From the upbeat environment of their "FUN" ships to exploring new ports of call, planning a Carnival cruise is exciting! However, nobody wants to overspend on their annual vacation, so it's essential to budget accordingly.
The price of a 7-night Carnival cruise varies based on various factors, such as sail date, age of ship, and cabin category. Aside from logistical considerations, the price of a cruise also depends on the add-ons you deem necessary. Things like drink packages, specialty restaurants, shore excursions, spa treatments, and Wi-Fi will all increase the total cost of your vacation.
Not sure how much a 7-night Carnival cruise should cost you? The answer depends on your personal preferences. You could spend half what another passenger spent on the same cruise if you opt for the cheapest stateroom and limit your onboard spending. That said, here are some key factors that will influence the overall cost of your Carnival cruise.
Read more: 15 things I wish I knew before setting foot on a Carnival ship
Time of year
Cruises during a region's peak season will cost more than if you were to sail during the off or shoulder season.
Let's, for example, assume you're interested in taking a weeklong cruise to the Caribbean. A 7-night cruise in July 2025 onboard Carnival Jubilee starts at $1,169 per person, based on double occupancy. However, if you can wait until October, the fare decreases to $829 per passenger.
Similarly, a 7-night Carnival cruise to Alaska in May 2025 starts at $979, while the base fare for sailings in July increases to $1,179 per person.
Read more: What is the cheapest month to go on a cruise?
Cruise fares typically are more expensive during school holidays, too. Families often plan vacations around their children's breaks, leading to a higher demand for cruises.
For instance, a weeklong cruise over Easter in 2025 onboard Carnival Celebration starts at $839 per person. However, if you have the flexibility to sail the week before, you can save around $90 per guest.
Christmas and New Year's are two holidays that also tend to see inflated cruise fares. A 7-night sailing to The Bahamas aboard Carnival Pride on December 21, 2025, starts at $1,244 per person for an interior cabin. In contrast, a sailing at the beginning of the month can be found for as low as $864, allowing you to save nearly $400 per passenger.
Read more: Spring break cruises: are they fun and should you try one?
Stateroom category
Like the time of year, the cruise ship cabin you select will greatly impact the cost of your 7-night cruise. Typically, inside staterooms are the most affordable option, as they lack natural light and are often the smallest cabins on a ship. Still, they provide a comfortable place to rest and are ideal for those who would rather allocate more money toward add-ons.
Balconies are more expensive, but they offer a fantastic way to enjoy the ocean views and fresh air from the comfort of your stateroom. This upgrade is essential for many cruisers, as it allows them to sip morning coffee on their balcony or watch the sunset.
Ocean-view cabins are a great middle-ground for those who want natural light to illuminate their stateroom each morning but don't want to shell out the extra money for a balcony.
Read more: Balcony vs. oceanview cabin on a cruise ship
Suites provide the most comfort and space of any cabin onboard a Carnival cruise ship. Plus, they come with perks like priority check-in, pillow-top mattresses, and upgraded bathroom amenities. Of course, these luxuries come at a premium, making suites the least affordable cabin category.
Using the same Christmas cruise on Carnival Pride as mentioned above, interior rooms for this holiday sailing start at $1,244; however, if you want a private verandah, you'll have to spend upwards of $1,494 per person, while the cheapest suite is $2,392 per person.
Cabins also impact the price of a Carnival cruise during a region's shoulder season. For example, a weeklong cruise onboard Mardi Gras in February 2026 starts at $789 for an interior cabin, but if you prefer to enjoy the added space and comfort of a balcony, that price jumps to $1,079 per person.
Planning a cruise to Alaska? You may want to consider splurging on a balcony cabin to enjoy the breathtaking views of glaciers, fjords, and wildlife. Since Alaska is a scenic cruising destination, balconies are often more expensive than on Caribbean itineraries.
An inside cabin on a weeklong cruise to Alaska onboard Carnival Luminosa in August 2025 starts at $1,039. However, if you choose a balcony cabin, you can expect the starting price to be around $1,679 per person.
Read more: Carnival Cruise Line cabin guide
Ship
Carnival's Excel Class ships are nothing short of impressive. From seemingly endless dining options to the first rollercoasters at sea, modern cabins, and more, these vessels redefined the Carnival experience. However, as their newest ships with state-of-the-art amenities and cutting-edge design, they are usually more expensive than older ones.
Looking at Carnival cruises in November 2025, a 7-night sailing on Carnival Liberty from New Orleans, Louisiana, starts at around $649 per person. If you want to sail on Carnival Celebration, you're looking at paying at least $759 per passenger.
