Tips from an Avid Carnival Cruiser

I have been on eight cruises with one more on the way in October. As a thrifty traveler, I have found this to be the cheapest way to travel outside the US. You may have only a couple days of ports, but I have been able to experience a private island in Cozumel, stingrays in Grand Cayman, an all-inclusive in Montego Bay, parasailing in Key West, swimming with dolphins in the Bahamas, and more. Saving on flights, food, and hotels, allows me to splurge on the experiences and excursions.

My daughters (age 17 & 10) are also fans of cruising, so we are always looking for our next deal from Carnival. We never pay full-price and always have onboard credit. This brings me to the 1st tip:

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a little drawn to “gaming”. Most cruise ships (all of Carnival’s) have casinos onboard. I might spend a little too much money in there, but if you are careful, you can spend a little to save A LOT. Once you have played onboard, you are enrolled in the Player’s Club. The player’s club sends unbelievable offers. There have been at least 2 cruises where my stateroom was free (excluding taxes and gratuities). Outside the two free cruises, the rest of my cruises have been deeply discounted. For example, I paid $250 per person (4 people) for the 5-day cruise that I am taking my family on this October. My sister, Marilyn, receives similar offers, and is taking a free cruise for two this month. The deals vary from person to person, and the free cruise offer is given very randomly. I was surprised that she received the offer for any cruise during the Summer months. Just be careful though…it is easy to keep charging the room when you get caught up in the casino. Check your balance often at the kiosk located by the Customer Service desk to make sure that you have not lost all your wits while gambling. Pro Tip: Also take any winnings you can, and go apply them immediately to your account if you need to.

Here’s some of the best tips that I have picked up from my experiences with Carnival:

