Sunday, March 31, 2024

Carnival cruise packing list The Points Guy

what to bring on a carnival cruise

Unlike other big cruise brands such as Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises, Carnival doesn't spread its vessels around the world to draw a fly-in crowd. Aimed squarely at Americans, its trips are all about cruising close to home at a reasonable price. My Carnival packing list will show you exactly what to take on a Carnival Cruise. From clothes to footwear to electronics and all those other useful little things, once you’ve read through this list you’ll know what to bring on a Carnival Cruise.

Does Carnival Cruise Check Your Bags? (Don’t Lock it)

This ensures a smoother boarding process and shows courtesy to the staff. All luggage undergoes a security screening process, much like at an airport. This ensures the safety of every passenger and crew member by checking for any prohibited items. There are no restrictions on the amount of liquids that can be brought on a cruise ship.

Cruise Cabin Door Decorations

Most Carnival cruise cabins won’t have many electric outlets or USB’s. If this is your first cruise, make sure to be prepared for motion sickness just in case. These are some of the best things to bring on your cruise to prevent and deal with seasickness.

Carnival Luggage Tag Holders

You'll want to pack items specific to the activities you aim to do in port. Leave room on your cruise packing list for items that will change based on your destination and planned tours. You'll want to pack your tablet, portable video game system and e-reader for both your pre-cruise travel and the sailing itself. Or, skip the tech and bring a few books, as many cruise ships no longer offer onboard libraries.

With that in mind, we've put together a basic (but comprehensive) cruise packing list, including the clothes you'll need as well as the odds and ends you'll want with you as well. On the first day of your cruise, it may take a few hours for your luggage to be delivered to your stateroom, but you don’t have to wait to have fun. Stuff a carry-on backpack with essentials like your cell phone, wallet, bathing suit and sunglasses, and start swimming, sunning or exploring your ship immediately. When it’s time for shore excursions, pack this handy tote with everything you’ll need for the day and save space for a few souvenirs you’ll pick up along the way. 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.

what to bring on a carnival cruise

It's not uncommon to find Carnival voyages to the Caribbean, Bahamas or Mexico starting well under $100 per person, per night including all taxes and fees — at least in the offseason. As is typical with cruise line loyalty programs, lower tiers don't bring all that much in terms of truly valuable benefits. During the evenings, there is an official dress code, but it's pretty laid-back. Most nights are designated "cruise casual," which means just that — khakis or jeans, polo shirts, sundresses, etc.

Designed to be quick and digestible, they typically last around 30 minutes and have relatively small casts (just eight on some ships). For the most part, Carnival ships don't have quite as many features on board as Royal Caribbean or Norwegian vessels, in part because they're not as big. They're still packed with a variety of attractions, including multiple entertainment venues, casinos, spas and lots of deck-top fun zones such as water parks and ropes courses.

Cruise packing list: The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise

For hot weather cruises, packing 2-3 bathing suits for a 7 day cruise is ideal. Cell phones are not a necessity, but these days all cruise lines use an app onboard as well as pre-cruise. It’s handy to have a smart phone, even if you don’t buy a cruise ship internet package.

When it comes to raucous, though, nothing on Carnival ships quite compares to the frequent karaoke nights on board. Sometimes held in a secondary lounge or a shipboard pub, karaoke on Carnival draws a big crowd. Passengers come prepared with rehearsed songs and sometimes even their own guitars.

On nearly every mainstream cruise line, you can forgo a suit or tuxedo. If you'd like to spiff things up, consider a sport coat, but it's generally not required. From breakfast through the afternoon, you don't need to stress about your outfits. If you're cruising in tropical regions, pack one pair of shorts for every two days of your cruise (in cold regions, switch shorts for pants or jeans). If you like to vary your look, pack different color shorts or breezy skirts.

