By: Jenna Barnes
Piña coladas, sunburns, and beaches are in my future! And I want to take you along! I will be going on a 7-day Carnival Vista Cruise to Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel, leaving from Galveston, TX! I will leave this Saturday, the 28th, and come back Saturday the 4th, making sure to keep you posted throughout the entire cruise to see what to expect on your next cruising adventure!
I remember my very first cruise when I was so seasick and went to the kid’s club every day, all the way up until now when I am able to do so much more! I am so excited to share all the fun things Carnival Cruise has in store! I’m just hoping for relaxation, and as many piña coladas as possible this trip!
Packing and checklists are going to be the main focus these few days leading up to the departure day. I have done the shopping for the bathing suits, dinner dresses, and tropical wear, now I must figure out how to pack it all into one suitcase!
Every day of the cruise I’m going to share what I did and how fun it really was as well as recommendations and hacks to make the most out of every day! I will be going to everything from the shows, the pools, the dining options, the game rooms, and more so you can see everything this cruise line has to offer. I will be going with my family too so I will get their input on how they like this cruise from my little cousin who is 16 to my grandmother who is 76!
So far what I have done pre-cruise is make sure I have all the paperwork I need to bring on the cruise as well as see what extras I can bring on the boat with me. Every cruise line is different so make sure you read the fine print, but I will be going on Carnival so this is what I will be able to bring! Carnival requires you to bring either a passport or state issued- not hospital issued- birth certificate to get on the boat. You will need the original copy, or if you have a secondary copy of your birth certificate you will need your original state issued identification, such as your driver’s license to go with it. I misplace everything I touch including my birth certificate, so I will be bringing a copy of my birth certificate (thank goodness I took a picture of it) and my license. Hopefully it will turn up when I get back :) This is for US citizens, just to specify!
As for what food and drinks you can bring, Carnival allows you to bring factory sealed cans, cartons, and food bags. No bottles, and no beer! The only bottle you are allowed to bring is a bottle of wine- factory sealed- or a bottle of champagne. Only one per person above the age of 21! Carnival offers an “unlimited’ drink package (it is actually “only” 15 drinks a day and you can only get one drink every 5 minutes) for alcoholic drinks. They also do a drink package called Bubbles to get unlimited non-alcoholic drinks. You know I will on the lido deck with at least 5 piña coladas every day!
Carnival has a dress code for their dinners, so I had to buy a few dresses- seeing that I have only had 1 dress that I wear to every fancy event I ever went to. With their dining service, they request no flip-flops, shorts, sportswear, cut-off jeans, or baseball caps. They also have a formal night to dress your best and take pictures with your family and friends you came on the cruise with, this is where you will not be able to wear jeans at all.
When you get on the boat, they will take your luggage to check it and bring it to your room, so they suggest bringing a carry-on with a bathing suit, maybe a change of clothes, medications, or anything else you will need right away as it takes a few hours to get your luggage at times. I am putting chargers, a change of clothes, a bathing suit, and my important papers in my carry-on to make sure I have what I need with me.
I am so excited to get on this cruise and I hope to be as helpful as possible to make your next cruise as fun as possible! Email me at jenna@icantwaittotravel.com with any questions, requests you may have for me to go over while I am on the boat, or to book your next cruise.