Carnival Cruise Line is one of the biggest cruise lines in the world by passenger capacity, with its fleet of 29 ships. Although its "fun ships" predominantly attract Americans, the cruise line sails around the world in regions like Alaska, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Australia.
The cruise line is known for having some of the most casual, laid-back ships at sea and brings many families on board thanks to its fantastic kids' programming and childcare options.
Carnival also aims to offer the most affordable cruises, with plenty of options for short getaways, spring breaks, or weekend trips. Nothing onboard feels too pretentious, you’ll be having too much fun for that, anyway!
If you like grubby food, like juicy burgers and crispy chicken tenders, you’ll certainly love all of the complimentary dining options on Carnival. For the price point, the cruise line gets it right. You can also indulge nightly with some of the best chocolate melting cakes at sea.
Entertainment is hit or miss, but you can’t expect too much given the low price point of Carnival’s fares. You probably won’t be watching Broadway-style musicals on your cruise. Instead, you can enjoy nightly comedy shows in the Punchliner Comedy Club and game shows like Deal or No Deal and Family Feud.
Carnival is also known for sailing from more obscure ports in the United States, such as its seasonal sailings from Mobile, Alabama, and Norfolk, Virginia. The cruise line aims to be accessible for American families, with many guests opting to drive for their cruise instead of flying.
Overview of Carnival’s Fleet
Carnival Cruise Line currently operates 29 ships across its fleet. The vast majority of these sail from North America, visiting ports in the Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska, and Bermuda.
In general, Carnival’s ships are smaller than competitors and most would be categorized as mid-size. However, when Carnival first debuted, the cruise line built some of the biggest cruise ships in the world.
While Carnival is vastly popular in the cruising industry, you won’t find the same massive cruise ships as rivals Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line. For many years, Carnival built modestly-sized vessels that packed a lot of fun, but not much innovation.
The cruise line kept a similar design across its ship classes, unlike other competitors in the cruise industry. New ship classes featured slightly bigger designs with many similarities across the board. While other cruise lines aimed for innovation and advancement, Carnival stuck with its tried-and-true ship designs.
This changed with the debut of the Excel Class of ships with Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee. Carnival went big with this new ship class, building vessels 40% bigger than anything else in the fleet. Carnival has officially joined the mega-ship category in the cruise industry, with these vessels holding around 5,400 passengers.
The fourth and fifth Excel Class ships — Carnival Festivale and Tropicale — will debut in 2027 and 2028, respectively. That's also when Mardi Gras will begin offering shorter cruises to The Bahamas.
When looking at the biggest cruise ships in the world, only the Excel Class makes the top 50 list. These massive vessels clock in around 180,000 tons, notably bigger than any other ship class in its fleet.
In 2022, Carnival acquired two ships from Costa Cruises: Carnival Venezia and Carnival Firenze. Both of these have an Italian flair of cruising, as the ships were built for a European market for sister brand Costa.
After the ships were transferred to Carnival's fleet, they underwent major renovations to bring them up to speed with other vessels. As such, sailing on one of these ships will be a more unique cruise than a typical Carnival cruise ship.
Overall, there are 9 ship classes in Carnival’s fleet: Fantasy, Spirit, Conquest, Splendor, Dream, Sunshine, Venice, Vista, and Excel Class.
Fantasy Class (1998): Carnival Elation, Carnival Paradise
Carnival’s Fantasy Class is home to the oldest and smallest ships in the cruise line’s fleet. Because of the implications of the pandemic, Carnival has started to phase out the Fantasy Class quicker than anticipated.
The only remaining ships from the Fantasy Class include Carnival Elation and Carnival Paradise. Weighing only 70,000 gross tons, these ships are designed to sail with 2,000 passengers.
Carnival has done a fantastic job keeping the Fantasy Class ships up-to-date with many signature amenities and eateries. You can still find options like Guy’s Burger Joint and BlueIguana Cantina, along with freshly made pizza and paninis.
Read more: 4 things I loved about Carnival Elation (and 4 I didn’t)
Spirit Class (2001-2022): Carnival Spirit, Carnival Pride, Carnival Legend, Carnival Miracle, and Carnival Luminosa
Carnival's Spirit Class is built to withstand all types of weather. As such, you won’t just find these ships sailing in the Caribbean. At just half the size of Carnival’s newest Excel Class ships, Spirit Class ships are used to sail to exotic destinations.
