New Cruiser

[Zebby]

New cruiser here. What’s the best month between August - November to go to the Bahamas?

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@Zebby I would not recommend cruising to the Bahamas in August due to hurricane season. Septemeber, October, and November would be great months for traveling to the Bahamas. I recommend avoiding November due to the prices going up as the holidays approach, but September and October should offer some pretty good rates. Are you looking to book a Carnival Cruise Line itinerary? Which embarkation ports are you looking into?

[Woody14]

I agree with not going August as you still have a lot of kids out of school so many families on cruises at that time.  I would recommend mid September to early Nov (definitely before US thanksgiving) as best chance for slightly better pricing.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@Woody14 I agree about August. It's a beautiful summer month but the prices are higher, and there are always more kids! CCL is notorious for attracting families with children during the out-of-school months, and the prices capitalize on those off-times. Early November is a good time to cruise as long as you can lock in a good cruise rate. I recommend observing price trends to find those good rates @Zebby. Wave season is upon us and the prices are pretty attractive right now. 

[KeithG]

@Zebby I would concur with a lot of the opinion about timing, mid-October is always a good time for me, not necessarily to the Bahamas (although I am doing that next October) but the Caribbean in general. Low prices too due to less family demand. 

One thing I do, if you can plan a year out, is take advantage of Carnival's $500 on board credit offer. We have done this several times, including a trip on the Jubilee this February. They have the offer right now in the VIFP deals on the website for all the months in 2025 as far as I can see. Cheap deposits and $500 on board spending, not bad.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@KeithG That's a great tip! I want to take advantage of the $500 onboard credit offer too. It's been a while since I booked a cruise with CCL so I will need to find my VIFP account info. How does this credit work? Do you receive a standard $500 credit per stateroom or does the amount depend on the stateroom type you book? That's a hefty on board credit that can go a long way. If I'm not mistaken, you should be able to use the onboard credit for gratuities as well. Is that correct? How often does CCL offer this promotion? 

Sorry for all the questions, but I'm very interested in booking with this offer!

[KeithG]

@Cruising Caribbean You know, I initially thought the stateroom type or cruise length mattered, I usually do balcony so I get the $500 but just for fun I tried a 5 day cruise and got one for $950, so grab a cruise for $950 PLUS get $500 to spend. I haven't tried spending it on tips but anything else from excursions, drinks, in room gifts /water.  I see the promo code on a few times a year. 

Cruise Summary

Itinerary:5-Day Western Caribbean from Galveston, TX

Mon Jan 27, 2025 - Sat Feb 1, 2025

Ship:Carnival Breeze

1 Room 2 GuestsChange

Room 1: Interior Upper/Lower

PLAN NOW SAIL LATER

$500.00 Credit to spend onboard

Included

Guest 1:

$374.00

Guest 2:

$374.00

Taxes, fees & port expenses:

$210.38

 

Room 1 Total:$958.38

Total :$958.38

 

 

 

 

[KeithG]

@Cruising Caribbean I should note I do see the $500 on board credit on and off throughout the year but it seems it is usually limited to certain months and certain cruises, last I looked it was for the entire 2025 year. Anyway, just food for thought for those looking to book well in advance. 

This also assumes that everyone sees the same deals, I don't know that for sure but its just on the website. 

[Cruising Caribbean]

@KeithG I'm shocked at these prices! Those are some great rates. I would already book one of these bad boys if I was seeing this promotion on my end. I didn't spot this credit promotion on my CCL account I updated yesterday. At least I know it's the plan now sail later promotion. I will go back in later and see if I can access that. I wonder if this code has anything to do with your VIFP status too. I'm a red level, close to gold apparently, but I haven't cruised with CCL is a long time. I think these prices are just amazing, and I would love to see prices like this more often. I would change my cruise line of choice if this was always the case! Is CCL your cruise line of choice? 

[KeithG]

@Cruising Caribbean CCL is our cruise line in general, we've been on Royal and will eventiually go on Princess / NCL and MSC when it gets to Galveston. 

[Zebby]

@Kendall James-Vargas Thanks for your input. After input from y’all, I think we are looking at Sept/Nov. with CCL. But…the $500 on board credit in 2025 sounds great. 
Not to sure about the Bahamas now due to the killings this year  🤷 

 

[KeithG]

@Zebby I think, in general, if you are unfamiliar with a port or want  a safe, no hassle visit, just sitck with a Carnival excursion or stay in the built up area of the port with rest of the crowd. They give the same warnings for Jamaica but we go there and either go on a Carnival excursion or stay in the secured area fo the port.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@Zebby The Bahamas is a wonderful cruise destination! The travel advisories I'm seeing are still pretty mild, but if you visit there I would only book an excursion with with CCL. If you explore the Bahamas with a CCL excursion and stay with your group, your safety is basically guaranteed. If you plan to explore the area on your own, I would proceed with caution. If CCL is still stopping there and offing excursions, you can assume it's safe to stop and travel there, particularly with a booked excursion. 

@KeithG You and I think alike! It's worth it to book en excursion through the line, especially your first visit at a port. It's convenient, hassle-free, and safe! The nominal extra price is way worth it.

