Any advice before I book 1st Carnival Cruise?

[BENHANDEL]

2 hours ago, coevan said:

 

 

Wow, what a statement. People pay a boatload of money to sail Disney for a reason.

 

But in fairness...our kids are not little so I would imagine 4 and 6 year olds would have preferred Disney, lol. 

[teknoge3k]

Carry your own sodas with you, it's much cheaper than buying them on the ship. You can buy a 12pk of sodas and take them on for what 2 sodas cost on the ship. Each person can take a 12pk on with them.

 

Also, form your own opinion. There are so many people on here who say stay on the ship in Belize or something similar. We always do private tours and did such in both Belize and Jamaica. They are 2 great ports and if you let go of Carnivals hand and do something that YOU like to do with a REPUTABLE vendor you will have a great time. 

 

Whatever you decide to do, enjoy your vacation. 

[gemduncan]

28 minutes ago, teknoge3k said:

Carry your own sodas with you, it's much cheaper than buying them on the ship. You can buy a 12pk of sodas and take them on for what 2 sodas cost on the ship. Each person can take a 12pk on with them.

 

Also, form your own opinion. There are so many people on here who say stay on the ship in Belize or something similar. We always do private tours and did such in both Belize and Jamaica. They are 2 great ports and if you let go of Carnivals hand and do something that YOU like to do with a REPUTABLE vendor you will have a great time. 

 

Whatever you decide to do, enjoy your vacation. 

 

Thank you! I want ahead and booked the Legend ship for the Western Caribbean Plus Cozumel trip. So excited! Yes, I definitely plan to book my own excursions for all the ports. 

[mom2girls]

Legend is one of my favorite ships. The layout is much easier to navigate than the Conquest class. And, there's plenty of room. It doesn't seem as crowded as other ships. Enjoy!

[ober134]

Tips: do not be afraid of Carnival. Don't believe the negative things you read or hear about carnival. We are professional 60 yr olds. Never had an issue, or witnessed any crazy antics that are often related about Carnival. enjoy your cruise. BTW... We currently have 4 bookings. One is Cuba, and one is Meditteran. All with Carnival.

[gemduncan]

18 minutes ago, ober134 said:

Tips: do not be afraid of Carnival. Don't believe the negative things you read or hear about carnival. We are professional 60 yr olds. Never had an issue, or witnessed any crazy antics that are often related about Carnival. enjoy your cruise. BTW... We currently have 4 bookings. One is Cuba, and one is Meditteran. All with Carnival.

 

Yes, I was super nervous about booking Carnival because I’ve heard a lot of bad stories but I can’t beat the price for 7 day Suite.

[ctsharpie05]

On 12/29/2018 at 5:40 PM, gemduncan said:

I’m getting ready to pull the trigger to book our very first Carnival Cruise. I’m planning to book Legend ship for March 2020 on the Western Caribbean Plus Cozumel. I like this itinerary because it includes Grand Cayman and Belize. We are big snorkelers! And my husband is certified diver. 

 

I’m planning to book Ocean Suite. And I’m going to buy the vacation insurance. Any tips or advice before I pay the deposit? Oh, my daughter will turn 11 years old during this cruise.

Look at deck plans to see what is below and above you. Avoid the gallery. I like being in between rooms on each level. 

[ARcruisin2]

For a good feel of what to expect, I recommend you look at some of MitzuGirly's reviews. They sail with their daughter quite often, and she does great reviews with lots of pictures. Here's her latest: MITSUGIRLY sails off into the HORIZON-review & pictorial .  (i haven't read this one yet)

 

We love Carnival. There is always a fun vibe, lots to do. Granted the older ship will not have as much...but it will still be fun. Enjoy!

[Eliot Ness]

The Legend is a great ship that is very easy to get around in, it is one of our top 3 favorite ships.

 

As far as Belize goes, it is one of my favorite ports, and I never hesitate to go outside the gates and mingle with the locals..... they are very friendly, and a simple, "no, thank you", will deter the persistent vendor.  I even took my wife's uncle outside the gate and we had a splendid time walking about and going into a small local watering hole or two for a soda and a cold Belikin (Belize brewed beer).   Of course you need to use common sense, but I felt as safe as many places in Miami.

 

We have also done cave tubing and a ruins tour with independent excursion operators without a hitch and the beautiful reef was a great snorkeling experience.

 

Read up on all the info available on this board to help decide on the many options available to you, and most of all, have a great cruise!

[FL-Cruzer]

I would recommend that you use a travel agent (TA).  Explain what you are looking for, the time of year and the ship.  I would recommend you also look at NCL as they have better deals when it comes to drinks,ice cream for your daughter as well there shows are first class most coming from Broadway.  Last suggestion is make sure to get travel insurance but not from the cruise line.  Best advise I repeat use a travel agent.

[golfb4cruzing]

I've read through all postings and didn't see any mention of being Tender ports. I know Grand Cayman is and can't remember about Belize (we have not done the Eastern run in awhile) so sometimes these stops are missed due to a variety of reasons. Always have a Plan B.

[teknoge3k]

1 minute ago, golfb4cruzing said:

I've read through all postings and didn't see any mention of being Tender ports. I know Grand Cayman is and can't remember about Belize (we have not done the Eastern run in awhile) so sometimes these stops are missed due to a variety of reasons. Always have a Plan B.

 

 

Belize is a tender port. Also, that's a western route, not eastern. 😉

[golfb4cruzing]

My bad, I always associated with St Thomas and St Maarten, could be backwards today. All I remember of Belize is the port shopping knockoff area and having a couple of Belikins.

Edited January 1, 2019 by golfb4cruzing
extra thoughts

[coevan]

1 hour ago, FL-Cruzer said:

I would recommend that you use a travel agent (TA).  Explain what you are looking for, the time of year and the ship.  I would recommend you also look at NCL as they have better deals when it comes to drinks,ice cream for your daughter as well there shows are first class most coming from Broadway.  Last suggestion is make sure to get travel insurance but not from the cruise line.  Best advise I repeat use a travel agent.

 

 

 

On the other hand we do not like travel agents (are they still in business). We want total control of our booking, including layovers, seat selection, cabin selection, and we use miles which can confuse things.

[gemduncan]

36 minutes ago, golfb4cruzing said:

I've read through all postings and didn't see any mention of being Tender ports. I know Grand Cayman is and can't remember about Belize (we have not done the Eastern run in awhile) so sometimes these stops are missed due to a variety of reasons. Always have a Plan B.

 

Yes I know Belize is tender (approx 30 minutes). I didn’t know that Grand Cayman was a tender port.

[golfb4cruzing]

We always snorkel on GC but worry conditions negate the ship stopping. 

[coevan]

47 minutes ago, golfb4cruzing said:

Always have a Plan B.

 

 

A plan B in missing a port is a Sea Day

[theboatahoy]

Don't buy insurance through carnival. It is a much better value pretty much anywhere else.