A couple of years ago, my brother (and best friend) got married. Instead of throwing a lavish ceremony, he and his wife decided to get married on a Carnival cruise, which departed from Miami and headed to Key West.
I was really excited to check out Key West, and even more excited to see my brother get married, so I knew I couldn’t miss it… and I flew 42 hours from Australia to make it there in time!
Thinking of taking a (Carnival) cruise? Here are some things to remember:
- Rest Up Before Your Cruise: We ended up getting hotel rooms in Miami, but I think it would have been far more affordable to throw in on a Miami beach vacation rental. Cruises sound relaxing, but there’s actually a lot going on, 24/7. Be sure to get a good night’s sleep before your cruise.
- Don’t Cruise if You’re Claustrophobic: Or at least get a room with a window. The rooms without windows are much more affordable, but they’re also pretty small. It’s fun being on a boat for a while, but by the 3rd day you might be thinking ‘Oh God, what have I gotten myself into?’ There’s just nowhere to go. Also, if you’re jet lagged, you’ll have no sunlight telling you that it’s 3 am.
- Utilize the Excursions: A lot of the excursions are expensive, but they’re also really fun. We decided to go snorkeling while in Key West, and it was awesome! Lots of fun, and lots of memories. The other stops we had, we just got off the boat and walked around, which wasn’t nearly as memorable.
- Order Room Service: Take advantage of all that’s on offer on the boat. I was so jetlagged I was ordering peanut butter & jelly sandwiches with potato chips at 4 in the morning. And I loved it! Just remember to tip!
- Booze Is Not Included: On most cruises, booze is not included, although you can purchase it for an additional amount. Some boats will keep a tab for you, and it may feel like it’s free, until check-out, when you realize you owe the bar $429 in pina coladas and mimosas. Just sayin’.
- Prepare Yourself For A Surprise, Just in Case: You may have had an awesome time on the boat, but when you check-out… BAM! Surprise fees. Brace yourself for these, and be prepared to negotiate in case they come your way. When we tried to check out, my brothers were detained for 20 minutes because the boat staff said they were smoking pot on the ship (totally not true AT ALL). We don’t even know where they got that, but they were trying to charge us all kinds of crazy fees until they realized we wouldn’t drop it.
Cruises can be really awesome, depending on the people that you’re with. Be sure to go with a fun group of people.. you’ll be on a boat together for a while!