Most ships in this class weigh right around 80,000 gross tons and hold 2,100 passengers, making them midsize ships by today’s standards. These vessels are designed structurally to visit smaller ports, yet still offer plenty of versatile amenities.
You can find pools covered with retractable glass, making Spirit Class ships perfect to sail to colder destinations, such as Alaska. Even though these ships are slightly bigger than Fantasy Class ships, Carnival has packed them with plenty of signature amenities, including water slides, miniature golf, pools, casinos, spas, and even an adults-only area called Serenity.
While most of the Spirit class was built in the early 2000s, the newest ship, Carnival Luminosa, was acquired from Costa Cruises and retrofitted for Carnival's branding.
Conquest Class (2002-2007): Carnival Conquest, Carnival Glory, Carnival Valor, Carnival Liberty, and Carnival Freedom
The Conquest Class is one of the biggest in Carnival’s fleet and measures 110,000 gross tons. Each cruise ship can hold around 2,900 passengers at capacity. Because of these ships’ modest size, many itineraries feature smaller ports.
Guests might find the Conquest Class to be the perfect size, as these ships are considered midsize. As with most Carnival ships, you can find plenty of Carnival’s signature dining venues like Guy’s Burger Joint, RedFrog Rum Bar, Alchemy Bar, Pizza Pirate BlueIguana Cantina, and Carnival Deli.
Read more: 13 things I loved and hated about Carnival Conquest
Splendor Class (2008): Carnival Splendor
This is the smallest class in Carnival’s fleet with just one ship: Carnival Splendor. This vessel was originally designed and built to sail for sister brand Costa Cruises, but the company decided the ship would fit better in Carnival’s brand.
Carnival Splendor is one of a kind! Measuring 113,000 gross tons and holding 3,000 passengers, the vessel is also considered midsize. While the ship is the only one of its kind, it’s still very similar to other ships in Carnival’s fleet.
The top deck is the most significant difference between Splendor and Conquest Class ships, with a glass magrodome that retracts and a waterpark.
Dream Class (2009-2012): Carnival Dream, Carnival Magic, and Carnival Breeze
Carnival’s Dream Class features modestly sized vessels holding 3,600 passengers and measuring 130,000 gross tons.
Carnival’s Dream Class has some unique amenities, such as a 4D thrill theatre. Dream Class ships were also the first in the fleet with a special top-deck ropes course.
Dream Class ships are full of complimentary dining options, as well as specialty dining restaurants. Complimentary dining includes Guy’s Burger Joint and BlueIguana Cantina, while specialty dining venues include Cucina Del Capitano Italian and Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse.
Sunshine Class (2013-2021): Carnival Sunshine, Carnival Sunrise, and Carnival Radiance
Carnival’s Sunshine Class is one of its most unusual. All three ships in this class were originally built in the 1990s; however, the ships were completely gutted and redesigned from head to toe with a $200 million renovation for each ship.
Nearly every area of the original ships was redesigned. All of these cruise ships in the Sunshine Class can hold approximately 3,000 passengers at capacity and measure around 100,000 gross tons. These ships are still 40% smaller than Carnival’s newest and biggest ships, but still have tons of amenities, like the adults-only Serenity, WaterWorks waterpark, and sports court.
Dining options are plentiful and include options like Guy’s Burger Joint, Pizzeria del Capitano, BlueIguana Cantina, Bonsai Sushi, and Fahrenheit 555, along with many more.
Vista Class (2016-2019): Carnival Vista, Carnival Horizon, and Carnival Panorama
Carnival's Vista Class is notably smaller than Carnival’s newest ships, but they're still packed with tons of fun and things to do. These vessels clock in at 130,000 gross tons and hold around 4,000 passengers.
Vista Class ships featured the first breweries and BBQ smokehouses at sea, thanks to another partnership with celeb chef Guy Fieri. Carnival Panorama and Horizon both include the newer complimentary dining options of Guy’s Pig and Anchor Smokehouse and Brewhouse.