1. Carnival tends to be more family friendly and a younger demographic than Royal Caribbean. RC is generally more expensive, so the older (more established) crowd tends to frequent their ships. I was surprised to see hardly anyone under 40 when I took a 7-day Cuban Cruise with Royal, and it made me miss the deck parties and youth of Carnival. Just know that when cruising Carnival, there is always something going on. There will not be a shortage of children for your kids to play with. You will not be at a loss to find a good people-watching spot. There will be adults, of all ages, partaking in the beverages and acting a fool. The crew works incredibly hard at providing entertainment for the whole duration of your cruise. Carnival ships are known as the “Fun Ships”.
2. When you arrive at the cruise terminal, go drop off your checked luggage at the curb before parking. This lightens your load, and you won’t feel weighted down on the shuttle from your car after parking. Pre-paying is the way to go for cheaper, worry-free parking. https://www.portofgalveston.com/91/Cruise-Parking–General-Information
3. Put a swimsuit in your carry on. You will not have access to your checked luggage for a few hours after boarding, and you may want to check out the Welcome Aboard party.
4. There is no need to bring tip money. You can pre-pay gratuities or they will be billed to your portfolio at a rate of $14.50 per person per day. Yes, they will charge your children for the gratuities as well. I have never minded paying these charges though, as the staff work unbelievably long hours and are go above and beyond for each guest. You have the ability to tip your room steward or nightly server at dinner additionally in cash, but you do not have to.
5. The downside to drinking on Carnival…the standard gratuities do not include adult beverages. You will automatically be charged an 18% service fee every time you buy a drink. You can purchase the drink package before cruising for $51.95 per day or $56.95 per day during cruising, but 18% will also be added to that as well. There are several restrictions to this program on Carnival. Royal Caribbean has them beat on this one, as they have almost no restrictions on their beverage program.
6. Bring a bottle of wine or champagne. Carnival allows each guest over 21 to bring one bottle in their carry-on. I am not a big drinker, but this does allow me to have one night where I can have a glass or two of wine without breaking the bank. Your room steward will put it on ice if you leave it out. Pro-Tip: Bring a bottle opener and do not drink it at dinner because they will charge a $15 corkage fee. I typically bring mine to a show.
7. All of the non-buffet food is pretty good. The best thing on the ship, however, is Guy’s Burger Bar. I am not even a burger fanatic, but these burgers and fries are incredible! The topping bar is equally impressive. The burger bar is one of several ways to avoid the buffet from the sandwich bar to the Blue Iguana Cantina. The formal dinner is also good (most of the time), but get there early as the service takes longer the later you go. Choose “anytime dining” if you get the option or call Carnival to request it…this way you have flexibility to go to whichever activities you want without having to work around your assigned dining time. Everything is included in your original fare, except for a few specialty restaurants, like the Steakhouse or Italian restaurant. The Italian restaurant is not worth the cost, and I have never felt the need to try the Steakhouse. There are so many food options though, that I never understand why anyone would pay for a meal on the ship.
8. The Sea Day Brunch is also a winner. The brunch is only offered on full days at sea and has a nice menu. It is a great alternative to the buffet at no extra charge.
9. The entertainment is decent. There is no shortage of activities on Carnival and you are well-informed of the days events. Each night, the room steward will leave an easy-to-understand itinerary in your stateroom for the following day’s events. There are several musical shows, game shows, comedy shows, trivia, how-to classes, deck parties, etc to enjoy throughout the course of your cruise.
10. Avoid Bingo. At least 1,000 people on the ship will play and very few will win. It is extremely expensive to play and the payouts are small. They will lead you to believe that you can win hundreds/thousands of dollars, but most of the time, several people will win the same game, and you are left splitting the prize. If you win, you will be lucky to break even on the cost of the cards.
11. Enjoy the deck movies at least once (if not every night). This is one of my (and my daughters and my sister’s) favorite things to do on the ship. You are given a warm towel, popcorn, and a new release to enjoy on the deck. There is something so therapeutic about watching a movie with the stars above you under a warm towel. You can even watch the movie from a hot tub if you prefer.
12. Bring a lanyard. You will be given a Sail & Sign card at check-in. This is your room key and your card to make charges. Most of the time, they will not give you a lanyard (they will punch a hole in it if you ask), and they will charge you $10 for one onboard. It is ideal to bring a lanyard with a waterproof phone case or bring a fanny pack. You will need your Sail & Sign card everywhere you go and they are easy to lose. At least make sure that your kids have a lanyard if nothing else.
13. Put a limit on your children’s Sail & Sign cards. I once talked to a man on this ship that was very distressed, because he put unlimited charging privileges on his son and son’s friend’s card. He was horrified to find out that they racked up over $1,000 in charges at the arcade!
14. Expect long wait times anytime you debark, whether this is in a port or at the end of your cruise. Carnival has all of this down to an exact science, and though they are efficient, they are trying to get thousands of people off the ship. Getting back on is usually easier than exiting. Tip: When in port, if you do not have an excursion booked, wait until most of the ship has exited before going down to debark. They will allow you to debark throughout the day.
15. Excursions are expensive through Carnival. If you are a rookie though, it is best to book through Carnival.com, so that you know exactly what you are doing in port. As you gain experience, you will notice that you can typically exit the ship and there is a sea of people selling the same exact excursions for half the price. You can also do your research before hand…I booked a parasailing adventure in Key West for super cheap by just calling the company directly.
16. There are several choices of staterooms when booking. I almost always get an interior cabin, because I don’t need anything fancy and I sleep best in the interior rooms (I recommend middle of the ship). However, I did get a balcony room on a 7-day to the Bahamas one time, and I loved it. It was a little harder to sleep, because you can hear the waves crashing up against the ship, but lovely to sit on the balcony and watch the sea during the day. In my casino offers, sometimes the balcony room is actually cheaper than the interior room. I would only recommend the balcony room if you are not a light sleeper.
17. If you are from Texas, the Galveston port is the best option. Cruises leaving out of Galveston are more expensive than cruises leaving out of most any other port in the US. However, once you add airfare to get to another port, you will likely pay more anyway.
18. The quality of the cruise pictures are pretty good. Don’t be afraid to stop and get your pic taken. It cost you nothing, unless you decide to buy one to take home, and it is pretty entertaining to go down to the picture gallery and look for your shots.

I will likely continue to add to this post, because there is so much that I am likely forgetting. Cruising is not for everyone, but as a budget traveler, it is the most affordable way to create some incredible memories for my daughters. I am excited about the upcoming cruise, because we are traveling with a large group of people, and I have finally convinced my 20-year-old son to go!