first cruiser

[ctcruiser2006]

Hey guys! First time on this board and going on my first cruise in FEB 2006. Great read so far! I have a few questions for the cruise connoseurs. 1) My girlfriend and I booked a guarantee inside cabin on the carnival valor. what is the best way to get an upgrade?

 

2) do you all recommmend any hotel in Miami that is convinient to port and some sightseeing miami as well?

 

3) What is the best way to get the most bang out of your buck during port calls?

 

thanks in advance! Happy cruising

 

CTCruiser2006:)

[momofzeke]

Welcome, CTC. There is a wealth of information on these boards! As far as your inside guarantee, I don't believe there is any real way for you to *get* an upgrade. Some get upgraded, others do not. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it from what I can gather.

 

Enjoy your cruise!:)

[CMU]

1) My girlfriend and I booked a guarantee inside cabin on the carnival valor. what is the best way to get an upgrade?

 

2) do you all recommmend any hotel in Miami that is convinient to port and some sightseeing miami as well?

 

3) What is the best way to get the most bang out of your buck during port calls?

 

Hey there -- welcome. Your going to have a blast. I've only been on 1 cruise, but I'm addicted and love the info on these boards.

 

 

Doesn't appear to be any rhyme or reason for upgrades. Luck of the draw I guess. If you are wanting specific type room best to book it.

 

check out the hotel threads --- TrentS has a bunch of info regarding miami hotels and always seems to be helpful.

 

Not sure what you are looking for in port.

[GoinCruisin]

Welcome to the boards!!!

 

You have already done the best thing as far as getting an upgrade... you booked a guarantee. As long as you will be happy with an inside cabin... because that is likely what you will get... perhaps on a higher deck, but don't count on being upgraded to an oceaview or balcony ;) If you want one of those, the best thing to do is go ahead and pay for the upgrade.

 

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency... nice hotel, close to the port, close to Bayside. We got it on Priceline for around $60.

 

Best bang for your buck, depends on what you want to do in port, which will also depend on if you are doing eastern or western on the Valor. The ports of call boards would be a great place to start.

 

The Valor is a great ship... have a wonderful time!

[CMU]

There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it from what I can gather.

 

Enjoy your cruise!:)

 

Great minds think alike. We must have typed the same thing at the same time -- Jinx --- you owe me a coke (make that cap'n and coke)

[Wennfred]

My girlfriend and I booked a guarantee inside cabin on the carnival valor. what is the best way to get an upgrade?

 

Do you all recommmend any hotel in Miami that is convinient to port and some sightseeing miami as well?

 

What is the best way to get the most bang out of your buck during port calls?

 

thanks in advance! Happy cruising

 

CTCruiser2006:)

 

Hey CTC Welcome to the club !!!, ok first of all, you made a great choice starting out with the inside cabin guarantee and booking for the upgrade. If you booked a 4a inside, you can land a 4c to a 6a. When I book a 4a I usually get the 6a with french doors. Those are the ones with a door and a rail so you can not go outside, no balcony and most have a lifeboat sitting just outside the door. Its still better then the inside. Make sure you fill out your FunPass info at www.carnival.com then you can check the gifts and services area to see what you new cabin number is.

 

Hotels: Most people book the Holiday Inn which is accross the street from Bayside Market, its like a tourist place with shops and restaurants, its also next to the Terminal which is why people book it there.

 

Holiday Inn

340 BISCAYNE BLVD

MIAMI, FL 33132

1-305-371-4400

 

As for saving money? what I do is stay away from the Casino, Bingo, Spa, Formal Pictures and I think thats it, those will squeeze some extra bucks out of you.

 

Excursions, for the first cruise I would book with Carnival, it may be alittle more expensive then going on your own but you will have peace of mind knowing that the ship will not leave you if the tour gets back late and they do a great job getting everyone from one place to another, its very organized. Then once you learn the ropes you can book excursions on your own. Use the cash youre saving by booking the Inside cabin on these excursions.

 

We will be sailing on the Valor this March, we are doing both Beginners Divers excursions in The Caymans and Isla Roatan, somewhere we will do a Dolphin swim and in Belize a city and Baboon tour. The Caymans has a cool Green Turtle Farm and a place called Hell also the tortula rum cake factory. we been there a few times now and are great places to go see. In Belize we went snorkling at Goff Cayes, its a tiny island that looks like Gilligans island with crystal clear waters.

 

Any more questions, Shoot.

 

Fred

[NeptunesGoddess]

Welcome to the boards.

 

For our first cruise, I booked an excursion with an independent company that had a good reputation from people here on the boards (see: Ports of Call board). We saved money that way and usually your groups are smaller. We did cave tubing in Belize and LOVED it.

 

The other three ports we did things that came highly recommended...again by people here. We rented a golf cart in Costa Maya and had a blast. We went to the sea grape beach in Grand Cayman and Paradise Beach in Cozumel. All great choices and I found out about them here. Research really pays off and my family was amazed at how we got off at ports and I would act as if I had been there before Ie: "Okay, lets go down this way and get a taxi..it will be about this much money..." etc. I remember my husband joking around wondering if I had been there before and if there was something I wasn't telling him. hehe.

 

Good luck and have fun researching. Planning can be almost as fun as the cruise!

[chrystaldahl]

Don't really have anything to add to the great information that you've already received from these wonderful people. Just wanted to say "Welcome" and although this is your first cruise, I know it won't be your last. You'll be hooked and we'll be seeing alot of you on the boards. Have a wonderful trip. Sharyl