Carnival Secrets they Usually Don't Tell You About 2

[Attack Dog]

Yuccaman, he sure did get some ammo from that one. He went around the dinning room showing the other waiters what I did.

 

Gospelle - I did notice that you can see the reflection of your neighbors on the balconies. It never did occur to me that you could probably see them in their cabin at night when their lights are on. It's a good thing I lost weight recently:D .

 

Rhowie I'm not sure if your refering to me or I missed someone on this board. I will leave on the Legend on April 1st. If you where talking to me I look forward to sharing new ideas with you and eveyone else on this board in a few weeks. Look for my posts after April 12th.

 

Here's another tip. Keep the ideas coming because I already have dumb idea #7 in mind. Hopefully, I will still rememer what 7 was in a few weeks.

[C5R]

Hi. First post here and first time cruiser (on the Spirit to Mexico this Saturday from San Diego).

 

Lots of good tips here. I have booked two balcony cabins for the family and wonder whether the balcony divider can be opened up to make a larger balcony.

 

Thanks,

 

John

[Uncle Doug]

Ok, here is another tip I am guilty of doing. For those that enjoy the free drinks at the Captains party. If you have a late sitting dinner, Get dressed early and show up for the early party, enjoy the free drinks. When they all leave to go to dinner, go hang out at the casino until the next party starts.

 

Be sure to sit on the other side of the lounge to avoid the same waiters the second time around.

 

Of course I go just for the finger foods. The BBQ meatballs are great.

[LiLBxQt]

Ok, here is another tip I am guilty of doing. For those that enjoy the free drinks at the Captains party. If you have a late sitting dinner, Get dressed early and show up for the early party, enjoy the free drinks. When they all leave to go to dinner, go hang out at the casino until the next party starts.

 

Be sure to sit on the other side of the lounge to avoid the same waiters the second time around.

 

Of course I go just for the finger foods. The BBQ meatballs are great.

 

Definately love this idea... If Carnival wants to nickel and dime with the banning on the non-alcoholic drinks... then I'll take advantage of every single minute I can get free alcoholic drinks!!!! HaHa I will be sure to tell my group this one :D

[Attack Dog]

Hi. First post here and first time cruiser (on the Spirit to Mexico this Saturday from San Diego).

 

Lots of good tips here. I have booked two balcony cabins for the family and wonder whether the balcony divider can be opened up to make a larger balcony.

 

Thanks,

 

John

 

Yes, the balcony door opens or undivides

[yuccaman]

Yes, the balcony door opens or undivides

 

 

But on some ships, once opened, the balcony divider will cover 1/2 of the windows of one of the cabins, depending on which way it swivels.

[TRIBE1959]

I can't remember where I read it(first cruise I've read ALOT) but I checked my credit card companies and 2 said you must notify them for overseas travel or they may refuse charges because of suspected fraud.

[Attack Dog]

My wife used to work for Citibank as a manager and she has confirmed that the credit card issue is true. The credit card companies look for signs of suspicious activities and they will shut down the card until they confirm that no fraud has taken place.

 

Anyway I just got back from a great cruise on the Carnival Legend.

 

I did learn a few things that I will pass on:

 

There is now a Diamond's International in St. Kitts. If your collecting charms just show them your card and they will hand write "St. Kitts" on the card. The charm in St. Kitts is a monkey.

 

This next one may not be true for all ships. If you don't make up your own personal voicemail message for your cabin then you will have the old voicemail message that someone left from a previous cruise. When my in laws called my cabin when I wasn't present an old man with a raspy voice would say, "We're busy right now. Leave a message." When I called their cabin and they didn't answer I found a voice mail to a different couple.

 

On the last day of your cruise you can change the voicemail and leave an embarrasing message for the next cruise:D .

 

Also I noticed that when I walked past some people's cabins that they had their luggage stacked up neatly in a corner of the room. This made me wonder if a lot of people don't realize that most suitcases can fit under the bed. Also if you have a cabin with the couch the bottom of the couch has large hidden drawers that you can pull out.

[cuted126]

The "secret doors" that I'm aware of don't access the crew area. And they're not a big "secret." They just aren't in places one would normally travel.

 

On the Valor (and presumably on her sisters), the secret doors are on the port side at the front of the ship on decks 9 and 10. You go down the hall past staterooms, and the doors are just there waiting for you. Probably not a secret at all to the people staying in the staterooms on those halls. The doors have a small window, so you can see that they lead outside.

 

The area has a lovely foreward view, though it's wickedly windy. Certainly there weren't many people who "discovered" the area on my recent Valor cruise; I saw few people other than those in my group.

 

It was a nice place to take sunrise/sunset pictures, as well as to watch the ship coming and going from ports. However, there were similar views available on all of the upper decks. None of these viewpoints were ever crowded, perhaps because of the wind.

 

And no, this wasn't a crew area. The crew area is clearly visible a few decks lower.

 

Hope this solves some of the mystery!

 

Kace

 

This is what I thought everyone was referring to when they mentioned the "secret door". On the Celebration it is on the Verandah Deck! Very windy, but beautiful views and not to many know about it and it is not for crew at all. I loved it up there!!

[cuted126]

My last suggestion on the board in awhile since I'm leaving on a cruise this Saturday:

 

Forgetting to remove the chocalate from your pillow prior to going to bed will result in "skid" marks all over your sheets:o . Imagine what your cabin steward will think if this is combined with suggestion #1 (showers in the gym).:eek: :D :D

 

 

OMG:eek: LOL!!!!!!!!!!

