Going on my first cruise!

[King10Sooted]

Hello,

 

Mostly just wanted to say hello to everyone. My and my girlfriend have decided to look into a cruise for next summer. We have narrowed down the list to a couple Carnival Cruises. We are most likely going to go with an Eastern Caribbean cruise early next August on Carnival Glory. My plan is to fly down to Miami from NYC the night before and get a hotel so we don't have to worry about flight delays or anything like that.

 

I have been reading and done quite a bit of research already, I am always the one that researches everything almost a little too much lol. You folks seem like the place to go for help and insight from the experts though. So I am sure Ill have some more questions come up before we actually leave.

 

We are probably going to go with the Cheers program, I can drink quite a bit and she likes to have some wine and specialty drinks. So I am thinking we will get our money's worth there and not have to worry about paying for anything. I am assuming if I max out my 15 drink limit she can just order a drink and give it to me? Only question I have is do they charge the tips for that when you purchase it? So every time you order a drink you don't have to actually have anything billed, correct? And basically tips in general can be paid for prior to your cruise if I understand correctly?

 

I guess I am just looking for a breakdown of what I can pay for prior to leaving. I basically would like to pay for everything and just have to have some money with us for ports and any purchases that we might make while on the ship at stores or restaurants that aren't included.

 

As someone who hasn't been to the Caribbean at all before all of the ports sound good to me, we will be visiting Grand Turk, San Juan, St Thomas, and Amber Cove. So if anyone has any must see or do things at those places I would love to hear it.

 

Thanks!

[Schoifmom]

Hello,

 

Mostly just wanted to say hello to everyone. My and my girlfriend have decided to look into a cruise for next summer. We have narrowed down the list to a couple Carnival Cruises. We are most likely going to go with an Eastern Caribbean cruise early next August on Carnival Glory. My plan is to fly down to Miami from NYC the night before and get a hotel so we don't have to worry about flight delays or anything like that.

 

I have been reading and done quite a bit of research already, I am always the one that researches everything almost a little too much lol. You folks seem like the place to go for help and insight from the experts though. So I am sure Ill have some more questions come up before we actually leave.

 

We are probably going to go with the Cheers program, I can drink quite a bit and she likes to have some wine and specialty drinks. So I am thinking we will get our money's worth there and not have to worry about paying for anything. I am assuming if I max out my 15 drink limit she can just order a drink and give it to me? Only question I have is do they charge the tips for that when you purchase it? So every time you order a drink you don't have to actually have anything billed, correct? And basically tips in general can be paid for prior to your cruise if I understand correctly?

 

I guess I am just looking for a breakdown of what I can pay for prior to leaving. I basically would like to pay for everything and just have to have some money with us for ports and any purchases that we might make while on the ship at stores or restaurants that aren't included.

 

As someone who hasn't been to the Caribbean at all before all of the ports sound good to me, we will be visiting Grand Turk, San Juan, St Thomas, and Amber Cove. So if anyone has any must see or do things at those places I would love to hear it.

 

Thanks!

 

Welcome to your new addiction ;)

 

I am also someone who loves to have as much as possible pre-paid. Here is a non-exhaustive list of what you can pay ahead of time:

• Gratuities ($12.95 pp per day)
  
• Cheers!/BB
  
• Internet Plans
  

Gratuities for drinks purchased with Cheers! are charged when you purchase the package, not added on a per-drink basis.

 

 

I am not going to comment on sharing Cheers after you reach your 15 drink limit ... someone else can take the hit for that :halo:

 

 

I would recommend search the ports of call forums for information regarding your ports. I have not personally been to any of them, but I've rarely been to a port that I didn't enjoy with a little bit of planning.

[A&Jfamily]

You can prepay everything including your shore excursions if you book them thru Carnival

 

As for drinking beyond your 15, no one can stop you (except CCL) from drinking a drink she ordered but that is against the rules. If you were caught they could revoke Cheers for you both. There are people here that will tell you "sure, go ahead do what you want. You paid for it". I'm not going to get into that failed logic or a debate and stand on "it's against the rules."

 

As for ports, if you are active and in good health 27 waterfalls in the Dominican Republic was amazing. You will need to book privately and probably on have time for 12. You can see my review on TA. Take your own waterproof camera regardless of what they tell you. This is a beautiful island and you must leave the port on some kind of excursion to appreciate it.

