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Some cruise lines charge penalty fees for canceling shore excursions onboard or within 24 to 48 hours of the port call, so you might want to wait to see how the weather is before booking. You may also get some good word-of-mouth tips on board the ship that change your mind about what tour you'd like to do. Don't forget to come up with a Plan B, in case your desired tour gets canceled or is sold out. While luxury lines, river cruises, small coastal ships, expedition ships and even some premium cruise lines include some shore excursions in their fares.
Related Cruises
You'll find at least one of its ships sailing out of pretty much every major port city around the country. The arrival of Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration over the past two years has marked a major turning point for the line. At around 180,000 tons, they rank at No. 15 and No. 13, respectively, among the world's largest cruise ships — the only Carnival ships to crack the Top 20. One more ship in the series — Carnival Jubilee — will arrive in December 2023.
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Rent a Poolside Cabana Catered by Margaritaville in Turks and Caicos
However, for many years it chose not to follow rivals such as Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises in building ever-bigger ships. Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration are now the only Carnival ship on the list of the 50 biggest cruise ships. Carnival is one of the world's biggest cruise lines by passenger capacity, with 25 ships that together offer nearly 80,000 berths. Carnival cruises are casual, with shorts, tee shirts, capris, swimsuits or swim cover-ups de rigueur during the day (no bathing suites in the dining venues, however).
Tours by Destination
There are instances when you might be limited to excursions provided by the ship. These usually are cases where local restrictions simply do not allow cruise passengers to freely wander the streets. Your cruise line will advise you in advance if this might be the case in any of your scheduled ports of call. By keeping these tips in mind, you can maximize your excursion experience, make the most of your time on shore, and create lasting memories on your Carnival cruise. Humpback whales pass through the Turks and Caicos Islands from January to March each year. 1 To qualify for a group shore excursion, all guests must participate in the same excursion, must depart and return at the same time, and all must be booked under the same Group Booking Number.
Why book your excursions with us?
As you might expect, pricing for ships will generally be lower during offseason periods such as September, October and parts of November. Platinums also get complimentary wash-and-fold laundry service (with a limit of two to five bags, depending on the length of the cruise). In fact, the lower tiers of the Carnival program are among the most stingy in the entire cruise universe. You'll receive things like a single complimentary bottle of water (at the Red tier) and a single free drink that only can be ordered on the last night of a cruise (at the Gold tier).
For shore excursions that are not included in your cruise fare, budget a minimum of $50 per adult per excursion. There is no real upper limit as exclusive tours could cost thousands of dollars. The fun continues when you reach your port — there’s a huge variety of shore excursions to choose from. When we say that the beaches in Turks and Caicos are all stunning, we mean it. A Bajari Beach excursion really takes the cake, though, offering an option for private cabanas or lounge chairs, plus most cruise lines’ excursions include at least some food and beverages.
Ships
The beach is known as a party spot, complete with a DJ, so if that’s your jam, this might be the Turks and Caicos excursion for you. Whether you use a travel agent or not, make sure to maximize your credit card points when paying for the cruise by using a credit card that offers extra points for travel purchases. This could be the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which offers 3 Ultimate Rewards points on travel and dining (excluding the annual $300 travel credit). There's also the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, which brings 2 Ultimate Rewards points on travel and 3 Ultimate Rewards points on dining. This is a notable change for the brand from just a couple of decades ago. There was a time when Carnival operated some of the biggest cruise ships in the world.
A Carnival cruise offers travelers a unique opportunity to explore different destinations and experience a variety of activities both on board and on land. One of the highlights of any Carnival cruise is the chance to participate in exciting shore excursions. These guided tours and activities allow passengers to immerse themselves in the local culture, explore historic sites, embark on thrilling adventures, and create unforgettable memories. To enhance each port visit (as well as to increase their profits), cruise lines offer organized shore excursions on all ships for additional fees. These land-based trips run the gamut from sightseeing city tours to cultural events and active pursuits.
It's best to book in advance for must-do tours and limited-availability excursions (like almost every excursion on an Alaskan cruise or flightseeing while docked on a cruise to Hawaii). Not all shore excursions involve busloads of tourists dutifully following flag- or umbrella-waving guides. You will find these types of sightseeing tours, as well as athletic endeavors overseen by dive masters or hike leaders. However, some tours simply bring you to a destination where you're free to explore until it's time to meet the bus to go home. Others feature guided components, followed by an hour or two of free time.
Most ships have a shore excursion team through which you can get detailed information about the available tours and purchase excursions. Chef and sommelier Troy Knapp makes Michelin-level menus on his luxury sailboat Cru Classé. Knapp also mans other Wharf vessels for parties of six or more, partnering with Nautiste to offer dining excursions with his catering company Curated.
All vessels operate on a "cashless system," with any onboard purchases you make posting automatically to your onboard account. You'll receive a Sail & Sign card that you can use to make charges. In addition, vessels offer extra-charge laundry and, on select ships, dry cleaning services. A slightly more expensive "value" plan, at $19.55 per day when bought in advance, adds access to email and most websites. Carnival also offers dedicated tween and teen programs on ships for children aged 12 to 17. The younger children in this age range (12-14) are grouped into what's known as Circle C and have their own dedicated lounge on ships.
Carnival is the undisputed leader among North America-based cruise brands when it comes to affordability, which makes it popular with vacationers on a budget. For the most part, Carnival ships sail relatively short voyages of three to eight nights. Indeed, if you're going on a Carnival cruise, the odds are you're driving to the ship, not flying, and you're probably not paying much more than you would for a trip to a local beach town. For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. On "elegant" nights, you'll see a range of clothing from ball gowns, dresses that leave little to the imagination, tuxes and suits to the same shorts and tees people sport all day long.
You can skip the caravan of four large tour buses and trade up for a more exclusive experience. It depends on the tipping habits of the country you are in, but in most cases, tipping the bus driver, tour guides, and/or local experts or wait staff on your shore excursions is acceptable and appreciated. There is no need to tip any cruise ship staff who are along for the excursion (which sometimes happens on river cruises). Some cruise lines and even some travel agents offer shore excursion credit as a booking perk. It is essentially a credit of a preset amount (often $50) applied to each day in port for which you book a shore excursion. If your excursion costs more than the credit amount, it becomes a discount.
Additionally, only guests included in this cruise booking are eligible to participate in the group shore excursion together. Carnival has been rolling out faster Wi-Fi systems across its fleet in the last couple of years, such that you can now stream video on some ships. Pricing changes over time, but the fastest "premium" service on Carnival vessels was recently priced at $21.25 per day when bought in advance ($25 per day when bought onboard). Aside from the main pool, which is the hub of much of the line's fun activities, almost every Carnival cruise ship also has at least one waterslide, with several having multi-slide water parks. Additionally, several have a top-deck SportSquare that features a colorful collection of outdoor amusements, including Ping-Pong, billiards, foosball, mini-golf, Twister and a SkyCourse ropes course. Now that you have completed the payment process for your excursions, you are one step closer to enjoying your thrilling activities during the cruise.
Now that you’re signed in, it’s time to start exploring and booking your desired excursion. In the next step, we’ll guide you through the process of navigating to the Excursions section on the Carnival website. Not only do excursions allow you to explore the ports of call, but they also offer the peace of mind that comes with booking through the cruise line. Carnival carefully selects and partners with reputable tour providers, ensuring safety, reliability, and an exceptional experience. If you're a first-time cruiser, it can be helpful to have a few hacks to make your shore excursion experience amazing.
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