First time going on a cruise... questions!?

THE BAHAMAS DOLLAR IS ON PAR WITH THE US DOLLAR. THEY ARE INTERCHANGEABLE. THEY ALSO ACCEPT US COINS

They cheerfully accept dollars.

1: most ports will happily take American dollars although the exchange rate won't be as good. for large purchases, use a CC.

2: sunscreen, camera, on board card( acts as your room key and credit card to buy anything as no cash is used on board) , whatever you need for shore excursions

3: factory sealed items only. salty snacks are impossible to find on board and candy/junk food would be ten times the price in the shop. to take anything off the ship at any port it must be factory sealed.

4: bring on with you any OTC medications and other things you may need. on board again it will be ten times as expensive. depending on cruise line and cabin category, this could include shampoo, body wash, etc. hair dryers are very low wattage. there are usually very few accessible outlets so bring a NON SURGE PROTECTED extension cord or multi outlet. very important it does NOT have surge protection. extra USB ports or external charger is also a good idea.

5: head to cruise critic dot com. excellent resource for all cruise lines.

the only must have is a first aid kit with stuff in case you get a stomach ache or cut or stuff like that. the cost for things like aspirin, stomach cures or band aids is obscene. don't go to the doctor unless you truly are sick. the doctor will charge you a fortune and if they think you have something that is catching you will be ordered to stay in your cabin.

bringing snacks on board question-when you get onboard their will be several buffet stations already open. while waiting to get onboard most terminals say you can't have food and drinks while in line unless you have medical paperwork or it is for infants. are you asking if you have some special treats you want to have in your luggage and want to eat long after you get on the ship? the answer is you can do it-usually. almost always if it is commercial and factory wrapped but slightly less likely if it is a homemade product.

Easy answer on currency. Use a credit card, currency exchanges are automatic (fees may apply).

Pack sunscreen, but no towels. Ships provide towels even for shore trips, just return them or you may be charged.

All first timers pack too much clothes, so you'll learn for next time. Consider that you may wear many things repeatedly, like shorts. Men and women, bring a hat with a large brim and packs flat; southern sun is brutal.

Ships provide tons of food. Don't be afraid to take food out of the buffet area. In the grab some fruit or fixin's for sandwiches that you can bring with you on shore excursions. Pack some zip lock bags.

Pack some large bags for dirty laundry or shoes. Try bags compression bags with one-way valves.

Men, get an old fashioned plastic coin purse to speed removing loose pocket change from your pocket when going through TSA screenings.

Tie an identifying ribbon to your luggage to make them easier to spot on a luggage carousel of when collecting bags at the end of the cruise (if you check luggage).

You do not need to exchange currency. However, you should bring only smaller bills - as you may be given change in Bahamian dollars. Not a huge issue as it is usually equal dollar to dollar but its almost impossible to exchange back here in the US.

Also, casinos only accept USD

Edit: it is a carnival cruise. I was wondering about snacks because I've had Gastric Bypass to it would be really helpful to have protein bars to keep on me and in my room

Which cruise line are you going on, and which ship in the fleet? If carnival, Just prepare to be relaxed. You won't need to exchange your currency for anything, especially if you're stopping in mexico. Mexicans love the us dollar, and all of the prices there are negotiable, don't pay list price. anyway, back to the cruise. Almost all the food is complimentary, and it's unlimited. I've personally been on 4 cruises, and I've never ate at one of the food places that cost extra money, and still, the food tastes like gourmet. I would recommend bringing a water bottle of some sort, and maybe a few towels for beach day. The give you towels to bring out onto shore, but if you lose one, you're going to buy it from them. You can bring snacks onboard, as long as it is pre-packaged, or sealed. I would recommend bringing a 12 pack of sodas, especially considering the price for one of those suckers on the boat. I wouldn't bring water bottles, but if you really wanted them, it's like $3.50 for a 12 pack of waters.

have fun on your cruise

D.L.

I've been on The Carnival Cruise 2 times and they allowed us to bring snacks and drinks. I'm not sure about other cruise ships though. The ship I was on had food stops all over (the food comes with the cost it doesn't cost anything on board) like hot dogs, pizza, sandwiches, ice cream so the snacks were unnecessary. What I brought in my bag was a water proof camera, towels, water bottles, sunglasses, sunblock, a book, over the swimsuit clothes, just things like that. I personally thought it was best to leave my phone in the room because I didn't want to take a chance of it getting wet and ruined. But if you have a waterproof case than I'm sure it would be ok.