Cruise FAQs

The sweet spot is 6-12 months in advance. This gives you the best cabin selection and early booking discounts. That said, pricing is dynamic:

• 12+ months out: Early bird discounts, best cabin choices
• 6-9 months out: Still good selection and reasonable pricing
• 3-6 months out: Pricing varies—sometimes deals, sometimes higher
• Last minute (under 90 days): Can find steals if the sailing isn’t full, risky for specific dates

Yes, 100% the same price. Carnival charges the exact same fare whether you book directly on their website or through me. The difference is that Carnival pays me a commission from their end—it never comes out of your pocket.

So you get my expertise, personalized service, price monitoring, and support at absolutely no extra cost to you. It’s literally a no-brainer to book with an agent who knows what they’re doing.

Included in your cruise fare:

• Your cabin with daily housekeeping
• All meals in main dining room and buffet
• Guy’s Burgers, BlueIguana Cantina, Pizza, Deli (24-hour)
• Most entertainment (shows, comedy club, live music, movies)
• Pools, hot tubs, waterslides, fitness center
• Kids’ programs (Camp Ocean)
• Room service (small delivery fee applies)

NOT included (costs extra):

• Alcoholic drinks, soda, specialty coffee (or buy beverage packages)
• Specialty dining (steakhouse, Italian, sushi – $15-45/person)
• Shore excursions in ports
• Spa treatments, salon services
• Casino gambling
• Photos from ship photographers
• WiFi/internet packages
• Gratuities (~$16/person/day, auto-charged)

Yes, you can and should consider it. Carnival offers insurance at booking, or you can buy third-party insurance (often better coverage).

When insurance makes sense:

• You have health concerns or pre-existing conditions
• You’re booking far in advance (life happens)
• Your cruise cost represents a significant expense
• You’re traveling with elderly family members or young kids

What it covers: Trip cancellation, medical emergencies, medical evacuation, trip interruption, baggage loss.

Technically no, but I STRONGLY recommend getting one anyway.

For “closed-loop” cruises (depart and return to same U.S. port like Galveston), you can use a U.S. birth certificate + government-issued photo ID instead of a passport.

Why you should get a passport anyway:

• If there’s a medical emergency and you need to fly home from a foreign port, you MUST have a passport
• If you miss the ship in a port, getting back to the U.S. without a passport is a nightmare
• Immigration lines move faster with passports
• You’re covered for any future travel

Online check-in opens 90 days before sailing and must be completed at least 24 hours before departure.

Do it as soon as it opens (90 days out) because:

• You can book shore excursions and specialty dining at pre-cruise discounts
• Better excursion availability before popular tours sell out
• You’ll get your boarding time assignment
• Faster embarkation on cruise day

During online check-in, you’ll upload a photo, enter passport info, answer health questions, and print your boarding pass and luggage tags.

The essentials everyone needs:

• Documents: Passport, boarding pass, credit card for onboard charges
• Clothing: 2-3 swimsuits, cover-ups, shorts/t-shirts for daytime, 1-2 nice outfits for elegant nights, light jacket (AC is cold)
• Shoes: Comfortable walking shoes, flip-flops/sandals, dress shoes for dinner
• Toiletries: Sunscreen (LOTS), aloe vera, medications (in carry-on!), basic first aid
• Electronics: Phone charger, camera, power strip (limited outlets in cabin)
• Beach gear: Beach bag, waterproof phone case, sunglasses, hat

Don’t pack: Irons/steamers, candles, surge protectors with breakers, weapons, household appliances (all prohibited)

Full packing list available in my First-Time Cruisers Guide.

Each guest 21+ can bring ONE 750ml bottle of wine or champagne in carry-on luggage only (not checked bags). No beer or liquor allowed.

If you drink your bottle in a dining room, there’s a $15 corkage fee. If you drink it in your cabin, no fee.

Trying to sneak liquor onboard? Don’t. Security scans all bags. If they find prohibited alcohol, they’ll confiscate it and won’t return it. Not worth the hassle.

Probably not. Modern cruise ships are massive (100,000+ tons) and have stabilizers that minimize motion. Most people don’t feel seasick at all.

If you’re worried:

• Book a cabin in the middle of the ship on a lower deck (least motion)
• Bring Dramamine or Bonine (non-drowsy motion sickness meds)
• Try SeaBands (acupressure wristbands—many swear by them)
• Stay hydrated, eat small meals, get fresh air if you feel queasy
• Avoid reading or looking at screens if you feel off

The ship’s medical center can also give you a prescription patch if needed (scopolamine).

Your Sail & Sign card is everything onboard. You get it during embarkation check-in.

It’s your:

• Room key (tap to unlock your cabin door)
• Ship ID (scan to get on/off ship at ports)
• Charge card (tap to buy anything—drinks, photos, spa, casino, specialty dining)

Everything you charge goes on your linked credit card, which is billed at the end of the cruise. Check your balance daily at Guest Services or in the Carnival Hub app so you don’t get surprised.

