First time cruisers help please

[aamiza]

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*Today, 05:53 AM

 

aamiza*

 

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Join Date: Apr 2016

 

Posts: 3

 

*Carnival Sunshine First Timer

 

Hi

 

Apologies if all these have been asked before but I am new to this forum and the cruising and going in February 2017!

 

Tips - Can this be paid prior to leaving or do you have to pay this once aboard - roughly how much is this, we are 2 adults and 2 children 13 and 9 years

 

Drinks - is it best to buy a drinks bundle my husband likes the beer and rum I am not a drinker. Do you get any drinks included?

 

Luggage - once on board how long does it take to get your luggage to your Cabin

 

Cabin - We have Cabin 5340 Ocean Suite - anyone here stayed in here? Also is it true we get VIP boarding and disembarking

 

Disembarking at Ports - can you leave any time or do you have to leave at set times

 

We have been to the Caribbean lots but not Cruising and I am excited but worried as there seems to be lots to know prior to going

 

Do you have to check in online prior to departing if so do you know how long in advance you can do this

 

Sorry to go on but any help would be greatly appreciate and apologies again if these have already been asked.

 

We are leaving Port Canaveral and doing the 8 nights eastern Caribbean Grand Turk, St Kitts, San Juan, St Maarten

 

Thanks again

[mondello]

Cheers drinks package must be purchased by all adults in cabin, so would probably not be worth it if both don't use it.

 

Tips can be prepaid or paid onboard during your cruise. $12/per day, per PAX. Your 8 day with 4 PAX will be $384 ($12 X 8 = 96; $96 X 4 = $384). Call Carnival or your TA to prepay tips.

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

[beachbum53]

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* #1**

 

*Today, 05:53 AM

 

aamiza*

 

Cool Cruiser

 

*

 

Join Date: Apr 2016

 

Posts: 3

 

*Carnival Sunshine First Timer

 

Hi

 

Apologies if all these have been asked before but I am new to this forum and the cruising and going in February 2017!

 

Tips - Can this be paid prior to leaving or do you have to pay this once aboard - roughly how much is this, we are 2 adults and 2 children 13 and 9 years

 

Drinks - is it best to buy a drinks bundle my husband likes the beer and rum I am not a drinker. Do you get any drinks included?

 

Luggage - once on board how long does it take to get your luggage to your Cabin

 

Cabin - We have Cabin 5340 Ocean Suite - anyone here stayed in here? Also is it true we get VIP boarding and disembarking

 

Disembarking at Ports - can you leave any time or do you have to leave at set times

 

We have been to the Caribbean lots but not Cruising and I am excited but worried as there seems to be lots to know prior to going

 

Do you have to check in online prior to departing if so do you know how long in advance you can do this

 

Sorry to go on but any help would be greatly appreciate and apologies again if these have already been asked.

 

We are leaving Port Canaveral and doing the 8 nights eastern Caribbean Grand Turk, St Kitts, San Juan, St Maarten

 

Thanks again

 

Currently, the gratuities are $12.00 per person per day. Who knows if they'll be the same (or more) in 2017? You can prepay the gratuities if you like. some people do. If not, they will be added to your Sign & Sail account. As for the Cheers package, keep in mind that if one person in the cabin (your husband) purchases it, then every other adult in the same cabin has to buy it, whether you drink or not. And, it has to be for the entire duration of the cruise. You cannot buy it on a per day basis. Unless you have some type of priority boarding status, your luggage could be delivered anywhere between 12:00 and 10:00 p.m. Many people recommend having your bathing suit and something to wear to dinner packed in your carry on bag. Unless you have an excursion booked that leaves the port at a certain time, you can disembark at your leisure. An on line check-in is not mandatory, but will save you a lot of time standing in line when you get the port. You can do the on line check-in any time up to two days before your cruise.

Edited April 20, 2016 by beachbum53

[Wheatie59]

Once docked at the ports you can come and go as you wish. At Grand Turk the dock is near the shops, Margaritiville, and the beach. In San Juan, its near Old San Juan. In St Maarten you take a water taxi from the docks to town, so getting off and on is more time consuming. Haven't been to St. Kitts.

 

Included drinks are coffee, water, juice (morning), milk (morning, though you can ask for it any time), and lemonade (rest of the day.) All other drinks cost. The Cheers program has been enhanced to include non-alcoholic drinks, but its still probably not worthwhile if you don't drink alcohol at all. Whether or not to get it is really just a matter of what is cheaper. Fruity drinks are $8-11 or so, beers $5-6, sodas $2. Not sure about specialty coffee or tea. So, if you can guess at what you each might drink over the course of the cruise you can compare individual purchase to Cheers. Bottomless Bubbles gets you sodas, and not everyone in a cabin has to buy that. Neither program allows any sharing.