Again, you can enjoy an array of dining options onboard with Cucina Del Capitano, JiJi Asian Kitchen, BlueIguana Cantina, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, and Guy’s Burger Joint.
Read more: 23 things I loved and hated about Carnival Vista
Excel Class (2021-2028): Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, Carnival Jubilee, Carnival Festivale (2027), and Carnival Tropicale (2028)
Carnival's Excel Class is home to the biggest and most innovative ships within the fleet. The cruise ships are totally redesigned from anything Carnival had built before and feature a slew of brand-new amenities onboard.
The ships in the Excel Class clock in around 180,000 gross tons, making them Carnival's biggest ships. These ships are nearly 40% bigger than anything the cruise line has built before. At maximum capacity, the ships can hold 6,500 passengers.
Excel Class ships are LNG-powered, which makes them more sustainable than other ships in the fleet. Another first was the highly anticipated debut of Bold: The Ultimate Sea Coaster. This was the first rollercoaster at sea.
There are nearly 20 different eateries onboard, featuring new dining options like Shaq’s Big Chicken and Emeril’s Bistro. You can enjoy all of Carnival’s signature dining options, as well as multiple specialty dining restaurants.
Everything onboard Excel Class ships is bigger and better. You’ll also find top-of-the-line entertainment and accommodations onboard Excel Class ships.
Read more: I took my first Carnival cruise on its newest ship. Here are my honest thoughts
Venice Class (2023-2024): Carnival Venezia, Carnival Firenze
Another unique class on Carnival is its Venice Class, which is home to two ships that were transferred from sister brand Costa Cruises. Both of these vessels have an Italian flair to cruising thanks to Costa’s Italian heritage.
Carnival describes these ships as having a distinct blend of vacation flavors. The design onboard is certainly notable, with Italian designs around every corner. The ship’s center looks like something straight from Italy.
These ships are fairly large compared to the rest of Carnival’s fleet, measuring 135,000 gross tons and holding around 4,126 passengers at capacity. Guests can enjoy a mix of complimentary and specialty onboard with almost all of Carnival’s signature dining options, and of course, plenty of pizza!
Carnival’s Itineraries and Destinations
If you’re looking to take a Carnival cruise, you will more than likely be sailing from North America. The cruise line aims to attract mostly Americans, although you can find Carnival ships sailing around the world.
Because Carnival strives to be the most affordable cruise line, the cruise line’s strategy revolves around guests arriving at the port by car rather than plane. This aligns with the company’s goal to attract budget cruisers.
The most popular destinations on Carnival include itineraries to the Caribbean, Mexico, and The Bahamas. Carnival operates the most sailings from all major cruise hubs in North America, including Miami, Florida; Port Canaveral, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Galveston, Texas. Other smaller ports include Jacksonville, Florida; Baltimore, Maryland; and Norfolk, Virginia.
If you want a more unique itinerary, consider a Carnival Journeys sailing. Carnival Journeys is a limited series of cruises that focus on longer itineraries to impressive, worldwide destinations. You can book sailings to incredible ports in Japan, the Philippines, Bali, Australia, New Zealand, and Vietnam. These longer sailings provide a more immersive experience for Carnival guests to learn about new cultures.
In general, you won’t find as many European cruises on Carnival. Although they exist, there aren't as many ship or itinerary options as competitors like Royal Caribbean or Norwegian.
Carnival cabin guide
Because of Carnival’s focus on being budget-friendly, you might not find as many stateroom and suite options as you’d find on other cruise lines. Those looking for a top-of-the-line Carnival suite experience will want to cruise on an Excel Class ship, which has 180 suites onboard and multiple different tiers of suites.
However, most of Carnival’s ships have a relatively low number of suites available. All Carnival ships will offer inside cabins, outside ocean view cabins, balcony cabins, and suites.
What Carnival lacks in suites, it makes up for in balcony categories. Throughout the fleet, you can find upwards of 18 different balcony staterooms. For example, families can book a Family Harbor Balcony cabin and receive special access to the Family Harbor lounge, which serves up all of your kids’ favorite meals.
