My Personal Experience

I recently went on my first cruise through Carnival Cruise Line. It was a 5-day cruise from Florida to Grand Turk in Turks and Caicos and Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic. I went on the cruise with a friend, and we had a blast! There are so many activities to keep people entertained on cruise days.

Some of the things that kept us busy on the days at sea included:

• eating delicious, unlimited food at the walk-up food stations (such as Guy’s Burger Joint and Blue Iguana Cantina)
• enjoying our fancy dinner dates with amazing menu options and dinner shows
• going to several entertaining shows (comedy, dancing, singing, and a Love and Marriage show)
• dancing on the lido deck for a silent disco event
• watching people sing karaoke
• spending hours singing at the Piano Bar
• sunbathing by the pool with frozen drinks
• going to the nightclub
• taking golden hour photos

We opted out of booking excursions, because there was plenty to do at the ports we went to. Grand Turk was stunning! The water was so clear and the port area was pristine. There is a nice shopping district you can spend time in after you get off the boat. Also, there is a Margaritaville pool and restaurant that is open to the cruisers. There are free lounge chairs on the beach that are available as well. If a chill day by the beach or a lively pool party with upbeat music and a swim-up bar sounds appealing, you don’t even need to book an excursion! We chose to lay out by the pool, ended up joining the pool party, and then headed over to the beach later. I went snorkeling right off the beach and saw hundreds of colorful fish and a stingray. It was amazing!

Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic also has free options to enjoy on the port day! We spent time in the pool and then walked around the shopping district. Some common excursions that others chose to go on though included ziplining and ATVing. I loved the mountainous backdrop here in Amber Cove!

Our 5-day cruise cost around $1,000 total. We chose to get the drink package which is pretty much unlimited drinks (15 per day). The drink package cost around $400. We ended up staying in an interior room since it was cheaper, but we had plenty of space and it was very dark without windows which was nice for sleeping.

My Opinion On Cruises

I think cruises are a fun and convenient way to travel to new destinations! First of all, your vacation takes minimal planning. Besides booking your cruise and potential excursions, you can just get on the boat and relax. Enjoy the entertainment and don’t worry about transportation or cooking.

The price is a huge advantage as well! Paying $1,000 and getting to go to two countries is amazing. This price includes the transportation, accommodations with housekeeping, unlimited food and drinks, constant entertainment, and incredible service. If you don’t get the specialty drink package, you could go to two countries for less than $600 which is unheard of! The drinks weren’t very expensive, so you could always just buy a couple drinks during your cruise without the drink package. During our trip in December of 2024, some of the frozen drinks were around $11 and shots were about $7-$8 so pretty standard.

I mentioned that we opted out of excursions, since the ports we went to had plenty for us to do. Some ports have more free options than others, so research what there is to do at the ports you visit. There are fun tours and excursions you can book though, so I recommend checking them out.

Specifically for Carnival, Carnival is known as the party cruise line. If you are looking for a cruise that offers vibrant nightlife opportunities and lively music and dancing, Carnival is a wonderful option. There were people of all ages on our cruise. If you are hoping to relax and not party during your getaway, you may prefer a different cruise line. We enjoyed all the entertainment, but it was not a relaxing vacation. I was exhausted after the trip and had to catch up on my sleep.

Tips For Cruises

If you are potentially going on your first cruise but are worried about seasickness, pack Dramamine or Motion Sickness Patches. A lot of people placed the patches behind their ears. I wasn’t sure if I would get seasick, so I packed Dramamine. I could definitely feel the boat rocking, but I luckily did not get seasick. The water usually is more choppy later in the year, so if you are really worried about getting sick, I would book a cruise more in the middle of the year.

I will say, the walls are very thin on cruises. When we were in our room, we could hear everything in the hallway and rooms next to us. I was woken up by people yelling in the hallways each morning, so I would recommend bringing ear plugs for sleeping.

Take advantage of everything that is included during your cruise! Enjoy the entertainment, sit-down restaurants, unlimited food/snack/drink options, and events going on around the boat. I recommend getting to know the employees on the boat and the other vacationers as well. The cruise community grows quickly even on a short cruise.

Conclusion

I loved my first cruise experience and plan to go on more cruises in the future! Have you been on a cruise before? If so, what is your favorite cruise line and your favorite cruise port?

Thanks for stopping by! Cheers to cruising around the world and making connections around the world! To read my other blog posts, check out the destinations tab on my website.