Cruise Tips from Carnival.com
What kind of beverages are available on board?
Carnival�s shipboard bars boast an extensive beverage menu,
including many specialty and exotic drinks.
Beer - Priced between $2.95 and $5.95 per bottle, depending on
whether it is domestic, specialty or imported.
Wines and champagne - By the glass, range between $4.00 and $5.75.
Specialty cocktails, frozen drinks and breezers - Priced
between $3.25 and $4.50 each.
Also available are shooters, cordials and liqueurs, along with a
variety of scotches, gins, vodkas, rums, and just about anything
else you can imagine. We also offer a selection of bottled waters,
specialty coffees and non-alcoholic beverages.
Guests may also purchase a Fountain Fun Card which will allow them unlimited soft drinks for the duration of the cruise, at a one time purchase price (including gratuities). With the exception of room service, the Fountain Fun Card may be used wherever beverage service is available.
Guests are prohibited from bringing alcoholic beverages on board the ship in the port of embarkation (with the exception of wine and/or champagne). If the wine and/or champagne are brought to the Dining Room for consumption, a $10.00 corkage fee will be charged to the guest. Otherwise, the guest may drink the wine and/or champagne in the privacy of their cabin only. It may not be brought into any public lounge or room.
Alcohol purchased in a port-of-call: Alcoholic beverages purchased in any port-of-call will be appropriated at the gangway and stored onboard until the last night of the cruise, upon which it will be delivered to the guest�s cabin.
Alcohol purchased in ship gift shops: Alcoholic beverages of
any kind purchased in the ship's gift shop will also be stored
onboard and delivered to the guest's cabin on the last night of the
cruise.
(We took 3 bottles of wine & 1 bottle of champagne & a cork screw in a carry on bag.
I bought one bottle of Tequilla in Cozumel, carried it in a backpack.
Both bags were put thru an x-ray machine & nothing was said to me about it.
We carried our wine glasses from the dining room to our stateroom, filled our glasses there
and then would venture about the ship. I washed the glasses & put them in my suitcase every
night to keep the cabin steward from removing them. My friend & I had 2 glasses of wine each night
Which equaled 1 bottle per night.)
Cameras
You'll definitely want to take pictures so don't forget your camera.
Disposable cameras are also great and even waterproof disposable cameras
for snorkeling. There are lots of camera shops.
Reducing Costs: Buying a camera or disposable cameras are very
expensive and you will wish you had brought an extra with you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~COZUMEL~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dining Out
Restaurants range from vendors on the street to
extravagant restaurants with matching prices.
The restaurant hotels tend to serve more
continental menus whereas the restaurants downtown serve more Mexican
foods. Most restaurants have menus and price lists visible outside the
restaurant so that you can see the menu before you decide to step inside
the restaurant.
Reducing Costs: There's lots of great eateries and less formal
restaurants that has great food at great prices. That's where the locals
eat. Check out the restaurant section or ask a local where to get great
cheap food.
http://www.travelnotes.cc/cozumel/links/restaurants.html
Groceries
There's lot of small variety stores downtown
where you can buy groceries, canned goods and bakeries.
Reducing Costs: Stay away from hotel stores and try to guy groceries
away from the main downtown area.
San Francisco's, a huge grocery store in the residential district that
carries baked good, fresh meat, produce and household items.
Taxis
Within the downtown area are around $1 USD. From the ship it's about $6. You might consider sharing a taxi with travelers going the same direction & splitting the cost.
Health Risks
Many people travel to Cozumel without any problems. However, there is a
risk from contaminated drinking water, peeled fruits and vegetables. An
unpleasant result is the traveler's diarrhea. Often, an anti-diarrhea
agent will help stop the problem. It might be a good idea to take some
with you just in case. If it persists, consult a physician. (I was very careful what & where I ate & still had some stomache problems the first time I visited Mexico, until I ate some good old fashioned plain yogart. Something about replacing good bacteria in my system.)
Language
Spanish is the first language in Cozumel. Most restaurants are
bilingual and so are hotels.
However, English conversation is limited to
money and the service they offer. If you plan to do some day trips on
your own, it's a good idea to learn some essential phrases.
See Spanish Lessons for useful phrases.
Shopping
There are so many shops that carry the same
products and prices can differ dramatically depending on the location of
the store. Bargaining is allowed and accepted mainly where it's owner
operated. When bargaining, in Mexico, it is often practiced to start at
half the original price and then meet half way. Best bargains are made
with cash and if you are buying more than one item.
Reducing Costs: Bargain when you can and less
fancy stores tend to have better prices and prices tend to drop as you
move away from the downtown core. If you're looking for something in
particular, asking locals is always good and let them know you are
seeking cheap prices.
Sunscreen
Just like anywhere else that's tropical, the sun
is very hot in Cozumel and sunscreen is recommended, especially for
children. You can purchase sunscreen and sun tanning products in Cozumel
but it is very expensive. Be aware that national ecological parks do not
allow lotions in the water.
Reducing Costs: Take enough sunscreen so that you won't be running out. Remember that Cozumel has a tropical climate. You might think you not burning-but you probably are!!
