First Cruise - 21st Birthday on the Liberty

[ReillyandKelseyturn21]

Hello! I have booked a 4 day Carnival Cruise on the Liberty for a friend and mine's 21st birthday. I have been on a cruise before (when I was young) and she has never been on one. We have quite a few questions, that I have been trying to research on. If you guys know about any of these or have any general tips/secrets, please share!

1. What is the benefit of prepaying our gratuities?

2. Any fun suggestions to do in Freeport, Bahamas?

3. Any thoughts on the Carnival Cheers package? Is it worth it? (I imagine we will be drinking quite a bit as it is a 21st birthday party)

4. On a 4 day Carnival Cruise, do we need to pack for an elegant night, and if so, how fancy are we talking?

5. Is it worth it to pre order a bottle and mixers to our stateroom?

6. Is there anything else we should know before we go?

 

Thanks in advance!

[17andacruiseaddict]

1. What is the benefit of prepaying our gratuities? Less to worry about at the end of the cruise. It makes sure everybody who takes care of you, is taken care of.

2. Any fun suggestions to do in Freeport, Bahamas?

3. Any thoughts on the Carnival Cheers package? Is it worth it? (I imagine we will be drinking quite a bit as it is a 21st birthday party) Yes, do it! I thought it wasn't worth it when it first came out but now it definitely is. Also includes, shakes, coffee drinks, energy drinks, bottled water, juice, powerades, and soft drinks. Even if you don't want to drink alcohol for a moment (possibly after drinking too much the night before lol), the soft drinks, waters, and powerades will be a big help.

4. On a 4 day Carnival Cruise, do we need to pack for an elegant night, and if so, how fancy are we talking? I don't really know seeing as how i only do cruises a week or longer, but i assume 4 day cruises have at lease 1 formal nights. I would bring at least one formal outfit just in case.

5. Is it worth it to pre order a bottle and mixers to our stateroom? Not if you get the Cheers package. And honestly, overtime we had bottles in the room, it was annoying to have to constantly go back for refills.

6. Is there anything else we should know before we go? Have fun! Don't be afraid to meet new people, try new things, get out there and be silly. Most likely, you will never see these people again, so go all out!

[cb at sea]

Both of you will need to BE 21 on boarding day.....hopefully, that's the case!

[Nevada Jen]

Definitely order cheers. If turning 21 is important enough for you to celebrate with a cruise, then I suspect you need Cheers ;) In Freeport we did the Kayak and Nature Tour. It was awesome and made me fall in love with Freeport (which lots of people actually think is really dumpy because they don't know the cool stories we were told on the tour). Not sure it would be high enough action for two 21 year olds though. You probably want some sort of planned activity for Freeport and it might be nice to have a day for your liver to recover.

[Schoifmom]

:confused: I thought I answered this once. Did you post it on another forum?

[ProgRockCruiser]

Previous responses pretty well covered most of it, but for clarity and/or my take:

 

1. What is the benefit of prepaying our gratuities?

No real benefit, but it may bring you peace of mind having that particular expense paid for ahead of time.

2. Any fun suggestions to do in Freeport, Bahamas?

I have nothing to suggest, sorry.

3. Any thoughts on the Carnival Cheers package? Is it worth it? (I imagine we will be drinking quite a bit as it is a 21st birthday party)

Yes, very worth it, assuming you might have, uh, "amateur experience with alcohol". If neither of you are drinkers now, you might not drink enough to make Cheers! worthwhile, especially if you don't really like/appreciate expensive martinis and similar strong cocktails. The pool-area bars serve good margaritas and drinks of the day, and if 4 or 5 of those at $9 a pop will put you under the table, you probably won't break even. As mentioned, you must be 21 on the day of sailing to pre-purchase the package. If a birthday falls on the second day, you may be able to purchase the package from a bar. If later than that, you will have to buy a la carte. Note that you will not be able to drink until your actual birthday.

4. On a 4 day Carnival Cruise, do we need to pack for an elegant night, and if so, how fancy are we talking?

If you would like to attend elegant night in the MDR, then yes, please pack something a little nicer. A little black dress, or blouse and skirt or nice slacks, is good for the ladies, buttoned shirt, dress pants or at least nice khakis, tie would be good, for the guys. Check out Carnival's recommendations, quoted here:

 

What’s Cruise Elegant?For the ladies — Cocktail dresses, pantsuits, elegant skirts and blouses. If you’d like to show off your evening gowns, that’s great too!

For the gentlemen — Dress slacks, dress shirts. We also suggest a sport coat. If you wish to wear suits and ties or tuxedos, by all means we invite you to do so.

5. Is it worth it to pre order a bottle and mixers to our stateroom?

Not for me. YMMV, but Cheers! would definitely negate that added expense.

6. Is there anything else we should know before we go?

Browse this forum a lot! Explore the ship virtually using the deck plans on the Carnival site, the photo albums at the main CC site, and YouTube videos posted by cruisers. If you have certain things you don't want to miss, make sure to get the FunTimes as soon as you board and check for your desired activities. Then check every evening/morning for the next day FunTimes.

[alydinva]

We did a really fun (non-Carnival) electric bike tour in Freeport by CocoNutz Cruisers. I highly recommend it!