Carnival Secrets they usually don't tell you about

[CoBob]

Thanks Bottledred. I 've been wanting to get my clock back since cc changed their format!

[kandps100]

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.

Is this true on the Carnival line? I like this idea....that's a treat...though even the coffee is pretty good

[kandps100]

Does the Conquest class ships have refrigerators in the inside cabins?

someone posted that the Carnival Triumph has refrigerators in the cabins? Is this true? Which cabins? Balcony cabins?

 

Not sure on the Conquest....though I can't picture a refrigerator in an inside cabin

[NDalfrey]

We were on the Conquest last June and had an inside 4D cabin and it had a refrigerator..Everyone in our group had one no matter what type of cabin you were in.

[Mike A]

[2- When standing in a long line to embark, pay the porter to take your bags and that will allow you to "cut" in line- don't forget to tip

 

When you say "cut"in line- what does that mean?

When we disembarked from the Zenith in Tampa we used a porter. Once we had all the bags on the cart he took us right to the front of the line which you stood on to turn in your Customs Declaration. We saved about 15 minutes.

[Mike A]

someone posted that the Carnival Triumph has refrigerators in the cabins? Is this true? Which cabins? Balcony cabins?

 

Not sure on the Conquest....though I can't picture a refrigerator in an inside cabin

We had a balcony cabin on the Triumph. We DID NOT have a refrigerator. The only cabins that had refrigerators were the Cat 11 & 12 Suites.

Bear in mind we were on the Triumph in 1999. They may have added them since then.

[PDC55]

kandps100 - Don't know about the other ships but I ordered either expresso or cappuccino every night with my dessert on the Elation last month. I would imagine if it was free on that ship it would be on the others.

[stacy_cruz]

Hello, I have just returned from the Western Carribean trip on the Triumph. I was one of the "lucky ones" that got held at sea for an additional 2.5 days due to Hurricane Jeanne. I went with a large group of people from around the country. One of my friends had a bucket of beers waiting each night we went dancing. It was cheaper than the by the bottle. Don't forget that the tips in the bars etc. really add up at 15%-18% depending on the cruise line. I pre-paid my tips except for those and for the room service tips. I would suggest traveler's insurance! I paid $40.00 for 1K in return. It came in very handy since I was unable to fly out of Ft. Lauderdale until Tuesday.

Next year is going to be great. We are all doing the No Hurricane dance!

Stacy

[stacy_cruz]

I too was on the Triumph from 9/18-28/04. No they do not have refrigerators. I was hoping that they would like Princess does. It made it a hassle to keep water, pop, etc cold for later consumption.

[k9hndler]

Sorry but how CHEAP! If you can't afford to cruise then don't! Don't expect everyone else to pay for your extra perks. Yeah, in the long run others pay for you "inconsideration"? It is even sadder that you think this is funny??

Hey Sara

A review of your posts on all the boards reveals you to one unpleasant person. For someone with two whole cruises under her belt (Both on the Holiday) you sure have a lot of strong opinions on almost every single topic (read in there "know it all"). Your also quick with the trigger words and phrases like "Cheap", "Snob" "cruise police" "Disgusting" and lots more. Hey Sara, please list whatever hospital you work at as a nurse so I can make sure I avoid it at all costs. Somehow you don't strike me as the thoughtful care giver type. This board is a compilation of cruise tips to be taken with a grain of salt and a dose of humor, both of which you seem to be sorely lacking. Chips on shoulder and hairs accross butts you got plenty of I am sure.

[kalamari]

If you really want to know the secrets to the industry, read "Cruise Blues" by Dr. Ross Klein...Menina

[Ruffster]

Hello, I have just returned from the Western Carribean trip on the Triumph. I was one of the "lucky ones" that got held at sea for an additional 2.5 days due to Hurricane Jeanne. I went with a large group of people from around the country. One of my friends had a bucket of beers waiting each night we went dancing. It was cheaper than the by the bottle. Don't forget that the tips in the bars etc. really add up at 15%-18% depending on the cruise line. I pre-paid my tips except for those and for the room service tips. I would suggest traveler's insurance! I paid $40.00 for 1K in return. It came in very handy since I was unable to fly out of Ft. Lauderdale until Tuesday.

