Table Of Content
- Cruise on Older Ships to Save Money
- Carnival Gratuities (Tips): Full Guide to Cost & How They Work
- Useful Things to Pack For Your Cruise (Including 17 You’d Never Think Of)
- Parking at the Port is Convenient, But There Are Cheaper Options
- Don’t Expect to Drink the Alcohol Bought in Port
- Stay Updated on the latest travel tips!
In interior or oceanview cabins, there is no way to get fresh air into the room. That means any food you bring in will have a lingering smell. You could be reminded of that meal well after you’ve eaten it. You can order room service on the ship or simply grab a dish from the buffet and take it back to your room.
Cruise on Older Ships to Save Money
If you’re driving to the cruise port, then you should know that it doesn’t get any more convenient than with the official port parking lots. They are typically right at the cruise terminal, so you unload and head right to check-in. Who isn’t turned off by the intrusive security at airports these days? From having to empty water bottles, to taking off shoes, to raising your hands and being scanned by a machine, it’s awful. Thankfully, cruise security is much more like flying used to be. You’ll step through a metal detector and your bags will go on an x-ray machine.
Carnival Gratuities (Tips): Full Guide to Cost & How They Work
Utopia of the Seas cruise ship guide - The Points Guy
Utopia of the Seas cruise ship guide.
Posted: Tue, 09 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
If you are prone to seasickness, then you want to book a cabin as low in the ship and as close to the middle of the ship as possible. No, you don’t have to go through the same hassles that you see in airports to get on the ship. You don’t have to take off belts… or shoes… or carry only 3 ounces of liquids. You’ll just have your bags x-rayed and walk through a metal detector (no full body scanners!). Getting through security usually takes no more than a minute or two.
Useful Things to Pack For Your Cruise (Including 17 You’d Never Think Of)
If you want to save a little money, book independent shore excursions. If you’ve joined a Cruise Critic Roll Call, passengers often book independent tours together. Just note, if you are delayed returning to the ship on a cruise-purchased shore excursion, the ship will wait. Save money in cruise ports of call by booking your own shore excursions or even by touring on your own. This can work well when you can take a taxi to a local beach or in a city where it’s easy to do a Hop On Hop Off bus tour.
The sense of security it will provide is worth its weight in gold. Each evening on a cruise you are usually given a daily calendar of what is going on the next day on the ship. On port days you will be given a guide of the port and what time to be back on the ship.
If you haven't booked the cruise line's flight-inclusive air/sea package, you'll need to book your own air transportation unless you intend to drive to the port. Whether you can fit clothing for an entire cruise itinerary into one carry-on bag is a source of fierce debate. But it's absolutely possible and, until airlines stop losing luggage, may be your safest bet to making sure you have clothing for the duration of your cruise.
Don’t Expect to Drink the Alcohol Bought in Port
It’s not unheard of for cruise ships to run across these people, sailing in makeshift rafts. Rules of the sea call for the cruise ships to render aid, meaning they will stop and help, even if in the middle of a cruise. The cruise lines will call passengers deck by deck, but the process can take hours. If you already have all your bags and want to leave, you can just head down whenever you like.
We can help you decide with our list of pros and cons of both round-trip and one-way Alaskan cruises. Discover our eight favorite Turks and Caicos excursions so you can create the best cruise itinerary for you. Here's what you need to know about In My Cruise Era cruise, from prices and activities to dates & more.
Just be sure to put everything back or you’ll get charged for whatever is missing. To be on the safe side, the cruise lines follow federal law — which means that marijuana is illegal to bring on board. If you really need some of the green to relax on your cruise, you’ll have to wait until you arrive in port. It’s macabre, but if you’re on a larger ship, then it likely has a morgue on board. Cruise ships are carrying thousands of people 365 days a year. It’s a law of averages that someone will eventually pass away while on the ship.
Many of the ports in the Caribbean and Mexico are Spanish-speaking countries, whereas others may speak Dutch or French. The cruise ports thrive on tourism and they make it as easy as possible for foreign tourists to get around. Practically everyone you encounter will speak English, so you can leave the Spanish dictionary at home.
There are ways to make calls and access the internet from ships without spending a boatload of money. You can buy a Wi-Fi package, for instance, that will let you make FaceTime calls and stream videos (on some ships) over Wi-Fi without using phone data. When going ashore, always bring the ship's contact information with you.
These outfits might be “too much” for your everyday routine, but a cruise vacation certainly isn’t your everyday. Sometimes, they are even able to offer lower rates due to negotiating group rates with the cruise lines. Whether you're a first time cruiser or about to embark on your 10th sailing, there are some cruise tips and hacks to make sure you're getting the most out of your vacation. From picking the right ship, researching each port of call, and making travel arrangements, there's so much to consider when it comes to planning a cruise.
Your best way to get some free stuff on the cruise also involves a lot of fun. In the game shows (including the always popular “newlywed” game), some audience participation is required. Not everyone can join in, but if you get selected then you almost always get some sort of prize at the end. When you are in port, you might notice strange symbols at the ship’s waterline that look like hieroglyphics.
The bad thing is that if you get sunburned, it can put you out of commission for several days, putting a damper on your cruise. Cruise lines go to great lengths to sanitize and keep everyone healthy. Even so, definitely use hand sanitizer, which is available all over the ship. Everyone knows about dinner in the main dining room… but they usually eat the buffet for lunch and breakfast. If you want something higher quality, head to the main dining room instead of the buffet. Best of all, the food is usually better as well, since it’s made fresh.
If you want to make a reservation for an extra-fee eatery, you will want to reserve your spot as early as possible. The oldest, smallest ships in Carnival's fleet are the 2,130-passenger Carnival Elation and Carnival Paradise. The newest, largest vessel is the 5,282-passenger Carnival Celebration.
It’s still preferable to pay for most things in cash for security purposes. Cruise line transfers seem like a great idea — after all, if you’re getting a ride from the cruise company to the port, you know you won’t miss your ship. However, the cruise transfers only run on the day of the cruise. That means if you fly in a day early for your trip, you are out of luck.
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