"I wish I knew before..."

[DarryDFL]

Ok a few things:

Question: Do we really have to have our luggage out in the hallway the night before the end of the cruise? I mean, this freaks me out.. I do not want my bellongings out in the hall overnight. Thanks

 

YES, you must. It is from there that your luggage will be moved for transfer to shore and to be searched by customs.

The luggage does not remain there overnight. It's moved, beginning a few minutes after midnight, to the hold for transfer.

We have never lost any luggage or anything from our luggage on any voyage that we have been on.

Be sure you keep out clothes for the morning. More than one husband has had his wife frantically searching for something for him to wear off the ship.

We lay out of disembarkation clothes separate and apart from all our other stuff when we begin the packing process. I recommend you do the same.

[CptSticky]

Ok a few things:

 

I literally read the whole thread.. Awesome thread!

 

 

For us first timers that do drink.. There is an option called Bon Voyage through Carnival. You can pre buy bottles of liquor to have delivered to your room before you leave to drink while on your cruise. I called the other day. For instance, I pay $30 for a 1 liter bottle of Captain Morgans spiced rum. Through Bon Voyage I will pay $40. NOt a bad deal at all in order to have liquor on borad to make drinks with and not have to pay an arm and a leg for a drink. There is no limit to the amount of bottles you pre order..

 

Question: Do we really have to have our luggage out in the hallway the night before the end of the cruise? I mean, this freaks me out.. I do not want my bellongings out in the hall overnight..

 

Still having a hard time understanding this whole hold on our credit cards though.. I think I am going to go the cash route.. If I am understanding this correctly.. Lets say I give Carnival $1000 cash to hold for me instead of using my credit card.. As I charge to my room, the amount I gave them will be deducted, correct? If I run out of money, I can just give them more cash to add to my account..

 

What about the casino's? We play Black Jack.. Do they take cash? I am sailing on Carnival Pride in August..

Thanks

It's been a long time since I've sailed Carnival, but on RCI if you don't put out your luggage, you have to carry it off the ship yourself. Yes, they do take cash in the casino.

[ava_girl_123]

Ok Thank you

[Mommyof1]

 

5. When you see a group a other cruisers trying to take pictures of each other in front of an attraction, take their camera, make them all get into the shot and take the picture for them.

 

 

I love this tip! I've been trying to do this more often. Last cruise it was just my DH and I. We would offer to take other people's pictures and then ask them to take ours in return. Everyone was always so happy that we offered.

[bsblindab]

One thing I realized is that under the bed is storage..not a boxspring..for almost a week I was looking at open suitcases or closed ones...Made the room look so messy..Oh well live and learn

[Bahama Gal85]

This thread was awesome, read the whole thing during down time at work today. I cruise in 73 days!! I'm taking my mom for her 50th bday & we travel with 10 aunts, uncles & cousins. We're on Carnival Valor W. Caribbean. Can't wait!!! :D:D:D

 

Can 3 adults in one room have three seperate sail & sign accounts? We will be using cash.

[GlendaleCruiser]

This thread was awesome, read the whole thing during down time at work today. I cruise in 73 days!! I'm taking my mom for her 50th bday & we travel with 10 aunts, uncles & cousins. We're on Carnival Valor W. Caribbean. Can't wait!!! :D:D:D

 

Can 3 adults in one room have three seperate sail & sign accounts? We will be using cash.

 

 

Absolutely! You each get your own Sail &Sign account with a different "folio" number. If you are using cash, take it to Guest Services (the purser) and apply it toward your S&S.

 

Congrats on your upcoming cruise. Sounds like you all will have tons of fun.

[Ripeka]

I have seen a lot of mention of duct tape (and then people saying how they took it and never used it - of course its something you will only use IF there is a problem and lets face it, we never know when there is gonna be a problem. When you've got it though AND need it, its irreplaceable however).

 

However, instead of duct tape, I take a roll of sticky sports strapping tape. We have used this for 1)strapping an injured rolled ankle (its VERY supportive) 2) strapping together a deep cut on the bottom of a foot which was injured on coral (after flushing it out thoroughly of course and treated with antibacterial stuff), 3) taping up broken luggage 4) holding anything else together or in place - we used it one time to strap together a sandel that had come apart and there would have been no other way to keep the sandel operational for the duration of the holiday. its GREAT stuff and so versatile :)

 

I would imagine it would also be great for holding balcony doors/drawers & cupboards in place when ship is in rough weather.

 

If I leave it behind, you can guarantee that is the one time i WILL need it:o

[mydogbuffett]

This thread was awesome, read the whole thing during down time at work today. I cruise in 73 days!! I'm taking my mom for her 50th bday & we travel with 10 aunts, uncles & cousins. We're on Carnival Valor W. Caribbean. Can't wait!!! :D:D:D

 

Can 3 adults in one room have three seperate sail & sign accounts? We will be using cash.

