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Read as much as you can about your ship and excursions before your cruise. Otherwise, you can end up in a small port without the slightest clue of what to do for the next eight hours. In terms of port info, cruise lines rarely give enough information apart from the cruise excursions.
Before the Cruise: Cruise Planning Checklist
Entertainment, at times, is as lowbrow as the line is low-cost. This is, after all, the brand that for many years held a Hairy Chest Contest around the pool deck on every voyage, to a standing-room-only, hooting and hollering crowd. Indeed, if you're going on a Carnival cruise, the odds are you're driving to the ship, not flying, and you're probably not paying much more than you would for a trip to a local beach town. But that doesn't mean you need to waste precious packing space on a gown. Carnival typically boards through a staggered check-in. This allows you to select a 30-minute window for your boarding and gets you on the ship smoothly and controls the total flow of passengers arriving at once.
Bring a refillable water bottle
It costs about $10 for a dozen bottles, and it’s nice to have in the room. Passengers aren’t allowed to bring on bottles in their luggage (cans/cartons only), so you can’t bring on most water containers. Plus, having some water in the room is nice to keep from having to head to the dining room or buffet to get a drink. Our suggestion is to try and dress up some, but don’t stress.
Best List Of Carnival Cruise Ships By Size (
Your favorite pair might be perfect for kicking around on the beach, but be sure to take a look at their tread while you're packing. If the tread is worn off, you'll want to purchase a pair with a little more tread before you set sail. Not all of the ships in the Carnival fleet are created equally. For example, you'll find a brewery on board the new Carnival Vista, but this may not be the case if you're traveling on an older ship.
You get a good cardio workout a few times a day throughout the duration of your cruise experience. Also, cruise stairwells tend to have a unique piece of artwork hung on each landing. It’s a good workout and a great way to get to know the ship.
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Keep Your Wine in The Dining Room
Most people in ports speak English, so you don’t have to struggle through trying to speak another language. Even if you don’t care about kids one way or the other, you’ll often find the Serenity area less crowded than the pool area and has more cozy, private spaces. It features some cozy and comfy seating you won’t find elsewhere on the ship and often has its own dedicated bar area and hot tubs. Yes, you are allowed to save chairs on Carnival, but the official rules are for only 40 minutes — enough time to go grab a bite to eat.
This allows you to use the ship’s wifi to communicate with any other passengers on board. This is great if you have people in multiple rooms and you can communicate about when and where you want to meet up. With two people in a small space, bathroom smells can be an issue. Foul smells, small cabins, and no ventilation are a bad combo. Pack some air freshener with you on your next cruise.
Try BlueIguana for breakfast

It's an added cost, for sure, but it means you'll be less stressed going into your cruise vacation. You might also be able to explore a little in town before you board. Before or after dinner you can swing by the Taste Bar to get tastings of different venues around the ship. A Taste Bar can be found on most ships in Carnival’s fleet but has its own location on different ships. You can expect offerings from the steakhouse, an Italian restaurant or Bonsai Sushi. (Usually, you have to pay extra for them, but snacks from the Taste Bar are free of charge.) To find out which eatery will be featured or operation hours, check your daily Fun Times schedule.
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From getting to know your ship, to knowing how to skip the lines, these are some of the best ways to make the most of your time onboard your Carnival cruise. If you're shopping around for the best deals on excursions, know that Carnival offers a 110% price match guarantee. Shop around to your heart's content, but I'd recommend booking with Carnival directly. Knowing the ins and outs of Carnival cruises can pay off long before you set sail.
When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. Carnival adds an 18% service charge to your bill whenever you order a drink at a bar or pay for a meal at an extra-charge restaurant.

There are many fun activities onboard a Carnival cruise such as classes, events, excursions, spa’s, casinos and eating delicious treats at specialty restaurants. Mind your spending by checking your balances using the stateroom’s smart T.V. All of the line's cruise ships, built over decades, do not offer all of the same public spaces, restaurants and cabin styles. Make sure you look up information about what your ship offers before booking. You don't want to get excited about a specific restaurant or onboard roller coaster only to discover it's not available on the ship you booked. On the first day of your cruise, it may take a few hours for your luggage to be delivered to your stateroom, but you don’t have to wait to have fun.
After that time the crew may remove your items to let someone sit in the chair. This isn’t so much a Carnival tip as just a heads up on what you’ll spend. Don’t forget to add in 18% gratuity, which is automatically included to the price.
So while you might not be old enough to play in Las Vegas, you can still play the slots, roulette, or blackjack on the cruise ship. The free restaurant is across Carnival ships and serves up some great burgers. Brews are sold by the ounce, and a full-sized glass runs about $5.
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