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| The Carnival Elation - My 1st Cruise |
I have been on six cruises since 2002. My first cruise was
on the Elation with my grandparents. We did a 7-day Mexican
Riviera itinerary which made stops in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and
Cabo San Lucas. My next cruise was on the Carnival Pride which had the
same itinerary. Actually, all of my first six cruises were to the Mexican
Riviera. I am not the person who chooses a cruise based on the ports.
I go because of the ship. I enjoy spending time on the ships and
find the decor in all of them to be incredibly unique. Cruises to the
Mexican Riviera go out of Los Angeles (Long Beach or San Pedro), which make for
a very cost-effective vacation. Back when cruises frequently traveled the
western coast of Mexico, cruises were relatively cheap. A quick four hour
drive made getting to the pier and back affordable. Now, very few ships
go to that side of Mexico.
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| The Carnival Pride - My 2nd Cruise |
My next seven
cruises (which are all already booked) are a little different. I chose to
branch out of the typical Mexican ports and try the Caribbean (Carnival Breeze, Carnival Freedom), Canada/New
England (Carnival Glory), and Alaska (Carnival Miracle). I still have 3 short cruises that will make stops in
Ensenada and Catalina Island (on board the Carnival Inspiration), but those were booked in order for me to reach
Platinum status with Carnival. All that means is that I have sailed 10 times with the company, allowing me to earn special benefits like priority boarding, priority debarkation, laundry services, special cocktail parties, etc. They have changed the loyalty program as of this year, so I just barely got grandfathered in!
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| The Carnival Spirit - My 3rd and 6th Cruise |
I received some
good questions regarding cruising (and a few bizarre ones, lol) which I will
address now. Aly asked me about gratuities and when you pay for them.
Very good question! Carnival charges gratuities in the amount of
$11.50 per person, per day. You are at complete discretion to adjust
these tips up and down, but this is the standard. Your money goes to
paying the room stewards, your dining room staff, and alternative services
(entertainment, kitchen, guest services).
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| The Carnival Splendor - My 4th and 5th Cruise |
Typically, the full amount is
billed to your room on the second or third night of the cruise (for 7-day
sailings). While on board, you have a Sail and Sign card. Money is
not used on the ship (with the exception of gambling). Everything on
board is paid for using your Sail and Sign card. At the end of that
cruise, you get a bill in your stateroom. Your credit card, debit card, or cash deposit will automatically be charged the amount owed on your bill. Your Sail and Sign card also serves as your room key, player's card, and
your way of boarding and debarking the ship.
Another question
was from Cindy regarding drink prices. Yes, alcohol is expensive. Mixed drinks usually run
7-10 dollars. Beers are around the same price, as are
shots. A 15% gratuity is charged to ALL drinks. This is not
negotiable. This is not unreasonable for someone who likes to have a few
drinks. If you are a bigger drinker, they do have beer packages and wine
packages that are affordable. For more
information regarding Carnival’s alcohol prices, click here: http://bit.ly/ORmEbc. This is the most up-to-date pricing on mixed
drinks, hard liquor, beer, and package deals. Also something to take note of, soft drinks are not free. You pay for soft drinks at any of the bars/lounges and you still pay a 15% gratuity on them. However, they do have soft drink packages that, if you drink a lot of soda, are an excellent value. Free drinks on Carnival include lemonade, iced tea, coffee, hot tea, hot chocolate, milk, and fruit juices for breakfast. If you are not so keen on the idea of paying for soft drinks or wine, you are able to bring a small amount of soft drinks and bottled water on board. You can pack them in your suitcase/carry-on bag. You are also allowed to bring one 750mL bottle of champagne or wine, per person, on board.
Tina asked about the odds of a whale blowing its blowhole under
the cruise ship and tipping it over.
This is not likely. The cruise
ships are bigger than most whales and it would take much, much more than a
blowhole to flip the ship over. Will you
see whales and dolphins? More than
likely. While you can see them from the
ships decks, they do not come nearly as close as you may think. The moving ship and spinning propeller blades
keep the animals far away. Aside from
that, the cruise ships weigh anywhere from 70,000 to 130,000 tons.
Amie asked me a very good question. Her inquiry was how do I pay for all these
cruises? Is selling meth that
lucrative? Well, clearly, if it wasn’t
lucrative people wouldn’t do it. I don’t
sell meth. At least, that is the story I
am sticking to. This question actually
leads me into my next point - the price of a cruise based on a comparable land
vacation. Carnival cruises are not
expensive. If you book them early enough
you only have to hold your reservation with a deposit. The amount of the deposit depends on the
length of your cruise. A deposit for a 3-day
cruise would cost $100 and a 7-day cruise would cost $250. Your final payment is due roughly 60-70 days
before you sail (depending on cruise length).
If you were to book a cruise a year in advance, like I normally do,
putting aside $50 to $100 a month will end up paying for that cruise. Carnival also offers air packages. Their air packages are normally more
expensive than booking by yourself, but it offers you peace of mind, and if you
are lucky, an incredible bonus. Let me
explain. When you book air through Carnival,
they take care of everything. They pick
you up at the airport and take you to the pier for no extra charge. If you live on the west coast and book an
east coast cruise, you get a really great bonus. Carnival will fly you out the day before and
put you up in a 5-star hotel for no extra cost to you. They will still pick you up from the airport
and take you to the pier, but they also take you to your hotel room (again, for
no extra charge).
