KDawg2009

This was my first cruising experience and overall, I think it went well. I really wasn't sure what to expect. For new cruisers, I have listed what I think would be beneficial to know before you cruise. 1) you will see a lot of reviews about all the extra things you need to bring. My friend looked at the recommendations and we brought a lot of things that we never even used. We stayed in the cheapest (smallest) cabin. We had plenty of floor space to move around. We read to bring extention cords because there would only be 1 outlet. We had 4 outlets and did not need the cords. We read to bring a shoe rack to put our shower supplies in. We never used it. They have a small rack in the shower. Plus, they have a soap and shampoo dispenser. All I needed to bring was conditoner (had I know). We were told there was limited closet space. We had 2 closets with 20 hangers. The most useful thing we brought bases off other reviews were dry erase boards. We hung one outside our door l. While it wasn't neccessary, it made finding out room a little faster. The socond board we left in the room to let room service know when we needed extra towels or ice. 2) Every day there are different activities and a drink of the day. A paper showing the following days activities will be placed in your room the evening prior. We never really saw the drink of the day posted anywhere. The drink of the day is $1 off its normal price. The drinks ate very strong and typically cost around $10. They offer beer as well which costs around $5. Every drink order automatically has a 15% gratuity figured into it. The activities are listed on the flyer, but little information is given about them. We would highlight the activities we were interested in to carry with us. Sometimes we would show for an event and nothing was going on. For the most part, the activities were great though. They do a lot of shows that incorporate the passengers. We watched several comedians, some game shows, and dance lessons. 3) There are several food options; including options for vegetarians, gluten-free, diabetic, and healthy heart. They offer a buffet, pizza, sandwiches, omlettes, Chinese, tacos/burritos as well as the main dining hall. If you eat in the main dining hall, you have an assigned time to be there. You are served a 3 course meal along with bread that is all included in the cost of your cruise. You get to choose from 10 appetizers, 10 entrees, and 10 desserts. The menu changes daily and the food is amazing. They offer several fish options, chicken, lobster, beef and always a vegetarian alternative. The staff is very friendly and always willing to answer questions. They remember your name (which I find fascinating being there are thousands of guests on the boat.). Our typical meal was around 45 minutes. 4) Faster to the Fun. We invested in the faster to the fun pass. It costs $50 per cabin. With the pass we were able to board between 11-12 instead of 1230-230 with everyone else. By doing this, we were able to avoid standing in lengthy lines. We were also among the first to debark upon our return. In addition, our cabin was cleaned and ready quicker than some of the other cabins and our luggage was delivered for us. One thing I did not like, was our luggage was delivered to outside our door instead of placed in our room. Nothing was missing or had been tampered with, but I didnt like that it was just lounging around in the halls for several hours. 5) Smooth sailing. Our trip was fortunate in that we had pretty smooth sailing until the last night. There was a storm and the water was very rocky. We were warned by other passengers shortly after boarding that we should avoid going to Medical for any reason and not to buy medication on board. Several different groups of people told us this is reason for the cruise to quarentine you to your room and not allow you to attend activities or even disembark at the port of calls. I noticed several people had motion sickness patches that they wore behind their ear. Next time I cruise, I intend to check into these. Like I said, I was fine the first several days, but when the water got rough I ended up with a very upset stomach. 6) Excursions. We didn't book any excursions through Carnival. I booked a minisub at he Cozumel Hotel and Resort and parasailing at Mr. Sanchos Beach online. The minisubs were not what I was expecting, but it was a fun experience. The tour guides were awesome and did everything they could to ensure we were safe and had fun. The machines are very slow but safe. We got to touch several underwater creatures and feed fish. We were under water approx 30 minutes. We were not alllowed to bring underwater cameras as they take pictures to sell. Parasailing was amazing. It was the most relaxing thing I have ever done. The crew at Mr. Sanchos was awesome too. The girl that worked on the boat was very kind to take pictures on our phones for us as we were in the air. While at Mr. Sanchos, we had a few drinks. I had read a review that said to try the Dirty Monkey, so I did and it was by far the best drink I had on the entire cruise. At Progreso, we took a tour of some ancient Mayan ruins - Uxmal. They were awesome. Our guide gave us some history of the area as well as current information as we travelled to the ruins. The bus ride was 1.5 hours one way. It was air conditioned and a pleasant experience though. I would recommended this tour to anyone interested in history even in the slightest. We ate at a restaurant at the ruins. It was some of the best food any of us had ever had. Beware of the salsa though, it has a kick to it for sure. I hope my review helps new cruisers. I had a lot of fun and would definately sail again in the future.