EMBARKATION
Required Documents
The preferred legal document is a passport. Not only will this enable you to fly home in the off chance you get left at a port stop, but it also makes disembarkation a breeze. If you are going on a closed loop cruise that starts and ends in the same US port, you can still use an original or certified copy of your birth certificate and a drivers license. If you’re traveling with children and you do not have documents naming you with full custody, the cruise line will ask for a notarized letter of consent from the parent not coming.
Port Parking and Porters
Port parking is expensive. Just know you don’t have to use it. With the exception of very small cruise ports like Mobile, you can usually find off site parking with a free shuttle service for a fraction of the price. Be sure to check the online reviews because they all aren’t created equal.
Before parking we usually drive through the drop off area to leave our luggage with the porters. Make sure your bags have cabin tags before you arrive and tip the porter $1-$2 per bag. Make sure to keep medications, documents, soda/wine, and CPAP with you to carry-on yourself.
Bringing Liquids
You are permitted to bring one 12 pack of canned beverages per person and one 750ml bottle of wine per person over 21. They must be carried on and not checked. If traveling with an infant, you can bring nursery water or distilled water for formula. You can also carry-on distilled water for you CPAP. We find it easier to purchase this on board for about $4. No bottled beverages are otherwise permitted. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve seen have to dump cases of bottled water and juice at security.
You can have a 12 pack of bottled water delivered to your room for $10 or even order a gallon of distilled water for drinking. Keep in mind you get bottle water for free from any bar if you have the Cheers package.
ON BOARD
Carnival Hub App
They don’t call them fun ships for no reason. There is a lot going on and it can be hard to keep up with. Broadway shows, live music, bingo, dance lessons, trivia, comedy, and dueling pianos to name a few. Make sure to download the app and have your log in information on hand. Once on board, put your phone in airplane mode and connect to the ship WiFi. Once on the app you can look at activity schedules for the entire trip and favorite anything you want to come back to. You can also see opening hours as well as main dining menus.
The Muster Drill
This has become a lot less complicated since COVID. People seem to think it is optional but it must be done before the ship leaves port. They will cut you off after 2 drinks until its completed. Previously you were required to line up at a specified time, while wearing your life vest, alongside your fellow cruise passengers for a safety demonstration. Now you just go to your muster station and swipe your room key. Your room key will tell you what muster station you need to go to, just check the map on the back of your cabin door to find out where it is located.
Dining
One of the most surprising things to new cruisers is you can order as much as you want at sit down meals. Just don’t be wasteful. I usually get 2 appetizers but sometimes split a second entree with Buddy. The waitstaff does prefer you order everything you want at the beginning so everything comes out together from the kitchen. Otherwise your table mates may have to wait longer for the entree course because you decided at the last minute you wanted a second shrimp cocktail. Everyone moves on to the next course together.
There are a few items on the main dining menu with an up charge and they are clearly marked. Buddy loves to order the sushi boat for 2 at least once a cruise. It costs $22 and he usually eats it by himself. If you’re after lobster, Carnival only offers this on 6N or longer cruises. The first 2 tails are free but they now charge $5 for every tail after that. Be sure to travel with someone who doesn’t eat seafood so you can have theirs.
Themed dining venues are becoming increasingly popular on Carnival. Some are complementary while some have an up charge. Not all restaurants are available on every ship. Currently Big Chicken, Guy’s Burger Joint, Lucky Bowl, Blue Iguana Cantina, Street Eats, Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que, Pizza Pirate, Mongolian Wok, Masala Tiger, and the Deli are all free of charge. Emerll’s Bistro, Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse, Carnival’s Kitchen, Rudi’s Seagrill, Bonsai Teppanyaki, Cuccina del Capitano, Jiji’s Kitchen, Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast, The Steakhouse, Seafood Shack, and Bonsai Sushi have an additional fee.
The Chef’s Table is an up charge multi course meal with very limited seating and advanced reservations fill up quickly. This outstanding dinner is a very personalized experience with a nearly 1:1 server to guest ratio. It also includes a tour of the kitchen galley. It is pricey but worth doing at least once.
Seaday Brunch and Afternoon Tea
I mention both of these because they are free and fairly unique to Carnival. Both are offered on sea days only. The Seaday Brunch is served in one of the main dining rooms and you can check in on the app with the number of people in your party. The app will notify you when your table is ready which means you don’t have to stand around in front of the restaurant waiting. Afternoon tea is from 3 to 4 p.m. and offers a variety of finger sandwiches and cakes along with hot tea.
Gratuities
Currently gratuities run $16 per person per day. These are shared among the staff and includes those you don’t normally think to tip like the staff busing tables and washing windows. We usually tip a little above the automatic gratuities to those who really made our cruise special. Additionally, be aware if you are not on the drink package, every drink has an automatic 18% gratuity added to the cost. I wasn’t aware of this on our first cruise and double tipped on every single drink. Otherwise we find an occasional extra tip on drinks to improve service dramatically.
Photos
One of my favorite Carnival cruise tips is to take the photo! Every night there will be various backgrounds and props set up near the dining rooms for professional photos. These are absolutely free to do. You only pay for the ones you like. If you’re anything like me, you usually get home from vacation with pictures of everyone but you. Here is your chance to have some really nice pictures of you and your family. Kill two birds with one stone and use them for your Christmas cards!
Expenses
You must set up an on board spending account. All purchases are charged to your room key. Most people do this with a credit card but you do have the options of setting up a cash account at the purser’s desk once on board. The minimum deposit for a 2-4 day cruise is $100 per person and $200 per person for 5-8 day cruises. Once your account falls below a specific threshold they will freeze your account until you add more money.
You can also use gift cards to set up a cash account. This is a particularly appealing option because there are many ways to obtain Carnival gift cards at 5-10% off face value. My Citibank card allows me to purchase gift cards at 10% off but you can also buy them at a discount at various warehouse stores. You can also purchase them at 5% off with a Target red card and conveniently order them online and have them emailed to you in a matter of minutes. You can also use gift cards to pay off your cruise balance and save a little money on your cruise fare.
DISEMBARKATION
You have two options for disembarkation. You can put your tagged luggage outside your cabin on the last night of the cruise and pick them up in the baggage claim area of the terminal after exiting the ship or you can opt for self-assist or “express debark” and carry all your luggage off yourself. Self-assist has 2 advantages. You will be the first group to exit the ship and it means you can pack at the absolute last minute.
If you opt to have your luggage picked up, the day before debarkation the bag tags will be put out for guests to grab. Each zone corresponds to a specific time frame and the early times always go fast. Also don’t forget to keep what you need for the next day. I’ve actually forgotten to keep a change of clothes in my rush to put our bags out. The porters are by the zone as their group is called to disembark and the piles are grouped in a logical numerical order. I’ve seen people exit before their zone is called, then stand in the baggage area fuming because they can’t find their bag.
I’ll also mention again, if you’re in a hurry to get off the ship and through customs, invest in a passport. Among all the Carnival cruise tips I’ve given, this is the one that will save you the most time. You don’t even have to show your passport because they use facial recognition software. You step in front of the camera and a few seconds later you’re on your way. Meanwhile the line for birth certificates wraps to the escalator.
I hope you’ve found this helpful and if you have questions or your own tips to share, be sure to comment below.
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