[euroguy]

@KeithG glad to see you're getting some great offers.  I'm a CCL frequent flyer and also get amazing deals. Some of the latest for example is 7 day cruise balcony cabin, solo travler, free drinks everywhere on the ship, $300 with $200 on board ship credit and $100 casino credit that equals 100% free 🤣 and i can use this deal  3 times. 

I agree with others either regarding Bahamas stick to secure areas or CCL excursions and worst case stay on the ship and enjoy it being empty.

Edited January 30 by euroguy

[Cruising Caribbean]

@KeithG I didn't see the $500 OBC offer on my end, but I'm sure you are higher up on the totem pole. I'm sure the more I cruise with the line the more perks I will receive. I did still find some great rates, but no rates like @euroguy. Those rates just shock me every time I see them. That's a great way to look at the Bahamas stop! Don't let the travel advisory scare you! Stay onboard the ship comfortably and basically enjoy the ship to yourself. I enjoy that more than the Bahamas honestly. 

[Old Cruiser]

On 1/25/2024 at 12:35 PM, Cruising Caribbean said:

@KeithG That's a great tip! I want to take advantage of the $500 onboard credit offer too. It's been a while since I booked a cruise with CCL so I will need to find my VIFP account info. How does this credit work? Do you receive a standard $500 credit per stateroom or does the amount depend on the stateroom type you book? That's a hefty on board credit that can go a long way. If I'm not mistaken, you should be able to use the onboard credit for gratuities as well. Is that correct? How often does CCL offer this promotion? 

Sorry for all the questions, but I'm very interested in booking with this offer!

Sounds like you might have gotten a casino offer. On regular bookingsI’ve never seen more than $50 OBC

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@Old Cruiser I was pretty shocked too! I would love to say I have seen this offer before on my end, but I haven't! If I got a $500 onboard credit offer I would be booking left and right. I think my main problem is, I need to play in the casino. How much money do I need to spend in the casino to get this perk? Since I don't play in the casino, I would probably need to start gambling in large amounts to stand out amongst the crowd. Do you typically play in the casino on a cruise? I typically get kicked out of the casino for trying to play at the entrance as I walk by the casino with my kids. Unfortunately no kids are allowed, even if they are babies. 

[KeithG]

@Old Cruiser @Kendall James-Vargas I know this seems strange but I've never played in a casino and our VIFP status just now turned Platinum, so these deals have been available to us off and on before the new status. I just see them under the Todays Deals on the Carnival site. They don't contact me or email me anything.

The only thing we've ever done is occasionally spend on higher end cabins such as Havana & Captains Suites but thats maybe 3 times over the years.

I wish I could explain it but that's the story.

[KeithG]

@Old Cruiser @Kendall James-Vargas

Thought I would attach a screen grab of what I see on the deals page right now

[Woody14]

On 2/10/2024 at 4:38 AM, KeithG said:

@Old Cruiser @Kendall James-Vargas

Thought I would attach a screen grab of what I see on the deals page right now

 

it does say up to . . . being I never book at the suite class I wouldn't get that, but did you click on it to see what the OBC was for a balcony?

[3Sisters]

@KeithG That's a great offer! When I look at the VIFP I see an offer named the same with an up to $100 to spend on board offering. I wish I got that option, but you musts be higher up than I am. 

@Woody14 I have yet to book a suite stateroom. Usually you get a certain amount of credit based on the stateroom type you book with. Maybe for a balcony Keith G can earn like a $300 spend onboard credit. I typically will book an interior so that may be why the $100 option is only showing up for me. 

[KeithG]

@Woody14 I usually book a balcony and I get $500.

I included a booking up above for an inside cabin at $900 that also got $500 on just a 5 day cruise

tinerary:5-Day Western Caribbean from Galveston, TX

Mon Jan 27, 2025 - Sat Feb 1, 2025

Ship:Carnival Breeze

1 Room 2 GuestsChange

Room 1: Interior Upper/Lower

PLAN NOW SAIL LATER

$500.00 Credit to spend onboard

Included

Guest 1:

$374.00

Guest 2:

$374.00

Taxes, fees & port expenses:

$210.38

[KeithG]

@3Sisters We normally book a balcony and we get the $500. We are on the Jubilee here next week Balcony cabin, $500 to spend on board. 

[3Sisters]

@KeithG This is such a good offer. You must be stoked to get onboard Carnival Jubilee! Did you see Gwen Stefani will be the godmother of the ship? You are going to have a blast cruising out of Galveston in style. Do you think you will try out the BOLT roller coaster? I'm so thrilled for you and your cruise next week. I hope you post your review of the ship. Let's see how small the molten cake really is! 

[euroguy]

@3Sisters @KeithG @Woody14Since we are sharing here are a few offers I've received recently.

You can read all the perks for each ... wondering when the free suite offers start 🤔 

3 of the offers are for free balcony, free drinks everywhere on ship plus casino cash

#1 extended sailings 37 different cruises from 10 to 22 days

#2 over 200 sailings of 7 to 10 days

#3 hundreds of sailings $1500 on board ship credit

#4 premier cruise