first time carnival cruuise (sensation)?

From my experience, saving money in the Bahamas and on the cruise ship itself can be a daunting task. I will tell you this. Once you get to the Bahamas and get to the Welcome Center, you'll be flogged by Bahamians trying to get you to buy something (whether it be a scooter for the day or necklaces). Simply say "no, I don't have any money". The souvenir shops close to the cruise ports are expensive. If you see something you'd like to purchase, haggle the price with the cashier. You could cut the price dramatically. Bahamians are care-free. They'll come right up to you and try you to get you to purchase something from them. Anywhere from conch shells, necklaces to Cuban cigars. One guy tried selling me conch shells for $10 a piece...I told him I'd buy two for $10. As for packing, pack as light as you can. Don't pack clothing for a month. A few pair of shorts, t-shirts, skirts, ect. will suffice. If you plan on attending Formal Night pack a cocktail dress and high heels too. Also pack a poncho...it rained the whole day I was at the Bahamas. As for non-alcoholic drinks (excluding soda), they're 100% free. Cruising is an all-inclusive vacation. Only thing that sucks is the lack of drink stands on the ship. I'm not sure about Sensation, but on the Fascination you can only get drinks on the Lido deck. So every time you wanted a drink you'd have to go up there. So inconvenient. As for money, me and my girlfriend brought $200 USD on our cruise. That's plenty. A friend of mine only brings $50 to buy souvenirs when she cruises. You don't HAVE to bring any money. It's all up to you.

Hey read some of my other answers as well as they are really helpful. Just have fun. Don't overpack. Make sure you have your school IDs and everything, and make sure you have the right type of clothes. Since your younger bring t shirts and shorts and then the required stuff for dinner and everything. The ships dont use money they use your ship cards which you get when you first get on your ship but you parents have to activate your card on some cruiselines so you can buy stuff.... Trust me they just made that rule and I tried buying some candy on the ship and I was told that. I wasnt too happy. Your card does everything so dont lose it. Put it in your purse and take that everywhere because you will definitely need it getting back onto the ship and even off. Also non alcoholic drinks you can get anywhere and ask your parents for a beverage card so you dont have to pay everytime you want a coke or something and they cost around $40 for a week cruise and are well worth it. They also work for non alcoholic drinks as well. No one really cares if you drink alcohol on the ship if you are underage but you just have to not get caught, but you cant buy it because your card is going to be a different color then the adults. HAVE AN AMAZING TIME!!!!

The beauty about cruises is that they are mostly all inclusive! I went on one for my honeymoon last September and had a great time. The best way to save money on the ship is to watch your spending on stuff like souveniers and drinks. Carnival has a "soda" plan that you purchase the first day on the ship. If you drink alot of soda, then it is worth it....it allows you to have all you can drink soda for the trip for one fee up front. If you are over 21, the alcoholic drinks will get you too. They are the ones you have to pay for and are usually overpriced. Everything else is pretty much included....except for extras like going to the spa for a massage or something like that. And they run specials on that as well. Hope this helps!