During my final spring break of undergrad, I had the opportunity to take a 5-day Carnival Cruise to the Bahamas with my best friends. This vacation was definitely one of my most memorable to date, but I definitely learned quite a bit being an adult cruise rookie. In this post, I will detail all of my experiences on my Carnival Cruise aboard the Carnival Fascination including all the tips and tricks I picked up along the way that made this the spring break of a lifetime.
SLEEP
To make the cruise more affordable, my group of friends decided to cram as many people as possible into a cabin to lower the cost. This thought process definitely worked out financially, but living in close quarters was an understatement. If you’re uncomfortable being within a foot of another person at all times, having little to no private time or space, tripping over bunk bed ladders and strewn luggage at every turn, then a packed interior stateroom may not be for you. Ultimately, M54, our sweet little cruise ship home served my group well. Having such a small room gave us every excuse to stay out in port and to explore the ship at all hours to avoid being cramped in our tight space. The spatial constraints definitely posed a challenge to getting ready for dinner and evening activities. You MUST bring a power strip on your cruise if you plan to use more than one outlet at a time. There was only 1 plug in the entire room for 5 girls to charge phones and power curling irons. Just be careful, however – you can and will likely blow a fuse powering multiple items with your supercharged hair dryer. Our stateroom had 4 official twin beds (including bunks) with the option of a roll away cot. Fortunately, another friend joined our vacation plans at the last minute and our 5th member was able to sleep in her room to eliminate another space obstacle.
While you’re simply curious about the sleeping situation, it important to note here the value of actually sleeping on your cruise. It is entirely too easy to forego sleep at every avenue because there are always events happening onboard the ship. Sleep is your friend. Get 4-5 hours every night in your stateroom (more challenging than it sounds!) and pick up another 2-3 on the chairs by the pool or on a towel by the ocean at port. Taking care of your body during your cruise seems intuitive, but you might opt for 3-4 hours per night and return home with bronchitis…I regret nothing.
EAT
Food was honestly one of the best aspects of our cruise. Dinner every night aboard our ship was a 3-course option with starters such as crab cakes, spring rolls, and sushi followed by entrees such as steak, pastas, salmon, and more. Each night, there was a set menu of “safe” items that anyone could order any night such as chicken or steak, and then a separate menu of rotating items that were a little more adventurous. Dessert rotated in a similar fashion – the “warm chocolate melting cake” was one of the best items I’ve ever consumed and would pay to have the real recipe. Do NOT skip dinner! You’ve paid for this feast in your overall cost and almost everything I ate was worth every penny. When you consider how much it would cost you to eat an appetizer, steak dinner, and dessert at home 5 nights in a row, you start to understand how good of a value this cruise actually is. My group opted for late dining at 8:15pm (you have a choice when you book) because we wanted to make the most of our time in ports and in daylight each day. This choice was definitely the best option for us to enjoy the day and still have enough time to get ready. The only downfall of late dining was the fact that our dinner, which often ended at 10:15pm, overlapped with some of the ship’s events and shows meaning we had to attend late or could not at all. Depending on which matters more to you, choose your dining time accordingly.
Breakfasts and lunches served buffet style were included in the total cost of the cruise and were honestly quite impressive. There was never shortage of food, although long lines were expected at almost any time of day that you might want to snag a hot dog or some chicken fingers. There was a 24-hour ice cream and pizza bar that definitely helped us out on a few late nights. Use every meal you can as an opportunity to rehydrate and drink WATER because the sun, the salt, and the abundant alcohol will definitely work against you. Remember, the moment you step off the ship in port, you are on your own dime to pay for anything you might need or want to eat or drink. Eat breakfast on the ship and pack snacks in your bag before getting off to curb your onshore spending.
DRINK
If you’re sailing with Carnival (or any other cruise line for that matter), you will likely have the opportunity to purchase a drink package for the duration of your cruise. There was an option on my ship to purchase unlimited soda for roughly $30/cruise, but you have the option of bringing on water bottles, a 12-pack of cans, and a bottle of wine or champagne. I don’t see the value in this package because you’re merely giving yourself reason to drink something other than the water your body so desperately needs. Now we come to the alcohol package. I’m still not convinced one way or another if it is worth it or a waste. Carnival’s deal is as follows: You spend between $60 per day (you must purchase the package for everyday) to have “unlimited” aka 15 drinks/day of your cruise with that limit resetting each day at 6am. Each drink must cost $50 or less. Everyone in your stateroom that is of legal drinking age must purchase the package if one person chooses to – to avoid sharing. Let me do some quick math:
If you drink 15 alcoholic beverages in a day, you probably aren’t doing much else on the cruise. Let’s say you have 7 over the course of one day. 1 drink onboard the ship costs roughly $10 – with tax and gratuity added in for you at 15%! At this rate, you’re saving roughly $10/day to purchase the drink package if this plan matches your drinking habits. Don’t forget, you’re also spending 2-3 days in port on shore where drinks are NOT covered by your Carnival package. If you choose to drink there, extra spending for you. With this logic, it is not economical to purchase the ship’s drink package just to save a few dollars. If you’re a seasoned or adventurous drinker that looks to the top shelf, the package would definitely stand to benefit your tastes. If I had to do it again, I would probably save in advance and purchase the drink package just for the sheer fact that it is stressful to actively manage your spending on vacation and to have to go through the pain of swiping your card each time you want one of the pretty beverages sailing past you. There’s always the option to sneak on beverages if you’re interested in drinking the same thing for the duration of the cruise. It can be done.