Read more: Carnival Cruise Line cabin guide
You can also book Cloud 9 Spa balconies, which are located conveniently next to the Cloud 9 Spa, where guests receive access to the thermal spa throughout their cruise. Another specialty cabin to consider would be the Havana stateroom, which is located near the Latin-themed Havana bar onboard. Guests have access to an exclusive sundeck and pool in the Havana area, but must be 12 or older.
Note that Carnival’s older ships, especially in the Fantasy Class, have very few balconies. If you want to have a private veranda, you'd better book one of the coveted balconies as quickly as you can. Even with amplifications to add more balconies, only around 150 balconies are available onboard.
Otherwise, you’ll find more standard cabins throughout Carnival’s fleet. Cabins are comfortable and functional, especially on the newer vessels. The newer cabins feature light woodwork with hues of blue and cream throughout, while older cabins have darker woodwork. The most impressive aspect of Carnival’s newest ships was the bathroom design with extremely spacious showers.
Carnival cruise food
Carnival Cruise Line has some of the best complimentary cruise food in the industry. While you can also splurge on specialty dining for an up-charge, Carnival’s ships have an impressive amount of quick, casual restaurants.
Every Carnival cruise ship will have a main dining room included in the cruise fare, which serves sit-down meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For dinner, you’ll either be assigned a traditional dining time (first or second seating) or you will need to request a table using your Carnival app for those with Your Time dining.
You won’t want to miss out on SeaDay Brunch, either, which is one of Carnival’s signature dining options only available on sea days.
Carnival’s ships will also feature a buffet with food served cafeteria style, called the Lido Marketplace. It's easily accessible for all meals.
Where Carnival really shines is its quick, casual dining options with some of the best poolside eateries you can find at sea. Even better, they’re all complimentary!
Shaq’s Big Chicken rivals Chick-fil-A with crispy chicken tenders and sandwiches, with a nice selection of homemade dipping sauces. It also serves breakfast sandwiches. On the other hand, Guy’s Burger Joint serves juicy, freshly made burgers. You can build your own burger or order from the set menu. All burgers are served with well-seasoned fries.
Another very popular, complimentary option is BlueIguana Cantina. This poolside venue has tacos and burritos available throughout the day, with breakfast offerings in the morning.
Carnival is also known for its pizza, which is available nearly all hours of the day. You can request a freshly made personal pizza or grab a slice whenever you feel. Another excellent option is the panini shop onboard, where you can get a better-than-Subway sandwich made to order.
Newer ships will also feature another dining option from Guy Fieri, called Guy’s Pig and Anchor Smokehouse. Barbecue entrees are served for lunch (buffet style) and dinner (sit-down) with meats smoked right onboard. The smokehouse is right next to Guy’s Brewhouse, which is the ship’s very own brewery onboard. The brewery also makes its very own beers, which is pretty rare to find on a cruise ship.
Excel Class ships feature complimentary lunch and dinner at ChiBang, which is an Asian-Mexican restaurant with two separate menus for each cuisine, and Cucina del Capitano, an Italian specialty restaurant. While these are complimentary onboard Excel Class ships, other classes will have a small surcharge to dine here.
Those looking for a more upscale dining experience can try out Carnival’s signature steakhouse, Fahrenheit 555. Although this was not our favorite place to dine on Carnival, many seem to rave about the steakhouse. Other specialty options include Bonsai Sushi and Teppanyaki, along with JiJi Asian Kitchen. Newer vessels also feature Rudi’s Seafood specialty dining as well.
Whether you just want to eat complimentary food on your Carnival cruise or splurge for specialty dining, you will find something delicious to enjoy. Carnival’s food continuously surprises us, especially for the prices of their cruises. The food is generally more grubby and greasy than on other cruise lines, although you can still find healthier options.
Oh, and do not forget to try Carnival’s chocolate melting cake! It’s available each night, and it’s the best chocolate cake at sea.
Carnival entertainment
There’s always something happening on a Carnival cruise ship, whether you are hitting the casino, attending a Production Playlist show, singing tunes at karaoke, or visiting the comedy club each night. You’ll find plenty of things to keep you busy when it comes to entertainment.
Carnival’s production shows are not as long and over-the-top as you’ll find on competitor cruise lines, like Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line. Most shows are only 30 minutes long, which allows you to bop around to multiple events, activities, and shows throughout your day.
