10 things that I wish I knew before setting foot on Carnival Jubilee, the newest ship in Carnival's fleet that is perfect for first-time cruisers

Texas might be known for cowboys and country music, but the Lone Star State is also home to the new Texas-sized Carnival Jubilee.

Carnival Jubilee has made quite the splash in her new Texas homeport of Galveston as Carnival Cruise Line’s latest cruise ship. Filled with an endless amount of things to do, eat, and see, Carnival Jubilee is one of the best cruise ships for families looking to have the ultimate vacation.

Along with her sister ships - Carnival Celebration and Mardi Gras - Carnival Jubilee is the largest vessel to sail for the cruise line at 182,800 gross tons. As one of the most popular cruise lines in the world, Carnival has found a smashing success with its Excel Class of ships.

Around 37% bigger than any other Carnival ship, the new Excel Class is Carnival’s approach to building mega-ships. Carnival Jubilee can hold 6,500 passengers at maximum capacity. On the other hand, Carnival’s Vista Class is the next biggest ship class and only holds around 4,000 passengers.

There’s no doubt that Carnival has been upping its game with ship design and innovation in recent years with the inception of the Excel Class. As such, the glitzy Carnival Jubilee made her eagerly anticipated premiere in December 2023.

Last month, I had the opportunity to sail on Carnival Jubilee for a 7-night Caribbean itinerary. Although she is a few months old now, Carnival Jubilee still has that special sparkle of a new cruise ship.

Read more: Carnival Cruise ship classes guide & explanation

The massive “Fun” ships are unlike anything Carnival has built before, creating an unparalleled cruising experience. If you’ve never sailed on Carnival’s Excel Class ships, especially the brand-new Carnival Jubilee, you’re in for a real treat.

Even though I’ve cruised on Carnival Celebration and Mardi Gras, I was eager to see what Carnival Jubilee had to offer in comparison to her sister ships. Here are 10 things to know before sailing on Carnival Jubilee.

1. Prepare for crowds and lines

With upwards of 6,000 passengers onboard, Carnival Jubilee is one of the biggest cruise ships in the industry. She currently ranks as the 16th largest vessel in the world. Therefore, it’s not surprising that you can expect to find crowds and lines onboard. However, I found Carnival Jubilee more crowded than her sister ships.

Our cruise was almost sailing at maximum capacity. One crew member said our cruise specifically was around 90% capacity; I can’t imagine how busy the ship would have been at 100% capacity.

Because of this, we found ourselves waiting in lines for almost everything. It never killed the vibe of the cruise, but it was something to consider whenever we wanted to attend a show, grab a bite to eat, or just lounge at the pool.

Read more: Is a spring break cruise with Carnival too crazy? I went onboard to find out

For example, I love splurging on specialty coffee when I’m cruising, but the long lines at Java Blue Cafe deterred me. We also waited upwards of 30 to 40 minutes each evening for an available table, whether this was in the Main Dining Room, Cucina del Capitano, or Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse. The pools and hot tubs were also packed, especially during sea days.

If you’re cruising on Carnival Jubilee, especially summer or holiday itineraries, pack your patience.

2. Get to the shows early - especially the comedy shows

Speaking of crowds and lines, you’ll want to make sure you get to shows and activities very early if you want a seat. I would suggest heading to the venue around 30 to 45 minutes before the show starts.

During our cruise, for instance, the Punchliner Comedy Club was absolutely packed for the evening comedy shows. I am someone who loves to attend comedy shows while cruising with Carnival, as it’s one of the signature entertainment offerings for the cruise line.

But, each time we would mosey to the Punchliner Comedy Club, the line was out the door and around the corner. For this reason, I only attended one or two comedy shows during our time on Carnival Jubilee.

You should plan to arrive particularly early for shows at Center Stage or in the Jubilee Theatre. These are especially popular production shows that most guests onboard will want to see. Center Stage has limited seating because of the venue’s unique design, so plan to arrive promptly for these coveted seats.

3. Don’t miss the headliner shows

While we are on the topic of entertainment, I would highly recommend attending all of the production shows on Carnival Jubilee during your cruise. If you’re a Carnival veteran who has never sailed on an Excel Class ship before, you will be blown away by the quality of entertainment onboard!

