Cruises Amazing Cruises and Cruise Deals

Table Of Content

• Travel, Airfare, & Hotels: Let Princess Get You There
• Eastern Caribbean Cruises
• WE SAIL ALL OVER THE PLACE.
• Carnival Cruises Tips, Activities, and Overview
• Southern Caribbean Cruises
• Bringing local life aboard

And with more than 5,000 islands and cays spread across this amazing region, there’s a lot of paradise to see. Best of all, the mild climate means it doesn’t even matter what time of year you go. A Carnival Caribbean cruise takes you to some of the coolest little hotspots… stretching across the world’s designated hotspot.

Travel, Airfare, & Hotels: Let Princess Get You There

In an average year, over fifteen million people say "all aboard" and set sail on an amazing vacation. Now, we'll probably incur the wrath of devoted Carnival VIFP Club members, who wouldn't dream of sailing on any other cruise line. Even if a super-big bargain is your deciding factor, with the right promotions you can probably get a great deal with a higher-performing cruise line.

Eastern Caribbean Cruises

Carnival has a point-based frequent cruiser program, the VIFP Club, that has five tiers, ranging from Blue (requiring no points) to Diamond (200 points). Note that three of the line's newest ships — Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Venezia — do not have launderettes. Carnival fans are quite peeved about this, and you should be, too.

Carnival Ship Rescues 27 People Adrift at Sea in the Caribbean - Cruise Hive

Carnival Ship Rescues 27 People Adrift at Sea in the Caribbean.

Posted: Mon, 22 Apr 2024 00:14:53 GMT [source]

WE SAIL ALL OVER THE PLACE.

If you prefer your relaxation more active, we offer Zumba, yoga and tai chi classes to burn off stress and raise your heart rate. As a first-time cruiser, you can't go wrong with either Royal Caribbean or Carnival Cruise Line. Pick Royal Caribbean if you are looking for innovative attractions and a slightly more upscale atmosphere. Choose Carnival if you want great food and to have a blast in a casual environment at a more affordable price. Both lines cite with pride their price range for all vacationers, but you'll notice each excels in a different accommodation area.

Additionally, several have a top-deck SportSquare that features a colorful collection of outdoor amusements, including Ping-Pong, billiards, foosball, mini-golf, Twister and a SkyCourse ropes course. The last factor in Carnival's lower-than-them-all ranking here is safety. While most cruise lines experience issues from time to time, Carnival typically ranks as one of the lowest-performing.

Deeper experiences of the islands

Carnival vessels based on the East Coast and along the Gulf of Mexico mostly sail to the Caribbean and Bahamas. Some East Coast ships also head to Bermuda, New England and Canada. On the West Coast, sailings to Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska are the norm. Carnival's biggest operations are out of PortMiami and Port Canaveral in Florida; Galveston, Texas; Long Beach, California; and New Orleans — all major cruise hubs. You'll also find Carnival ships in such secondary cruise ship ports as Baltimore; Charleston, South Carolina; Mobile, Alabama; and Jacksonville, Florida.

Mayan ruins, exciting eco adventures and the friendly spirit of Jamaica await in the Western Caribbean. Enjoy the lush wildernesses of southern Mexico, unspoiled coral reefs of Belize and Roatan, underground caves on the Island of Cozumel and so much more. Royal Caribbean and Carnival take different approaches to onboard entertainment as well, though you'll never be bored on either line. During the evenings, there is an official dress code, but it's pretty laid-back.

Lauderdale, Port Canaveral, Galveston or New York to suit your vacation desires. Carnival's Camp Ocean program (for ages 2-11) has some activities designed to educate kids about the ocean. Tweens and teens have separate lounges with video games, comfy seating and versatile spaces for games or dancing.

Both Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean have two sizes of megaships. Their smaller ships carry 3,000 to 4,000 passengers; their larger ones are huge and carry more than 5,000 guests. Royal Caribbean wins the battle of size, with five of the world's largest ships — including Wonder of the Seas and new Icon of the Seas, the two largest cruise ships afloat.

The self-described "fun ship" line is the king of short, affordable, fun-focused cruises from U.S. ports to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Mexico and other nearby destinations. No matter where you live in the U.S., you're probably within a few hours of a Carnival ship. You can visit the Caribbean without a passport on a closed-loop sailing (one that begins and ends in the same U.S. port).

