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Tips and secrets in a nutshell...

Cinderose

By Cinderose,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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Cinderose

Cinderose

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Do walk the entire ship on your first day. It will help you learn where everything is, and will help you discover spots that others never find.

Tip your room stewart in cash on the first day, that can bring rewards.One of the first things I do is ask my room steward for the use of a bath robe during the cruise. These are usually standard in suites, but if you write your steward a note while you are out to dinner the first night (I always include a cash tip as well) there will be one (or two if requested) waiting for you no problem. This saves so much room in my luggage and is useful for the pool and also spa visits.

Also the bartenders. Once we tipped a drink waiter. Later when some beers got damaged (Bent cans) that they would not sell, we got them free

If you need post cards, go to the pursers desk... they have those with the picture of the ship for free!

I don't consider these secrets, but people always say "I didn't know you could do that" when I order a second entree or second anything in the dining room, or order a refill in my souvenir glass at a "discount" rate.

If, by chance, you don't like anything they have on the menu, ask them to bring you a steak or chicken.

On some of the Carnival ships, you can get a deck of cards w/Carnival logo, just by asking at the purser's desk.

When you board, go directly to the casino (it will be closed) and get the free lanyards that are in the slot machines. Sometime during the cruise go to the pursers office and have your sign and sail cards hole punched and attach them to the free lanyard.

In the dining room, ask for espresso after dinner - not usually listed on the menu, but I have either espresso or cappuccino every night at no extra charge.

Hint: Read your Capers carefully, as some things are in small print. (Take a high lighter.) For instance, "tea time" is not announced in a big separate area, just in the listing of day's activities.

You can also ask your Room Steward for the book that is in your cabin. I got one from the Pride. Just ask and they may give it to you.

You will need to tip the cab driver that takes you to the pier/ tip the porter a buck a bag when he handles your luggage for the cruise. You will tip when ordering room service -Room Service food is free.

On the formal nights - have your picture taken at each of the settings...you don't have to buy them...and it is fun to sit at the photo gallery going through all of the pictures. In the photo galery only buy the good ones. And I don't know the link, but if you google search it, there is a website out there with releases from all the major cruise lines. You can take it along with any pics you buy and get copies made back at home. Also contact Carnival directly and they will send you a photo release.

Carnival now charges for the cakes it brings to your table for your birthday or anniversary. I have not heard that they charge for singing however!

If you are going on an excursion the next day that does not include lunch...order sandwiches the night before from room service and put them in the frig overnight. Unless you are in a suite, you will not have an in-cabin refrigerator on the Paradise

If they have the "Galley" tour on your cruise....take it. It is incredible to see the activity that goes on down there. Sure makes you appreciate your meal a little more as you are eating.

A little tip if you have a computer, cell phone or anything else that needs power. Take a small extension cord since most cabins have ONE plug, usually far from where you might need it. bring a travel clock since there are no clocks in the room as well. I bring the glade night light plug in. I will put that on it and leave it in the bathroom at night. Those inside rooms tend to be dark. Just that little light keeps you from bruising a shin

Casino tip: If you play blackjack, one secret to keep in mind is the Fun21 table - there are NO QUEENS in the decks - They will tell you this IF YOU ASK but what they won't tell you, and 98% of the players do not realize, is that this forces a change in the way you play.. check out wizardofodds.com and read about SPANISH21 Stay away from this sucker game!

The pizza place also makes a very good Caesar salad to order, 24/7

Also about the Pizza.............If there is a special kind you like (different toppings than they show in the display case) if they can get them they will custom make you a pizza the way you want it, it takes about 8 minutes, but you do have to take the whole pizza...........which if it's the way the whole family likes it......no problem.

As to the Grill .........usually there are two grill area open on deck (1 near each pool area) and one serves only Hot Dogs and Hamburgers.........the other does the Hot Dogs and Hamburgers as well as Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwiches and Minute Steak Sandwiches (my Mom loves these!).

And don't forget ......don't ever forget! about the 24 hour Soft Serve Ice Cream (Chocolate, Vanilla and Swirled) and the Frozen Yogurt (also Chocolate, Vanilla and Swirled). And check your Capers for the Sea Days that they have the Sundae toppings available.

Ask your cabin steward for a foam pad for your bed. It makes the bed very comfy. They will put the twin beds together to make one.

If you need an asprin, seasick pills, or a variety of general medications, check the "0" deck where the waiting room is for the doctor. There were free samples for the taking in individual packets.