Carnival Jubilee has two brand-new shows called Dear Future Husband (a Playlist Production) and The Residency, which takes place at Center Stage. 

Unfortunately, The Residency was only available one evening on our cruise and we missed it! We didn’t realize this was a unique show on Carnival Jubilee that we only had one chance to see, which was disappointing.

Other headliner production shows include Celestial Strings, We Are One, Soulbound, United in Song, Festival of Nations, and Rio Carnival. Carnival Jubilee will also host interactive game shows like Family Feud and Deal or No Deal, which are staples for the cruise line.

I was surprised and slightly disappointed to see many repeat shows from other Excel Class ships on Carnival Jubilee. I was hoping the newest vessel would have more brand-new entertainment to offer. Even still, we enjoyed all of the entertainment onboard the ship! 

4. Stay up late for the deck parties

Carnival Jubilee has an upbeat, energetic atmosphere onboard. Like most of Carnival’s FUN ships, Carnival Jubilee attracts a livelier crowd than other cruise lines. With many Texans onboard looking to let loose and have a good time, you can be sure that your cruise will be party-filled.

To align with Carnival’s fun branding, you’ll be invited to two massive deck parties during your sailing. These include the White Hot Night Party and the ‘80s Rock-N-Glow Party.

The ‘80s Rock-N-Glow Party is described as, “a totally bodacious party with awesome giveaways and a rad ‘80s dance contest.” In addition, the White Hot Night Party encourages guests to come decked in white to sing and dance the night away through the decades.

Plan to stay up late if you see these deck parties on your daily FunTimes agenda, which are delivered daily to your stateroom. You can also see when the parties are planned ahead of time using Carnival’s HUB app.

5. There’s no need to splurge on specialty dining

One of the best aspects of the Carnival cruise experience is having so much included in your cruise fare. Some cruises are notorious for nickel-and-diming guests with constant add-ons and up-charges.

I’ve always appreciated that Carnival keeps their add-ons to a minimum. Because of this, the majority of dining onboard is complimentary with your cruise fare. Carnival Jubilee has a multitude of specialty dining restaurants that include an onboard steakhouse, a Japanese restaurant with teppanyaki, and a seafood grill.

On the other hand, complimentary dining includes some of the cruise line’s best signature offerings, such as Guy’s Burger Joint, Big Chicken, and BlueIguana Cantina. This barely scratches the surface of the included eateries, not to mention Carnival’s famous pizza and sandwich shops!

For this reason, there isn’t a need to splurge on specialty dining, in my opinion. If you like down-to-earth cooking, like juicy burgers, fresh tacos, and crispy chicken, then you will be more than satisfied with Carnival Jubilee’s dining options.

6. Pack a fan for your cabin

Before boarding Carnival Jubilee, I saw rumblings online about guests having temperature control issues in their cabins. I had not experienced this on other Excel Class ships, so I was interested to see if this was truly an issue.

Once we boarded Jubilee and made our way to our cove balcony stateroom, I found the room to be stuffy. We decided to use an old hotel card to keep the air conditioning running nonstop, hoping to cool down the cabin. Luckily, this was successful, albeit not necessarily conserving energy.

Although our room cooled off, it was still a little warm and stuffy at night for my liking. We had the air conditioner running nonstop throughout the cruise, but it seemed like our cabin couldn’t maintain the cooler temperature. As someone who likes it cool at night to sleep, I would guess the cabin was around 74 degrees in the evenings.

If I were to sail again on Carnival Jubilee, I would plan to pack a portable fan for my cabin. Sailing in March meant we had fairly mild heat compared to sailings later into the summer and fall. If you prefer a cool cabin, pack some lightweight pajamas and a portable fan to fight the heat.

Read more: I stayed in three different cabin types on Carnival’s newest and largest cruise ships to see which is better

7. Keep the beds together, if you can

Along with our cabin being a little stuffy, the configuration of our cove balcony cabin was also interesting. Since I was cruising with my sister, we opted to separate the beds. We typically do this when we cruise together; however, I prefer to keep the beds together in a king-bed configuration.

