Thoughts and ideas to make your Carnival Cruise easier and better

[cainlr]

On embarkation day, make sure you get a zone boarding card. We were not given one when we checked in at 11:00 and by the time we realized we needed one, we were some of the last people to board.

[CruisinAggie17]

1. Grab an old gift-card or pick up a unused one from Walmart to put in the light slot when you're in the room/out of it. It makes you put your Sail & Sign card in it to keep the lights on but sometimes you forget it! (At least I do)

 

This also came in handy on our last cruise because our rooms were ready but our S&S cards hadn't been delivered to our room so we were able to put the card in and have the light on (inside cabin which are pitch black without the lights) until our cards came. I didn't feel comfortable leaving my ID or credit card in the slot.

 

2. We also brought chair clips that clip your towel to the beach chair so on those windy days the towel doesn't swing around and hit you in the face while tanning.

 

3. Get to the seaside theater early so you can get one of the blankets from the towel booth! These are super comfortable and we didn't realize that they had them available! Also, if on the newer ships, go up to the upper decks and snag one of the cushion chairs to sit in. They're much more comfortable and they have foot rests.

 

4. Get to the comedy shows early! I can't express this enough. They fill up fast! But they always have the same show twice so if you miss it the first night, get there for the second.

 

5. Bring a deck of cards. Especially if you like to pay! If you forget, we were able to get a pack for free from guest services.

 

6. When in the main dining room, order the cheese plate with your bread. It's on the dessert menu but they'll bring it out with your drinks if you ask. Tastes great as an appetizer with the bread!

 

7. For those of you with CHEERS! (or anyone who doesn't pay much attention) decorate your door! I walked past my door so many times! I saw all of the people who decorates their doors and know that that would help me to find my cabin if I've had a few too many cocktails.

 

Also, if you have the CHEERS! package, take advantage of the milkshakes, they are so freaking good! Get the specialty coffee if that's your style as well!

 

8. Try out the main dining room for breakfast at least one day! My boyfriend and I went for the first time on our last seaday on the ship and loved it! So much better than the buffet food and we met some amazing people! One couple had been on my first cruise back in 2007 (when I was 12!) and another set of men had been on 22 cruises together and got the grand suite "for the hell of it" and invited us all back to take a tour after breakfast. It was really cool to see how the other side lived (poor college student over here)

 

9. Don't even attempt to get into a hot tub outside of the Serenity deck. Children everywhere. I mean everywhere. I don't know which ships had them (I was on the Breeze) but if your ship has hot tubs on the 5th deck on the side by the Red Frog pub, check those out first. Most people forget about those hot tubs.

 

10. Take advantage of the half-price arcade on that night! I saw a man walking around with a Macbook, iPad, and iPhone X that he got from winning one of those machines!

 

 

And last, but not least, enjoy your time! Don't stress! You're on a vacation and you need to enjoy it!

[AmBear]

Thanks for that tip! I’ll remember that since I ordered water, coke, and beer for our cabin. Is the frig empty or do we have to ask them to empty it?

 

 

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I haven't seen a fridge with anything in it for awhile, and we've cruised 95 days in the last year.

[Baby_Bear]

You had several great tips! I disagree with #1, but to each his own. I am a huge advocate of packing light but that approach is not for everyone. Nevertheless I do love the idea about the pad for the bed -- not sure how that is going to fit into my packing light plan. ;p

Hotel/ cruise ship beds are almost always much too firm for my liking but I was never sure what to do about it. Never thought to have the steward help us vacuum out the bag. I think I'd be willing to give a bit of an extra tip for that service.

 

 

 

 

More excellent ideas. Despite the foregoing dispute about technology vs unplugging, I always take paper copies of almost everything. I have what my daughter jokingly refers to as a "trip folder." As each reservation is made (car, hotel, cruise, steakhouse, whatever) I print out my confirmation and it goes into the folder, in chronological order according to when it will be needed. So, for example, air confirmation might go first, then rental car reservation, then pre-cruise hotel, cruise documents, steakhouse reservation, excursions, etc.

 

I am reasonably up to date from a tech standpoint, but I still find it helpful and comforting to have paper copies. Just in case the unthinkable happens and my phone is lost, stolen, damaged or otherwise becomes unusable. I do value the ability to unplug and still function.

 

Luckybecky, you and I are obviously twins separated at birth! I thought I was the only crazy one who printed out confirmations of everything related to the trip and organised it by date! We were just in Croatia and Germany for 2 weeks on a family trip and I had accumulated a thick trip folder with every single confirmation from hotels to tours to transfers. We wound up not actually needing any of it, as everything was super organised, but it was great to know we had paper copies just in case.

[cruise love]

Luckybecky, you and I are obviously twins separated at birth! I thought I was the only crazy one who printed out confirmations of everything related to the trip and organised it by date! We were just in Croatia and Germany for 2 weeks on a family trip and I had accumulated a thick trip folder with every single confirmation from hotels to tours to transfers. We wound up not actually needing any of it, as everything was super organised, but it was great to know we had paper copies just in case.

 

 

 

Me too

Gives me something to do from the time from booking to leaving helping the time pass quicker

 

Cruise love

 

 

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[Wheels87]

Is it really the same steak? I was always under the impression that the steaks in the MDR (even then ones you pay extra for) are not the same as the ones in the steakhouse. If I'm wrong, that's a great tip!

 

I've done this many times and they are definitely not the same steaks. I'm sorry to disappoint anyone who disagrees, but they are small and not the same quality.

 

Cheers!

[Touringmom]

Where did you find a mesh hanging shower caddy?? I have looked and looked for them.

 

thanks, Peggy

I found one on Amazon

[jes1941]

Just a thought, we've cruised many times but never thought of this until or TA suggested it..we have bed made into twins...so much more space!