Extend your cruise vacation, and simplify your travel plans with a hotel stay at the beginning or end of your cruise. With a Cruise Plus Hotel Package, a Princess representative meets you at the airport and pier, transporting you to and from your hotel. The package includes the cost of your hotel stay, transportation, luggage handling and the services of the representative. Whether you’re a history-lover, adventure-seeker or laid-back traveler, discover the best Caribbean cruise destinations for any guest with Princess.

Drinks brought on board must be carried in your carry-on luggage. Carnival allows you to bring one bottle of wine or Champagne per person onto ships at boarding plus up to a dozen standard cans or cartons of nonalcoholic drinks such as sodas. Near the ship's tween and teen clubrooms, it has two padded trampoline areas where you can jump around and take part in games like jousting on a balance beam or shooting baskets while bouncing. There's even trampoline dodgeball and, at one end of the room, a climbing wall augmented with interactive game elements. Passengers can learn to cook everything from Carnival's classic warm chocolate melting cake to its popular saffron risotto during one- to two-hour classes that cost $30 to $59 per person. With the latter, you can team up with your friends and family to play giant versions of Connect 4 Basketball or Simon Flash in front of a live audience.

Almost 30% of all passengers who sail with us are celebrating an important milestone in their lives. Arrange for an anniversary package and let us spoil you with romantic balcony dining, chocolates and more. Throughout your cruise to the Caribbean there will be events that excite, enrich and challenge you to fully experience the islands. Embrace the spirit of the islands the moment you step on your ship with our Rhythm of the Caribbean program. Savor island cuisine, sip signature cocktails and engage in authentic regional experiences.

Start by exploring the incredible ports we visit… and the fun things to do, both on the ship and ashore. On "elegant" nights, you'll see a range of clothing from ball gowns, dresses that leave little to the imagination, tuxes and suits to the same shorts and tees people sport all day long. Most men, however, opt for long pants and collared shirts, while women don sundresses, or a skirt or pants with a blouse. Men are not required to wear a suit jacket or tie in any venue. Carnival Cruise Line sells itself as the "fun" cruise line, and it attracts cruisers who are looking to have a good time with little to no pretensions.

Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse Brewhouse, notably, has its very own in-house brewery you can see behind glass walls — something still relatively rare on cruise ships. It makes house beers including Parched Pig West Coast IPA and Parched Pig Toasted Amber which you'll find on many Carnival vessels in kegs and cans. Like other big-ship operators, Carnival packs a lot of dining options onto its vessels — some included in the price, some at an extra charge. This is a notable change for the brand from just a couple of decades ago. There was a time when Carnival operated some of the biggest cruise ships in the world. Carnival is one of the world's biggest cruise lines by passenger capacity, with 25 ships that together offer nearly 80,000 berths.

Discover the diverse ports of the Caribbean, from the charming Amber Cove with its vibrant local markets, to the picturesque island of Aruba known for its pristine beaches and lively nightlife. Sail to Barbados, home to breathtaking coral reefs and historical landmarks, or explore the cultural melting pot of Curacao with its colorful architecture and Dutch influence. Aside from the main pool, which is the hub of much of the line's fun activities, almost every Carnival cruise ship also has at least one waterslide, with several having multi-slide water parks.

15 Best Carnival Drink Package Tips 2024

Table Of Content

• Learn About Credit Cards
• Onboard Experiences
• What’s included in the package?
• Money and Gratuities
• Cruise Tips That Feel Wrong (But Are 100% Right)
• Cheers Package – From $59.95 Per Day

There are also complimentary juices available in the morning such as apple, orange, and cranberry. To start off, there are some drinks that are included with the standard cruise fare. Water, lemonade, fruit juices, coffee, tea, regular and chocolate milk are all complimentary.

Learn About Credit Cards

Drinks purchased on the first day of the cruise will be charged to the guest’s Sail & Sign card in the usual manner. Some tiers of Carnival’s loyalty program, known as Very Important Fun Person (VIFP), have some drink benefits. In order to reach different tiers, you will have to continue sailing with Carnival.

