| Hi. im going on a 7 day cruise this
christmas with my family. we are
leaving from tampa on the carnival
legend dec. 20. we are going to the
western caribbean.
im traveling with my parents, 4
siblings, 3 aunts, 4 uncles, 7
cousins, grandma and grandpa.
the kids ages are:
parker- 19, cooper- 17, jocelyn-
16, me- 14, madison- 13, aiden- 12,
blake- 10, adalaide- 8, hunter- 7,
savanna- 6, maya- 5, jordan- 2.
were going to busch gardens the day
before. is that fun? do they have a
lot of roller coasters or is it
like a zoo?
none of us have been on a cruise
before, so i have some questions.
1. what activities do they have for
the kids on and off the ship? are
the kid/teen clubs worth it or
should we skip it?
2. what holiday activities do they
have going on?
3. im from ny and don’t know the
temp down there. should i dress for
hot or cold weather? how much
should i pack?
4. is the food good? and do i have
to pay money for any food outside
of the main eating times?
5. what happens if i, or someone in
my family, gets sea sick?
6. is it possible to fall of the
cruise? were in a balcony room.
7. i heard you shouldn’t drink
the water in mexico because you can
get sick. i don’t want to get
dehydrated, so how do i go about
drinking water that day?
8. do they have any cell phone and
internet access on the cruise?
should i bring my cell phone and/or
laptop, or just leave it at home?
9. what services is not free? what
services are free?
10. what can i not bring on a ship?
(ipods, camera, laptops, cologne,
toothpaste, etc…)
11. i read there is a basketball
court onboard. do i have to bring
my own equipment to play?
12. are carnival cruises fun and
worth the money? what entertainment
do they have? what time does
everything close up for the night?
13. what are some cruising tips i
should know about?
sorry its so long- im just curious.
thanks,
trent riley!
"And the teens have their own
private room away from the kids..."
I’m going on that cruise too!
I’ll try my best at answering your questions. Sorry if I don’t know some of them.
About Busch Gardens- its sooo much fun! There are lots of roller coasters and rides to go on! It’s not really a “zoo” but they do have animal exhibits. It’s fun for everyone! There’s rides for the youngest children, to the thrill seekers. There’s amazing shows and animal exhibits if you’re an animal lover.
Now your cruise questions:
you can find a lot of answers on the carnival website. Here’s the FQ page: http://www.carnival.com/CMS/FAQs/FAQLanding.aspx?icid=CC_Footer_8-8
1) they have lots of activities going on! Face painting, video game challenges, scavenger hunts, ghost stories, fear factor are some of the ones I enjoyed. There’s so much more though! And the teens have their own private room away from the kids, and they have dance parties and their own fun! I would recommend signing up for those clubs as soon as you board (or when they’ll let you) and go there often in your spare time. They will have schedules of what activities is going on each hour of the club.
2) My dad emailed Carnival about what holiday activities would be on board. Here’s some of them:
- there will be oversized Christmas trees, wreaths, lights, mistletoe, fake fireplaces, large comfy sofas and other traditional decorations.
- each stateroom will have seasonal music available.
- The kids in Camp Carnival (kids club) will make ornaments and decorate the Christmas trees.
- a visit from Santa
- guests and staff strolling around the ship singing Christmas carols.
- popular Christmas movies shown in the staterooms.
- Holiday menus for dinner (turkey, pie, etc…)
- and if you want to go to church that day, a clergyman may be available on board, or you can ask the front desk for local churches in the area. (in our case, Isla Roatan) that you can attend.
3) The temperatures usually average around high 60s and low 70s. which is warm enough to go snorkeling and swimming, etc… it does get a bit chilly on the ship at night, so bring a light jacket. Try to mix and match the same outfits each day as to save some space. A maximum of 4 or 5 outfits for a 7 day cruise is enough. There will be 2 formal nights on the cruise. You could bring one outfit, as it probably wont get that dirty. There’s no reason you cant wear it twice. The other nights are a little more casual. Jeans and a nice shirt or sweater will be fine for these nights.
4) Foods good. You dont have to pay for food outside of meal times as long as you go to the buffet or grills by the pool. It does cost money for soft drinks however. But you can buy a card that allows you to get unlimited soft drinks during your trip. It’s about $25. So its really good. If you choose to eat at a more fancy restaurant or somewhere else, they may charge you.
5) if you think, or aren’t sure, if someone in your party will get sea sick, its best to buy a pack of pills for sea sickness at the local store before you travel. It will help out if someone does wind up feeling sick. They do have an infirmary on the ship, but it costs money to buy the medicine there, and its quite expensive, as they only have a limited amount.
6) It’s not possible to just flat out fall off the ship. If your drunk or not paying attention, it may be easier to fall off as your not coordinated. You would have to be climbing up and jumping off or be sitting on the edge of the balcony to actually fall off.
7) You are correct about getting sick for drinking Mexican water. The cruise ship usually sells water bottles as you exit the ship onto land. I would suggest buying several of these, or returning to the ship throughout the day and drinking something free onboard. You can drink the soda and other beverages in Mexico though.
8) There is cell phone service and internet access onboard the ship. It’s not free though. I would suggest leaving your laptop at home. You cell phone you can bring, but beware that it will cost you per text/ minute with your phone company. So put it on airplane mode, turn it off, or leave it at home or in the suitcase.
9) most things on the ship are free. You have to pay for the spa and if you want laundry done and for the arcade games.
10) things you cannot bring onboard are the regular stuff. Matches, lighters, cigarettes, alcohol, food/drinks bought on shore. Some things may be restricted, just call Carnival and ask.
11) Carnival provides the equipment for you. However, if you want to go snorkeling, it would be cheaper to bring your own equipment.
12) Carnival cruises are definitely worth the money. They have a show every night. Dance parties, casino (18 or older) and many family activities too. bingo, karaoke, game shows, etc... Most things close up around 12 to 2am. But there is pizza and ice cream 24 hours.
13) be organized. try to get on ship early.
figure out everything you wanna do when you first get on/in the morning.
take a tour when you first get on ship so everyone knows where places are.
bring walkie talkies for each member. use them so you know where everyone is.
bring something to keep you occupied in your stateroom on days at sea, as the pools and clubs may be really crowded.
the staterooms are pretty small, so pack lightly.
try to get the whole family involved in things! Its more fun if the family does things together.
don’t complain and don’t argue. That put everyone in a bad mood and can ruin a day, or even the whole trip! |
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