lonegreywolf20

1 minute ago, ninjacat123 said:

BTW, congrats on your pending nuptials!!🥰

Thank you!

5 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

I haven't used points so I believe you don't need to.  Just my credit card😺

Okay. Thank you. I just wanted to be sure that you didn't have to acquire points to get the discount.

1 minute ago, ninjacat123 said:

Are you an AARP member?  I believe you need to be a member to access Carnival gift cards. I just looked at my AARP rewards site and there are $450 and $100 Carnival gift cards available for purchase at 10% off.

I understand that I need to be a member, but are points required to purchase at 10% off or can you just buy them without any reward points at all?

4 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

As a first time cruiser, I would recommend using those free valuable resources that a TA or PVP provide.  PVP is personal vacation planner, basically are people that Carnival has work with clients (kind of a Carnival TA) but only deal with Carnival.  In either case they have great knowledge base and are free,,,

I tried to sign up for one, but I guess the website is having issues. Tried on both my phone and PC and each time I hit submit, nothing happened.

1 hour ago, ninjacat123 said:

Speaking of money, have you checked out AARP discount gift cards for Carnival?  You need a membership, don't have to be 50 or over anymore and you can apply your gift cards to pay off your cruise fare, excursions, specialty restaurants, pretty much everything on board and save 10%.  I've been using them on all my cruises and the savings really add up.

Can you just buy them from AARP or do you have to have points?

When I searched, all i could find was that they were under rewards.

6 hours ago, stobe1 said:

Upgrade yourself to a Havana area stateroom. Why mingle with the unwashed masses on your honeymoon when you can have an exclusive pool, hottub and bar? It's worth the extra $$$.

Thank you for the suggestion, but the upgrade would likely put a serious dent in our ability to do excursions.

1 hour ago, DPTexas said:

I do not believe it is Carnival's responsibility to inform cruisers of requirements for entry into a country - such as a Visa, etc.  It has always been our position (and understanding) that it is our individual responsibility to find out what is needed as each may differ.   Your TA or PVP may be able to help, but I would strongly suggest to not rely on them, but to visit each port and/or country's website to find out particular requirements.  Research this yourself and most importantly  - check your passport expiration date!!

I would also suggest you visit Carnival's website to read the "Cruise Ticket Contract Terms", "FAQs" and "Have Fun. Be Safe" sections that can be found in the footer at the front page of its website.   The Cruise Ticket Terms is long, but has a lot of info that (I suspect) most cruises have never read.  The FAQs section under "Know Before You Go" has a sub-section "What travel documents do I need to bring?" and the "Have Fun. Be Safe" section answers the vaccination and testing question (not required, but suggested - but this is for most departures and cruising aboard the ship).

Again, for Visa's and other documentation required by certain ports and countries, it is best to go to the particular website to find out.  Most ports require photo identification (and your Sail & Sign Card) to get back aboard ship.  Carnival will have that info for each port - usually in print form in the staterooms and discussed during pre-port meetings. 

Hopefully I've covered this well-enough.  Others may be able to add additional information.

Happy Cruising!

Thank you!

Not worried about my Passport expiring as I am getting my first passport just for this.

We also do not have a travel agent and I'm not sure what a PVP is. We're doing this on our own.

7 hours ago, DPTexas said:

Congratulations and best wishes!

Even though your cruise is next year, I want to comment on a few things when y'all first board the ship. I think many first time cruisers try to pack too many activities into their first few days and end up overdoing it. Use the HUB app to see what activities are available each day. Some are available multiple times during the day or during the cruise - others are not. Prioritize and plan your activities much like you would on a land vacation. If you accidently miss an activity - see if it or a similar one is available later. The HUB app is great b/c you can tag the activities you want to attend and it will send a reminder. Also use the HUB app to check in for breakfast and dinner if you are eating in the main dining room (MDR).

As soon as you embark, do your muster safety drill first - get it out of the way, making other cruisers and the Captain happy. It's a requirement and best done first. Your boarding pass shows your muster station location and any employee will point y'all in the right direction. 

Then, if the rooms aren't ready (on most cruises they are ready around 1:30), go grab some lunch - lots of choices there. After lunch, go to your stateroom to meet your room steward and unpack. They will ask about your cleaning preferences (most times, but not always) and see if you have any special requests (distilled water, a robe or ice). For the rest of the cruise, your room steward and MDR dinner servers will remember your names. It's crazy how they can do this!

Then, after you are settled in, I would suggest taking some time to walk the ship to get your bearings. We still enjoy doing this no matter how many times we are on the same ship! 

Your choice of an 8-day cruise is great b/c there is plenty of time to enjoy your time together making memories. 

Happy cruising everyone!

Thank you!

Will Carnival send us an email with what will be required documentation for the ports we'll be stopping at? For instance, I see that an Embarkation/Disembarkation card is required for Aruba.

Will they send something on required vaccinations?

21 minutes ago, SRF said:

Name change can be handled by having a "bridging document"

 

So DL in maiden name with marriage certificate will work.

 

But easier to make booking in the same name as your IDs

That is what we did for my future wife. We made the booking in her current name and will change her name when we get back.

8 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Just congrats and after the wedding, you will need to change your cc name..😁

Maybe. I have always been lonegreywolf20. Have had that name since 1997 when I first started using the internet. We'll see.

And thank you!

3 minutes ago, mz-s said:

Tons of information on here for first time cruisers. Do you have any specific questions?

No specific questions, no. I don't know what to ask at this point.

A lot has happened since I last joined this board in 2013. I got divorced in 2016 and am engaged to be married again either on September 2 or 5, 2025. I booked my first cruise ever. Will be the eight-day cruise to the Southern Caribbean on the Carnival Horizon, leaving on September 27, 2025, and returning on October 5, 2025. It will be our honeymoon and while cruising my 51st birthday.

We're really excited about this cruise. I chose it because if I am going to spend all this money on the ship, I want to enjoy the ship too. Having four days of sailing allows us to do that. The little 3 and four-day cruises would have been cheaper, but don't have time to enjoy the ship.

Our cabin is in the front on deck 2 and has two twin beds that can be pushed together to make a king-size bed. We also have porthole windows.

Any tips for first-timers on this specific ship or at all?