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However, the line's next-biggest vessel, the 4,090-passenger Carnival Venezia, measures just 135,225 tons. That's about 40% smaller than the biggest ships operated by Royal Caribbean. However, with two exceptions, they're not giants by today's standards. Carnival ships are all about fun in a very laid-back, unpretentious, nothing-too-fancy sort of way. Indeed, if you're going on a Carnival cruise, the odds are you're driving to the ship, not flying, and you're probably not paying much more than you would for a trip to a local beach town.

While Carnival Cruise Line generally doesn’t weigh luggage during boarding, it’s recommended to adhere to the 50-pound limit out of consideration for the porters handling the bags. Departure As your cruise concludes, you have the convenience of placing your luggage outside your stateroom the evening before disembarkation. Carnival will then collect it, and you can retrieve it from the terminal the following morning.

We’ve included some tips on what to wear on a Carnival Cruise for every occasion on board and other cruise essentials to add to your Carnival packing list to make your journey smooth and enjoyable. If you’re heading off on a Carnival Cruise what to pack might be one of the main things on your mind pre-cruise. To help, we’ve put together a complete guide on what to pack for a Carnival Cruise. If you’ve never cruised with Carnival before then our Carnival Cruise packing list will help you get packed and prepared for your upcoming cruise. This foldable mesh laundry hamper was one of my most useful items for organizing inside and our balcony cruise cabin. Carnival allows you to bring one bottle of wine or champagne per person on embarkation day in your carry on bag.

Cruise packing list: 103 must-have items

what to bring on a carnival cruise

If you take prescription medicine, bring enough for the trip and a few extra days' worth, just in case. If you want to stay fit on your cruise and plan to hit the onboard gym or go biking in port, pack activewear. I once forgot to pack socks on a short warm-weather cruise and was disappointed when I wasn't allowed on the ship's bungee trampoline. They are always popular on Carnival ships, and you'll see tons of groups in color-coordinated outfits. If you're sailing on Carnival Venezia, you can attend one of Carnival's newest theme parties, the Festa Italiana. It showcases the vessel's Italian roots — the ship was formerly Costa Venezia for the line's Italian sister brand, Costa Cruises.

Carnival Cruise Packing List – Printable Checklist Included!

It helps reduce plastic waste, and you don't bust your budget buying bottled water. It's always smart to pack a first aid kit for your cruise; make sure it contains seasickness remedies if you're sensitive to the motion of the ocean. Over-the-counter medications are pricey on board, so bring the brands you most commonly use.

Carnival Carry-on Bag Rules

With a fleet of 23 ships, Carnival Cruise Line sails from more ports in the United States than any other cruise company (via Cruise Fever). Known for the fun atmosphere on their cruises, Carnival ships have become among the most popular cruising vessels in America. Most ships in the fleet offer itineraries that travel throughout the Caribbean and Bahamas, but there are also West Coast-based ships and those based in Australia. For water sports like kayaking, consider a dry bag to stow your camera gear, smartphone and wallet and prevent them from getting wet.

Ultimate Cruise Packing Tips for First-Timers

The must-have basic is a comfortable pair of travel shoes for the flight, ship and walking in port. Popular themes include white night, pirate night and Halloween — and, yes, cruisers do go all-out with costumes. Check with your cruise line to see which parties or theme nights will take place, and then pack accordingly. On every cruise line, daytime clothing is casual, and on a big-ship cruise, nearly anything goes.

Super casual items such as cutoff jeans, men's sleeveless shirts, T-shirts and gym shorts aren't permitted. During the day, there is no specific dress code, and people dress casually. The drinking age on sailings on Carnival ships in Australia is 18. The exceptions are any Carnival ship based in Australia, where pricing is listed in Australian dollars. Note that three of the line's newest ships — Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Venezia — do not have launderettes.

How Strict Is Carnival With Luggage Weight Limit?