Telephone Calls
There are telephone booths on the streets
downtown compatible with major credit cards and collect calls. If you
have calling cards, you might also have a difficult time using them in
Cozumel.
Reducing Costs: Long distance calls at the hotels are more expensive because they often charge a fee on top of the long distance charges. A cheap alternative is email or fax which is readily available.
Time Zone
Cozumel is in central time zone.
Regarding Passports.
We printed up the forms off the internet, Paid $5 each for copies of our birth certificates at the Vitals Records Office (by Presbyterian Hospital), Had our photos taken at Walgreens ($8 for 2 passport photos),went to the Center City Post Office (By Murrah Site), Paid $85 each & then waited. It took my friend's 3 weeks to arrive. I received a noticed that my photos had been damaged, so I had my photos redone & mailed them in a special cardboard envelope. I then received my passport 3 weeks later. So, please, start early getting everything you need & get it all processed very early.
You may be told you don't need a pssport, that all you need is your birth certificate, driver's lic., and marriage lic. We noticed how much time it took those people to get thru the airport, customs, and immigration. We went to the expense of the passports & had no problems at all when an ID check was required. (Passports are good for 10 years.)
Here's my notes from the Cruise Director's information meetings. He said he has been 'doing this cruise for 5 years.... stops in Cozumel 2 times a week, knows the area, the vendors, and the best merchandise.'
Keep in mind these shops are near the Cruise Piers, or in the Forum Shops Area.
Viva Mexico... best deals on Vanilla & Tequilla. Next door to Regal Silver.
Silver Imporium.. .925 silver jewlery
Diamonds International..best jewelry store (expensive jewelry, best quality)Except they do have some small Tanzanite earrings for $5.
Touch of Gold.. Mallorca Pearls $1 an inch, these are nice, & come in 20 inch strands, pink, white, or black.
GoodMark Jewlers.. pink Saphires
Rachette & Remarez (spelled?) .. Garnets half price
Emerald City.. $150 for case of Emeralds
Buy Buy (Bye Bye?) .. clothes
Island Outfitters...swim wear
Fiesta Mall.. gifts, Onyx, chess sets.
Del Sol... gift shop, tee shirts & frisbees change color in the sun. (don't expect to get out cheap here.)
Los Cinco Soles. (Our favorite gift shop) Large shop with everything for kids, family, friends, etc. Silver braclets for $1, A beach bag, mexican blanket, 2 tall shot glasses, & a bottle of Mexican Tequilla for $15 (package deal), Large souvenier mugs, vanilla, cigars, etc. In the back of the store you'll find
Poncho's Backyard. Moderately priced, excellent place to relax, & eat. (Good margaritas, too. I had a Mango 'Rita, it was sweet.)
Regarding Rental Car:
Rental cars have to be reserved in the drivers name, the credit card used to pay for the car must also be in the drivers name. It's suggested to reserve a car online in a name that is NOT the driver and check the box that says "Yes I want to receive special offers thru email."
When you receive the deal you think is unbeatable, "Go for it", reserve a car in the DRIVERS name, then cancel the first reservation. You can save 'big' for the same car.
Regarding Luggage & Tips...
As you know you can check 2 bags/suit cases & carry on one per passenger when flying. We Checked 4, and carried on one (a packback, which we also used in Mexico to put our purchses in, rather than carry around plastic bags.) We packed an empty carry on bag & used it in Galveston for carrying wine, which we purchased at the local Kroger's Grocery Store before boarding the cruise ship. If you do this don't forget to invest $3 in a cork screw. (You cannot travel with one on the plane.)
It was also suggested to us that we do not use luggage locks "unless you want your luggage searched." (So carry your valuables with you.)
Our luggage was handled 9 times from start to finish, we tipped over $50 total.
These people will expect a tip:
Curb-side luggage check/Sky Caps (These people were quick & effecient, placing ID tags on each peice & printing our paper tickets, then giving us directions to our gates.) We tipped the young men at the OKC airport a little extra, it was very early morning (still dark), and snowing, yet they smiled as they bounced to keep warm.
Shuttle driver to the Rental Car Office. I thought both of our drivers seemed to be in a huge hurry, so make sure you sit where you can hang on to something. *laughing*
Carnival Cruise had gentlemen curbside in bright floral shirts outside the terminal. They take your luggage to be checked in for you while you park the car. (Listen to their instructions carefully & look for 'small' signs along the way. *add'l note.... it may be 3 hours before your luggage is delivered. If you need anything before then you'd be smart to pack it in your carry on.) These same gentlemen will be there to help you load your car when you are leaving, they will expect a tip both times.
There were no sky caps inside to help with luggage at IAH (Houston Airport)when you arrive, there were skycaps in OKC, however, that helped us get all 6 bags to the Airport shuttle. (Airport Express)
We recommend Airport Express if you need a ride to & from Will Rogers Airport. Both times we've used them the drivers were 10 minutes early to pick us up, and waited patiently. They are polite, and courteous drivers. They will take your luggage from your door step & load it for you, reverse when they take you home. (Unload it & carry it to your door.) The price is reasonable. Tipping is based on number of bags, minimum $1 a bag.
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