Next year is going to be great. We are all doing the No Hurricane dance!

Stacy

How does pre-paid tips work exacly? I was on the Grand Princess with an automatic tipping policy and the tips were added on my cruise card daily. If possible, I'd rather pay for the tips with the initial cruise payment so I don't end up with a huge on-board bill at the end of the cruise. Can this be done?

[kujobie]

1. On our last cruise, we brought our own beach towels to the ports. It seemed that we were hassled less by the local hawkers trying to braid friendgirl's hair and sell us beaded necklaces and crap. I think that when they see those blue Carnival towels, they get dollar signs in their eyes and start drooling.

 

2. If you want to keep in touch with home, bring your cell phone. I had no problem calling out in Nassau and St. Thomas. Not sure about other ports.

 

3. St. Maarten and Cozumel are great ports to rent a car in. If you are just going to a beach and right back to the ship, it might be cheaper to take a cab. But if you want to see a few places, you will save $$ by getting a car. We got a car in Coz for $40 for the day and that included the full insurance, which is a must. These ports are similar in that the roads are in fairly good condition and there is one main road that circles each island. You cant get lost. St Thomas, on the other hand, is NOT a good place to rent a car. For the love of God, do not attempt to drive in St. Thomas.

 

4. I think this goes without saying. Bring your own liquids. On our last cruise, we had an entire full sized suitcase filled with beer, booze, soda, wine, etc. I figure that suitcase saved us about $300. (friendgirl and I are Irish, we can drink) There is no size/weight/amount limit on checked bags. If you are flying, and have time, go to Walmart after arrival in departure city and buy a cheap bag, then proceed to the nearest liquor store and fill that bag.

 

5. If humanly possible, carry off all your bags. This will eliminate the possibility of some of your stuff getting "lost" and save time while others are searching through a mountain of suitcases. This is a lot easier to do if you have just one extra large, wheeled suitcase per person as opposed to several medium sized cases.

[TropicsR4me]

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".

[MizzouMary]

4. I think this goes without saying. Bring your own liquids. On our last cruise, we had an entire full sized suitcase filled with beer, booze, soda, wine, etc. I figure that suitcase saved us about $300. (friendgirl and I are Irish, we can drink) There is no size/weight/amount limit on checked bags. If you are flying, and have time, go to Walmart after arrival in departure city and buy a cheap bag, then proceed to the nearest liquor store and fill that bag.

Kujobie,

 

Was this Carnival?? Which port did you sail out of?

 

Thanks!

[DoubleDee2]

For all the deck drinkers - Order all your drinks from the same barserver during the week. By mid-week they usually slip you a free one now and again. In our case, a bucket or two. At minimum, you can make sure there's a little kick in your mix drinks.

Oh what a great tip! We still all talk about our "friend", Dexter, from the Inspiration 7 years ago!!!

[stacy_cruz]

How does pre-paid tips work exacly? I was on the Grand Princess with an automatic tipping policy and the tips were added on my cruise card daily. If possible, I'd rather pay for the tips with the initial cruise payment so I don't end up with a huge on-board bill at the end of the cruise. Can this be done?

;) For some cruise ships tips/gratuities are in the price and you never see another dime extra on your account. Carnival and Princess were not like that. Of course they are the less expensive of the cruise lines. I contacted my group's travel agency and I paid $70.00 prior to leaving. That did not count the Maitre de or extra services like.... drinks etc etc... so check into it! it can save a few bucks. Remember that if you get extra good service or want it still tip a couple of bucks and you will be suprised at the great service!

[kujobie]

Kujobie,

 

Was this Carnival?? Which port did you sail out of?

 

Thanks!

 

Yes, it was Carnival. Our last cruise was out of Port Canaveral, but we have also sailed out of Tampa twice.

[Ruffster]

;) For some cruise ships tips/gratuities are in the price and you never see another dime extra on your account. Carnival and Princess were not like that. Of course they are the less expensive of the cruise lines. I contacted my group's travel agency and I paid $70.00 prior to leaving. That did not count the Maitre de or extra services like.... drinks etc etc... so check into it! it can save a few bucks. Remember that if you get extra good service or want it still tip a couple of bucks and you will be suprised at the great service!