The exception to this comes from the newest ships in Carnival’s fleet within the Excel Class. The biggest vessels have more space allocated to entertainment, with multiple theaters for productions to take place.
Excel Class ships have the highest quality entertainment shows within the fleet, some that rival other cruise lines. With acrobatics, cutting-edge technology, singing, and dancing, you’ll certainly enjoy all of the Excel-class entertainment.
The rest of Carnival’s fleet keeps entertainment simpler. You’ll find the production shows are enjoyable to watch, but nothing to write home about. The entertainment is always lively, fun, and upbeat.
Carnival is also known for having daily comedy shows in its famed Punchliner Comedy Club. You can find the comedy club onboard every Carnival ship, although it might be a versatile lounge rather than a dedicated venue. In fact, Carnival is one of the biggest employers of comedians in the world! You can attend daily shows — some meant for adults and others for all ages, with family-friendly content.
In general, Carnival’s cruise ships have many versatile lounges that can host anything from comedy shows to trivia and everything in between.
If you are sailing on an Excel Class ship, you should arrive early for any shows taking place in the Center Stage venue. This innovative venue, which spans over three decks in the atrium, lacks seating options. Many will wait in line just to grab a seat for the main shows, and it can get heated with people vying for seats.
Onboard activities
In addition to its production entertainment shows, some of Carnival’s signature entertainment comes from its unique game show offerings. The cruise line has exclusive deals to host Deal or No Deal shows onboard, along with Family Feud. These interactive shows are a hoot, so be sure not to miss them. If you don’t mind the spotlight, try getting onstage yourself during one of these rowdy activities.
Whether you want to take the stage and sing karaoke yourself or attend the Piano Man bar, you can sing your heart out all evening on board a Carnival cruise. Both of these offerings are very popular activities for Carnival cruises, with karaoke being one of the main things to do each evening.
Although not typically considered an activity, Carnival’s ships feature more photographers and opportunities for photoshoots than your average cruise ship. Carnival cruisers love the professional photo ops onboard, and these are always busy with guests posing for keepsake pictures. Each evening, you’ll be able to find photographers ready to capture your best smile!
Those who prefer spending their evenings at the slot machines or playing poker can enjoy Carnival’s onboard casinos. Every Carnival ship has a casino onboard, and it’s a busy place all hours of the night.
Live music is also common to find in the evenings on board your Carnival cruise ship. It’s not unusual to see live bands performing in the onboard lounges and bars. This can make for an enjoyable happy hour with a pre-dinner cocktail.
Carnival Kitchen is another unique activity. This onboard facility allows guests to book cooking classes, which cost anywhere from $30 to $60. These classes range from one to two hours.
You can learn how to make Carnival’s signature pizza or chocolate melting cake, along with plenty of other classes in the state-of-the-art kitchen. In our experience, these classes book up quickly before you even get on board. If you are considering a cooking class, you should reserve your spot ASAP.
Carnival cruise thrills and attractions
Carnival’s top deck is jam-packed with onboard thrills and attractions, all aimed for your entire family to enjoy. Those looking for some relaxation by the pool can snag one of many loungers on the top deck; adults can retreat to the child-free Serenity onboard, which has even more space to relax.
If you want a rush of adrenaline, head to the aft of your Carnival cruise ship to see all the fun attractions and thrills. Most Carnival ships feature a waterpark area called WaterWorks with multiple waterslides. You might think these are just for kids, but even I found the slides to get my adrenaline pumping.
You can also venture around the top deck on an obstacle course called SkyCourse. This complimentary ropes course is complimentary and takes you around zip lines, challenging traverses, and suspended bridges. Guests of all ages love these courses. You can even hang off the side of the cruise ship! SkyCourse is available on most of Carnival’s cruise ships.
Those wanting to stay active can enjoy the walking path around Carnival’s top deck. Basketball and volleyball lovers will also like the sports courts available on most of Carnival’s ships as well. You can find organized games as well as plenty of other guests playing pick-up games here, too.
One of the most notable attractions comes from Carnival’s newest ships with Bolt: The Ultimate SeaCoster. The flagship vessel in the Excel Class, Mardi Gras, was home to the first rollercoaster at sea. Sister-ships Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee also feature Bolt.
