First time cruisers on a budget: (I'm very long winded but I hope I'm also detailed enough to help you plan your trip)
Our top 10 things to know for first time cruising: 1. If you plan your own excursion, know before hand the time difference between your ship time (same time zone as your departing port) and the ports of call. 2. Pack light. I don't mean to not bring lots of things to wear but put it all in a small suitcase that you can carry. You will be able to get on and off the ship easier. You can always do a load of laundry on board. 3. If your on a budget, do the research before and reserve shore excursions online, not through Carnival. You could save 50%. 4. Get to the ship early. You will beat the lines and get to eat lunch on board. 5. Plan for lunch on excursion days. If you are at a tender port, take a snack so you can eat a late lunch when you get back to the ship. When at a docking pier, get back onboard for lunch. 6. Order more than one dish (starter, salad, or dessert) at dinner. 7. If you are a single couple, ask your travel agent or cruise booker to sit you at a larger table so you can meet other people. (unless you plan on talking only to each other for the entire week.) 8. Plan a 4-5 hour excursion as a maximum. You will have plenty of time if you get confused with the time change and you will still have time to walk around and see the port. 9. Take naps. After getting back from the shore excursion, take a nap before dinner. (especially if you have the late dinner) The main shows don't start till 10:30 and they often have comedy around midnight. 10. Know how much money it will cost. The ticket price is only one of many cost of cruising.
Research on shore excursions: I had learned from reading other reviews that many of the excursions can be cheaper if you book them ahead instead of through Carnival. I found this to be true. I kept a copy of the excursion prices that Carnival offers so if anyone is interested in seeing it, email me. It is more research that you have to do at home and you need to make sure you have a copy of all the information with you. I've recommended some websites later in the information about each stop. The one very important piece of information if you are booking the excursions on your own is to know what time is local time for each stop! Once on board the ship, Carnival doesn't want to tell you what the local time is because they want you to book through them. The ship time is Tampa time but the stops were either an hour or two (depending on daylight savings time). This is important because if you book excursions outside of Carnival they tell you what time to meet, local time.