[Guienevere_Arianette]

I can't remember where I read it(first cruise I've read ALOT) but I checked my credit card companies and 2 said you must notify them for overseas travel or they may refuse charges because of suspected fraud.

 

Very good advice; it happened to me once last year when I was in Amsterdam; just call the CC companies and let them know where you will be and when you will be using the cards.

[Imani68]

Finally got through this entire thread...Thanks for all of the tips!:D

[Attack Dog]

I'll try this a few more times before letting this thread die.

 

Lay down and relax in the Alpha Capsul for a few minutes. Suddenly, in a panicked voice, ask the staff for toilet paper.:rolleyes: :D :D

[Uncle Doug]

One last tip on the Onboard photos. We waited until the last night to choose which photo's we wanted to buy. We rounded up all the photos of us that we could find and took the best ones to the photo desk. Told the guy which one or two we wanted, lingering over the others. He offered for every one we bought at full price he would sell us another at half price. We ended up getting two of the others at half price.

[Carolinamamasita]

One last tip on the Onboard photos. We waited until the last night to choose which photo's we wanted to buy. We rounded up all the photos of us that we could find and took the best ones to the photo desk. Told the guy which one or two we wanted, lingering over the others. He offered for every one we bought at full price he would sell us another at half price. We ended up getting two of the others at half price.

That sounds like a great deal!:)

I hope that I can hold off until then ...LOL

[RedSoxGirl83]

Thank you sooooo much for the clothing steamer tip. I HATE having to use the public iron they have because it always takes forever!!!

 

thanks so much!!! I'm headed to Wallmart!!!:D :D :D

[Attack Dog]

Redsoxgirl I'm glad that helps.

[Stircrzy]

My last suggestion on the board in awhile since I'm leaving on a cruise this Saturday:

 

Forgetting to remove the chocalate from your pillow prior to going to bed will result in "skid" marks all over your sheets:o . Imagine what your cabin steward will think if this is combined with suggestion #1 (showers in the gym).:eek: :D :D

 

Hope you're enjoying your cruise!

 

This actually happened to a group of 4 policemen from Galveston one time...Three were tired from their busy day and went to bed early, one was winning in the casino and stayed up late. The next morning the one who stayed up late was awakened by his cabin mates...wanting to know "what did you DO?".

 

Be sure to remove the chocolates before retiring!

[nmyorkiemom]

Hate to ask, but there are a few of these that, as a soon to be newbie cruiser, I just don't get. Maybe someone could clarify??

 

1. You may be able to eat free lunch at the places they charge for dinner

- you mean like in the 'steakhouse' or whatever it's called on the legend? Or are there other places that charge for food?

 

2. You may get a free facial if you call the spa and ask to be a volunteer. - My dd was wondering what you volunteer for? She LOVES her facials!!

 

3. Bring travel hooks to hang stuff in your room - What are these??? Never heard of such a thing!

 

4. You can also print cards to take with you on the layout of the ship...simply use a word document...format in normal 8pt bold: Times New Roman: 8pt and divide into for equal columns. - Print from the Carnival site? Are you meaning the 'deck' diagrams?

 

5. The ship uses two types of toilet paper. Both are made by the same company. The sandpaper they call "envision" you will not want to subject your bottom to for 8 days. Ask your room steward to make sure that your stateroom is stocked with the "preference" paper instead. - my DD cracked up over this one - oh, to be a teenager again!! - NOT!!!!

 

Thanks much! I feel SO STUPID sometimes!!

[sewcarve]

Hate to ask, but there are a few of these that, as a soon to be newbie cruiser, I just don't get. Maybe someone could clarify??

 

 

2. You may get a free facial if you call the spa and ask to be a volunteer. - My dd was wondering what you volunteer for? She LOVES her facials!!

 

Don't know, but it makes me wonder if the people giving the facials are in training??

 

4. You can also print cards to take with you on the layout of the ship...simply use a word document...format in normal 8pt bold: Times New Roman: 8pt and divide into for equal columns. - Print from the Carnival site? Are you meaning the 'deck' diagrams?

 

I tried copying and printing the deck layouts from the brochure, but it is too blurry to read, when I enlarge it. I can't read it in the brochure w/o a magnifying glass...............

 

5. The ship uses two types of toilet paper.

 

That is pretty funny, when you think about it - why two types???

 

 

Becky and Sandy

[nacnac22]

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[Proud Nana]

I was confused by this one as well. I thought you could eat and hang out on the Lido deck while waiting to debark. I had asked about this before and had a few people respond that you can have a "leisurely" breakfast on Lido day of debarkation.

 

I have enjoyed a relaxing buffet breakfast until disembarking around 9:00 am, or even later, many times. Much nicer way to end a great cruise!

 

Another tip, if you can manage the time - waiting awhile to get off the ship means less luggage to sort throught to find your own and less fighting for taxis! If I am in a rush, self-assist works!

[Proud Nana]

Hi. First post here and first time cruiser (on the Spirit to Mexico this Saturday from San Diego).

 

Lots of good tips here. I have booked two balcony cabins for the family and wonder whether the balcony divider can be opened up to make a larger balcony.

 

Thanks,

 

John

 

Yes, you can request the divider be opened. Be sure to ask at the Purser's Desk immediately when you embark. On one ship I asked the steward twice. He finally came back with some lame reason it could not be done!

[Proud Nana]

Go by the Purser's Desk and pick up a couple of really nice deck lay-out cards. They are in color and on card stock paper.

[msar87]

If you luggage is soft-sided, put your glass bottles of wine in your carry-on. A couple of years ago, I opened my suitcase to be hit in the fact with the smell of white zinfandel. It was not a pretty sight.