Adrenaline junkies won’t want to miss the unique opportunity to soar above the top deck on these 2-person riders. For $15, you can take two quick laps around the coaster track. This is being replaced on Carnival Festivale and Tropicale, though.
Carnival kids club: Ultimate guide to Camp Ocean
Carnival is very family-focused, so it only makes sense that the cruise line has a renowned childcare program. For kids starting as young as 2 years old, the cruise line has extensive programming called Camp Ocean for kids and teens up to age 17.
The program splits children into age groups: Sharks (age 9-11 years old), Stingrays (age 6-8 years), and Penguins (age 2-5 years old). Turtles are considered children between 6 months and 2 years old. Everything is supervised and hosted by Carnival’s trained youth staff.
In these age groups, Camp Ocean has age-appropriate activities like arts and crafts to dance parties, storytime, sensory activities, movies, science projects, video games, and more.
If you’re looking to enjoy adult-only time, whether late onboard or ashore in port, you can leave your kids in Camp Ocean. For a fee, counselors will take care of your children while you have some kid-free time. Camp Ocean refers to this as Night Owls time, and fees do apply, but this is a great option for childcare onboard.
Free programming is available until 10 p.m. Once this commences, the slumber-party style of Night Owls begins with counselors transforming Camp Ocean into the ultimate late-night party with snacks, games, and movies. It costs $8.85 per hour, including an 18% service charge.
Teens (age 15-17) and tweens (age 12-14) also have their own dedicated space onboard and are free to come and go as they please without any sign-ins. Tweens can enjoy the Circle C space lounge exclusively for guests of similar age. There are plenty of video games, movies, and music taking place here.
Older teens can also gather in Club O2 onboard Carnival’s ships. This is for the oldest age group and includes karaoke, activities, music, and dancing. Carnival’s website even states that Club O2 hosts the cruise line’s version of prom!
All kids and teens need to be registered by their parents or guardians. It’s best to do this on the first day onboard so your children have the opportunity to visit Camp Ocean, Circle C, or Club O2 throughout the entire cruise.
Carnival’s Loyalty Program: VIFP Club vs. Carnival Rewards
Like all major cruise lines, Carnival Cruise Line rewards loyal cruisers to the brand through its VIFP Club. VIFP stands for Very Important Fun Person Club.
However, the VIFP Club is being replaced by the brand-new Carnival Rewards program in June 2026. Carnival Rewards is a first-of-its-kind points-based system that lets guests accumulate both Carnival Rewards points that can be redeemed on Carnival purchases and status-qualifying stars that will determine a guest’s tier status.
With Carnival's VIFP Club, loyalty is determined based on how many nights a passenger has spent on Carnival ships. This will no longer be true with Carnival Rewards.
The new Carnival Rewards tiers are as follows:
Red: Upon sign-up
Gold: From 10,000 stars
Platinum: From 50,000 stars
Diamond: From 100,000 stars
Points can be redeemed for nearly any Carnival product or service, such as spa treatments, specialty restaurants, shore excursions, and even future cruises.
Moreover, status is earned over two years and expires if not retained.
Carnival cruise cost
Carnival’s entire brand is centered around offering affordable cruise fares for families. The cruise line also offers a lot of short weekend sailings, which also helps cruisers keep costs down.
Most of Carnival’s sailings are cheaper than competitors'. It’s tough to beat Carnival on price, unless you plan to sail during spring break. During this time, you could find higher prices due to demand. Carnival’s the party-ship, and college students want to party during spring break!
You can expect to spend less than $150 per day per person on Carnival’s ships for an interior cabin. Some sailings might be slightly more or less than this amount. If you splurge on a higher-end cabin, such as a balcony or suite, you can expect to spend closer to $200 per person per day.
Most 7-night cruises on Carnival for 2 people in an inside cabin will be priced anywhere from $1,200 to $3,000. Shorter sailings for 4 nights are priced around $500 to $700 for an inside cabin.
Pricing on Carnival is dynamic, so sailing during shoulder season, such as the months of September through December, can be priced lower. Last-minute bookings can also provide cheap fares, although not always.