 

San Juan is worth paying for a trip to zip line. But if you don't want to spend money it is very easy to do a walking tour. You can find tons on line.

 

Grand Turk is a great beach day and also a great snorkel port but book it privately so you are not with the herds. They have a fun open air tram just down the beach that for not a lot of money will show you this very pretty island.

 

St Thomas has so many things to do it would be my recommendation you chose things in the other ports first and then figure out what you want to do here.

 

 

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[etwright]

Welcome to the world of cruising! :cool::):cool:

[King10Sooted]

Thanks for the quick replies everyone!

 

Yea, I figured it may technically be against the rules. I'm not really the type that will try to get away with things and hide things. But I also handle my drinks very well and make friends with bar staff most places I go. So I guess my plan would probably just be to wait and ask if I could have one on her account if I do hit my limit. If they say no it isnt the end of the world.

 

I definitely do see myself becoming addicted to cruising though. Have a few more I want to plan already. Lol

[crusinpsychRN]

You will become an addict of cruising.

[GMRPHRN]

Do you like Adventure? I really enjoyed the Hike, Snorkel & Kayak adventure in St. Thomas. Lots to do in San Juan. I went ziplining there but it wasn't the best IMO. To me Amber Cove and Grand Turk were mostly beach days. Lots of great info on this site about cruising. If you haven't had the chance to parasail that's another good adventure. Remember if you do all day excursions you want drink as much on the ship so factor that in when deciding if it's worth it.

 

From NYC - definitely fly in the day before or even 2 days if you can swing it.

[E@syPe@zy]

I see you are planning for early August next summer. If your schedule allows, I would recommend late August or after. Going after school starts back up will be more pleasant without all of the kiddos running around. You may even find a better price.

Have fun with the planning and the cruise!

[evandbob]

I'll second the idea of cruising when kids are in school. There is a Port of Call section here on CC where you can get opinions about activities in different ports. Enjoy doing your research and enjoy whatever cruise(s) you decide to book!

[King10Sooted]

My girlfriend is a teacher, so unfortunately only the months when everyone is out of school work for us.

[bury me at sea]

Pre-paid items of tips, excursions and Cheers already covered.

 

Now, while you are still months away, check your documentation requirements so that issue won't sneak up on you. Expiration dates on passports and driver's licenses. Acceptable copy of birth certificates if traveling without passports.

 

Avoid potential last minute problems by checking requirements early.

 

Hope you enjoy your cruise.

[MistyRo76]

In Grand Turk - definitely head to Jack's Shack. Don't make the mistake we made on our first trip there and just stop at the big (expensive) Margaritaville right when you get off the ship! :) Jack's is only about a 10 minute walk from the port (to the right if you are on the beach facing the ship). It's a local, small little beach bar. They have great food (their chef is from Jamaica - the Jerk Chicken is YUM!!), reasonable priced drinks, good music and a great vibe! Not to mention their little dog Topher running around greeting everyone. It's our must do for Grand Turk now!

 

San Juan - the forts are a neat experience. Just walking around Old San Juan is fun...the scenery is beautiful there. St. Thomas has wonderful beaches as well. You can also take the sky ride up to the top of Paradise Point. There's some walking paths, shopping, food/drinks and overall breathtaking views from the top! Haven't been to Amber Cove yet, so can't comment on that port.

 

Enjoy your first cruise. I took mine twenty years ago during Spring Break and have been addicted since!

[CharlesKru]

Crazy thought, if you have the time you could consider taking Amtrac down to Miami. It leave Penn station on day 1 at 11am, and gets there day 2 at about 5:45 pm ( assuming no major delays). We did this for our last cruise, picking it up in Raleigh NC and heading down...

 

If you get a sleeper car it is about the same amount of money as flying but it was a great adventure. The sleeper car rooms are basically like having a private room, that you can watch out the window and enjoy your time on the way.

 

For Grand Turk, I highly recommend going to Jacks Shack. IT is a great atmosphere and it is just far enough down the beach that the masses of people dont make it down there.

[dacsmom]

Cruising can definitely be an addiction, welcome.

Grand Turk - a great beach day, walk off the ship and sit on the beach. OK, snorkeling right off the beach. Walk to the left and you will run into Jacks Shack.

