BEFORE YOU GO

We are all excited to get on board and start the fun but here are a few things to remember before you step on the plane or get into your car to head to the cruise port.

Check In – Online check in starts 16 – 14 days prior to the cruise. Check your reservation for exact times. It is important that you do the online check in as soon as it opens up to get a good boarding time. Pick the earliest boarding time available (you can always arrive after).

Passports & Birth Certificates – Don’t forget either your passport or (original) Birth Certificate, and drivers license. It is easier to use a passport if you have one as you will walk right through debarkation. If you forget these documents you will see us waving to you as we leave the port. VERY IMPORTANT!

Wine & Soda – Carnival allows each passenger (21+) to carry on one 750ml bottle of sealed wine or champange. This must be put in your carry on and not your checked bag. You will also want to bring a corkscrew.  Carnival charges $15 to open a bottle of wine if you forget. If you do forget we have the skills to open the bottle without a corkscrew (one of the few things I learned in College). Each person may also bring on a small case (12 cans) of soda cans but this also needs to be in your carry on luggage.

Parking – For those of you that will be driving to the port please coordinate with me prior to the cruise. We are trying to take a few cars/trucks as possible to reduce the parking costs. Once we have the transportation situation worked out we will split parking fees to reduce the cost.

Water – For anyone wanting water in their stateroom (assuming you do not have the drink package) I always reccomend ordering water through the Carnival website prior to the cruise to have delivered to your stateroom. This is cheaper than ordering water from the bars or restaurants.

Carnival Hub & Internet – Before you get on the ship ensure that you have downloaded the Carnival Hub App from the app store. This tool will give you access to menus, activities, and much more. If you require internet there are 3 internet options that you can purchase prior to the cruise (it is cheaper than purchasing on the cruise). Remember that once you are on the ship and we leave port you will want to set your phone to airplane mode to avoid using the ships cellular at sea (which costs a fortune).

80’s Party – There will be an 80’s party one night on the cruise. The exact night varies but we will be able to get the schedule once we get on the ship. We encourage everyone to join us as we celebrate one of the best decades of music on the lido deck under the stars. Many folks (including Kimberly & I) dress up in 80’s themed clothes during this event. We typically find these items on Amazon.

Lanyards – Everyone on a Carnival cruise will use their Sign & Sail card for any purchases on the ship (and the private island). You can purchase a lanyard on the ship (a little pricey) or you can purchase what we have used on various cruises. You can find the laynards we get (on Amazon) at: https://a.co/d/01prH5km

Elegant Night – There will be (2) Elegant nights on our cruise. We typically only participate in the second elegant night but you are welcome to dress up both nights. The second elegant night is typically the nights we do pictures. Kimberly usually brings a nice evening dress and I usually have a nice pair of slacks and nice polo.

Dining – Most of our group is signed up for anytime dining. We do not have any set schedule of dining times so we can all coordinate when we get on the ship. More on this in the On The Cruise section.