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Budget cruising in style: (5-day Carribean Cruise with Carnival)

Budget cruising in style: (5-day Carribean Cruise with Carnival)

Old Apr 7th, 2014, 11:22 AM
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Budget cruising in style: (5-day Carribean Cruise with Carnival)

During the February school break we drove from our Boston suburb to Boca Raton to take a 5-day Carnival Victory Cruise out of Miami. (for those interested in the driving portion of the trip, check out my full trip report at http://celebratetheweekend.com/winte...ibbean-cruise/

For the 4 of us sharing an ocean view cabin (we probably could have gotten two cabins for same price) – we paid around $1,500. For those new to cruising, the price covers pretty much all the food and non-alcoholic drinks (there are some non-substantial exceptions), as well as cruise entertainment. If cruises are arguably the most affordable family vacation, Carnival’s are definitely in the hot spot for the honor of being named the cheapest of them all. And yes it could get crowded and you may encounter people from all walks of life (after all, you are not the only one wanting to get to the beach on the budget!), but we did manage to have a relaxing winter beach vacation on the budget and that was the goal.

Now, having taken 8+ Caribbean cruises over the years, here is my advice on how to have a fabulous time while on a budget cruise:

1. Choose Wise. Since our goal is to maximize the beach time, we tend to choose shorter cruises that get us to the beach every day. With a longer, 7-8 day Caribbean cruises you will typically get a newer-bigger ship that will get you to further out Caribbean destinations (i.e. St. Martin or Aruba) but you may have to spend half of your cruise time at sea – getting there. This year we took a 5 night cruise with 1 day at sea and 3 marvelous beach days at Turks and Caicos and Bahamas. Another consideration when choosing a cruise is your preferred activities once at the destination port, which gets us to the next point:

2. Research your Ports. Not all Caribbean ports are created equal: some will give you the best snorkeling opportunities in the world while others will offer plenty of easily accessible beach choices (the two do not always combine). Do your research ahead so you know which beach you will go to, how much you would have to pay for taxi fare, or, if that is your preference, which excursion offered by your cruise or another travel company (like Expedia) you will take. And if all-day swimming and relaxing at the beach is what you are after, the best Caribbean beach day by far has been on the Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas (it’s owned by Holland America but Carnival cruises stop there as well). There, you swim and relax (or take a nature walk) without having to think about (or pay for ) the taxis, food or beach chairs. And there are always footprint-free beach areas further away from the docks.

3. Take advantage of the onboard kid CAMP – we ALWAYS do and never feel guilty about it. Cruise companies typically offer a high quality age-appropriate programs of activities for kids 2-17 yrs old which allows you to spend alone time with your spouse almost any time of the day while you are still on your family vacation. On our recent cruise, we shared breakfast and beach time together as a family , while for dinner kids gathered at the Camp with their friends. The programs run until 3am every night. Our 4-yr old Vi was getting too tired by 10pm, but teenager Den was going strong until 1 in the morning. While it is not especially difficult to engage 4 yr olds with dances, games and crafts activities, i am very impressed how they manage to keep the teens happy and wanting more.

4. Get to Know your Ship: better yet, do it prior to boarding time – so you could select a cruise with bigger cabin size for your buck. You do not spend a lot of time in the cabin, but there is still a minimally acceptable size needed for the four of you to get going in the morning. As we discovered, Carnival happens to offer one of the largest cabins at the sea (220 sq. foot for our ocean window cabin) while Norwegian’s are probably the smallest. It also pays to learn that your ship may offer adults-only sun deck relaxation areas (aka “Serenity”, offered at all Carnival cruises we took). My other favorite spot was on the upper open deck away from the pool-centered crowds, looking out onto the sea (and occasionally- into a book).

5. Plan your day. While it is tempting to take a break from planning on a cruise, I do enjoy looking at the daily schedule of activities every evening and try to plan our “all-together”, “us”, and “me” time. A quiet time on the open deck with your book (while not on the beach) is always an option, but Broadway style shows, dance classes, disco theme nights, game shows, standup comedy and yoga classes – are well worth at least a peek.

6. Eat in Style. I suggest that if you are a picky “atmosphere” drawn eater like myself, you should plan to take most of your meals in the main dining rooms and avoid the buffets. Kids may find the buffet lines quicker and child-friendlier (so take them there before your nice meal), but eating in the main dining room offers just so much more- for breakfast, lunch or dinner (think 5-course meals of snails, lobster tails and soufflés, all covered in your cruise fare).

7. Do Account for hidden expenses. There are tips, of course, (about $10 per person per day charged to your account at the end of the cruise); you may also need cash for taxis to the beach or excursions. There may also be a beach access fee. While it is possible to find and enjoy a free public beach at almost all Caribbean destinations, we splurged a little for $25 per person day passes at one of the hotels on the islands. Also note that while food is free in main dining rooms and buffets, there could be some specialty restaurants or espresso shops for a small fee, and alcohol is also extra. (Carnival does allow you to bring a couple of bottles of wine on board (they charge a nominal corkage fee to serve it to you in the dining room). We also brought water bottles to take to the beach.

8. Take your friends. The cruise is a great vacation to take your easy going friends with- those that you would enjoy having long dinners with every day and yet feel easy enough to part with to do your own thing or excursion during the day.
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Old Apr 7th, 2014, 12:30 PM
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Thank you so much for sharing this. We went with Carnival for our first cruise last year from Barbados and sail with them again sailing from Miami.
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Old Apr 7th, 2014, 01:14 PM
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Very good advice. You plan very well.

We will be on the Legend later this month.

Larry.
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Old Apr 7th, 2014, 01:33 PM
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I loved your trip report. I commented on your page. I am thinking about going on the same cruise with my grandchildren. I am in no shape to drive that far without a hotel break, maybe ten years ago. Thanks again for sharing.
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Old Apr 7th, 2014, 02:53 PM
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Thank you all and happy cruising!
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Old Apr 8th, 2014, 12:44 AM
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Very informative and good advise, and I didn't know they kids program runs till 3 am in the morning! We don't have kids at that age any more but will remember if and when we have grand kids travelling with us.
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Old Apr 8th, 2014, 10:25 AM
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On our cruise, there was a nominal charge after 10pm and until 3 am, like $6-7 per hour, but yes! It was available right there in the kid club so u didnt have to do anything extra to sign them up- just dont show up at 10 and they are enrolled; and you could sigh out at any time until 3 and only charged for the portion u attended
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Old Apr 8th, 2014, 09:37 PM
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Good to know! Just don't show up ... LOL. If it is anywhere else (i.e. not on a cruise ship), someone will be calling the police looking and they will charge you with child abandonment istead of few $ per hour
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Old Apr 9th, 2014, 10:36 AM
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On NCL Epic, you do have to sign the kids up for late night care if you are not picking them up when the daily activities end at 10:30. If you did not show up, the staff did call looking for you. So, different rules for different ships.
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Old Apr 23rd, 2014, 03:34 PM
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I enjoyed your trip report. We've also been on Carnival cruises and you did a great job explaining the pros and cons of the line. Their ships are more affordable then other lines and have a lot of first time cruisers on it. If you want to have a fun time, there are so many different types of activities to do that people should be able to find something that will interest them.

You have to have reasonable expectations when going on one of their ships. If you plan well, know what to expect and actively participate in things that you like or relax if that's what you want, you can have a fun vacation just like you did.
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