All vessels operate on a "cashless system," with any onboard purchases you make posting automatically to your onboard account. You'll receive a Sail & Sign card that you can use to make charges. In addition, vessels offer extra-charge laundry and, on select ships, dry cleaning services. A slightly more expensive "value" plan, at $19.55 per day when bought in advance, adds access to email and most websites. 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.
Entertainment and activities
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Most ships have a shore excursion team through which you can get detailed information about the available tours and purchase excursions. Chef and sommelier Troy Knapp makes Michelin-level menus on his luxury sailboat Cru Classé. Knapp also mans other Wharf vessels for parties of six or more, partnering with Nautiste to offer dining excursions with his catering company Curated.
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Throwback Sea Day
A Carnival cruise offers travelers a unique opportunity to explore different destinations and experience a variety of activities both on board and on land. One of the highlights of any Carnival cruise is the chance to participate in exciting shore excursions. These guided tours and activities allow passengers to immerse themselves in the local culture, explore historic sites, embark on thrilling adventures, and create unforgettable memories. To enhance each port visit (as well as to increase their profits), cruise lines offer organized shore excursions on all ships for additional fees. These land-based trips run the gamut from sightseeing city tours to cultural events and active pursuits.
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While the free programming ends at 10 p.m., you can pay extra to leave your kids at Camp Ocean until 1 a.m. During those hours, Camp Ocean transforms into a supervised slumber party-type environment with games, movies, crafts and snacks, along with late-night parties called Night Owls. So perhaps it makes sense that it has one of the most extensive children's programs at sea. The line has formal children's programming and activities for children as young as 2 years old through the age of 17.
Night Exotic Western Caribbean Cruise
You'll find at least one of its ships sailing out of pretty much every major port city around the country. The arrival of Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration over the past two years has marked a major turning point for the line. At around 180,000 tons, they rank at No. 15 and No. 13, respectively, among the world's largest cruise ships — the only Carnival ships to crack the Top 20. One more ship in the series — Carnival Jubilee — will arrive in December 2023.
Carnival is also one of the most family-oriented lines in the industry, and you're bound to see lots of kids onboard, even during the school year. When school is out, you can expect the number of kids to be well into the hundreds. As you browse through the excursions, you can add them to your “Favorites” list to keep track of the ones that catch your attention. Your private stateroom is more than just a place to rest and recharge — see the comfy options available.
However, for many years it chose not to follow rivals such as Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises in building ever-bigger ships. Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration are now the only Carnival ship on the list of the 50 biggest cruise ships. Carnival is one of the world's biggest cruise lines by passenger capacity, with 25 ships that together offer nearly 80,000 berths. Carnival cruises are casual, with shorts, tee shirts, capris, swimsuits or swim cover-ups de rigueur during the day (no bathing suites in the dining venues, however).
You can refine your search by destination, activity level, duration, and more, to find the perfect excursion that suits your interests and needs. The best price guarantee is applicable to shore excursion matches on the same date as the tour purchased from Carnival. Some shore tours -- such as daylong trips from Tunis to the marketplace, museum and ancient Carthage -- pack many activities into one trip. Others focus on one destination or activity, like a trip to the Mayan ruins from Cozumel. It's up to you whether you'd prefer to see many things for short amounts of time or focus on one place in depth.
You can skip the caravan of four large tour buses and trade up for a more exclusive experience. It depends on the tipping habits of the country you are in, but in most cases, tipping the bus driver, tour guides, and/or local experts or wait staff on your shore excursions is acceptable and appreciated. There is no need to tip any cruise ship staff who are along for the excursion (which sometimes happens on river cruises). Some cruise lines and even some travel agents offer shore excursion credit as a booking perk. It is essentially a credit of a preset amount (often $50) applied to each day in port for which you book a shore excursion. If your excursion costs more than the credit amount, it becomes a discount.
Additionally, only guests included in this cruise booking are eligible to participate in the group shore excursion together. 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. 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). 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. 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. Now that you have completed the payment process for your excursions, you are one step closer to enjoying your thrilling activities during the cruise.
It's best to book in advance for must-do tours and limited-availability excursions (like almost every excursion on an Alaskan cruise or flightseeing while docked on a cruise to Hawaii). Not all shore excursions involve busloads of tourists dutifully following flag- or umbrella-waving guides. You will find these types of sightseeing tours, as well as athletic endeavors overseen by dive masters or hike leaders. However, some tours simply bring you to a destination where you're free to explore until it's time to meet the bus to go home. Others feature guided components, followed by an hour or two of free time.
Some cruise lines charge penalty fees for canceling shore excursions onboard or within 24 to 48 hours of the port call, so you might want to wait to see how the weather is before booking. You may also get some good word-of-mouth tips on board the ship that change your mind about what tour you'd like to do. Don't forget to come up with a Plan B, in case your desired tour gets canceled or is sold out. While luxury lines, river cruises, small coastal ships, expedition ships and even some premium cruise lines include some shore excursions in their fares.
Unlike some lines, Carnival has resisted the trend of big-ship operators carving out whole sections of deck-top areas for the exclusive use of passengers staying in suites or willing to pay hefty access fees. In short, there's a ton to do up top on Carnival vessels — and it's almost all available to every passenger on board the vessels at no extra charge (the roller coaster is the only exception). Other popular venues found on some Carnival ships include RedFrog Pub, which serves up Carnival's tasty housemade beers on tap, as well as plenty of other choices.
For shore excursions that are not included in your cruise fare, budget a minimum of $50 per adult per excursion. There is no real upper limit as exclusive tours could cost thousands of dollars. The fun continues when you reach your port — there’s a huge variety of shore excursions to choose from. When we say that the beaches in Turks and Caicos are all stunning, we mean it. A Bajari Beach excursion really takes the cake, though, offering an option for private cabanas or lounge chairs, plus most cruise lines’ excursions include at least some food and beverages.
There are instances when you might be limited to excursions provided by the ship. These usually are cases where local restrictions simply do not allow cruise passengers to freely wander the streets. Your cruise line will advise you in advance if this might be the case in any of your scheduled ports of call. By keeping these tips in mind, you can maximize your excursion experience, make the most of your time on shore, and create lasting memories on your Carnival cruise. Humpback whales pass through the Turks and Caicos Islands from January to March each year. 1 To qualify for a group shore excursion, all guests must participate in the same excursion, must depart and return at the same time, and all must be booked under the same Group Booking Number.
Now that you’re signed in, it’s time to start exploring and booking your desired excursion. In the next step, we’ll guide you through the process of navigating to the Excursions section on the Carnival website. Not only do excursions allow you to explore the ports of call, but they also offer the peace of mind that comes with booking through the cruise line. Carnival carefully selects and partners with reputable tour providers, ensuring safety, reliability, and an exceptional experience. If you're a first-time cruiser, it can be helpful to have a few hacks to make your shore excursion experience amazing.
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