Before you can begin your countdown to your Carnival cruise, you have to choose your stateroom.
Selecting your perfect "home away from home" on a Carnival ship is easier than on other cruise lines. Whereas some ships have everything from interior-facing balconies to multi-level suites and cabins with windows overlooking the Royal Promenade, Carnival's staterooms are slightly more standardized. In other words, you won't find the same level of variation in cabin types across their fleet as you might with other cruise lines.
Those looking to stretch their budget as far as possible will likely be interested in an inside cabin, while those with extra money to burn or looking to make their cruise even more memorable may want to splurge on a suite. That said, Carnival's suite experience is far more basic compared to Royal Caribbean and MSC, where top-tier cabins come with private butlers, alcoholic drink packages, and more.
Here's our guide to Carnival Cruise Line cabins to help you make the best decision for your next cruise vacation.
Read more: Everything you need to know about cruise ship cabins
Interior cabins
The most basic accommodation options on any cruise line are interior rooms, and Carnival is no exception. These cabins are some of the smallest rooms onboard and lack natural light since they do not have any windows.
They are great for those on a tighter budget or who want to stretch their vacation budget as far as possible. Spending less on your room means you'll have more to spend on cruise add-ons, such as drink packages, shore excursions, specialty dining, and more.
Some of the oldest ships in Carnival's fleet—Carnival Elation and Paradise—have more inside cabins than balconies. In fact, there are less than 110 standard balconies on these ships! In other words, the majority of guests on these two vessels will either stay in a windowless inside room or a cabin with a picture window.
That said, configurations vary. The cheapest interior rooms are often called "Interior Upper/Lower." Rather than having one large bed, the room is configured with a single twin bed and a pullman or sofa bed. You may even find some interior rooms that have small porthole windows! These are cheaper than paying for an ocean-view room with a larger picture window.
In comparison, Carnival's newest Excel Class ships tend to have around over 700 interior cabins onboard. There are more options than older ships, too. On Mardi Gras, for instance, you can opt for a standard interior stateroom or Premium, Family Harbor, Cloud 9 Spa, or Havana interior room.
The latter three come with additional perks that you might want for your cruise vacation, such as access to the exclusive Family Harbor lounge or Havana pool.
Read more: A look inside an interior cabin on Carnival Conquest
In general, interior cabins on Carnival range from about 155 to 185 square feet, making them more spacious than the inside rooms of some major competitors, like Norwegian Cruise Line! Onboard Norwegian Encore, for instance, an inside cabin measures just 135 square feet.
Ocean view cabins
One step above inside cabins on Carnival Cruise Line are ocean view staterooms. These are similar to interior rooms in that they don't have direct access to the outdoors; however, every room has a picture window that looks out at the ocean. If you are craving natural light but do not want to spend the money on a balcony, these are a great option.
In general, there are fewer ocean-view rooms on newer Carnival ships, as most of the exterior-facing cabins have balconies. That, however, doesn't mean you're at a loss! Like with the number of different interior options on newer Carnival ships, you'll find that you have different types of ocean-view rooms to choose from, too.
Onboard Carnival Celebration, for instance, you'll find 130 standard ocean-view rooms, as well as 41 Family Harbor and 4 Cloud 9 Spa ocean-view cabins. In comparison, Carnival Paradise has around 460 ocean-view staterooms onboard. They're typically close to the same size as interior staterooms.
If you're traveling with a family of five, you might want to look into Carnival's Deluxe ocean-view rooms onboard Dream Class ships (i.e., Carnival Dream, Breeze, and Magic). Not only are these rooms larger—think over 200 square feet—but they can also accommodate more guests than standard ocean-view rooms and feature a split bathroom, allowing one person to use the shower while another brushes their teeth in a separate room.
It's also important to note that on newer ships, ocean-view rooms are mostly concentrated on the lower decks. When sailing on a Fantasy Class vessel, though, they're more widely available! The highest deck they're located on onboard Carnival Jubilee is Deck 5 out of 18.
Balcony cabins
Balconies are some of the most desirable staterooms on any cruise ship. What's better than waking up and stepping outside onto your personal verandah and watching your ship pull into the next port of call?
Compared to older ships in the fleet, Carnival's new buildings have more balcony rooms available. On Carnival Paradise, only 16% of all cabins have balconies. This jumped to 46% on Carnival Panorama and 61% on Carnival Jubilee (Note that these calculations include suites, too).
Starting with Dream Class ships, Carnival began putting cove balconies on each of their new ships. These are different than standard balcony cabins in that they are built into the ship's superstructure, meaning that they're more enclosed than traditional balconies. They have a solid wall separating you from your neighbors and are on the lower decks, sometimes as low as Deck 2!
Similarly, you'll find Havana balconies, as well as Cloud 9 Spa balconies, each of which comes with its own set of fun perks. Note, though, that Havana balcony cabins do not directly overlook the ocean. Instead, your cabin opens up to a patio area next to a public walkway, meaning other guests will pass by your stateroom. In other words, they lack the privacy that normal balcony cabins have.
Select ships also have forward and aft-view balconies that feature more outdoor space and some unique views that port and starboard rooms cannot provide.
On most ships, you'll find that the interior space of a balcony cabin measures around 185 square feet, while the balcony portion is around 35 square feet.
Read more: Best rooms on a cruise ship: Deck, location, & category
Carnival Cruise Line suites
Those looking for the largest cabins on any Carnival ship will want to look at their suite options. While options vary based on ship class, all include some perks that are meant to give you an enhanced cruising experience.
No matter what ship or suite you book, you'll get priority check-in, embarkation, and disembarkation, as well as priority dinner reservations and Main Dining Room time assignment; two complimentary large bottles of water; pillow-top mattress; and bathrobes for onboard use.
Compared to some other suites on competing lines, this may not seem like much; however, you are guaranteed to have more cabin space than if you were to book a traditional stateroom. A Grand Suite onboard Carnival Panorama, for instance, features 345 square feet of interior space! That's about 250 square feet larger than standard balconies.
Read more: Suite Life: Is Upgrading to a Cruise Ship Suite Worth It?
Suites can accommodate more passengers than standard staterooms, so if you want your entire family in one room, they're a great option. Otherwise, you'll have to consider an ocean-view room or two adjoining staterooms.
On their new Excel ships, you'll gain access to Loft 19 if you book one of their 32 Excel Suites, where you'll find a private pool surrounded by plush sun lounges and cabanas. While anyone on the ship can purchase a pass to hang out within Loft 19, Excel Suite guests can do so for free. Plus, they get priority access to cabana reservations.
Additionally, these ships are home to the largest suites in the fleet and come with additional perks, such as a dedicated concierge phone line; guaranteed specialty dining time, with the exception of Bonsai Teppanyaki and Chef's Table; complimentary Bottomless Bubbles soda package, room service, and laundry; sparkling wine and fresh fruit basket upon arrival; and upgraded bathroom amenities.
Excel Suites include the Carnival Excel Presidential Suite, Carnival Excel Aft Suite, Carnival Excel Corner Suite, and Carnival Excel Suite. The largest is the Carnival Excel Presidential Suite, measuring 1,120 square feet with more balcony space than living space!
Read more: 10 things that wowed me about Carnival's suite cabin on Mardi Gras cruise ship
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