San Juan - one of my favorite ports. The forts are wonderful. $10 gets you in to both and they are very different. Old San Juan is walkable, it is only seven square blocks, but it all seems uphill. Find the San Juan Gate, and also tour the Cathedral, it is breathtaking even if you are not religious. Casa Cortes is a restaurant where everything has chocolate in it. I had a chocolate grilled cheese that was amazing.

St. Thomas - a lot to do. If you like marine life try Coral World, and Coki Beach is right next to it.

 

You are very smart to fly in the day before, definitely cuts down on stress. Some hotels have a shuttle to the port.

Cheers is worth it to me, since it includes almost everything. (oh those adult milkshakes...yum.) Tips are included in the price.

 

What ships are you looking into?

[Organized Chaos]

You'll be going on the same ship & itinerary we're going on, except we're going in June '18. This will only be our second cruise, plus we're taking a few members of my wife's family who will be going for the first time. We were aboard the Conquest last year, which is one of Glory's sister ships, so we'll already be familiar with the layout. Cruising wasn't ever something I thought of as a vacation and, honestly, didn't even want to go. But a couple members of my wife's family who go frequently had been asking us to go with them for a couple years, so we finally went. I basically just went along with it because my wife & our son were excited. In the end, I'm glad we did because we really enjoyed it, booked our second one back in Feb., and got a few others to go with us. I'm not giving up on the places I still want to see on land, but glad we've added cruises to the list of possibilities.

 

I'm like you, I research the ever living daylights out of our vacations. I spent about a year on the old Carnival forums (now closed) before our first cruise and spent hours going over the Carnival FAQ's. I love digging into a lot of the details, to the point it's pretty OCD'ish.

 

We didn't buy Cheers last year, but I've read plenty of instances where people who do stop at drink #14, then start buying more with cash. Some have mentioned that getting in good with a particular bartender (tipping well doesn't hurt) could mean that they'll give you a heads up when you're about to reach your daily limit, then you can switch to cash.

 

The only port of call we've been to before with this itinerary is Grand Turk. A lot of people go to Margaritaville, which is right by the pier. We used it to try our hand at snorkeling. We didn't do an excursion, just brought our own (cheap) gear and went by ourselves. If you're standing on the pier facing the beach, to the left of the pier is the beach in front of Margaritaville and that's where a vast majority of people hang out. We went to an area on the right side of the pier, out in front of the NASA exhibit. There's a handful of lounge chairs under the palm trees and was a much quieter place (if that's your thing).

 

We're looking forward to the Sea Trek at the ocean park in St. Thomas. You wear a type of diving helmet and walk along the bottom (about 20 ft. deep) on a half hour guided excursion.

 

Welcome to cruising and to the CC boards.

[easyboy]

In Grand Turk - definitely head to Jack's Shack. Don't make the mistake we made on our first trip there and just stop at the big (expensive) Margaritaville right when you get off the ship! :) Jack's is only about a 10 minute walk from the port (to the right if you are on the beach facing the ship). It's a local, small little beach bar. They have great food (their chef is from Jamaica - the Jerk Chicken is YUM!!), reasonable priced drinks, good music and a great vibe! Not to mention their little dog Topher running around greeting everyone. It's our must do for Grand Turk.

 

Highly recommend this. We did exactly as described last month.

 

 

 

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[lisagro]

If you would like to tour St . Thomas, I can recommend Brenda and Franko's fun tours.You'll get to see the whole island. Look up their website.

 

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[teknoge3k]

I am going to throw a wrench into what most people have said about Grand Turk.

 

When you get off the ship, don't go directly to Jack's Shack and spend your day. You'll be missing out on SO much. Instead, rent a golf cart and explore the island. Ride around and see the locals way of life, the salinas, Her Majesty's Prison, the museums, the light house, Cockburn Town, the wild donkey and other animals, Governor's Beach and everything else the island has. Not just a single restaurant. THEN once you're done exploring the island, stop by Jack's for some lunch, spend some time there playing with Christopher before taking your golf cart back. THAT'S how to spend a great day at Grand Turk. One of my favorite stops.

