Island Invasion

Jolly Roger Hash House Harriers
of the Tampa Bay Metro Area
7th Anal Island Invasion Hash (Cruise)
Tips & Frequently Uttered Queries (F.U.Q)'n Traditions

Considerations for packing

If there are more than two of you in a room, you may want to consider a power strip per room to accommodate all your electrical needs.

Collapsible cooler for your ice. Leave that cooler in the bathroom at all times. It will leak/sweat and you'll have a musty room with a wet floor.

Bring sealable baggies if you want to pack food to take along with you on shore. There are restaurants, but this is a savings opportunity if you wish. Pizza or calzones from the 24 hour pizzeria are great even cold.

Bug repellant with a high DEET percentage.

You may carry on one bottle of wine or champagne in your carry-on luggage Thursday when you first board, but not when you re-board from Nassau. There is a corkage fee at dinner to open it, so bring your opener to avoid that charge. There is no corkage fee for the bottle that they provide. If you buy liquor or wine in Nassau, it will be stored for you and you’ll get it back when you check out.

Pack for the climates

Temperature - Cocoa Beach, late Jan/early Feb – 46F low / 68F high

Temperature - Nassau, late Jan/early Feb – 64F low / 77F high and water temps are generally around 80F

Temperatures inside ship can be very cool as the air conditioner works to fight humidity.

Temperatures outside onboard are comfortable during the day due to the breeze created as the ship is moving. At night that breeze can make it chilly.

Frequently uttered queries (F.U.Q.) ‘n Traditions

When will my checked back get to my room? It’s usually there by the time safety drill is done. Your luggage may be delivered later but we’ve never had a problem. If you are concerned, pack anything you might need before then, in your carry-on luggage.

What if I get seasick? If you tend to get seasick bring BONNIE which you can take even after you feel a bit queasy. Dramamine will only work if you take it BEFORE. You might also consider the prescription Scopolamine patch.

What type of clothes should I pack? You should pack casual clothes for the day, and nicer outfits for the bar or disco at night. Pack comfortable walking shoes, a bathing suit, a sun hat, 1 nice outfits for the formal night. You might want to pack a light sweater or shawl, in case the air conditioning is chilly.

Is there a dress code for meals? Only for dinner. At dinner, you may not wear shorts. Women can wear a skort, a scooter, capris, a skirt, a dress, pants or jeans. Men need to wear pants, jeans or male capris. This is true for all nights.

When is formal night? Formal night will be on Monday night, February 1st.

What do I wear for formal night? Women can wear a gown, a cocktail dress, or a dressy pants suit. Men can wear a tux, a suit with tie, or a sport coat with dress pants. You will wear this outfit to the Captains Cocktail party and dinner, but you may change into your regular clothes afterwards.

What items should I not forget to pack? Don’t forget suntan lotion, a hat, a camera, plenty of film, a sarong, any medications that you might need, condoms, cash in small denominations for the baggage guy and for bargaining at the market, an insulated mug with a lid or a sports bottle for mixing your own drinks, a soft sided cooler for keeping beer cold in your room. Don’t forget your passport.

What is a Repeater’s Party? A Repeaters' Party is an hour long party that is for past Carnival Cruise Line customers. Free drinks are given out, as well as a commemorative pin. Several of us have cruised with Carnival before, so once we find out when it is we will pass the word.

What is a Sail & Sign card? When you check in to board the ship, you will give them your credit card information. You will receive a card similar to a credit card that you use for all purchases aboard the ship. You use this card for drinks, souvenirs, and shore excursions. These things will then be billed to your credit card. If you prefer to pay in cash, you can either leave a cash deposit ($200) or you can go to the Pursers desk on the last night and pay your bill in cash.

What about tips? Tips are included with your payment. If you wish to tip more you may do so.

To what time zone do we set our watches? Eastern Standard Time. This will stay the ship's time and is used for arrivals and departures.

What food and drinks are provided? All food in the dining room, at the buffets, at the pizzeria, and food ordered through room service is included. If you use room service (sorry BenGay) they will expect to be tipped. It is all you can eat. You may order two entrees at dinner, it is perfectly acceptable! Iced tea, milk, juices, lemonade, punch, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate are included, also.

Are sodas not included? Sodas cost $1.50 per glass (last I sailed). If you drink soda with your meals, or plan on using soda as a mixer (ex: rum & coke), buying a soda card can save you money. It’s good for unlimited soda during the cruise. Unofficially, you could buy one card and split it between roommates/friends, but only one person will be able to use it in the dining room. Soda cards are usually for sale at the pool bar or one of the main bars. Ask where you can buy one, once you board. If you drink 3 or more glasses of soda a day, it will probably be worth it to buy an "all you can drink Soda Card". You can buy it using your Sign & Sail card immediately after boarding .