A lot of Carnival's older ships also operate shorter itineraries, which can be ideal if you're trying to maximize your vacation budget. A 5-night cruise on Carnival Elation in October 2025, for example, costs $434 per person. In comparison, the cheapest weeklong Caribbean cruise starts at $659 onboard Carnival Celebration.
Even if the cruise fare isn't substantially different, shorter cruises mean you'll pay less in gratuities and for daily add-ons like drink and Wi-Fi packages.
Read more: I’m new to Carnival and tried 4 different kinds of cruise ships, here's what I like about each
Add-ons
Your Carnival cruise fare includes everything from accommodation to indulgent meals in the Main Dining Room, comedy shows in the Punchliner Comedy Club, deck parties underneath the stars, and awe-inspiring Playlist Live production shows. However, there's a lot that isn't included. From alcoholic beverages to Wi-Fi, shore excursions, specialty dining, and more, there are tons of opportunities to spend money on top of your cruise fare.
For a 7-night cruise, you can expect to pay around $500 for your CHEERS! Drink Package, depending on when you purchase it. The pre-cruise price, which includes a 10% discount, runs $495.18 for the week. If you wait until you're onboard, you'll pay $536.48.
Similarly, the Premium Wi-Fi Plan starts at $21.75/night, meaning the cost for a 7-night cruise is around $152. However, you can save up to 15% by purchasing the Wi-Fi plan in advance.
Read more: Things I Don't Pay Extra for on Carnival Cruises To Save Money
Unlike Wi-Fi and drink packages, the cost of specialty dining isn't dependent on the duration of your cruise. If you want, you can stick with the complimentary options, including the Main Dining Room, Guy's Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, and buffet. Many travelers, however, like to enhance their onboard experience with a meal in the ship's steakhouse or one of the other themed restaurants.
The cost varies based on the restaurant. For example, Cucina del Captaino, the Italian eatery, costs $24 per adult and $11 per child, while the Teppanyaki restaurant runs $44.84 for lunch and $49.56 for dinner.
The amount you spend on shore excursions is also based on personal preferences. Suppose you're cruising to The Bahamas or Caribbean. In that case, it's easy to plan a budget-friendly day at the beach, relying on public transportation or hiring a cab rather than purchasing a pricey cruise line-sponsored tour.
In other regions, namely Alaska, it's often recommended to book excursions through the cruise line, especially for wildlife viewing activities and glacier tours. These excursions vary widely in cost depending on the experience, but it is not uncommon to see tours for anywhere from $150 to $300 per person in Alaska.
Other add-ons to take into consideration are spa treatments, extra-cost activities like Bingo and the BOLT rollercoaster on Excel ships, laundry services, behind-the-scenes ship tours, professional pictures, fitness classes, and room service.
Gratuities
Carnival cruise fares do not include gratuities (AKA tips).
You can add them to your reservation when booking or have them automatically added to your Sail & Sign account to be settled at the end of the sailing. As of April 2023, the daily rate for guests in standard cabins (i.e., interior, oceanview, and balcony rooms) is $16.00 per person, per day, while the rate for suite passengers is $18.00 per person, per day.
This means that for a weeklong cruise, you'll pay $112 in gratuities if in a standard stateroom or $126 if in a suite. Since the price is per person, not cabin, it's important to factor in the total number of guests in your party when budgeting for gratuities. For example, a family of four in a balcony cabin will pay $448 in gratuities for a 7-night Carnival cruise.
Read more: Worth it or not: Carnival prepaid gratuities
Port fees
Unlike gratuities, port fees are included in the overall cruise fare. You cannot get around paying them, either. They must be paid in full by the final payment date.
Port fees are charged by the ports of call to the cruise line and are a summation of a few different fees, including the pilot fee, per-passenger fee (head tax), and docking fee. In turn, cruise lines pass them on to the passengers.
Not all ports charge the same amount. In fact, some charge significantly more than others! For instance, it's not uncommon to see port fees as high as $300+ on Alaska cruises. However, sailings to The Bahamas and Caribbean tend to have lower port fees, even if the cruise lasts 7 nights.
Read more: Why cruise prices are about to get a little clearer
What should a 7-night Carnival cruise cost?
There's no right answer. If you plan your cruise during the off-season, book an interior cabin, and limit your onboard spending, you can spend less than $1,200 per person for a weeklong getaway.
However, it's possible to spend upwards of $3,000 or $4,000 for a 7-night Carnival cruise if you want to sail in a lavish suite, purchase a drink package, book multiple shore excursions, and vacation during a region's peak season.
Of course, you cannot forget about transportation, either. Getting to and from the port will add to your overall costs. If flying, consider airfare prices, airport transfers, and a pre-cruise hotel since you'll want to arrive the day before departure. Guests who are driving should factor in gas, potential polls, and parking fees at the port.
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.