 

Yes u can have three seperate accounts. I booked Conquest on May 9 with a friend and his stuff goes on his credit card and mine goes on mine. Filled out he documents online and it has a place to do this.

[Bars7816]

That's a good one. I'm so dumb, I thought they were just being neighborly! ;)

[Bars7816]

Great ideas. Why are people paying to be cranky? They could be unpleasant at home for free.

[Calgon1]

1) Arrive in your embarkation port the day before. I can't imagine anything worse than your flight being delayed and, as you're turning on final for the runway, seeing your ship sailing out of the harbor ... Plus, by arriving a day early, you allow yourself an extra buffer, in case your luggage ends up misrouted and you need to pick up something to hold you over till it can be found and returned to you. you're on vacation. Take the extra time to avoid the stress ...

 

2) Break out of the herd. You don't have to go on a shore excursion in every port. Many excursions you can create for yourself by simply hiring a taxi driver for the day, at a much lower cost than the ship booked excursions. There are some risks involved in doing this, but if you're careful, and research your ports, you won't have any problems. Consider staying on the ship. Indeed, port days can be very relaxing for those choosing this option. There are seldom any lines in the pools, bars, or dining areas. The shops and the spa usually offer really decent price reductions.

 

3) Inside cabins. The couple staying in the penthouse cabin will be sitting at the same table, eating the same wonderful foods, visiting the same ports of call, and experiencing the same things as you ... they'll just be paying anywhere from 5 to 15 times what you'll pay. Another way to look at it is ... they'll take one cruise and for the same cost you'll be able to take 15 cruises! Ya know? I'm not the brightest kid on the block, but even I can figure that one out.

 

4) Turn off the cell phone. The same goes for the Internet. Both are very expensive at sea. If you're so vital to your business, friends, etc. that you absolutely, positively, HAVE to stay in touch ... then stay home with them and watch the Travel Channel. The reason you're on vacation is not to work, it's to decompress from your normal daily life. So, do it. No matter how important you think you are, the reality is that you're not. If you were to drop dead right now, your business and the rest of the world would keep on spinning. So, turn off the cell phone and don't get on the Internet.

 

5) Pack lightly. The old saw about 'Pack half the clothes and take twice the money' is very true! No one is going to care (or even notice) if you wear something more than once, as long as it's clean ... Travel shoes, dress shoes, sandals. That's it. Everything else should be mix-n-match. Many of the ships have washers and dryers on board. All of them have laundry service. Use it.

[DarryDFL]

It's been a long time since I've sailed Carnival, but on RCI if you don't put out your luggage, you have to carry it off the ship yourself. Yes, they do take cash in the casino.

 

We were on RCI's Freedom of the Sea in October 2009. We put our luggage outside the room the last night, and it was waiting for us when we reached Customs. Perhaps you meant another line, and not Royal Caribbean International.

[DarryDFL]

We were on RCI's Freedom of the Sea in October 2009. We put our luggage outside the room the last night, and it was waiting for us when we reached Customs. Perhaps you meant another line, and not Royal Caribbean International.

 

Oops! I have got to learn to READ and to COMPREHEND English. Forgive me. The Captain is right: You have to put out your luggage or you must carry it off the ship. NOT recommended for the physically-challenged.

[dotty1]

some great advice here, folks, thanks. My first cruise is only 5 weeks away. getting excited now.:)

[W247]

Hello all!!

 

My husband and I love our wine, we are going to bring our "One Bottle per adult" on board with us. But what I was wondering is if we purchase wine at one of our ports ( we are sailing on a 10 day Sea Princess cruise to Alaska), can we bring that on the ship for our cabin? Or does that not count?

[DarryDFL]

Hello all!!

My husband and I love our wine, we are going to bring our "One Bottle per adult" on board with us. But what I was wondering is if we purchase wine at one of our ports ( we are sailing on a 10 day Sea Princess cruise to Alaska), can we bring that on the ship for our cabin? Or does that not count?

 

I can't testify to the Alaska cruise; but, in the Caribbean, I've been told that any wine you purchase on shore is taken from you as you board and held "for your convenience" until you return to the original port of embarkation. However, ‘CruzinForever’, wrote on November 8, 2009 (on another thread): "You can bring 2 bottles of wine onboard at every stop." So, I may be wrong.

Edited April 27, 2010 by DarryDFL

[Iceman's Mum]

I've read through all of this and I'm sorry if I'm repeating anything:

 

1. Space under the bed: We had no idea on our first cruise that suitcases fit under the bed. Not even our cabin steward told us :( so we didn't have much room to move around!

