Your
Luggage at the Dock
Be sure to pack a
separate small case with whatever you will need when you first
board the ship, because after you leave your luggage at the dock,
you will not see it for many hours. If you might want to take a dip
in the pool, carry your swimsuit. If you need your laptop, carry it
onto the ship by hand. Try to foresee anything you might need right
away, and put it in a small carry-on.
Registration for the Mayan Galactic
Seminar-at-Sea
Right after you
board the ship and put your small carry-on in your stateroom, you
will go to a designated area for registration for our special Mayan
Galactic Cruise program and get your entrance badge for the
Seminar-at-Sea activities, and other information. The registration
area will be open from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm. That location will be
available here on this web page as soon as we have the information
available.
State-Issued ID
If you are a USA
citizen and you are cruising to Mexico, a passport is not required.
However, if you have no passport, then you must carry a valid
government-issued ID, such as a driver's license, plus you must
carry a certified birth certificate, issued by the state health
department. If for any reason, you happen to miss the ship sailing
off while you are at port, you will not be able to get back into
the USA without a passport. Please check with Carnival if you are a
citizen of a country other than the USA.
"Sail &
Sign" Card
When you register
at the dock, you will present either a credit card or cash to set
up your onboard account, which will pay for your incidentals
onboard. Your service charges of $11.50 per day, which would
normally be charged on that account, should have already been
prepaid when you registered for the cruise.
For your
convenience, charges for most of your onboard purchases will be
posted to your Sail & Sign account. A required application form
will be included with your documents. Registration for this program
will occur at the time of embarkation. Carnival accepts American
Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover Network Card, Diner's Club,
Optima Card and cash for deposit on your account. A deposit
(ranging from $100 to $350 depending on cruise duration) will be
required for cash accounts. Third-party credit cards, Travel Funds
Cards, Credit Card Gift Cards and Mini Credit Cards are not
accepted on board.
If you are using a
credit card or debit/check cashing card please be advised that
there will be a hold placed on your account as a deposit for your
onboard purchases. During your cruise, additional holds will be
added if your Sail & Sign account exceeds the amount of deposit
Carnival has on file. If you presented a credit card, this will
reduce the amount available on your credit card for other
purchases. If you presented a debit/check cashing card, the hold
will restrict the available cash in your checking account. All
charges will be billed to the credit card or debit/check cashing
card at the end of the cruise. Please note that Carnival Cruise
Lines will not be held responsible for any bank-imposed overage or
insufficient funds charged on debit or credit cards.
Boarding
Card
Your Sail &
Sign Card will serve as your Boarding Card. This card identifies
you as a Carnival guest and must be carried with you along with
picture identification when you go ashore. Because the ship is
closed to the public while docked at the various ports-of-call, you
must show your Sail & Sign Card and picture I.D. to the officer
on duty in order to return on board.
If you or one of
the kids has trouble keeping track of that "Sail and Sign" card, go
to the "Fun Shops" onboard and buy a plastic holder with a lanyard.
Place the card inside the plastic holder and you are good to go.
For extra security, stop by the Purser's Desk and get a hole
punched in the card to slip through the security ring that attaches
the lanyard.
FLIGHTS
TO HOUSTON, AND SHUTTLES TO CRUISE PORT IN
GALVESTON
The airports to fly
into are either Houston International (IAH) or Houston Hobby
Airport (HOU). If you wish to book your flight through Carnival
Cruise Lines or through Adele at Legendary World Travel, please
phone her: 760-650-4144.
Carnival Cruise
Lines provides official round-trip transfer from Houston Airport to
the Cruise Port in Galveston.
From Houston Hobby
(41 miles): $60 round trip
From Houston IAH (71 miles): $80 round trip
To book your
shuttle, contact Adele at Legendary World Travel:
760-650-4144.
If you are taking
the shuttle, be sure to book your flight according to the following
schedule:
Latest Flight
Arrivals on December 17:
Latest arrivals
into Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH): 1:00pm
Latest arrivals into Houston Hobby Airport (HOU):
1:30pm
Earliest Flight
Departures on December 22:
Earliest departures
out of the Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH): 1:30pm
Houston Hobby Airport (HOU): 1:30pm
Alternate
shuttles: http://transportation.destinationnext.com
HOTEL
We highly recommend
that you arrive in Houston early, on December 16, to insure that
you board the ship before it sails away into the sunset on December
17. We have secured a block of rooms for the "2012 Mayan Galactic
Alignment Cruise" group at special rates. We will make reservations
on your behalf and send you a confirmation number. Hotel
reservations will be guaranteed to your credit card provided, and
room rate plus tax will be payable to the hotel at
check-out.
Hilton Houston
Hobby (HOU) Airport Hotel $95.00/night plus 17% tax
Sheraton N. Houston
Bush/Intercontinental (IAH) Airport Hotel $89.00/night plus 17%
tax.
To book your hotel,
contact Adele at Legendary World Travel: 760-650-4144.
