Sending postcards home?

[Sablerose]

How would one do this? Buy/mail in local ports (do little shops do this?) or does the ship have some way that we could do it?

 

We have quite the "postcard list" and I just wanna figure out if I need to bring stamps with me or something-or-other, or where we should try to buy postcards.

 

Thank you!

[CheerBelleMom]

We bought postcards in the ports, and bought the local stamps-Cozumel, Cayman Islands, etc from the purser, and mailed from the ship. There are different slots for the different ports, so we just deposited it in the next port's slot.

[OhioJeff]

How would one do this? Buy/mail in local ports (do little shops do this?) or does the ship have some way that we could do it?

 

We have quite the "postcard list" and I just wanna figure out if I need to bring stamps with me or something-or-other, or where we should try to buy postcards.

 

Thank you!

You will also find this info in your "Welcome Aboard" info that was included with your cruise docs.(Page 26)

 

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/FAQs/Mailing_Postcards.aspx

 

Can I mail postcards while on board?Postcards can be mailed each day when the ship is in port. Due to customs regulations, any type of mail other than postcards, cannot be mailed from the ship; of course, letters and packages can be mailed from a local post office in the ports-of-call.

The postal regulations of the various ports require that the postcards be stamped with a local stamp only (no U.S. postage). The Purser's Information Desk sells local stamps.

There is a mailbox located at the Purser's Information Desk; one side is for postcards with "Foreign Stamps"; these postcards will be mailed when the ship docks at the appropriate port-of-call. The other side is for postcards with "U.S Stamps"; these postcards will be mailed from a U.S port only or when the ship returns to the U.S embarkation city, whichever comes first.

[Sablerose]

Thank you! That certainly makes it easy!

[steffigrl]

When we were on the Inspiration last December we sent a few postcards from the ship while in port at Cozumel, they received them 3 weeks later!:) Oh well, it's the thought that counts! It was very easy though! Have a great cruise!

[Hootsie]

We're still waiting for the postcard we sent ourselves from Hell, Grand Cayman and our cruise was April, 2004!

[OhioJeff]

When we were on the Inspiration last December we sent a few postcards from the ship while in port at Cozumel, they received them 3 weeks later!:) Oh well, it's the thought that counts! It was very easy though! Have a great cruise!

 

3 weeks is actually fairly a quick turn around. It can take up to 6 weeks depending on the time of year.

[NMCRUISERS]

We send a postcard home to our three cats. It's fun to see how long the mail takes and also, we tape up the cards in the kitchen next to their food...Cat level of course....they must be able to read them >^..^<

[momthecruisedirector]

We have always sent a card home from the ports or land cities we are visiting. We write a note on it like, 'remember when we did this....' or 'remember how hot it was', things like that. When we get the postcard in the mail after we get home it is a nice reminder of our vacation and then I can put it in the scrapbook too.

[photocruiser]

Preprint your address labels at home before you leave! Saves time while in port on an excursion.

 

My "Go To Hell" (Grand Cayman) postcard to my boss garrived 3 weeks after I came back from my trip. Yes...I still work for him!

 

 

Photocruiser

[beansatw]

The postcards we mailed on the Miracle took 4 weeks to arrive. The postcards mailed from the Hell post office in GC took almost 6 weeks. So don't write anything "timely" - it'll be old news by the time anyone sees it. :D

[Astronomer]

Now that you brought it up Sable I want a postcard too, and to be fair you should send a postcard to of each the members of Cruise Critics.

That should keep her busy on the cruise. :cool:

The postage would likely be dipping into her Margarita money! :eek:

Let me see, 160,000 postcards and $0.23 each comes to..... $36,800, not to mention the number of pens wirting personal notes to each and every one of us, and the cost of the cards themselves.

[Koalagal]

Or just good timing-we were on Disney last year & were in Grand Cayman the 1st week they opened after Ivan hit. We took a tour of the island and got off the bus first in "hell" and went & directly took pictures of the rock thingie. Then listened to our tour guide talk & as soon as he finished, went to the tiny shop & bought & made out 10 postcards in 15min. Mailed them & they all got there before we got home 2 weeks later(did a week in Orlando after). The 8 we mailed from Castaway Cay took 3 weeks to arrive though.

 

So, this time, we just bought a pack of Fascination(our ship)cards, and were really lazy. We didn't fill any cards out until the next Tuesday(in S Fla)and we got home before the cards did. We mailed them Tuesday evening from Highland Beach, and got home on Friday nite, before all of the cards! Folks enjoyed them anyway though.:)

[Luv4dacruise]

If you are going on a week-long cruise (as the majority of us do) and you still want your postcards to arrive before you return from your cruise your best bet is to send the ones in your stateroom from the ship the first day of the cruise. Just fill em out and drop them off at the Purser's desk about an hour before the ship leaves. They always do one last mail drop a few minutes before the ship leaves. I have done this several times after hitting the buffet and exploring the ship and that is the info i put in the postcards too. Have always arrived before we do, hehehehe!

[OhioJeff]

If you are going on a week-long cruise (as the majority of us do) and you still want your postcards to arrive before you return from your cruise your best bet is to send the ones in your stateroom from the ship the first day of the cruise. Just fill em out and drop them off at the Purser's desk about an hour before the ship leaves. They always do one last mail drop a few minutes before the ship leaves. I have done this several times after hitting the buffet and exploring the ship and that is the info i put in the postcards too. Have always arrived before we do, hehehehe!

 

I think most people like the idea of their postcard having a postmark that is outside the US. If someone wants to just get the card out, they can mail it from the airport.