PLANNING AND PAYING FOR YOUR CRUISE
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THIS WEBSITE CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS FOR WHICH I MAY RECEIVE COMPENSATION
You can buy Discounted Carnival Gift Cards at CardCash .com. You can use them to pay for your cruise, drink packages, gratuities, excursions, casino, onboard spending, just about anything. If you use my link to sign-up you'll receive a $5 coupon to use on your first order! (Minimum $25)🔗: https://cardcash.com/sign-up/?utm_source=cardcash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=29yynj
🧳🚗✈️You can also buy other travel gift cards at a discount such as hotels. com, Hilton, Best Western, National Car Rental, Southwest Airlines as well as other cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Princess & Celebrity.
Want even more bang for your buck? Trade in your unwanted gift cards for a vendor you love and get paid up to 5.5% more. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!
CREDIT CARDS vs DEBIT CARDS: Link a credit card to your sign and sail instead of a debit card. Carnival will put holds on your account so it's better not to have a link to your actual funds. Linking a credit card is safer and easier if you need to dispute charges later.
You can get the Carnival VISA and earn rewards towards future cruises.
STOCK SHAREHOLDER BENEFITS: If you own at least 100 shares of Carnival stock you can receive additional On Board Credit (OBC). The amount and terms are voted on each year and are subject to change, and currently do not apply to casino deals.
As of January 1, 2025 you can no longer buy discounted Carnival gift cards at AARP, you can still save with other travel gift cards and discounts such as hotels, airlines, Uber, dining and more...
WITH AN AAPR MEMBERSHIP YOU CAN SAVE $20 PER YEAR ON WALMART+! WALMART+ INCLUDES FREE GROCERY DELIVERY, PARAMOUNT+ STREAMING. FUEL DISCOUNTS AND MORE. IF YOU ALREADY HAVE WALMART+ YOU CAN APPLY THE DISCOUNT TO YOUR ANNUAL RENEWAL.
Find out more here --> https://www.carnival.com/Registration/Promotions/casino-funmatch
Complimentary Drinks While Playing in the Casino
Complimentary Drinks While Playing in the Casino
With Drinks On Us!, once you earn enough casino points, the cocktails, beer and wine — as well as sodas and other nonalcoholic drinks — they’re all on us, the whole time you’re playing for the remainder of your cruise!
See the Casino Host on board for details. Amount of points needed depends on the duration of your cruise.
PASSPORT: Get a Passport! The debarkation line with birth certificates can get extremely long.
Find Carnival luggage policies, luggage recommendations and packing solutions here >>Luggage Carry-Ons and Packing Accessories<<
SHAMPOO & BODY WASH
SHAMPOO & BODY WASH
Shampoo and Body Wash is provided . Victoria Bay is the current brand that they provide in most rooms. Spa rooms and suites provide Elemis brand shampoo, body wash AND CONDITIONER.
BOTTLED WATER: You can order bottled water on Carnival.com (for a fee) before your cruise and it will be waiting for you in your room when you arrive.
DISTILLED WATER: You can order distilled water for use in CPAP machines on Carnival.com (for a fee) before your cruise and it will be waiting for you in your room when you arrive.
EMBARKATION DAY!
A maximum of 12 sealed, unopened cans/cartons of 12-ounces or less, per person.of non-alcoholic beverages (i.e., sparkling water, sodas, energy drinks, juice, and milk), may be brought on board and must be in the guest's carry-on luggage.
Bringing on 12-packs cartons of soda/pop? Check out these Luggage Straps to attach them to the top of your carry-on!
Guests (21 years of age and older) may bring one 750-ml bottle of sealed/unopened wine or champagne, per person, in their carry-on luggage. To prevent the possibility of leakage into your carry-on you can put your bottles in a Wine Diaper!
AIRPLANE MODE: Make sure to put your cell phone on airplane mode so you don't incur international roaming charges.
CARNIVAL HUB APP: Once on the ship, log into the Carnival hub app . You will use this throughout your cruise. You can make reservations, Find out “What is Happening”, select activities your are interested in and it will send you reminders, and you can monitor your spending on your sign & sail card (account summary).
LANYARDS: You will need a lanyard for your sign and sail card. You should keep this card on you at all times. It works as your room key and links charges for purchases on the ship to your account. You will also need to provide this card each time you get a drink with the drink package.
*I add a small key ring to my lanyard to secure my sign and sail card
PORT DAYS
YOU CAN STAY ON THE SHIP: You do not have to get off the ship on Port Days. In fact, if you stay on the ship you can enjoy the lido deck, pools and hot tubs with alot less people. Some restaurants and bars remain open on port days. There are still ongoing activities onboard on port days such as movies and trivia. The spa and gym are open. The casino and shops are closed while the ship is in port.
You can come and go on and off the ship as you please on port days. My husband and i are more wanderers, less excusion'ists. We enjoy sightseeing, eating and shopping more than scheduled excursions. We usually come back to the ship early and eat lunch and enjoy the hot tub before everybody else gets back onboard.
Still not sure what to take with you off the ship? Find a list of suggestions here >>PORT DAYS: What to Bring Off The Ship!<<
HALF MOON CAY and PRINCESS CAYS are owned by Carnival and have Complimentary Lunch Buffets on the islands
SEA DAYS
FREEBIES
EFFY BARRELS OF FUN NECKLACE: On Embarkation Day visit the EFFY jewelry store and you'll receive a schedule of events. Each event promotes a specific jewelry product. At the first event you'll receive the necklace with your first barrel. Each time you attend an event you'll receive a different color barrel for your necklace. This is a great 'COMPLETELY FREE" souvenier. There are also raffles at these events so you have a chance to win some very nice prizes.