Lost your card? Go to Guest Services immediately—they’ll deactivate it and issue a new one.

Yes, but it’s expensive and slow. Expect to pay $15-35/day depending on the plan:

• Social WiFi Plan (~$15/day): Email, texting, social media only. No video streaming.
• Value Plan (~$20/day): Web browsing, no streaming
• Premium Plan (~$30-35/day): Faster speeds, streaming allowed (but still not great)

Buy before you sail for 10-15% discount vs. onboard pricing.

Put it on airplane mode or you’ll rack up HUGE roaming charges. Carnival partners with cellular providers for ship-to-shore service at $10-15 per MB. A single Instagram scroll could cost you $50+.

What to do:

• Turn on airplane mode before the ship leaves port
• Connect to ship WiFi only (if you buy a package)
• In ports, you can turn off airplane mode and use local networks OR pay international roaming (check with your carrier)
• Download offline maps, movies, books, music BEFORE you sail

There are two evening dress codes on Carnival:

Cruise Casual (most nights): Nice jeans and polo/button-up shirt for men, sundresses or dressy casual for women. Think “business casual” or “going out to a nice restaurant.”

Cruise Elegant (1-2 nights on 7-day cruises): Suits, dress pants with dress shirts, cocktail dresses, formal wear. Think “wedding guest attire.”

You won’t be denied entry to the dining room if you show up in shorts and a t-shirt, but you’ll feel out of place. Most people enjoy dressing up a bit.

It depends on how much you drink. The CHEERS package costs about $70-80/day and includes:

• Unlimited alcoholic drinks up to $20 value each
• Unlimited soda, coffee, juice, bottled water
• 15 drinks per day max (resets at 6am)

Break-even math: Cocktails are $8-12, beer $6-8, soda $3. You need about 6-7 drinks per day to break even.

Worth it if: You drink 6+ alcoholic drinks daily, you like variety (different cocktails), you want convenience (no thinking about costs)

Skip it if: You’re a light drinker (2-3 drinks/day), you mostly drink wine with dinner, you don’t drink alcohol

You have options:

Main Dining Room:

• Your Time Dining: Show up anytime during dinner hours (flexible, my recommendation)
• Traditional Dining: Assigned table and time (6pm or 8:15pm usually). Same table, same waiters every night.

Lido Buffet, Guy’s Burgers, BlueIguana, Pizza, Deli: Open whenever you want during posted hours. No reservations, no wait.

Specialty Restaurants: Reservations recommended (book online before you sail for discount).

Bottom line: You’re never stuck with rigid meal times. Eat when you’re hungry.

Carnival is excellent with dietary accommodations. They handle:

• Vegetarian and vegan
• Gluten-free and celiac
• Kosher (with advance notice)
• Food allergies (dairy, shellfish, nuts, etc.)
• Religious dietary requirements (halal, etc.)

What to do:

1. Note dietary needs when booking (I can help with this)
2. Remind your dining room waiter on night one
3. At the buffet, ask staff about ingredients
4. Talk to the Maître d’ if you need special arrangements

They take food allergies seriously and will work with you to ensure safe, enjoyable meals.

For a special night, absolutely. Here’s the breakdown:

• Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse ($45/person): USDA Prime steaks, lobster, upscale experience. Best splurge meal on the ship.
• Cucina del Capitano ($15/person): Italian family-style with unlimited servings. Great value, fun atmosphere.
• Bonsai Sushi (à la carte): Fresh sushi, prices vary. Good quality for a cruise ship.

The included dining is excellent—you don’t NEED specialty restaurants. But for a 7-day cruise, treating yourself to one special dinner is a nice touch.

Interior (~$450-700/person): No window, most affordable. About 185 sq ft. Perfect if you’ll barely be in your room.

Oceanview (~$550-850/person): Window or porthole with ocean view. Same size as interior but with natural light.

Balcony (~$700-1,200/person): Private balcony with seating, sliding door to fresh air. 185-220 sq ft inside + balcony. The sweet spot for most cruisers.

Suite (~$1,500-3,000+/person): 275-430+ sq ft, separate living area, larger bathroom with tub, priority perks, bigger balconies.

Full cabin guide with Jerry’s picks in my Ship Guide.

No, not right away. Checked luggage is typically delivered to cabins by 6pm on embarkation day, sometimes later on busy sailings.

That’s why you need a carry-on with:

• Swimsuit (pools open right away!)
• Medications (don’t risk being without them)
• Change of clothes for first evening
• Toiletries for first night
• Valuables (jewelry, electronics, documents)
• Phone charger

Your cabin will be ready around 1:30pm, but you can drop carry-ons with your cabin steward earlier.