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| Warm chocolate melting cake, a Carnival favorite! |
But let’s get back to the price of a cruise compared to a land
vacation. Cruise prices vary depending
on your type of stateroom, time of a year, and where you want to go. Summer, spring break, and cruises that fall
over a holiday are more expensive. Normally (and I say normally, as there are
exceptions), cruises for one are under $1000 per person. Again, this may be higher or lower depending
on the type of stateroom you want. If
you think that is expensive, consider what you get for that price: gourmet
meals (every cruise has lobster, prime rib, and steak), 24-hour room service,
24-hour pizza, late night snacks, daily buffets, all entertainment, youth
programs for the kids, 2-5 different ports of call, your room for the entire
trip, gym, nightclubs, water park, tax-free shopping, etc.
When you compare all of that to a normal vacation, the amount of money
you actually save is staggering! For
more information, including a side-by-side comparison, click here: http://bit.ly/NinA0S.
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| Lobster and shrimp! |
Now, let’s talk about the staterooms. Where you choose to be on the ship is up to
you. So are your accommodations. Want to be near an elevator? No problem.
Want to be closer to the dining room?
No problem. Do you want to
overlook the back of the ship in your own private balcony? No problem!
It all depends on what interests you!
Interior rooms are the cheapest, mainly because they have no
windows. You can score some excellent
deals with an interior room. Want some
light but still don’t want to pay for a higher category room? Book an interior porthole room. It is the same price as a normal interior
room but include two porthole windows.
Buyers beware, though. These
rooms are located at the front of the ship.
If you easily get sea sick, you may feel the rocking of the boat.
Most people book oceanview or balcony staterooms. Oceanview staterooms feature a large picture
window. Balcony staterooms include your
own private balcony. I book balconies as
often as I can. It is amazing being able
to have your morning coffee brought to you while enjoying the sunrise from your
balcony.
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| Interior Room |
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| Oceanview Room |
There are also suites, but they are pricy. I have never booked a suite but understand
that you can get good deals. Often
times, suites that are not sold are offered to currently booked guests for much
cheaper than they normally run. I have included
pictures of all stateroom categories (above and below).
These rooms are on the new Carnival Breeze. Older ships differ in color schemes, but all
rooms are about 186 square feet. All
rooms come with two twin beds (that convert to a king), a sofa or chair, vanity
table, tv, telephone, bathroom with shower, 3 closets, bathrobes to use during
your cruise, and much more!
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| Balcony Room |
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| Grand Suite |
Lastly, let's talk about ship size. Cruise lines now are trying to build ships bigger and better. You may think that having thousands of people on board would make it seem crowded. In actuality, this is the opposite. With everyone doing their own thing, the flow of the ship (aside from the buffets) are normally not crowded. Still, many people don't like other people. You may want to be on a smaller, older ship. For people who don't mind other people too much, you would be better on a newer, medium-sized ship. For those of you who don't care about people, because you are normally the loudest and drunkest anyway, you may like the newest and larger ships. Carnival does not really tell you what is what, so I will do that for you. I have listed below the different classes of ships, and what ships are under each class, as well as each homeport (where you catch the cruise). This may be beneficial to you when doing your research on what cruise to take:
Smallest Ships - Fantasy Class (No balconies on these ships,
except for suites):
Carnival Fantasy - Charleston, SC
Carnival Ecstacy - Port Canaveral, FL
Carnival Elation - New Orleans, CA
Carnival Inspiration, Long Beach, CA
Carnival Imagination - Miami, FL
Carnival Sensation - Port Canaveral, FL
Carnival Fascination - Jacksonville, FL
Carnival Paradise - Tampa, FL
Medium Ships - Destiny, Triumph, and Spirit Class
Carnival Destiny (Soon to be remodeled and renamed the Carnival Sunshine) - Miami, FL
Carnival Triumph - Galveston, TX
Carnival Victory - San Juan, Puerto Rico (through Feb. 2013) and then Miami, FL (after Feb. 2013)
Carnival Spirit - Seattle, WA (through Oct. 2012) and then Sydney, Australia (after Oct. 2012)
Carnival Pride - Baltimore, MA
Carnival Legend - Tampa, FL (through Apr. 2013) and then England, Italy, and Spain (after Apr. 2013)
Carnival Miracle - New York, NY (through Mar. 2013) and then Los Angeles, CA and San Diego, CA (winter months); Seattle, WA (summer months)
Largest Ships - Conquest, Splendor, and Dream Class
Carnival Conquest - New Orleans, LA
Carnival Glory - Miami, FL; Boston, MA; and New York, NY
Carnival Valor - Miami, FL (through Feb. 2013) and then San Juan, Puerto Rico (after Feb. 2013)
Carnival Liberty - Miami, FL
Carnival Freedom - Fort Lauderdale, FL
Carnival Splendor - Los Angeles, CA (through Feb. 2013) then New York, NY (after Feb. 2013)
Carnival Dream - Port Canaveral, FL
Carnival Magic - Galveston, TX
Carnival Breeze - Miami, FL
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| The Carnival Breeze |
I know that I have covered a lot in this blog, and I know that there is still plenty that I have not covered. If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact me by leaving me a comment or hitting me up on Facebook. You can also check out the Carnival website at www.carnival.com and look at their FAQ section. I leave you now with some pictures of the Carnival Breeze. I am going on this cruise over spring break of 2013 and paid only $729 per person for a cove balcony stateroom. Not bad for a brand new ship boasting some of the most unique amenities at sea!
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| The Breeze Atrium |
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| The Lido Deck Buffet |
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| Ocean Plaza |
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| Carnival Water Works |
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| Sapphire Dining Room |
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