Cruise to Mars FAQ

We recommend arriving on November 28th 2008 to participate in the pre-cruise activities (Location Tour and Pre-Cruise Party). If you plan to arrive on November 29th 2008, Carnival recommends that your flight arrive into the San Diego airport no later than 2 pm. The ship is scheduled to depart from the port at 4 pm. You need to be onboard the Carnival Elation no later than 3:30 pm on November 29th 2008.

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The ship arrives into San Diego at 8 am on December 4th 2008. You will be going through Customs as you exit the ship. Carnival recommends that you book your flight out of San Diego airport no earlier than 11:30 am.

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B Street Cruise Ship Terminal
1140 North Harbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92112

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Carnival uses the  Funpass system which allows you to check-in and print your boarding pass online. You will be sent your Booking Number by email approximately two weeks after registering. Luggage tags and Sail and Sign information will be sent to you by mail, 3-5 weeks prior to the November 29th 2008 departure. < Collapse

Any guest entering her third trimester (27 weeks or more) is not permitted to sail and will be denied boarding. This policy is in place for the safety of the guest. The ship infirmaries are only equipped for minor emergencies, and are not hospitals. Infants under 4 months old are also not permitted to sail. < Collapse

Self-Service Launderettes

Each ship has at least 2 self-service launderettes located on the stateroom decks.

There are two or three washers and dryers, and one iron and ironing board in each launderette. The cost is $2.00 per washer load and $2.00 per dryer load. Vending machines dispense small boxes of detergent and water softener at $1.00 per box.

Note: Due to local environmental requirements, the washing machines in the guest' launderette will be closed in port, per each ports specific requirements; the dryers and irons will be available for guest use.

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A hair dryer is provided in the bathroom (Destiny, Triumph, Victory) or at the desk/vanity in the stateroom (Spirit, Pride, Legend, Conquest, Glory, Miracle, Valor, Liberty). Hair dryers are not provided in the staterooms of all other ships.

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Guests are required to be 21 years old (on embarkation day) to travel. Guests under the age of 21 must be accompanied in the same stateroom by a parent or guardian 25 or older. The exceptions Carnival will make to this policy are:

Married minor couple - The booking must be documented that the couple is married. The couple must have proof of marriage at embarkation or they will be denied boarding without the benefit of a refund.

Domestic Partners/Same-Sex Union minor couple - The booking must be documented that the couple are legal Domestic Partners/Same-Sex Union. The couple must have legal proof of partnership/union at embarkation or they will be denied boarding without the benefit of a refund.

Guest ages will be verified at embarkation. Guests not conforming to this policy will be denied boarding and assessed a 100% cancellation penalty. NO exceptions will be made at embarkation.

The Group policy is slightly different because of stricter group terms and conditions including mandatory chaperones, damage deposits and other considerations.

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All staterooms have an amenity basket displayed in the bathroom. The amenities are subject to change and are only sample sizes. The basket may include such things as: his/her razors; shampoo and conditioner; body wash; Tylenol; deodorant; hard candies. Supplies will be replenished by the room steward, if quantities allow.

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The first thing to remember is that you're on vacation and you are aboard one of our "Fun Ships" to have a good time. The second thing to remember is to travel light. If you keep those two things in mind, you should do just fine.

Casual attire and resort wear is the order of the day both on board and in port. Shorts, slacks, sundresses, blouses, etc., are in line for women. Clothing for men is just as casual. You should bring a pair of rubber-soled sandals or sneakers to wear on deck and a pair of good walking shoes. You might also want to consider bringing along a sweater or jacket for cool evenings and inexpensive rain gear in case of a sudden shower. Women may want to bring along a hat or scarf. You'll have a chance to dress up on two nights during 7 day or longer cruises (one night on shorter cruises) for the Captain's Cocktail Party and the Gala Farewell Dinner. On the other evenings you can dress casually for dinner (no shorts or tank tops).

For those not wanting to dress up, the Lido Restaurants are open nightly and have a casual dress code. Formal Wear: tuxedo; suit and tie; sport coat, tie and slacks; evening gown; cocktail dress; pantsuit Casual Resort Wear: sport shirts and slacks; dresses; skirts; pantsuit; Capri pants NOTE: Shorts, t-shirts, tank tops and bathing attire are not permitted in the Dining Room during dinner.

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Guests may use their personal checks on board to acquire a cash advance. Global Cash Access (GCA) provides this service by debiting the guest's checking account, using the account number on the check. The guest must have available monies in the checking account that the check is drawn on.

Important Note: Just like debit cards, the money is immediately debited from the guest's checking account.

