Carnival Cruise

The excitement is building over Carnival's new private destination opening later this month. However, some are outraged by the extra fees for amenities ashore. 

Located on the south side of Grand Bahama Island, Celebration Key promises a full day of beachside fun and Bahamian-inspired experiences. 

From 275,000 square feet of swimming space in the sprawling Calypso and Starfish Lagoons to splash pads, local artisans, and exclusive beach clubs, the destination was designed to offer something for everyone.

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.

This year's exciting summer cruise season is in full swing. Ahead of the highly anticipated launch of Royal Caribbean's newest mega-ship, Star of the Seas, is the opening of Carnival Cruise Line's private destination in the Bahamas.

Carnival Cruise Line has faced intense backlash this week after making unpopular changes to its loyalty program. However, with the release of Netflix's new documentary on June 24, 2025, the criticism shows no signs of slowing down.

Trainwreck: Poop Cruise recounts the infamous disaster aboard Carnival Triumph in 2013. What was supposed to be a short 4-night sailing from Galveston, Texas, to Cozumel, Mexico, turned into a nightmare after guests were awoken one morning by an emergency alert for the "alpha team." 

Passengers sailing aboard Carnival Liberty's July 6, 2025, cruise out of New Orleans, Louisiana, were informed that the voyage has been canceled — but not for bad weather or maintenance issues. 

Just 13 days before the cruise was scheduled to begin, guests received an email notifying them that their 7-night cruise to the Bahamas would no longer be happening as expected. 

Although Carnival ships have tons of family-friendly entertainment and activities, there are also dedicated areas just for children and teens to hang out without their parents. 

Whether your kids are into video games, arts and crafts, science experiments, or just chatting with new friends, Carnival has something age-appropriate for every group.

The great thing about Carnival's kids' clubs is that they're included in your cruise fare, so there's no extra charge to ensure your children have supervised fun while you enjoy adult-only time by the pool. 

Carnival Cruise Line just unveiled plans for a complete overhaul of its loyalty program, which will include new features, expanded ways to earn status, and updated reward categories.

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.