Free champagne at the art auction.

There was a Bingo game every day. And they are large bingo pots. Usually just one game

Money Clip magnets demagnetize your room key and sign and sail cards also the pool chlorine demagnetizes your card (I always put my S&S card in my back trunk shorts pocket) so be careful on that!

Not all Spas have hot tubs... Most people don't know this, at least early in the cruise and its a great place to go relax. Sure, your not outside and there is no service in the SPA, but they are usually pretty empty and you have great views out the front of the ship.

There are steam rooms and saunas in the SPA that people may not realize are free to use, they are separated so men and women can't go together, but nothing like a good steam after a hard day of cruising. There are showers in the Spa, big deal you're thinking...these aren't the normal cabin showers, they are like the 'rain' showers that you find in some higher end hotels, I believe the destiny class actually have multiple shower heads...regardless, it is a very refreshing shower...we found this one year when we were only one deck away from the SPA...its a great place for a guy to go shower while the wife is using the cabin bathroom for a formal night or something.

It was always suggested to us to bring duct tape....only once have we had to use it. The airline put a three inch rip in the side of our luggage and I was grateful I had the tape along (in black) to patch it up.

Don’t sit in the balcony when attending shore/shopping talks, they give stuff away and it rarely makes it past first 15 rows of main area.

On my suitcases, I tie bright ribbons or whatever I can find at home so I can find my bags quicker once I get to "Suitcase Island".

If you drink a lot, look into sending yourself drink coupons. They save 25-50 cents per drink (on most drinks) and that adds up if you drink a bit. Buy the drink coupons under the "gifts" section of http://www.carnival.com - send them to yourself. You'll need your booking # and cabin #. If your cabin is not know then you have to order over the phone. Wait until 30 days before you sail.

Try things you'd never do at home. Most of us think Bingo is something at the senior citizens center. I have never seen such cut-throat Bingo in my life. It's a lot of fun, and you might win a free cruise!

We brought a light weight rolling foldup ice chest, gave our steward a $10 bill and he kept it in ice all through our cruise.

Pack your own bottled water, or at least an empty bottle. Fill it up before going ashore. It's much cheaper than buying it from the ship.

Bring extra hangers

On formal nights, about 80-90% of the men wear a jacket and tie. Your husband can go with just a shirt and tie but he will be in the minority. If you don't mind that, then go for it. I prefer to be on the edge of being dressed too nice, rather than not nice enough

Kids- Camp Carnival will have lots they can do and more

They also sell milkshakes at the coffee bar, they were good, but I'm not sure if they were worth $4.

Bingo is cheap compared to other cruiselines. $10 or $20 (for 3 cards).

- The drinks of the day you can buy in smaller glasses for $3 instead of the souvenir glasses for $6.

I find the easiest place to store larger suitcases after they've been emptied us under the bed.... good place to stash stuff you've bought and then lock the luggage... and it's out of sight and you're not stuck tripping over it.

 

Cinder

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mfs2k

mfs2k

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If you are going on an excursion the next day that does not include lunch...order sandwiches the night before from room service and put them in the frig overnight.

 

 

Can't wait to read the flames.......

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Steamboatin

Steamboatin

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Wife and I took a cruise tour that was around 6 hours long with no lunch stop.

 

We were very hungry upon returning to vessel.

 

Only food on the NCL ship at around 3pm in the afternoon were small sandwiches. A small triangle slice of dry bread, a very thin slice of either cheese or meat and another small triangle slice of dry bread.

 

When I spoke to individual in charge of food court and asked for availability of other types of food I was told that is the only thing that he was authorized to serve. We could eat the dry thin sandwiches or just go hungry until dinner that night. It was our choice and he did not care which option we decided upon.

 

That was on our first and certainly will be our last NCL cruise.

 

By the way for those who may not know the reason you cannot take food off of the vessel in a foreign port (as well as in the US) is because of the country's agriculture laws. This is an attempt to contol harmful living organisms from entering into their country.

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Undrhil

Undrhil

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Yeah, if you want to take food off-ship, make sure it is still manufacturer sealed. You should be able to take a can of pringles or something, but not open sandwiches from the ship. I guess that means you can take unopened sandwich meat and stuff, as well? I just thought of that. They sell those "one-time" sandwich kits in some grocery stores. They come with bread, meat and cheese (or whatever) and it's vacuum sealed. I wonder if you could get away with taking those off-ship ... hmm ...