Onboard Experiences

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Carnival, Royal Caribbean rival makes big beverage package change - TheStreet

Carnival, Royal Caribbean rival makes big beverage package change.

Posted: Sat, 13 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

What’s included in the package?

Die-hard Coke fans can bring 12 cans of Coke in their carry-on luggage. With the Bottomless Bubbles soda package, it would take four sodas per day for an adult to break even and three sodas per day for a child to break even. As gratuities are added on to individual drinks or onto the package price (but not both), I’ve not included them in this calculation. The drinks on Carnival cruises are reasonably priced and tend to be a little cheaper than other cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises.

If you pre-purchased a Carnival drink package, it will be activated upon boarding the ship. You should head to a bar once onboard the ship for a sticker which will be placed on your Sail & Sign card. Package, you will be able to step outside of your comfort zone and try drinks that you might not even think about if you were paying for each individually. Carnival has specialty cocktails that you cannot find on other cruise lines, or if you are feeling really adventurous, ask a bartender what their favorite drink to make is for a fun surprise. Package, the only alcohol option, costs $65.95 per person, per day, plus 18% for gratuities, if purchased onboard. Package from Carnival has to 1) be purchased for every day of the cruise and 2) be purchased by every adult member of the cabin.

The exact number of drinks depends on what it is that you drink. On a Carnival cruise, each adult can bring one 750ml bottle of wine or champagne in their carry-on luggage. Each person can also bring 12 cans or cartons of non-alcoholic beverages such as water, soda, energy drinks, juice or milk. Carnival Cruise Line’s unlimited soda package costs $9.50 per day for adults and $6.95 per day for kids.

Cruisers must be 21 years of age or older to purchase the Cheers program (alcoholic beverage package). Of course, it is never mandatory to buy a drink package. The drink packages on Carnival are add-ons to your cruise vacation.

If you want to purchase more than one drink, you can charge one to your drink package and simply pay for the others as normal on your onboard account. Or just wait five minutes to get another beverage included with the package. Package gives you the run of beverages from the ship’s bars for up to $20 per glass. If you order a drink that’s more than $20, the fine print says that you receive a 25% discount off the menu price. Carnival charges an 18% gratuity automatically on the value of the package. Therefore, if you are sailing on a weeklong cruise and buy the package ahead of time, the cost is $59.95.

The surprising reason Carnival expects your cruise ship to visit less ports

These can only be in 12-oz sealed cans or cartons, not bottles. If your cruise departs from Texas or New York, state laws mean that you cannot use a drink package on the first day of your cruise. In this case, you will charge drinks to your account on the first day, and the Cheers package will start from 6 am the following day.

If, for instance, your sailing is 7-nights, you will only be billed as though you were on a 6-night cruise. Package is more expensive on 3-5 night cruises, with the onboard price starting at $74.95 per person, per day. The online price for these shorter sailings is $69.95 per day.

The Carnival Cheers package takes care of drinks by covering almost all of your beverage consumption (alcoholic or otherwise) under one fixed price per day. It can save you money on your next cruise if you're planning to, well, drink like you're on a cruise. A Carnival cruise vacation just doesn't feel complete without a few fruity frozen cocktails and a nightly glass of wine or two at dinner. Whether you're a casual drinker or a spirits enthusiast, you might be wondering if the Carnival Cheers drink package is right for you. If you want to use your onboard credit to buy the soda package, that’s okay, as the price is the same whenever you buy it. But if you want the alcohol package, you would be better to pre-purchase it before your cruise and save your onboard credit for something else.

On a Carnival cruise, cocktails cost between $10.50 and $12.50. Most classic cocktails such as pina colada or strawberry daiquiri cost $10.50. You cannot buy Coke on a Carnival cruise, but a Pepsi costs $2.75.

This means that even if you have already spent a considerable amount of money on this beverage package, you will have to pay for each drink that you get while lounging on the beach individually. Package, you will want to buy it in advance via Carnival's website or by calling the call center. This means that rather than paying $65.95 per day for a cruise that's 6+ nights, you will only pay $59.95. Even though the drinking age may be lower in the ports you visit, Carnival goes by the 21 year age limit on the ship if sailing from North America. You are charged this amount every day you are on the cruise — no matter if you are in port or at sea.