All Inclusive Honeymoon Cruise

Are you considering a Carnival Cruise for your honeymoon? We’ve put together some tips to help with your decision.

Is this your first cruise?

Lesson #1, beware the cruise honeymoon if you have never been on a cruise or large boat. Your honeymoon is NOT the time you want to discover that you are prone to extreme seasickness. If you choose to ignore this advice, then for goodness’ sake take lots of Dramamine and seasickness patches with you just in case.

Unlimited Food

Yes, it is true that the food aboard is unlimited. But, please, be smart about what you eat. Cruises are notorious for food poisoning. Try to eat from the mini-restaurants that cook the food to order rather than from the buffet. Every morning the buffet milk was warm, so instead of cereal, choose fruit or fresh cooked bacon.

Activities on Board

Carnival cruises are family-friendly, so you’re going to see a lot of kids on board. Don’t even try to get in the arcade room. Most adults are going to be in the casinos during the day and watching the shows at night. These shows are hit or miss, so I wouldn’t count on that being your sole source of entertainment. Other activities include various classes, an expensive, not-included spa, and a gym. Please check with your fiance before you book a cruise. These kinds of activities are not for everyone. Personally, I quickly grew stir-crazy on the ship.

Activities at Stops

I took the Carnival Cruise to the Bahamas and Turks & Caicos. Each stop consisted of tourist shopping and crowded beaches. I will NEVER do something like this again. Each city seems especially designed for what they think tourists want, not for seeing the true country. For that, you’ll need to pay an independent tour guide, which can be risky. But you might find a local gem, like this pretty little church:

                                      

As for beaches, the sandy beaches are man-made and very crowded. The natural beaches are beautiful, but rocky. On the plus side, you’ll be the only one around these rocky beaches, so it’s great for photos.

If I were to go on a Carnival Cruise again, I would pick one with more activities that reflect the nature of the countries visiting, such as ancient ruin sites. That’s just me, though.

Overall, a Carnival Cruise is one of the cheapest honeymoon options around. Excluding costs of getting to the port, you can take a cruise for just a few hundred dollars per person. And if you get bored on the ship, at least there are other honeymoon-specific activities that could keep you occupied. ;)