Here are a few examples of Carnival's pricing:
7-night Western Caribbean cruise on Carnival Jubilee — July 18, 2026: $1,135/person for an interior cabin and $1,415 for a balcony stateroom
5-night Bahamas cruise on Carnival Elation — November 9, 2026: $390/person for an interior cabin and $830 for a balcony stateroom
7-night Alaska cruise on Carnival Miracle — August 6, 2026: $1,090/person for an interior cabin and $1,745 for a balcony stateroom
Many suggest booking cruises as far in advance as possible to lock in the best price and stateroom selection. You can book directly with Carnival on the cruise line’s website, or you can book through a travel agent.
Know before you board
Here are a few other helpful tidbits you’ll want to know before boarding your Carnival cruise, especially if you’re a first-time cruiser.
Boarding Documents
First, confirm the boarding documents necessary for sailing. It’s best to have a valid passport with at least 6 months of validity, although Carnival also allows U.S citizens to board round-trip sailings that leave and return to the U.S. to board with alternative identifying documents.
If you do not have a passport, you will need an official copy of your birth certificate and a driver’s license (or other government identification card). You might also be required to bring any marriage or divorce licenses, so it’s best to consult Carnival’s website before ditching the passport. International departure ports will require a valid passport.
Your name on the reservation must be exactly as it is shown on your official government documents. Be sure to pack these in your carry-on and do not check passports or documents in your checked luggage at the terminal.
Read more: The extra step you should take so you aren't delayed getting on board a Carnival cruise
Wi-Fi
Carnival’s onboard internet is not complimentary. The speed and reliability of Carnival’s ships have been impressive in my experience, although it is still slower than on-land speeds.
You will need to purchase an internet plan for your sailing if you want internet access during your cruise. It’s best to pre-purchase your internet packages for your Carnival cruise to save up to 15%, but you can also pay for internet onboard your ship.
Carnival offers four different internet packages: Social, Value, Premium, and Multi-Device Premium. Those looking to access social media websites, such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, can purchase the social media package for $20.40 per person per day.
The Value Wi-Fi ($23.80/day) plan allows you to do basic internet activities like emailing, surfing the web, and checking the weather, but does not support streaming services. The Premium package ($25.50/day) has the best connection and supports all internet activities, including streaming and video calls.
Drink Package
If you plan to drink frequently on your Carnival cruise, you might want to consider booking Carnival’s CHEERS! package. Your cruise fare will only include basic beverages, such as water, coffee, tea, lemonade, and milk. Those wanting alcohol will need to either pay for each drink onboard or purchase the CHEERS! drink package.
With the drink package, you can indulge in a fixed number of alcoholic beverages every day of your cruise. This means you don’t need to worry about racking up a bill with each cocktail purchase.
The CHEERS! drink package is the only drink package that includes alcoholic beverages, and you’re limited to 15 alcoholic drinks each day. You receive unlimited drinks of soda, specialty coffees, and energy drinks, though!
Currently, the CHEERS! package runs for $89.94 per person, including gratuities. However, if purchased in advance, you can save 10% on the CHEERS! package, bringing the daily cost down to $83.94 per day
All guests who are 21+ years old in your stateroom must also have the drink package, meaning you cannot purchase the drink package for just one guest in your stateroom if others are of legal drinking age.
The drink package can save you money if you plan to drink frequently during your cruise, especially if higher-end cocktails, liquors, and spirits are your go-to. Those who just want a daily cocktail are better off purchasing a la carte.
Read more: What's the cost of a drink package on Carnival?
Gratuities
Gratuities are charged each day onboard Carnival’s cruises for every person in your cabin. These can be prepaid before boarding your cruise or can be charged daily during your sailing. The current rate (as of October 2025) is $16.00 USD per person per day in standard rooms, while suite guests will be charged $18.00 per person.
It’s standard to pay these gratuities, as it supports the staff onboard and rewards crew members for high-quality service. Gratuities are technically optional, although it’s not recommended to remove or adjust these charges. If you have any concerns with this rate, it’s best to consult Guest Services onboard.
Moreover, Carnival's service charge for add-ons like alcoholic beverages, spa treatments, and more is 20%.
Smoking and Drug Policy
Like all cruise lines, Carnival has a strict smoking policy to ensure the safety of all passengers. Fire is the biggest threat to cruise ships, so these rules are enforced.
