If you're planning a Carnival cruise in 2025, you’ll want to become familiar with the upcoming changes and additions the cruise line is making.
While they won’t welcome any brand-new ships to the fleet, Carnival is making several exciting updates to enhance the guest experience, as well as some that have outraged loyal customers.
From increasing the cost of Carnival's drink and internet packages to restarting cruises from Norfolk, Virginia, here are 8 big changes you can expect to impact your cruising experience in 2025 and beyond.
Higher drink package prices
Last year, Carnival quietly raised the price of its alcohol drink package without warning. Passengers are enraged by the increase because they weren't given time to lock in the cheaper rate.
Now, the CHEERS! drink package costs guests a minimum of $82.54 if purchased in advance, regardless of the length of the sailing. The onboard price was raised to $88.44, including the mandatory 18% service charge.
Previously, the drink package cost $70.74 for cruises 6 nights or longer when bought before embarkation. This amounts to a daily increase of $11.80 or $82.70 for a 7-night cruise.
Carnival isn't changing the package's benefits despite the price hike, so guests can still expect the 15 daily drink cap. The same $20 maximum beverage price still applies, too. Moreover, the CHEERS! package won't work ashore at Half Moon Cay, Princess Cays, or Celebration Key.
No changes were made to the Bottomless Bubbles soda package. Going into 2025, the package still costs $8.20 per day for children and $11.21 for adults.
Read more: Is a drink package worth it on Carnival?
Bringing back Coca-Cola products
Carnival is breaking up with PepsiCo.
Recently, the cruise line announced that it's partnering with Coca-Cola as its preferred beverage partner across its North American fleet.
Starting sometime during the summer of 2025, guests sailing on ships like Carnival Jubilee, Carnival Vista, and Carnival Conquest can enjoy drinks such as Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, Powerade, Topo Chico, and more.
No more cruises out of Charleston, South Carolina
Carnival Sunshine departed from Charleston one final time on December 30, 2024, as the East Coast port ceased operations with large cruise ships. The Sunshine Class ship was repositioned to offer cruises out of Norfolk, Virginia.
While disappointing, word of the discontinuing operations was announced in mid-2022 when SC Ports revealed they wouldn't renew the contract with Carnival Cruise Line. The city hopes to shift its focus to other areas of tourism and economic development while also helping reduce the cruise-related congestion in downtown Charleston.
Cruise ships will still be allowed to call at Union Pier Terminal; they just can't start or begin their journeys in Charleston. Vision of the Seas, for instance, docked in Charleston on Jan. 18, 2025, as part of its 8-night Southeast Coast and Bahamas cruise.
Celebration Key opens
Carnival will welcome guests to its newest private destination in the Bahamas in July 2025. While not a private island like Half Moon Cay, the port of call will only be accessible to Carnival passengers. With attractions like upscale beach clubs, water slides, swim-up bars, and more, it will compete with Royal Caribbean's award-winning Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Celebration Key will span 65 acres and cost Carnival Corporation $600 million, making it the company's most expensive project. Carnival anticipates the private destination becoming popular, as they have released over 500 itineraries on 18 ships through April 2026.
Whereas Half Moon Cay is essentially just one large stretch of beach, Celebration Key will be divided into five portals, each with a distinct vibe. Two will cater specifically toward adults, with the Pearl Cove Beach Club featuring an 11,000-square-foot infinity pool, swim-up bar, plush daybeds, overwater cabanas, and more — all for an extra charge.
Other portals include the complimentary adults-only Calypso Lagoon, family-friendly Starfish Lagoon, Lokono Cove, and Paradise Plaza.
The official opening date is July 19. Carnival Vista will be the first vessel to call at the private destination.
Loyalty announcement
As expected, Carnival made its highly anticipated loyalty announcement this summer, unveiling its brand-new points-based loyalty program.
Although no changes will happen this year, the news comes as a shock to the line's most loyal fans, many of whom have been sailing with Carnival for decades to attain the coveted Diamond status.
Starting in 2026, Carnival will no longer base loyalty tier progression on the number of nights sailed. Instead, guests will earn qualifying stars based on their total spend with Carnival. $1 is equivalent to 3 stars. 1 casino point also earns cruisers 1 star.
Passengers can also earn stars with the new Carnival co-branded Mastercard. According to the cruise line, the changes are meant to provide guests with more flexibility. Rather than assigning numerous perks to each loyalty tier, cruisers can redeem points on the add-ons that best meet their needs.
The new tiers include:
- Red
- Gold (from 10,000 stars)
- Platinum (from 50,000 stars)
- Diamond (from 100,000 stars)
Read more: Carnival overhauls its cruise line loyalty program with first points-based system
Increased internet package prices
Along with higher drink package prices, Carnival also decided to increase the cost of its Wi-Fi packages by as much as 22%.
The cruise line's most basic package now costs $18.70, compared to $15.30 when purchased in advance. Passengers will pay $22 if they wait until they're onboard.
The Value Plan is the second tier, priced at $22.10 for those who purchase it ahead of time, and $26 if bought onboard. Finally, the Premium Plan, Carnival's fastest and most inclusive package, is priced at $23.80 for pre-cruise purchases and $28 if bought after embarking.
Two new ships
Carnival Cruise Line welcomed two new ships to its fleet in 2025. While neither is a new build, the fleet additions come as part of the line's strategy to expand its offerings in Australia and the South Pacific.
Carnival acquired Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter and rebranded the vessels as Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter, updating the ships during a two-week wet dock in March 2025. However, they kept classic P&O amenities, including the Byron Beach Club, Edge Adventure Park, Luke Mangan's specialty restaurant, and more.
Carnival Adventure, which entered service as Golden Princess before being transferred to P&O Cruises Australia in 2021, will sail year-round from Sydney, Australia. Carnival Encounter started as Star Princess and was also transferred to P&O Cruises Australia in 2021. The Grand Class ship will homeport in Brisbane year-round, joined by Carnival Luminosa during the summer months.
Lido buffet menu change
John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line's Brand Ambassador, revealed that Carnival's popular pizza joint will close at midnight. Passengers won't go hungry, though.
They'll find options like soups, chicken fingers, and sandwiches at the cruise line's midnight buffet. However, the buffet currently offers a Chicago-style pizza, which many guests aren't fans of.
While Carnival isn't planning on changing the midnight buffet, Heald said the cruise line plans to update the lido buffet menu. He didn't provide any specifics, but one person hoped they'd reevaluate the buffet's layout, claiming that seafood was often placed close to non-seafood dishes, which made navigating the Lido Marketplace stressful for someone with severe allergies.
Read more: Here's what you should do with your dirty buffet plates, according to Carnival Cruise Line
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 traveled frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas during her freshman year of high school. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