Thanks for the tip, hehehe. Tip, get it?;) That will definitely be something I look into as I will be traveling with five family members included on my account. I'd rather not have to worry about that $350 (on top of the drinks, the shore excursions, the pictures, etc.) at the end of my cruise.

[chilldowns]

[2- When standing in a long line to embark, pay the porter to take your bags and that will allow you to "cut" in line- don't forget to tip

 

When you say "cut"in line- what does that mean?

Cut in line means they move you ahead of all the people waiting to check in their luggage and you can by-pass lots of people. I costs you a tip!

[bcs819]

a few things...

If you want to order sandwiches to take off the ship in port, you don't have to order them the night before. Take ziploc bags with you and order them in the morning. You are absolutely NOT allowed to take food off into port, but they only check your bags getting back on the ship. We took 6 club sandwiches in our beach bag to the beach in Cozumel. I put and baggie full of ice on top of them in the bottom, then piled our towels, etc on top. We had no problems. DO NOT try to take food off at the end of the week though. You will get caught there.

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. On our last Carnival cruise, we spent $300 on drink coupons and had one left over. Last month on Princess, coupons aren't available and our bar bill was over $400. A couple of drinks at the pool, wine at dinner and a drink or two in the show room after dinner adds up to almost 100 drinks for 2 on a week long cruise.

Do walk the entire ship on your first or second day. It will help you learn where everything is, and will help you discover spots that others never find. On the Pride, we found this little hallway with comfy chairs, pretty wall murals and large windows. No one was ever there and it was a nice place to go and read or just sit together.

The topless decks are a great place to go even if you don't plan on going topless. It's quieter up there, no kid splashing, screaming or crying, and we did have bar service up there. It was also a great place to watch the pool activities, like your own balcony looking down.

Try things you'd never do at home. Most of us think Bingo is something at teh 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!

Don't overplan your day. It's very easy to plan something for every minute you're awake. But you won't make it to everything, and the sun will sap your energy. Plan the things you REALLY want to do, and keep others in mind. If you have been lookin gforward to the galley tour for the whole trip, you don't want to be too tired to enjoy it.

[PDC55]

a few things...

Don't overplan your day. It's very easy to plan something for every minute you're awake. But you won't make it to everything, and the sun will sap your energy. Plan the things you REALLY want to do, and keep others in mind. If you have been lookin gforward to the galley tour for the whole trip, you don't want to be too tired to enjoy it.

Good advice. I missed the galley tour just because I sat down on my bed just to rest a little before going. I woke up an hour later. We had been ashore that day and the sun did really take a lot out of us. Also missed a couple of dinners in the dining room because we were so zapped on days we were at port.

[jshawnh]

From reading the boards on our Spirit cruise 6/30 we tipped our cabin steward almost daily, but when I asked about the cabin book it was going to be charged to our acct. My husband went to the pursers desk where they were nice enough to take the charge And the book back.

 

The capuccino was not free after dinner.

 

Just thought I would put in my experiences.

 

 

March on the Holiday, and last year on the Jubilee, espresso/capuccino were on the desert meunue and were free with desert after dinner. I hope this hasn'r been a Carnival-wide change. Anyone know??

[tricktsm]

Our family had capuccino, hot chocolate or tea every night after dinner with no charge to our bill. The girls ( under 12) had free coke also.

[jshawnh]

If you want to be really tricky, Carnival has a policy about saving deck chairs, if people leave their towels on the chairs to save them you can pick them up as a souvinier and a $22 lesson to the person saving the chair. he he he.

 

Are you the jerk who caused me so much trouble our last cruise. The kids weren't saving lounge chairs. They just took a dip in the pool for five minutes, only to find the beach towels missing when they returned. I refused to pay for them, and my cabin steward was paranoid about the beach towels the rest of the trip. I even had to take a trip to the pursers desk. So much trouble. I will promptly tell the steward to remove the towels immediately from our stateroom next cruise, two weeks from now. We'll take our own, and I'm thinking of placing motion alarms on those while I'm in the pool.