FREE BRACELET AT THE FUN SHOPS: Vist the Fun Shops when you get onboard for info or check your HUB app for the free charm bracelet event. You get a free bracelet, then they have $5 charms of the day to come back and purchase at other scheduled events. The bracelet and charms are really cute however i will say by the end of our cruise i think i spent $35 on all the charms so it's not exactly a free souvenier but it is fun and cute.
COFFEE
SPECIALTY COFFEE: If you prefer Latte's, Espresso's, Iced Coffees or other specialty coffees and there is a long line at the Coffee Bar or Java Blue, check the casino bar, lobby bar, Havana bar, and others depending on the ship. Just look for this sign or in the HUBapp. A lot of guests don't realize you can get specialty coffees at other locations so the lines are usually shorter.
Insulated Coffee Cup
Insulated Coffee Cup
*The Lido Deck coffee mugs are small diner-style mugs. I like to walk around in the morning and watch the sunrise. I like to bring my own coffee mug that's a little larger and comes with a lid so it's easier to walk around.
Flavored Coffee Creamer
Flavored Coffee Creamer
*Do you like flavored coffee creamer? If you don't want to pay for specialty coffees and you plan on drinking the complimentary coffee provided by Carnival, you are going to want to bring your own creamer. Carnival does not provided flavored creamer on the ship. They do provide regular creamer and milk.
FOOD AND BEVERAGES
Complimentary Non-bottled water, lemonade, iced tea, hot chocolate and non-specialty coffee and tea are served in the Main Dining Room and provided 24/7 in the Lido Restaurant. Fruit juice drinks are available in the morning.
Refillable Water Bottle
Refillable Water Bottle
This is my favorite bottle: Owala FreeSip Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Straw, BPA Free, 24oz. It comes in more sizes, colors and styles.
Have you ever tried to walk with a Martini glass on a cruise ship?
AND NOT SPILL!
*Bartenders will make your drinks in your tumbler!
CRUISING WITH LYNNIE TIP: Bring baggies and grab some fruit from the Lido buffet for infused water!
Refillable Pub Growler
Refillable Pub Growler
MONEY SAVING TIP FOR BEER DRINKERS: Buy a Growler at the Red Frog Pub (not the one on the Lido deck) or Guys Pig & Anchor, purchase includes your first fill. Then get discounted draft refills at any bar for the remainder of your cruise.
Currently available on Horizon, Panorama & Vista.
SORBO'S is the brand of straws currently being used on the ships. Most of the bars use the neutral flavor ones while the coffee shop uses more of the flavors. The chocolate straws are actually REALLY good in a milkshake or iced/frozen coffee!
Baggies
Baggies
Bring baggies and grab snacks from the buffet to take to the pool or back to your cabin for night-time snack attacks!
MAIN DINING ROOM vs BUFFET: You do not have to eat in the main dining room for dinner. The buffet serves a similar menu.
MAIN DINING ROOM: You can order TWO entrees in the MDR (subsequent entrees will incur an upchange) and unlimited desserts and appetizers.
Carnival offers 24/7 pizza delivery for a $5 fee per pie. Passengers can easily order through the Hub app and have their pizza delivered to their stateroom or anywhere on the ship. The pizza menu includes classic pizzas like Margherita, Pepperoni, and Quattro Formaggi, as well as options with mushrooms and prosciutto. Pizzas are included in the cruise fare, but the $5 delivery fee is separate.
YOUR STATEROOM (CABIN)
MAGNETIC DRY ERASE MARKERS: Leave messages on your mirror to your room steward with dry erase markers. If the markers are magnetic you can stick them on the wall next to the mirror.
MAGNETIC WHITEBOARD WITH DRY ERASE MARKERS: Another way to leave notes, requests and thank you's to your cabin steward.
CRUISE STAFF THANK YOU NOTES: Communicate with your cabin steward and leave tips for staff with these cute Thank You Cards.
MORE TIPS and IDEAS
LOST PHONE SCREENSAVER: Change the screensaver on your phone with a photo of your cabin number or a personal message with your name and request to return to customer service in the event you misplace your phone while on the ship.
*My phone case has a strap that comes in especially handy on a cruise if you want to be hands-free or if you're worried about dropping your phone while holding it out over water to take photos!
SUNRISE ALARM CLOCK: This is a MUST-HAVE if you have an interior room on your cruise. When you have no windows it's hard to know what time it is and this alarm clock slowly gets brighter to mimic the sunrise and wake you up more gradually.
Did you love the pillows? The bedding? Maybe the towels or robes? Were you checking the tags before debarkation? Did you know you can buy them? That's right! You can buy Carnival's line of bedding, pillows, towels and robes here >> Carnival Home <<
Most of the walls and doors on the ship are magnetic. Find tips & tricks to organize your cruise cabin here >>Organize Your Cruise Cabin <<
MOTION SICKNESS REMEDIES
*There are so many different options for motion sickness remedies. Bonine is one that we prefer along with Ginger chews (and liquid Pepto if needed), but i will admit that I have a "Survival Kit" full of a variety of Motion Sickness Meds. Click here for a list of more options >> Motion Sickness Remedies <<
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IF YOU KNOW A GREAT TIP THAT YOU THINK I SHOULD ADD TO THE LIST EMAIL ME AT cruisingwithlynnie@gmail.com OR CONTACT ME ON FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/cruisingwithlynnie
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