First timer - lots of questions

[txcruzchic]

I was told I don't need a passport to cruise from Galveston to Cozumel/Progreso. Is this true? Would I be better to go ahead and get a passport anyway?

 

I keep hearing about making sure to attach your Carnival luggage tags - where do I get them? Do they come with paperwork closer to my cruise time?

 

I'm a planner - and research the heck out of everything. I've been reading all the posts about what to do at each port. So I apologize if I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm really interested in trying local cuisine - is there anything (besides the water) I should watch out for? I don't want to get sick and spoil my trip. My daughters are taking me and we want to have a great time together. I'm so thrilled to vacation with them. I'm also quite proud that they would want to drag "mom" around with them. I hope we have a grand time~!:D

[AllieInMD]

You don't need a passport to cruise. However, if you needed to fly back home for any reason (miss the ship, emergency, etc) you would need one - which means you'd have to find a US Embassy and then wait til a new one is issued.

 

We're going to Cozumel in January, we're going to go to Paradise Beach You can google it - and on the Ports of Call board for Cozumel it's on there a lot as is the manager of Paradise Beach - Tom I believe his name is.

 

Never done Carnival - but when I got paper books from Royal, luggage tags were in the back. Now they do e-documents and you get luggage tags at the pier - you should ask on the Carnival board.

 

Congrats on first cruise and very nice of your girls to want to take you!

 

 

I was told I don't need a passport to cruise from Galveston to Cozumel/Progreso. Is this true? Would I be better to go ahead and get a passport anyway?

 

I keep hearing about making sure to attach your Carnival luggage tags - where do I get them? Do they come with paperwork closer to my cruise time?

 

I'm a planner - and research the heck out of everything. I've been reading all the posts about what to do at each port. So I apologize if I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm really interested in trying local cuisine - is there anything (besides the water) I should watch out for? I don't want to get sick and spoil my trip. My daughters are taking me and we want to have a great time together. I'm so thrilled to vacation with them. I'm also quite proud that they would want to drag "mom" around with them. I hope we have a grand time~!:D

[exoticpetlover]

If you opted for paper documents to be sent to you when you filled out your fun pass, then the luggage tags are in the booklet that arrives 2-3 weeks before you sail. If you chose e-docs then you have to print them out from your computer and laminate them somehow (also have to print as many as you need for your luggage)

As for your passport, I would check what the Carnival site says about the places you need to have it and the ones that you don't until June (I think)

Have a great trip!

[cb at sea]

You can also get luggage tags at the port--the porters have plenty. You want to wait until after any flights to attach them.

As far as Mexican food--it's not just the water; it's the ice, any raw foods that may have been washed in the water (fruit, unpeeled; salads, etc...)

As long as the water has been boiled, as in cooked foods, you should be ok. Just stick to bottled drinks, and well-cooked foods! No raw veggies or fruits! And no ice!

[arlodog]

We have ate and drank in Cozumel without any problems. We stick to the more touristy areas and restaurants and always check that they have a filtration system in place.

 

As previously posted you will need a passport if you have to leave the ship or miss it for any reason to fly home.

 

Have a great trip!

[cks]

I'm sailing on the Ecstasy out of Galveston next spring for the first time, so I understand all of your questions. I've had them all myself, and with the help of this site, I've been able to find answers. You luggage tags will be at the end of your cruise documents. You can't get your documents until your cruise is paid in full. I tried printing mine before I was paid up, and it wouldn't let me. So, once you've paid, you can go to Carnival's "My Cruise" section and print them. In your documents, you'll also get a helpful link to your travel brochure. It helps answer a ton of questions, from embarkation to tipping to dress code. It's very useful.

 

You shouldn't need a passport until June to sail to Progreso/Cozumel, but as the others have pointed out, you'll need one if you run into trouble. 9 times out of 10, you won't run into trouble. It's just a matter of what you feel comfortable with.

 

I can't help with what to stay away from in the ports, as I haven't gone yet. But, from what I've read on the boards, as long as you stay on the beaten path you shouldn't have a problem with food or water. I know the beaten path isn't always the most exciting, but in this case it might be your best bet. I plan to go to an all inclusive resort in Cozumel and do a Carnival ruins excursion in Progreso. I think I'll be taken care of in both places.

 

Good luck and happy cruise planning!

[lcmslady]

I've never sailed Carnival either, so I can't tell you about luggage tags.

 

I did go to Cozumel on an RCCL boat - we did an all-day excursion to the Ruins at Tulum (spelling?) Very cool but pretty crowded - and we really didn't have time to do anything at Cozumel.

 

Whatever you do, have fun!

[kitty9]

As someone who's gotten very sick from "whatever" in Mexico, and who had two cousins who got sick last year in Cozumel, here are a few tips for that area. Don't drink anything with ice---they make ice with their water, which most American's aren't used to. Don't eat veggies or fruit you cannot peal. Again, they wash those food items with their tap water. Make sure YOU crack the seal of the bottled water you purchase. Some have been caught using old bottles, and they insist on opening the water bottle for you, so you don't realize that it's really tap water and not the real bottled water.

 

If you stick with mainstream restaurants, you won't have a problem, but you need to be careful if you go off the beaten path.

[firefly333]

Someone on my cruise was probably "set up" when they rented a jeep. They were hauled away to the police station when they were supposedly rear ended, very minor. They had to come up with $800 to pay the police the damage to the rental or they were not going to release the husband. The wife was frantic because while the ship was in port she couldnt withdraw money in the casino. The ship decided to stay an extra night (only because of Ike) so they did not miss the ship but they would have.

 

Word of warning to those renting cars or jeeps, it may not be as safe as you think. They didnt care what kind of insurance these folks had at home either. It was pay up or you can stay in jail. This was in Cozumel. Police are corrupt, so don't take chances. Always take 100% full coverage and keep it with you.