Jubilee: Planning
Booking
I was originally supposed to be on this ship the first week of December. Shipyard delays caused them to cancel all cruises prior to Christmas week. For my trouble they offered me 25% off and $150 onboard credit to re-book. I wanted to avoid the holidays and NFL playoffs. I was able to squeeze it in the week before the Super Bowl.
I managed to book the same room I had on my original cruise which is the same room I had on Carnival Celebration last year. It’s a midship interior on lido deck.
In addition to the $150 onboard credit I got for re-booking, I also received $100 from my travel agent and $100 for being a stockholder. My invoice is showing that I prepaid gratuities. I didn’t realize I did that. Normally I’ll let the OBC take care of that. It’s possible I may have already overpaid my travel agent for the original cruise since I got a 25% discount on this one and used that overage to pay my gratuities.
Hotel
I’m going to be arriving pretty late the night before the cruise. I usually stay just off of the interstate in Webster which is a 30-minute drive to the port. This time is no different. I booked Sonesta ES Suites for a total of $68. It’s a 3-star hotel with 4-4.3 out of 5-stars depending on the website and allegedly includes a free breakfast.
Parking
I was pretty pleased with my Discount Cruise Parking experience on my Regal Princess cruise. I shopped around a little bit but they are significantly cheaper than the other lots. I went ahead and booked with them again. It was $92.07 for the week. You can explore all parking options at Galveston Cruise Parking.
Onboard Purchases
I spent $119 of my $350 onboard credit to purchase premium WiFi prior to the most recent price increase. The remaining onboard credit will likely be spent on write-in tips and specialty dining. I won’t be booking any of that ahead of time.
Ports
I booked this cruise for the new ship and close proximity. I don’t have exciting things planned in the ports. Our first one is Mahogany Bay, Roatan. I like to spend a couple hours on the beach there.
In Costa Maya I do have my eyes on another set of Mayan ruins. They are not offered by Carnival. The local company I use in Costa Maya is The Native Choice. When I put my cruise on their website it says I’m not in port long enough for that excursion. I got the same message for my Jubilee cruise this summer. I’ll have to keep trying and hopefully one of these trips I’ll be there long enough.
My alternate plan for Costa Maya will just be to spend some time in the port area. The other times I’ve been there I have just raced through it to get to an excursion.
In Cozumel Kusam is a brewery and taco place I’ve been trying to get to for a couple of years. At first it didn’t open until the evening after the ships were gone. Last year they started opening earlier. Those who followed my Regal Princess cruise last year know I made the trek to downtown Cozumel only to find out it was closed on Tuesday. This time I’m going to be there on Thursday and hopefully I’ll be able to try their elusive tacos and beer.