For this service, GCA charges 5.5% of the value of the cash advance requested or a flat fee of $5.50 if the amount requested is $100 or less.

Since the guest's checking account is debited (same as if using a debit card), the personal check is returned to the guest.

Both the Information Desk and the Casino offer this service.

Limits are determined by the available monies currently available in the guest's checking account.

We do not accept Cashier's Checks and Bank Checks.

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Traveler's Checks can be cashed on board at the Information Desk; since Traveler's Checks are considered as cash, there is no fee for this check cashing service and no limit to the dollar amount cashed.

Canadian Traveler's Checks can be cashed on board at the Information Desk at the current exchange rate.

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Guests are able to withdraw funds and make balance inquiries on their checking and savings accounts while the ship is in port or at sea. Please note: The supply of money may be depleted prior to the end of the cruise. Following is a list of major credit cards and Networks accepted: Honor, Tyme, Shazam, American Express, Magic Line, Oath, Mac, Master Card (Cirrus for Non-U.S.), Visa (Plus), Nyce Pulse, Yankee and Alert.

There is a $5.50 fee per transaction for this service which is controlled by the bank sponsoring the ATM's, Bank Atlantic of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

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Minimum age for sailing will be generally 6 months and 12 months for Transatlantic, Hawaii and South American cruises. This is a company policy which takes into consideration the safety and comfort of the infant as well as the other guests. Carnival has fully researched the legality of the policy and it is not discriminatory and does not violate any applicable law. Carnival will not make exceptions and do not allow for the signing of waivers or releases to make an exception to the policy.

Fly-Aweigh infants (6 to 23 months of age) will be charged the "Cruise-Only" rate as long as the infant sits on a parent's lap on the airplane. If an airline seat is requested by the parent, then the infant will be charged the standard Fly-Aweigh rate. When an infant reaches 24 months of age, an airline ticket is required by the airlines.

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Guests are required to be 21 years old (on embarkation day) to travel. Guests under the age of 21 must be accompanied in the same stateroom by a parent or guardian 25 or older. The exceptions Carnival will make to this policy are:

Married minor couple - The booking must be documented that the couple is married. The couple must have proof of marriage at embarkation or they will be denied boarding without the benefit of a refund.

Domestic Partners/Same-Sex Union minor couple - The booking must be documented that the couple are legal Domestic Partners/Same-Sex Union. The couple must have legal proof of partnership/union at embarkation or they will be denied boarding without the benefit of a refund.

Guest ages will be verified at embarkation. Guests not conforming to this policy will be denied boarding and assessed a 100% cancellation penalty. NO exceptions will be made at embarkation.

The Group policy is slightly different because of stricter group terms and conditions including mandatory chaperones, damage deposits and other considerations.

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Although there is no limit set by Carnival on the amount of luggage you may bring (so long as it fits in your stateroom), if your travel plans involve air transportation, you may want to check with the airlines since the carrier may have restrictions.

Each piece of luggage must be locked (once you get to the terminal) and have a colored bag tag listing the guest's name, ship and stateroom number. Bag tags are mailed with cruise documents and additional tags can be obtained at curbside from the porter, if necessary.

LARGE COOLERS RESTRICTION:

Carnival Cruise Lines does not allow guests to bring large coolers on board its vessels. Small, personal-sized coolers no larger than 12 x 12 x 12 for the purpose of housing small quantities of non-alcoholic beverages and/or medications are permitted as carry-on luggage. Screening and movement of large coolers through embarkation is an impediment to the boarding and security screening process and therefore large coolers are not permitted as carry-on or checked luggage.

Since the delivery of checked bags may take some time to reach your stateroom, you may elect to bring your own bags on board if they do not exceed 24''w x 16''h (there is no restriction on the length of the bag). Additionally, we highly recommend that guests personally carry any boarding documentation (passports, visas, I.D.), valuables, medications, and items which require special handling on and off the vessel. This advantage will ensure prompt and easy access to your baggage. Please note that Carnival assumes no responsibility for carry-on baggage.

Alternatively, curbside porters are available at the pier to take baggage to the vessel for delivery by shipboard personnel to your stateroom*. Customary tip is $1 per bag. Curbside porters are not employees of Carnival; therefore, if you experience any problems, please report them to porter management on site. Any luggage left at the pier will be forwarded at your expense. Claims for luggage loss or damage must be made in writing to the embarkation personnel prior to leaving the pier area.

NOTE: There is limited porter service on 2/3-day Cruises-to-Nowhere.