Limited—usually 2-3 regular outlets and 1 USB port. Not enough for multiple devices.

Solution: Bring a power strip (NOT a surge protector with circuit breaker—those are prohibited). A simple 3-4 outlet power strip lets you charge multiple devices.

Pro tip: Cabin walls are metal, so magnetic hooks are great for hanging hats, bags, lanyards, etc.

Both have pros and cons:

Ship Excursions:

• ✓ Guaranteed to get you back to ship on time (ship waits if excursion is late)
• ✓ Convenient—no planning needed
• ✓ English-speaking guides
• ✗ 50-100% more expensive than independent
• ✗ Large groups (30-50 people)

Independent Excursions:

• ✓ Save 50%+ vs ship pricing
• ✓ Smaller groups, more personal
• ✓ More flexible
• ✗ You manage timing (ship won’t wait if you’re late)
• ✗ Requires research and booking

Absolutely not! Staying on the ship during port days is amazing:

• Pools are empty (sometimes you’re the only one in the hot tub)
• No lines at Guy’s Burgers or buffet
• Quiet, peaceful, relaxing
• All activities still running
• Ship crew is more relaxed and chatty

Some experienced cruisers intentionally stay on the ship in certain ports just to enjoy the empty ship. It’s a totally valid vacation strategy.

The ship leaves without you. Seriously. They announce the “all aboard” time multiple times, and if you’re not back, you’re on your own.

If this happens:

1. Contact the ship immediately (Carnival gives you emergency numbers)
2. You’re responsible for catching up to the ship at the next port—flights, hotel, etc. all on your dime
3. This is why travel insurance is important

How to avoid this:

• Always be back 30-60 minutes before “all aboard” time
• Sync your watch to ship time (they announce it daily)
• Build in buffer time for taxis, traffic, unexpected delays
• If on a ship excursion, they guarantee to get you back

Typical 7-day cruise budget per person:

• Cruise fare: $600-1,200 (varies by cabin type and season)
• Gratuities: $112 (auto-charged, $16/day)
• Drinks: $100-200 (or CHEERS package $490-560 pre-cruise)
• Shore excursions: $150-400 (2-4 ports)
• Specialty dining: $0-90 (optional)
• Souvenirs & extras: $100-200

TOTAL: $1,062 – $2,250 per person

You can do it cheaper (skip drinks package, do ports on your own, skip specialty dining) or more expensive (suite, every excursion, daily spa visits).

Gratuities are auto-charged at $16-18/person/day. For a 7-day cruise, that’s about $112-126 per person.

This covers your cabin steward, dining room servers, and behind-the-scenes crew who make your cruise great.

Can you remove them? Technically yes, by visiting Guest Services. But it’s considered poor form unless you had genuinely terrible service. The crew works incredibly hard and relies on these tips as part of their income.

Additional tipping:

• Bartenders: $1-2/drink (if not on drink package)
• Room service: $2-3/delivery
• Spa: 18% usually auto-added

Onboard: Credit card only. Your Sail & Sign card is linked to your credit card. The ship is essentially cashless (except casino and gratuities).

In ports: Bring some cash. USD is accepted in most Caribbean ports, but have some for:

• Taxis (set fares, cash preferred)
• Tips for tour guides, porters, bartenders
• Small vendors who don’t take cards
• Street food or market purchases

How much cash: $100-200 in small bills ($1, $5, $10, $20) for a 7-day cruise is plenty if you’re using excursions. More if you’re doing everything independently.

Camp Ocean is FREE for ages 2-11. It’s supervised kids’ programming with activities, games, movies, and themed events.

Age groups:

• Ages 2-5: Penguins (arts, crafts, story time, games)
• Ages 6-8: Stingrays (more active games, science experiments)
• Ages 9-11: Sharks (sports, scavenger hunts, video games)

Teens:

• Ages 12-14: Circle C (teen lounge, games, activities)
• Ages 15-17: Club O2 (nightclub-style hangout, DJ, late hours)

Kids can drop in and out as they want. Many kids spend hours there and love it—gives parents a break!

Kids eat free—all meals are included for everyone. Main dining room has a kids’ menu with favorites like chicken fingers, mac & cheese, burgers, pizza, hot dogs.

The buffet has tons of kid-friendly options. Guy’s Burgers and pizza are open all day. Picky eaters will find something they like, guaranteed.

Room service also has kids’ options (small delivery fee).

Kids can stay in your cabin—up to 4-5 people total depending on cabin type.

Most cabins have two twin beds (or one king) plus a pullman bed (folds down from ceiling) and sometimes a sofa bed. Perfect for families with 1-2 kids.

Pricing: 3rd and 4th passengers in a cabin pay a reduced rate (often 50-75% less than first two passengers).

Larger families might need two cabins, but you can often get connecting rooms or cabins across the hall from each other.