On Carnival’s ships, smoking is only allowed in designated outdoor areas and in the casino. You are not allowed to smoke on your private balcony, and you could be fined up to $500 per violation or kicked off if you break this rule. These smoking policies also apply to electronic cigarettes and vapes.
Illegal drugs of any kind are not allowed onboard Carnival’s ships. The cruise line is very strict about this and has even enforced drug-sniffing dogs in recent months. Even if marijuana is legal in your state, the cruise line has to follow federal laws.
Carnival states, “Illegal drugs, including marijuana, on cruise ships and at cruise terminals, is prohibited. While marijuana may be legal in some states. We are required to follow federal law, irrespective of the law in the state where you may be boarding your ship”.
Those using medical marijuana will need to bring alternative therapies on board, as even medical marijuana is not allowed. Guests who violate this will be fined and could be forced to disembark.
Read more: What not to bring on a Carnival cruise
Dress Code
In general, Carnival’s ships are very casual and laidback. Sea days in warm climates mean that most guests will be dressed as if they are hitting the pool or beach. Shorts, tank tops, t-shirts, dresses, and swimsuits are common during sea days.
Evenings onboard might have an official dress code, but Carnival is notoriously casual. The cruise line designates many nights onboard as ‘Cruise Casual’, which implies jeans, polos, and sundresses. I’ve seen people wear anything and everything in the evenings onboard Carnival’s ships, so don’t stress too much about the dress codes.
Carnival’s ships also feature an elegant night onboard, which encourages more formal attire. You can pack a cocktail dress for women and dress pants with a button-down for men. If you don’t want to participate in formal night, you can simply dine elsewhere onboard (and there are plenty of other dining options other than the main dining room).
Read more: Cruise packing list: What to bring on a cruise
Carnival HUB App
While sailing on your Carnival cruise, you’ll want to make sure you’ve downloaded the cruise line’s app, called Carnival HUB. You can download the app before even setting sail to book excursions, spa reservations, dining reservations, and internet packages. You can also complete your online check-in as your sailing gets closer.
During your cruise, the Carnival app becomes more important. You can chat with other guests, look at the activity schedule, see deck maps, manage your onboard account, and also request dining reservations.
If you do not have a traditional dining time (first or second seating), then you will need to request your dinner table in the main dining room on the Carnival HUB app. You can check in on the app when you’re ready to eat, as well as view the menus for all lounges, bars, and restaurants.
The mandatory safety drill will also be done using the Carnival HUB app. Right after you embark, you will need to visit your assigned muster station and complete the safety drill on the app.
The app is free to download, although the chatting feature is an additional cost. You do not need to purchase an internet package for the app to work, as it works even on airplane mode.
Onboard Vibe
Don’t board a Carnival ship and expect anything to upscale or fancy. Carnival’s ships are all about fun and providing a laid-back environment. It’s a party most of the time from the minute you step onboard! In fact, you should head straight to the Sailaway Party because that will be your first taste of the party atmosphere.
For the price you pay, Carnival offers a great value for cruisers of all ages, but especially families. Camp Ocean is an excellent resource for families to take advantage of.
Dining might feel more like fast food than you’d find on other cruise lines, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t delicious. In fact, I think other cruise lines can take note of Carnival’s approach to dining with fantastic eateries serving quick, poolside grub. This keeps the atmosphere feeling very casual, which aligns perfectly with Carnival’s branding.
There will be no shortage of fun on your Carnival cruise, but it’s not a luxury cruise product. Carnival’s onboard vibe can be flashy and fast-paced. It’s the best cruise line for those looking to save money without sacrificing fun. Let loose and don’t forget to try the chocolate melting cake for me!
Allie Hubers
Allie Hubers has been cruising since she was a toddler. What started as a yearly vacation with family quickly turned into a passion for travel, cruising, and adventure. She's sailed on 50+ cruises and visited more than 60 countries. Hubers even studied abroad on Semester at Sea, sailing the world on a ship while taking courses for college and visiting 4 continents.
She has contributed her travel and cruise expertise to numerous publications, including Business Insider, US News & World Report, and Travel Lemming. Hubers earned her MBA in Data Analytics and works as a senior strategy analyst.