MEET
Cruise ships are truly amazing places to meet people. Don’t get too attached, though! These friendships (or relationships – yikes!) are not real. Your cruise ship home experience might as well be your 16-year old summer camp bubble condensed to one week. Your cruise ship population is likely the size of your high school if you’re from a reasonably sized city, and you will begin to recognize faces quickly. After boarding, I actually recognized several faces from home and college onboard my cruise. Time of year is key here. Spring break season undoubtedly brings in a unique crew compared to the late fall and summer cruisers. I’m still confused as to why large families with small children were present on a cruise line notorious for its debauchery and shambliness during the peak spring break season. Nonetheless, you are going to meet new friends!
Our group had the privilege of having our own table for dining each night, so we unfortunately didn’t have the chance to meet people in that avenue with the exception of our phenomenal waiter, Elmer. The most common places our group met new people were in the ship’s social spaces such as the club and casino, and in port on the beach. The ship’s main club, Diamond’s, was roughly the size of my apartment and played terrible top 100 music, but it was definitely a central meeting point for twentysomethings. It was one of the only places on the ship that actively ID’d individuals for entrance, so you could at best escape the kid frenzy there. This bar, coupled with the casino, were two awesome meeting points for new people and just for your cruise group to unwind after a long day by the pool. These spots never seemed to close the same time every night, but if you found yourself awake at 2am, the pizza buffet and back bar were also good meeting spots for late night adventures. Be nice to everyone you meet, because you will certainly see them again. If you’re also drink package-less, there’s a decent shot that one or two of your new friends will kindly get you a drink from theirs in these spaces 🙂 Don’t waste your time exchanging contact information, especially if the beautiful boy you met lives 600 miles away in Alabama (Hey Matt). Live in the moment and enjoy the time you have with a unique mix of people!
EXPLORE
Venturing off the ship might seem a little daunting at first when you’ve done little to no pre-planning and the Carnival-sponsored excursions are out of your price range. Both times our ship reached ports in Nassau and Freeport, my groups located the closest beach that offered some form of inclusive package. In Nassau, we first wandered up and down the shore line to explore the souvenir shops and to get a delicious footlong hotdog – I’ve become obsessed. I had been to Nassau before so I opted not to explore the city more in depth. Because the US Embassy in the Bahamas had issued a crime warning, so we stayed close to the tourist hotspots. Next, we visited Paradise Beach – only a short (and beautiful) ferry ride and walk through the majestic Atlantis hotel away! Paradise Beach was all we were promised it would be: white sand beaches, not too crowded, $20 all-you-can-drink out of a coconut if you’re brave, and absolutely beautiful, clear waters. It was truly the most impeccable beach day that cost under $30 including the snacks we purchased to curb the midday hunger. We wrapped up the day at the ever-cliché Senor Frogs just feet from our ship. The menu is entirely overpriced, but we enjoyed the rest of the afternoon dancing on the dock with the friends we had made thus far.
Our second and final port in Freeport included a spontaneous onshore excursion determined by local cab drivers. Although there are many beaches and sights in Freeport, guests are truly at the mercy of cab and bus drivers who corral visitors to specific spots depending on the day. We ended up taking a 30-minute cab ride to Taino Beach where we entered a “resort” that had private beaches, drinks, food, kayaking, music, among other fun endeavors. The beach was certainly a good time, but far too crowded for my tastes. I opted to read on my towel most of the day which didn’t totally mesh with the spring breaker vibe of the resort. It really depends on what you’re looking for on your days in port – I got the beach days my heart so long desired!
BUDGET
Here’s everything you’re really after. I’m detailing ALL of my spending on the cruise including what you must buy and what I did for fun. Let’s break down the numbers of all my cruise expenses:
Cruise booking: $410
Tipping for service/gratuity: $60
Casino spending: $10 (I doubled my money here)
Onboard beverages: $40 (Shoutout to my new cruise ship friends for helping me keep this low)
Nassau beach day: $25
Souvenirs/clothes: $40
Freeport beach day: $18
Cruise ship hospital visit: $10 (I had a terrible allergic reaction to sunscreen)
I had a few more personal expenses associated with getting to and from our port in Jacksonville, but my cruise grand total was $613. While that might seem somewhat high given a college budget and only a 5-day experience, just know that there are many other spring break options that quickly total more. In my opinion, relatively all-inclusive is the way to go. Additionally, booking cruises such as ours allowed us to plan ahead including a payment schedule. Everything with the exception of my onboard and onshore expenses were paid in full before even setting foot on the ship, thus making it a financially relaxing vacation that has been appropriately budgeted for.
VALUE
It might be cheesy, but my cruise was worth every penny. Sure, a few things didn’t go our way, the ship was extremely gaudy and outdated, and I lost my voice entirely on Day 3, still this was one of the best vacations of my life. Taking a trip such as this wild Carnival cruise with my best friends before we all graduate and move on in life was an excellent decision. I was never once bored, I was surrounded by fun and adventurous people at all times, and I ate so much delicious food that I likely never would have experienced in a more traditional spring break destination. I will definitely be booking more cruises in my adult life!