On most ships, smoking (including electronic cigarettes) is only allowed in designated outdoor areas and in casinos and nightclubs. On Carnival ships in Australia, smoking is only allowed in designated outdoor areas. Nonalcoholic drinks in glass or plastic bottles are not allowed. Note that you'll be charged a $15 corkage fee if you want to bring the wine or Champagne to an onboard restaurant or bar to drink. Drinks brought on board must be carried in your carry-on luggage. Carnival has been rolling out faster Wi-Fi systems across its fleet in the last couple of years, such that you can now stream video on some ships.

A day bag or backpack

Who knew something as simple as a resealable plastic bag could be a cruiser’s best friend? These handy items take up little space in your suitcase, and they keep your smartphone, wallet and other items safe and dry on water-related shore excursions. When you’re ready to pack for your trip home, use them to store wet toothbrushes or bathing suits. We recommend a suitcase of around 24″ to 25″ for a single person or a couple traveling together and a suitcase of around 28″ to 30″ for a family sharing a suitcase. We have done cruises with only two carry on bags for our family of four in the past.

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Beach Bag

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On the West Coast, sailings to Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska are the norm. For the most part, Carnival ships sail relatively short voyages of three to eight nights. The overarching idea for Carnival's ship deployments is that a large percentage of the U.S. population can reach one of the line's ships by car, saving the cost of flights. Carnival has just begun operating its first truly giant ships in years, the 181,808-ton, 5,282-passenger Mardi Gras and the 183,521-ton, 5,374-passenger Carnival Celebration.

There are three Wi-Fi plans available, starting at $10.20 per day. It may be worth purchasing a plan ahead of your trip to guarantee a cheaper price. On the other hand, the travel blog advises waiting until you're on board to book a spa treatment, as specials usually become available after the cruise begins. You can further save money by bringing your own beach towels, as Carnival will charge for towels that you don't return after use. Ensure that you have the correct travel documents prior to boarding. If you are a U.S. citizen traveling within the United States, you don't need a passport; birth certificates and driver's licenses count as acceptable identification (via Cruise Hive).

These tags are crucial as they indicate your ship and cabin number, guiding your bags to the correct stateroom. Checking in your luggage on a Carnival cruise is a fairly simple and straightforward process. Always refer to Carnival’s luggage guidelines before packing to guarantee a seamless check-in experience.

what to bring on a carnival cruise

Pricing changes over time, but the fastest "premium" service on Carnival vessels was recently priced at $21.25 per day when bought in advance ($25 per day when bought onboard). Carnival also offers dedicated tween and teen programs on ships for children aged 12 to 17. The younger children in this age range (12-14) are grouped into what's known as Circle C and have their own dedicated lounge on ships. It's a place to get together to talk, watch movies, play video games and take part in other activities. Each group has its own age-appropriate activities ranging from face painting to pirate adventures.

However, other prohibited items include boom boxes and wheeled footwear. Non-alcoholic beverages, including water, cannot be brought in containers other than a can or carton. Of course, it's definitely worth purchasing water once you board, as keeping hydrated can relieve cruise-induced motion sickness. There can be no hard liquor or beer, but you can bring one 750-milliliter bottle of wine or champagne per adult. Now that you know what to put on your cruise packing list, you'll also want to know what to leave out.

Some items you might be tempted to pack are outright banned by the cruise lines. Other types of footwear to add to your cruise packing list are sneakers for athletic activities, flip-flops for the pool and beach, and dress shoes for dinner. (Ladies, try to match your outfits, so you only need to bring one pair of heels.) You might also want casual or athletic sandals, hiking boots or water shoes for rocky beaches. I hope you’ve found my Carnival cruise packing tips useful and you now know what to pack on Carnival cruise ships.

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. Carnival is one of the world's biggest cruise lines by passenger capacity, with 25 ships that together offer nearly 80,000 berths. Use the same backpack or tote bag you used for embarkation as your shore excursion bag or bring a foldable beach tote like thisalong in your cruise luggage.

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