Carnival Cruise

Most of the major cruise lines, like Carnival, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean, have their own private island or destination in the Caribbean. If you’ve sailed with Royal Caribbean or Carnival Cruise Line, two of the most popular cruise lines in the world, there’s a good chance that your itinerary included one of the cruise line’s private destinations.

As someone who cruises often, I normally find myself booking affordable inside cabin fares. These are often the cheapest accommodations on a cruise ship and provide the basic necessities and a comfortable stay. In fact, I usually pay for the inside cabin guarantee fare, meaning you do not choose the location of your cabin, but instead the cruise line assigns one to you.

Planning for an upcoming cruise vacation is always an exciting time! I found that a little bit of research can go a long way when you are looking to book a cruise. Choosing the best cruise ship for your travel style and budget is one of the most important considerations when planning a cruise.

When booking a cruise, your budget is mainly impacted by the type of stateroom you choose to stay in. While inside cabins are the cheapest, these staterooms only have the necessities of a bed, bathroom, vanity, closet and couch/chair (if you're lucky!). 

On the other hand, you can splurge on balconies or suites if you’re looking to have a private veranda or more spacious stateroom. 

Are you someone that believes bigger is always better when it comes to cruising?

Larger cruise ships typically feature the latest and greatest when it comes to technology, entertainment, staterooms and dining options. More space onboard allows for a cruise line to squeeze more amenities and offerings for guests.

These days, cruise lines are continuing to construct mega cruise ships that are essentially floating cities with distinct neighborhoods. You can also find multiple classes of suites available and endless things to do and eat onboard.

Last month, I set sail onboard one of Carnival’s newest cruise ships, the Carnival Mardi Gras with my sister.

Last winter, my sister and I sailed on Carnival Celebration, the newest ship in Carnival's fleet, and we fell in love!

Carnival Cruise Line has been around since 1972, with the first cruise setting sail on March 11, 1972. Since then, the cruising industry has changed dramatically. In fact, the original Mardi Gras was advertised as being 27,000 gross tons, while her namesake that was launched in 2021 is a little over 180,000 gross registered tons. 

If you are sailing on a Carnival cruise soon, whether it is to the Bahamas, Caribbean, Alaska, or elsewhere, you might be debating on purchasing a drink package.

Carnival's drink package offers guests the option to enjoy up to 15 alcoholic beverages per day, as well as unlimited sodas and other applicable non-alcoholic beverages, on their cruise for a fixed daily rate, rather than worrying about paying for each drink individually.