress on board?
   
2. I've seen a lot about bringing flowers and decorations. Does this mean that these are not offered in port at all?
   
3. Do you have to go through a Carnival agent to book with a deposit vs. paying in full for the cruise?
   

I'm sure I will have more questions as this process moves along, but appreciate any and all help/advice!

Okay, if I wasn't freaking out enough already before, now I am really freaking out! Thank you all for your honesty about the port in Grand Cayman, although I am now second-guessing everything! I called Carnival to ask about this, and they did confirm that with this port and Half Moon Cay, there is a chance of not being able to tender in because of rough waters. However, that in May, it really should be fine since this typically happens in late Fall/Winter. She also assured me that if this did happen, the cruise line would do what they could to make sure we still have a wedding. Not sure how much I believe that given the language I've seen about skipping ports. I'm thinking getting married prior is probably the way to go.

I didnt think Carnival did weddings in port. Always thought it was done before sailing

Carnival does in a variety of their ports - some of them are on a beach and some are at specific locations (i.e. I'm looking at a restaurant for mine). Their base price is a little more than on the boat, but we don't need to worry about a normal reception (I figure we'll just take advantage of the restaurant for food and the boat for entertainment that night as we're not having many guests anyway).

Hi Everyone. I have been reading many of the threads over the last week, and you all have such great insight on cruising. I am kind of in deep water (HA!) since I have only 4 months to plan my wedding in port in May, and have never cruised before. I've got so many questions and if anyone can help, I would greatly appreciate it!

Here goes:

1) Location - Grand Cayman: Getting super nervous about this because I've only seen how much this port is skipped. Anyone have experience getting married in this port that can ease my mind, or give me insight as to what could happen if we have to skip the port? Carnival tells me one thing, but I'd like to hear from people who've actually gone through this.

2) Add-ons: How do these work for in port weddings? Is this an option? I'm referring to things such as flowers or cake, etc.

3) Packing: This is giving me anxiety! I've seen some things about checking luggage - what does that mean on a cruise ship? Does it work the same as an airplane? I'm not really planning to bring lots of décor type stuff, more worried about bringing my dress, welcome bags for guests, etc.

4) Getting to Port: Do I need to be dressed before leaving the boat, or does that happen in port at the location? (We are not getting married on the beach) Can anyone give me a typical timeline/how-the-day-goes rundown for an in port wedding?

5) Other Locations: Given the amount that I have seen people say Grand Cayman is skipped, I would love suggestions for a back-up port. We DO NOT want to be on a beach, but Carnival does not have pictures of their port ceremony sites. Does anyone have pics they can share of other port sites (maybe gazebo, garden, etc.)?

6) Tendering: I have no idea how this works....can someone please explain?

Probably so many more questions, just can't think of them now. But really, any advice is welcomed!

Thank you!

Hello everyone!

I am new to the community, and see that so many of you have a ton of valuable information to share. In May of this year, my fiancé and I will be doing a cruise wedding in port in Grand Cayman aboard Carnival Sensation. Neither one of us has cruised before, and I am super nervous as I am super detail oriented and like to know everything prior to doing something.

Any tips on what to expect on any and all parts of the cruise would be appreciated! Also, I don't really know how meals/drinks work onboard. Lastly, if anyone has experience being a cruise bride, I'd really love to hear from you!

Thank you!