[coevan]

'You can prepay everything including your shore excursions if you book them thru Carnival"

 

 

 

 

You can prepay your shore excursions privately as well. We never boof Carnival shore excursions, too expensive and too many people

[A&Jfamily]

'You can prepay everything including your shore excursions if you book them thru Carnival"

 

 

 

 

You can prepay your shore excursions privately as well. We never boof Carnival shore excursions, too expensive and too many people

 

 

We have not found this to be the case 100% of the time because some are cash only. But then again we are the opposite of the pre-pay mentality so it doesn't bother us.

 

 

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[aidee49]

?

 

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[Badfinger]

I don't know you so I won't be so bold as to tell you to do what I like.

 

But I will tell you for your first cruise to just let if flow. Take in in the colors, sound and people when you first step on the ship. That is the experience that you can never re-create on subsequent cruise. Yeah different ships could be a bit more exciting, but the very first cruise...that very first step on the ship....nothing like it.

 

Don't try to plan to much...again just let if flow. You never know what you might end up liking. Trivia, hot tubs, lounging by the pool. I certainly do not know...but give it all a chance. Make sure you do the buffet at least once for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the MDR for the same. Order two of something. Try the frog legs or alligator. Then go from there. Order room service at least once (bring a couple $1 bills for tip). Hit the sauna and fitness center. Experience it all. Again, you never know what you might become one with!

 

Book any excursions on this first cruise through Carnival. IMO spending a few more dollars is worth the peace of mind knowing you won't miss the ship. But you will be an old-hat at excursions after one cruise and can decide what is your better fit excursion wise on your next cruise.

 

Most of all....expect people to be people. Their will be chair hogs, people cutting in line, kids and adults licking their fingers at the buffet line, etc. Again just go with the flow. Don't turn into the rules police like many here are. You will enjoy your cruise a lot more...and you won't be disappointed when people are people.

 

Take time to watch a sunset. Nothing like it over the water. One of my favorite parts of any cruise.

[Cruisin 4 Ever]

Congratulations on deciding to cruise. You will love it!!

Cheers - for sure go ahead and share - when they talk about sharing I am sure they are talking with other passengers, not each other but regardless just don't run it in their faces and you'll be fine. As for tips, they are included when you purchase cheers. If you tip a buck here and there you may get quicker service and a better pour.

The ports you listed are excellent

San Juan - do the forts. There are free trolleys that will take you to either fort. Personally I prefer to walk there. The furthest fort is about a 15-20 minute walk along the ocean. Once you exit the port terminal walk straight up the first side street you see and you will be very close to the fort.

Amber Cove - best excursion we've ever done was the ATV TerraCross adventure. It was SOOOO much fun. Very well run excursion and then they served us some excellent Dominican food - fried chicken and plantain and drinks.

Turks and Caicos - if it's your first time I wouldn't recommend just staying at the port. Grand Turk is so beautiful. Right outside the gate there are golf carts available. The island is small so if you rent one you can get to all the tourist spots like the light house, salt ponds etc.

St. Thomas - we usually take a taxi to Emerald Beach. It's at a Best Western. You just have to pay for the loungers and they give you access to their change rooms.

Make sure you book a balcony - it makes cruising the perfect experience. I always recommend to book a deck that has only rooms above and below to minimize noise. That is usually deck 7

[beerman2]

Most definitely go with the flow. There will be glitches/minor problems.

 

Sunrises/sunsets are gorgeous enjoy from your balcony or on deck.

 

Carnival ships have a deck on the bow that you can enjoy pulling into port if you don't have a balcony.

 

MDR if you order something and don't like it ASK for something else. Or as mentioned just order 2 Apps, main dishes, or desserts.

 

Pizza place is open 24/7.

 

If you have a balcony enjoy room service Breakfast one morning.

 

If you must have a chair close to pool , get out there about 7-7:30. You will run into people who get up early, put towels, books, flip flops on chairs and leave . ( The Chair Hogs)

 

Usually plenty of chairs on level 2 by pool.

[Eleteace]

Welcome! You 100% will become addicted to cruising :')

 

You've come to the right place! Here's a couple of things that I recon you should know before cruising with Carnival (hints and tips that kinda thing). http://cruisingisntjustforoldpeople.co.uk/2017/05/11/10-things-carnival/

 

Sounds like you're already pretty excited and all covered on your research... but hey! Can't never be too informed right?!

 

Have a fantastic time!!

 

 

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