Carnival tips for new cruisers

[coevan]

Golden Corral is not calling it a buffet, big sign on their billboard, cafeteria style

[Organized Chaos]

39 minutes ago, coevan said:

Golden Corral is not calling it a buffet, big sign on their billboard, cafeteria style

 

LOL Between this and the other thread, you sure are in an argumentative mood tonight. OK, I'll bite one last time, then I'm getting back to the OP's request for cruising tips. This is from Golden Corral's website. It's literally the first thing you see in giant font and also repeated in the video from their President/CEO:

 

We have developed new service models to comply with variations in state and local guidelines. In addition to our “No Touch” Buffet Service, we are prepared to temporarily provide our guests an enjoyable Golden Corral experience delivered in new ways, including our “WE SERVE YOU” Buffet Service, or our ENDLESS ENTRÉES, where our servers bring our buffet favorites directly to your table with enhanced tableside service..

 

Carnival's buffets are not going away, nor should they.

[CoolOne56]

Traveller94, welcome to Carnival Cruise Board. Everyone has given great advise! Here are a few other things:

The sail-a-way party on the Lido deck is fun.

In the MDR, the waitstaff sings & dance between dinner & dessert. Some people like it, some don't. 

Pizza Pirate is open 24 hrs. for pizza & Caesar salads. You can also get soft serve ice cream 24 hrs.

The 6 yr. old will enjoy Seuss at Sea - story time, parade and Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast (for a fee). There is also Camp Ocean for kids ages 2 - 11.

 

Happy sails 🛳️

[Bowman1]

Food

The omelette stations in Lido at breakfast will make any type of eggs you want (scrambled, sunny side up, etc) - same thing at Blue Iguana if they are not busy

 

When Pizza Pirate is slow, they will make custom pizzas if you bring them the toppings (pineapple, veggie, etc)

 

Ships on a Stick

The easiest place to win one is the cruise directors morning show on sea days - come prepared with a joke (they always ask for one) and reward the best one with a trophy

 

Laundry - bring your own tide pods in a small Tupperware container, as well as a small ziplock with dryer sheets

 

Drying wet clothes in cabin

Carnival Ships only have one clothes line in the shower for drying wet clothes.  If you bring magnetic hooks and hangers, you can hang clothes from the main cabin ceiling and they dry within a few hours

 

All Carnival Ships have a ship’s coin welded somewhere on the open decks - it is a fun activity to search for it

 

 

[Traveller94]

I’d like to thank everyone for all the information you have given me. I‘m the planner in the family, my husband might say obsessive planner 😁, and I find of this information so helpful and exciting. My planning document has notes for each port, travel before and after, packing, and of course, the ship. I really think this is going to be a wonderful vacation.

 

I also think this thread will be really helpful for my mother. My sister’s family and mine picked out the cruise with the help of our travel agent. My mother is thinking of joining, but she’s just not sure. She’s a pretty die hard Princess cruiser. I think this will help her have enough information to decide.

 

Thanks again! I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday weekend.

[stellarose]

download the carnvial Hub app. works great on the phone, in airplane mode.  the hub is a wealth of info and you can chat with others for 5 dollars (for the week per person). so for my family of 4 it was well worth the 20 bucks.I could "text" via the hub my family without leaving a note on the door. 

[Organized Chaos]

Taking laundry pods & fabric softener sheets is a good tip. We do it, too. It takes up very little space to pack a couple pods and no space really for a few fabric softener sheets. OP, if you don't want to do this, then single-use boxes of detergent are $3/ea. and I think that's how much fabric softener sheets are too.

 

There are irons in the self-service laundry rooms, but I've seen a lot of people say they de-wrinkle clothes by hanging them in the bathroom and cranking up a hot shower. We usually take a travel bottle of wrinkle release.

 

Each cabin has a built-in hair dryer, usually in a drawer by the vanity mirror in the main cabin area, but be aware, they vary in how good they work.

 

Your cabin will have a mini-fridge. It'll be inside a wooden cabinet with a door on it. If your fridge isn't keeping things very cool, open that cabinet door, even if it's just a little bit. Those cabinets do have a few vent slots in them, but it's usually not enough. It gets hot inside the cabinet and the fridge struggles to keep cool. Opening that door will vent it a lot more and keep it cooler.

[EllieinNJ]

I am a new Carnival cruiser also and hope to follow along with your great tips.

[nybumpkin]

On 7/3/2020 at 3:04 PM, Traveller94 said:

 

I also think this thread will be really helpful for my mother. My sister’s family and mine picked out the cruise with the help of our travel agent. My mother is thinking of joining, but she’s just not sure. She’s a pretty die hard Princess cruiser. I think this will help her have enough information to decide.

If your mom's worried about a "party" atmosphere, I can say that Carnival's Europe cruises are more subdued since generally there are more port days and they tend to be long days.

[PhillyFan33579]

On 7/3/2020 at 3:04 PM, Traveller94 said:

I also think this thread will be really helpful for my mother. My sister’s family and mine picked out the cruise with the help of our travel agent. My mother is thinking of joining, but she’s just not sure. She’s a pretty die hard Princess cruiser. I think this will help her have enough information to decide.

There is a fairly big difference between the atmosphere on a Princess ship and a Carnival ship. I wouldn’t say one atmosphere is better than the other, since that is very subjective and based on what someone is looking for on a cruise. But no doubt your Mom will notice the difference if she joins you on the cruise. She might even find she likes the atmosphere better on Carnival. 

[tandemcruzr]

Be sure to check out the Interior Promenade on Deck 3 forward -- Very quiet.

[simplelife]

On 6/30/2020 at 8:53 PM, Traveller94 said:

Thanks, GLCM guy and coevan!

 

GLCM guy, kimma11 mentioned secret spots on some ships. Was there anything like that on Legend? My DH also was curious about the Legend buffet.

 

Does Carnival have any famous foods we should be sure to try? Do they do afternoon tea?

 

The ship tour and comedy club sound like they will be fun. Any other ship day activities that shouldn’t be missed?
 

Thanks again!

 

I love the Bitter an Blanc Dessert (It's a white- and Dark- chocolate bread pudding); if it's on the menu  get it!  I also love the Steak and Eggs at the Seaday Brunch, which takes place as the name suggests, on Sea  Days. 

 

Check your Hub app or Fun times for Afternoon tea - it's usually on one or more sea days. 

 

For the comedy shows, get in line early - once they reach capacity they will turn people away. The early shows are family-friendly  and the late shows are adult-only (language and topics at these are not for the easily offended).  A "don't miss" activity for the not-easily-offended is QUEST, which is like a cross between an adult  scavenger hunt and I-dare-you contest.  You don't have to participate, you can just watch,   but again, fair warning, it can get pretty outrageous. It usually takes place in lieu of one of the adult comedy shows. 

 

We enjoy the trivia contests that take place during  the day. Times and topics will be in your hub/Fun Times. 

 

 

 

 

[simplelife]

There is a difference. In Cafeteria style, all food is behind shields and an employee serves you. No self-serve.