 

2. Air freshener: Take a small battery-operated air freshener for the bathroom :D Don't forget to take out the batteries when you pack it!

 

3. Tea/coffee in your cabin: If you have a kettle provided (eg RCI Freedom class), take a carton of milk from the breakfast buffet and keep it in your fridge. Much nicer than the long-life sachets. Similarly, take a couple of mugs from the cafe to use rather than the paper cups provided as they're not really very nice.

 

4. Power strip: The eletrical sockets are very close to the vanity top and not all chargers can be plugged in as they are too deep. The strip is very useful.

 

5. Beds: Can be made up anyway you want - eg we have the "double" bed but individual duvets as DH throws it all off and I "snuggle". Just ask your cabin steward on the first day - and it really helps to give him a few dollars to do it.

 

6. Storage: Investigate behind every mirror - you will probably find a little shelving unit which is so useful (particularly in the bathroom).

 

7. Bathroom rubbish: I take some of those scented bags (usually for "feminine product disposal") and put one in the bathroom rubbish bin. I then put everything in there - tissues, cotton wool etc etc - tie it up in the morning and then the steward doesn't have to handle anything.

 

Hope some of this helps!

Edited April 30, 2010 by Iceman's Mum

[GlendaleCruiser]

YES, you must. It is from there that your luggage will be moved for transfer to shore and to be searched by customs.

The luggage does not remain there overnight. It's moved, beginning a few minutes after midnight, to the hold for transfer.

We have never lost any luggage or anything from our luggage on any voyage that we have been on.

Be sure you keep out clothes for the morning. More than one husband has had his wife frantically searching for something for him to wear off the ship.

We lay out of disembarkation clothes separate and apart from all our other stuff when we begin the packing process. I recommend you do the same.

 

 

Last October we put our bags out at about 10 minutes before the pickup time at 11:00 pm. Just took us forever this time (to smash it all in).

Looked out the door at 11:00 and they had already picked them up.:p

[jagiann1005]

I will be travelling with my 10 year old daughter and my mom (if she doesn't chicken out) on the Carnival Inspiration in July. My mom and I are not alcohol drinkers, is it worth it to buy the soda package? My mother loves Coke or Pepsi. Also, what are the chances of being seasick...my mother is afraid she will be sick the whole time...does your body adjust? Anything I can tell her in order to prepare her for the trip. She says she is afraid of being on all that water. I have tried to explain that it's like being in a building once on the ship. She keeps thinking "something will happen"..any suggestions. Thanks so much for any advice in advance.

[GlendaleCruiser]

I will be travelling with my 10 year old daughter and my mom (if she doesn't chicken out) on the Carnival Inspiration in July. My mom and I are not alcohol drinkers, is it worth it to buy the soda package? My mother loves Coke or Pepsi. Also, what are the chances of being seasick...my mother is afraid she will be sick the whole time...does your body adjust? Anything I can tell her in order to prepare her for the trip. She says she is afraid of being on all that water. I have tried to explain that it's like being in a building once on the ship. She keeps thinking "something will happen"..any suggestions. Thanks so much for any advice in advance.

 

I was afraid before my first cruise and I had nothing to worry about. Never got seasick, realized it's hard to fall off a ship (unless you are drunk and climbing over the rails). Your body does adjust to the movement so well that when you get home you have "land legs" for a few days as you readjust to land. The soda package is worth it if you drink 6 sodas a day, I think. I just never drink that much so I don't get them. Once she gets on board she will be glad she did.

[Jolimont]

NThe A & E version of Pride and Prejudice, I could practically recite the lines from the whole movie.

Kindred souls, P&P puts me right to sleep too ;-)

[Jolimont]

I would advise against having an I-phone on while your internet capabilties roam from tower to tower. If you make sure you disable the internet option that might work, but if your I-phone is surfing the net while you are gone, it will cost you thousands$.

 

If you don't want to roam turn data roaming OFF like this: settings==>general==>network==>data roaming set to OFF.

 

Data roaming is always off on my iPhone. I don't need to data roam at home (my service provider gives me access to unlimited data) and definitely not while on a ship where it's outrageously expensive.

[Traveller20074]

The drink they offer when you board the ship is NOT free!

 

:confused: I didn't pay for mine when we boarded last year (Norwegian Pearl)

 

*shrug*

[PackerOwner]

For a cruise in Europe, do they conduct business and charge you in Dollars or Euro? What do they prefer for tips? And - what kind of cash is used in the Casino - or given to you when you get cash there off your SeaPass? (Royal Carribean)

 

Thanks!