In typical sisterly fashion, we couldn’t agree on the bed configuration, and my sister insisted on separating the beds. The cove balcony was configured so the bed was located directly next to the balcony door and window. Perhaps our cabin had a unique structure, but separating the bed was definitely not the move.

With little space between my bed and the wall, I had to walk sideways to get into my bed each evening. This was so annoying! If I opted to walk between the beds to get into mine, I ended up tousling my sister’s comforter, which she didn’t appreciate if she was sleeping!

It was obvious that our cabin was designed to have the beds configured together instead of separately. If I sailed again on Carnival Jubilee in the same cabin, I would pull my older-sister card and overrule the decision to keep them separate. The room felt more cramped having the beds apart, which isn’t usually the case for cabins, especially interior cabins.

8. Carnival Jubilee celebrates both Texas and the ocean 

Each of the Excel Class ships has its own unique theme that you’ll find onboard. Carnival Jubilee has an ocean theme, which is evident in two of her zones: Currents and The Shores. 

Within these zones, you’ll find ocean-themed bars, lounges, and restaurants to truly transport you to the beach and underwater world. You can find brand-new bars called Dr. Inks (Ph.D) and Golden Mermaid, each of which features new craft cocktails that you won’t find anywhere else in Carnival’s fleet.

Along with Jubilee’s ocean theme, another prominent feature of the ship is its Texas style. Carnival Cruise Line has a long history with the state of Texas. The cruise line was the first to offer year-round sailings to the Caribbean. Now, Carnival has built a brand-new, mega-sized ship specifically for Texas.

Carnival Jubilee calls Galveston, Texas her home - now and forever. The ship proudly sails with the Texas star on her bow, which is unlike any other Carnival ship. 

Additionally, you can find Lone Star Tailgate events onboard Carnival Jubilee. This is something you can only find on Jubilee, as she caters to the Texas market. These tailgate events rival the fun of game day with food, activities, and all things sports.

Carnival Jubilee’s commitment to Texas doesn’t stop there. You’ll find a plethora of merchandise in the Carnival Store with Texas-themed shirts, sweatshirts, water bottles, and more. 

Finally, Carnival aims to play music credited to artists and musicians from the Lone Star State on Carnival Jubilee. There’s no doubt that the cruise line is fully committed to Jubilee serving the Texas market!

9. You won’t find varied itineraries

If you’re a destination-focused cruiser, you won’t be impressed with Carnival Jubilee’s itineraries. Because of Galveston’s location on the Gulf of Mexico, the ship only offers 7-night roundtrip sailings to the Western Caribbean.

The only stops for Carnival Jubilee include Mahogany Bay, Honduras; Cozumel, Mexico; and Costa Maya, Mexico. Variety only comes in the form of order.

Read more: 14 things I loved and hated about Carnival Jubilee

Carnival’s other Excel Class ships have more variety for sailings, with 6-night to 9-night cruises to the Southern Caribbean, Eastern Caribbean, and The Bahamas. This is a perk of sailing from Florida instead of Texas, but for local Texans, you can’t beat the convenience of the Galveston Port.

10. Traveling to and from the port is cumbersome

While we are on the topic of the convenience of Galveston, I will argue that the port is difficult to reach for those traveling from outside of Texas. For this cruise, I was traveling from the Florida panhandle to Galveston. Most of the cruises I’ve been taking are from Fort Lauderdale and Miami, which are conveniently located near major airports in the cities.

Houston Hobby (HOU) is on the south side of Houston, which is the nearest city to the port of Galveston. You can’t fly into Galveston itself. Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport is still around an hour's drive to Galveston with traffic. There is also limited availability for airlines unless you fly Southwest.

Additionally, George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is even further from the port with a 90-minute drive. You can find more flights, but the transportation to and from the cruise terminal will be pricey and timely.

Overall, I was frustrated with how difficult it was to reach the cruise terminal in Galveston as someone traveling from out of state. Ubers were expensive to and from the cruise - and difficult to come by when disembarking.

I won’t be traveling back to Galveston anytime soon for a cruise, as I prefer the ease of Florida’s ports and the more varied itineraries offered.

Read more: Why you should plan a cruise within driving distance