Can I carry booze onboard the cruise ship? In your carry-on baggage you may bring one bottle of fine wine or champagne per person. Don’t forget a corkscrew. There is a $10-15 corkage fee in the dining room. You may also bring a small quantity of non-alcoholic beverages onboard in your carry-on baggage. You may bring one 12 pack of soda or bottled water per person, or one case per cabin. Excessive quantities will be confiscated by security and returned to you at the end of the trip. You may NOT bring beer or liquor onboard in your carry-on baggage. It will be confiscated.

Can I pack beer/liquor in my suitcase? Officially, no. Un-officially, it’s a great idea! Shhh!! Try to pack at least a 12 pack of canned beer, and a bottle of liquor. Put vodka in an empty water bottle. Put rum in an empty iced tea bottle. You get the idea. Bring powdered mixers like Crystal light. Evenly distribute the beer around the suitcase, or bring 2 suitcases, each with some beer and some clothes. It’s best to bring a common brand like Bud Light, or Miller Light, which is what they sell onboard. If you want to conceal further, buy a twelve pack of a soft drink and empty out the cans. Replace the soda cans with beer cans and reseal the box with something like Gorilla Glue the night before so it has time to dry. Then just pack, sandwiched in you clothes. We aren’t saying you should do any of this, though. It IS against policy.

How will I keep the beer cold in my cabin? Some cabins have a small dorm sized refrigerator. They suck. You should also bring a soft sided cooler with you in your suitcase or as a carry-on. Give your room steward $5 and ask him to keep it filled with ice for you. You may have to ask twice, but it usually works well. Keep it in your bathroom on the tile floor, because the cooler will sweat, and your rug will smell moldy. Or, you can use your garbage can as a cooler, but the ice will melt faster, cause there is no lid.

What time can I board the ship? Boarding will begin around noonish on Thursday, January 31st. The latest you can board will be 3:00pm. Do not be late!!

Is there an ATM machine on board the ship? Yes, but there is a hefty service charge. It is better to charge things to your credit card, or bring plenty of cash with you.
Can I bring on toy pirate weapons to go with my pirate outfit? Absolutely not! DO NOT BRING ANY THING THAT LOOKS LIKE A WEAPON OR RESTRAINT, LIKE HAND CUFFS! We got a late night visit in our cabin from security on the last Pirate Invasion Hash Cruise because somebody in our group brought a toy sord. We promised we would advise everyone not to do this in the future. So, don't do it.

Good to know

Are there movies/music/TV in the cabins? Yes, there is a TV. One channel is a movie channel, one shows the bow of the ship, one shows videos of onboard games and entertainment, one advertises, one shows the current position of the ship, and one has mellow music. If you want to have music in your cabin or up on the topless deck, suggest bringing a boom box, a personal CD player or Ipod. But, you need to play the music at a reasonable level. The walls are thin.

Call your credit card company and let them know you will be traveling abroad. If all of a sudden you have several international charges show up, your card might be flagged and blocked before you return. Better yet, bring cash, US dollars are readily accepted in Nassau.

Bring an insulated mug for each person for use on board. They generally just have the plastic restaurant style cups around that don't stay cold very long outside. A large capacity mug would be good to hold juices, soft drinks, etc.

Carry some cash, and or a credit card when going ashore. If anything happens, at least you will not be completely SOL should the ship leave

Be on time (or early) for our shipboard parties. The free drinks only last for the time scheduled. Carnival is really precise. So, be on time so you can take full advantage of these drinking opportunities!! Loading your insulated mugs up just before the bar closes might be a good idea.

Pack a LARGE bottle of water. Refill it before you go ashore, put it in your backpack, and you won’t need to stop to buy one. Stay hydrated, or plan to spend entire next morning either hung-over or tired.

Buy a couple of bottles of duty free liquor for yourself or a gift. Price your favorite bottles of liquor here in the U.S., then you will be able to tell which ones will save you the most money. Each hasher may bring back 2 bottles each, duty free.

As soon as you get into the room, take the canned soft drinks/liquor bottles, and other such items and put them somewhere out of sight/reach. These are not free and Carnival will charge you huge fees to replace them.

Carnival also charges a hefty fee if you keep to take home or “lose” the heavy blue towels that you will find in the room. A lot of people take the towels out to use on lounge chairs and forget them since they are the same towels used by the towel service at the pool and later get charged. You may want to bring your own large towel for ship use so they do not get lost among the others.