Debarkation Baggage Advice  In order to be cleared off the vessel shortly after arrival in the home port, in most of our ports, guests have the option of participating in our Self-Assist Debark program if they elect to carry off their own luggage. Please note that you should consider the size of your bag and whether it can safely be maneuvered through stairs, hallways and escalators.

Alternatively, guests can place their luggage outside their stateroom door on the last night of the cruise by 1:00am to be collected and stored in a holding area. Upon arrival at the port of debarkation, the luggage is unloaded and separated (by bag tag color) in the baggage claim area of the terminal. The guests must personally locate their luggage and either carry it out or seek the assistance of a porter. The customary tip is $1.00 per bag.

Every attempt is made to disembark guests in an orderly fashion so it is important that guests pay close attention to announcements on the morning of arrival so they know in what order to proceed ashore.

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The height of the balcony rail (glass rail) is 45" high.

The stateroom door leading out to the balcony has a safety lock that is located approximately 65" from the floor. Safety lock on room door out to balcony. Applicable ships: Destiny, Triumph, Victory, Conquest, Glory, Legend and Sensation.

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Dining preferences (early/main or late; traveling companions) can be requested by the travel agent or guest at the time of booking. No requests are guaranteed and all are subject to availability. By popular request, all dining rooms are smoke-free.

Table size, the table number and dining time will be confirmed upon boarding the ship.

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Guests with diet requirements can be accommodated on board. We do not have Dieticians onboard; therefore, we can only offer assistance with simple requests such as the method of preparation of menu items. The special diet requirements need to be arranged with the guest's Headwaiter on the first night of the cruise. Every menu (in the dining room) has Spa Carnival Cuisine Fare. These items are lower in calories, sodium, cholesterol and fat. Salads are prepared with diet dressing. Desserts are prepared with Sweet'N Low or NutraSweet instead of sugar. In addition, each menu has one vegetarian entree. Low-cholesterol egg substitute is available upon request as well as diet jellies at breakfast.

The following simple diets can be prepared onboard:
* vegetarian
* salt-free
* bland
* low sugar

The following food is not available onboard:
* Kosher meals
* Baby Food and Formula

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Dining preferences (time, companions) may be requested by your travel agent at the time of booking or by contacting Carnival directly. No requests are guaranteed. By popular request, all our Dining Rooms are now Smoke-Free. Your table assignment will be confirmed at embarkation. Dining times are (subject to change):

Main Seating

Breakfast (at Sea)* 7:45 AM

Lunch Noon

Dinner** 5:45 or 6:15 PM

Late Seating

Breakfast (at Sea)* 9:00 AM

Lunch 1:30 PM

Dinner** 8:00 or 8:30 PM

You can also enjoy a continental breakfast in your stateroom (unitl 10:00 AM0 or a limited breakfast menu on deck. Lunch and dinner are also available bistro-style on the Lido Deck. Spirit-class and Conquest-class ships have the added convenience of a reservations-only supper club (nominal fee will apply).

*Breakfast times vary by ship; these times are provided as a general guideline. Please check your daily Capers for exact times.

**We have four sittings for dinner on all ships except on Spirit-class ships (Carnival Spirit, Carnival Pride, Carnival Legend and Carnival Miracle), where we have two (Main - 5:45 PM; Late - 8:15 PM).

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Room Service is available 24 hours a day with a selection of sandwiches, beverages, desserts and fruit; a continental breakfast is available during the morning hours.

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Carnival Cruise Lines is dedicated to offering the finest cruising experience to our guests with disabilities and special requirements. Our ships provide a quality of service and variety of accessible features to make your voyage a relaxing and enjoyable experience. It is for this reason that Carnival Corporation has been honored with the  Access Freedom award presented by the Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality (SATH); this award is the highest honor in the travel industry that SATH presents to recognize individuals and organizations that have made the greatest strides in advancing opportunities for persons with disabilities.

For more information click here.

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The U.S. Government will soon require all of our guests (including U.S. citizens) to be in possession of a valid passport when traveling on any Carnival cruise. To make sure you are prepared at your departure port, visit www.travel.state.gov for the latest and exact passport requirements.

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To view a complete list of prohibited items Click Here.

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Wedding anniversaries, birthdays and honeymoons can be celebrated in the dining room with a cake presented to the guest by the dining room staff. Cakes available in various sizes and flavors; visit our  Gifts web-site or call 1-800-522-7648. Arrangements need to be made at least one week prior to sailing by the travel consultant. All other occasions, such as a graduation, promotion, etc. cannot be arranged in advance but arrangements can be made on board directly with the Maitre d'.

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