Carnival Cruise

Last year, I embarked on a 5-night sailing on Carnival's smallest cruise ship from Jacksonville, Florida, to the Bahamas. 

Although I hadn't heard the most positive reviews about Carnival's Fantasy Class, I wanted to keep an open mind not only for myself, but for my partner, who was sailing on her first-ever Carnival cruise. 

Certain parts of the sailing lived up to the hype, including Guy's Burger Joint and laugh-till-you-cry comedy shows, but others fell short. 

When you think of Carnival Cruise Line, do you envision lively party ships to the sunny Bahamas and Caribbean? If so, you aren't alone – I thought the same for a long time! 

After 4 warm-weather sailings with Carnival on ships ranging from Carnival Celebration to Carnival Elation, I decided to embark on an adventure to The Last Frontier aboard Carnival Luminosa. 

I was a little worried I wouldn't enjoy myself, as part of what makes Carnival appealing is its relaxed, fun, and casual atmosphere, rather than port-intensive itineraries with long days ashore. 

Nobody wants a port of call to get canceled on a cruise. Although spending time on the ship is part of what makes cruising so special, missing out on a destination you've been looking forward to can be disappointing. 

Carnival recently made one of its older cruise ships even better with a simple cabin upgrade. 

Carnival Valor, a Conquest Class ship that debuted in 2004, recently underwent a comprehensive dry dock to elevate guest comfort and add new features. 

Notable additions are the brand-new Waterworks aqua park with twin slides and Heroes Tribute Bar & Lounge. However, one of the most underrated improvements can be found in the ship's staterooms. 

Carnival's VIFP Club rewards the line's most loyal cruisers with perks like priority boarding, free drinks, members-only rates, and access to exclusive events.

Although the benefits aren't as lucrative as other lines, Carnival continues to maintain a strong fan base. The perks are a nice way to boost the fun aboard Carnival's fleet that can't be replicated elsewhere!

Carnival Cruise Line is one of the most popular mainstream cruise lines at sea and has a large fleet of ships ranging from 70,000 to over 184,000 gross registered tons.

Today, Carnival has 29 ships in its fleet with another 2 expected to enter service between 2027 and 2028. The largest Carnival cruise ship is Carnival Jubilee, while the smallest is Carnival Elation. 

It’s been over two years since Royal Caribbean updated its Main Dining Room menus to expedite service, and now Carnival seems to be following suit.

Carnival Cruise Line is testing a new express dinner service aboard Carnival Vista that will get you in and out of the dining room in 45 minutes. Generally, Carnival's dinner service takes around an hour and a half. 

A violent fight broke out aboard Carnival Sunrise over the weekend, resulting in passengers being banned from sailing with the line again. 

The incident happened at around 5:30pm on Saturday, June 7, after Carnival Sunrise had departed from Half Moon Cay, the line's private island in the Bahamas. 

Carnival Sunrise was halfway through a 4-night round-trip sailing from Miami, which departed on June 5, 2025. 

“Help!”

That was the caption I jokingly sent to my friends and family, along with a photo of the ship I was about to board for my first-ever Carnival cruise.

As a cruise writer, I’m always looking to expand my horizons in the industry, but I had been avoiding Carnival Cruise Line for years.