 

Undrhil

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Cinderose

Cinderose

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I was wondering why we needed another topic like this. What's wrong with the one we already have? I mean, it's all the same info.

 

Undrhil

 

The reason is I took all the good points from the last one and compiled them into one, it takes 10 minutes to read instead of the hour and half it took me to weed through all the junk and off topics until I said forget it and had enough reading. Do you have a problem with another thread?

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JLC@SD

JLC@SD

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I was wondering why we needed another topic like this. What's wrong with the one we already have? I mean, it's all the same info.Undrhil

 

She did say she copied it from other threads.....:)

 

Cinderose

Yes, I know the rule, but I just cut and pasted all the tips from on another board. I havent done it, but I just cut the info from someone else that has. I know many argue about this.

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caprcorn28

caprcorn28

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I was wondering why we needed another topic like this. What's wrong with the one we already have? I mean, it's all the same info.

 

Hence the name of the thread, "....in a nutshell"

 

Thank you Cinder for compiling it all in one spot! Some people appreciate your efforts!! ;)

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GypRasc

GypRasc

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Cinder you did me a great favor. Although I already knew most of these I never miss the chance to "catch up" on any ideas or suggestions that may make my trip easier and more comfortable for me. I've yet to figure out why anyone feels the need to flame on these boards. I can only imagine what they're like in the real world! They're the reasons I like to keep going on cruises, to get away from the bad attitudes at home!

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cpham2

cpham2

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Cinder...thank you for sharing your tips/experiences with us....it's greatly appreciated.

 

We're fortunate enough to afford the experience of cruising with our family and friends whereas other people are much more less fortunate than us....so PLEASE, CHILL OUT PEOPLE! Relax and appreciate the effort and the thoughtfulness of the people who willing to share their experiences so YOU can learn and make your future trip more enjoyable.

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psycoma

psycoma

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I'd also like to thank the OP for getting it all together...the only thing I would suggest is next time putting a space or two between lines because there was SO much good info that it was hard to read it all...my eyes went cross :P lol But thank you for taking the time to do it :)

 

I'd like to add my own 'tip' if I may. I've posted this one on countless other threads and each and every time I post it there is somebody else who is reading it for the first time and thinks it's a good idea. I figured if I finally put it in an 'official' tip thread that maybe more people (more new people :)) would see it.

 

When thinking about how to put down deposit and/or pay for your Sail & Sign account, consider 'funship dollars'. Especially if your like most of us who book far in advance, this can save you TONS of stress over what exactly to use to secure your card as well as how much you'll get socked with at the end of your cruise.

 

Simply call Carnival and tell them you would like to purchase funship dollars. You have 2 options on how you 'use' them. You can have Carnival mail the certificates to you. I personally don't like this option. You either have to mail them back in to redeem them or take a chance on losing them at some point between when you get them and when you sail. Option number 2 is much more user friendly. When you buy them, tell the rep on the phone that you want them applied directly to your account. They charge them to your credit/debit card and put them right onto your S&S account. It looks like onboard credit. They have a couple different denominations (sp?) starting with $25 and going up to (I think) $500. There is no limit to the amount of times you can call and buy them/have them added to your account. If you're booked far enough in advance, you can buy $50-$100 a month, put them on the account, and by the time your cruise comes your S&S account is already paid for.

 

I have done this twice, once on my first cruise and ended up getting a check back for roughly $200 at the end of it and the second time I bought them as a surprise for my mom for her cruise last month. Her S&S bill at the end of 7 days was like $25.

 

The only 'caution' I would give you is to make sure to have Carnival either mail or fax confirmations of your purchases to you and bring them with you when you board, just in case there are any problems accessing the information on their end.

 

Happy cruising! :D

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MeLuvDaSea

MeLuvDaSea

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The reason is I took all the good points from the last one and compiled them into one, it takes 10 minutes to read instead of the hour and half it took me to weed through all the junk and off topics until I said forget it and had enough reading. Do you have a problem with another thread?

 

I appreciate the work you did on boiling this down to a single easy-to-read post. I will certainly make use of some of these suggestions. But I have one of my own to add that I learned on these boards:

 

When packing your clothes in the hanging garment bag, put a plastic cleaners bag over each item, just the way they come from the cleaners. This little act will save a lot of wrinkling while in transit. For some reason the smooth, slickness of the plastic cover prevents wrinkling.

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