Carnival Cruise

Guests dining at one of Carnival's specialty restaurants may notice an updated menu. 

After booking a cruise, one of the most popular add-ons is an alcoholic drink package. There’s nothing quite like having a delicious cocktail at the pool or a specialty latte in the morning to start your day while cruising. Vacation is meant to be relaxing, not stressing over the cost of every drink you want to enjoy!

If you’re planning to go on a Carnival cruise, you might wonder if you should purchase Carnival’s alcoholic drink package, known as the CHEERS! package. You’re not alone if you’re considering whether or not the package is worthwhile.

Over the past two years, I've sailed on multiple cruise lines, including Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Margaritaville, Disney Cruise Line, and even Viking Cruises. These experiences have given me a broad view of what the cruise industry offers. However, there was one major cruise brand that I hadn’t tried yet—Carnival Cruise Line.

Within the past six months, I've sailed on two of Royal Caribbean and Carnival's oldest ships: Vision of the Seas and Carnival Elation. Though both ships launched within two months of each other, they couldn't be more different. From the overall atmosphere to the quality of the dining and cabin experience, one clearly came out on top. 

Following last week's decision to change the itineraries on eight ships, Carnival has announced three more ships have had their itineraries adjusted on select sailing in 2025 and 2026.

According to Carnival's cruise contract, they can tweak itineraries, ranging from minor changes to the hours in a specific port to completely changing scheduled calls. 

Hurricane season is upon us, and the latest storm in the Gulf of Mexico is impacting Carnival Cruise Line’s current operations.

Hurricane Francine poses a significant threat to the coast of Louisiana as the storm approaches land. The hurricane is anticipated to make landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday night as a Category 1 hurricane. With September 10 marking the climatological peak of hurricane activity, the storm is no surprise given the current conditions in the Gulf of Mexico.

Carnival Spirit collided with a small piece of ice sailing through the Tracy Arm Fjord, home to the twin Sawyer Glaciers, while on a 7-night cruise in Alaska. The Spirit Class ship struck the ice on September 5, and, fortunately, the impact caused minimal damage. 

Carnival has adjusted itineraries on eight ships departing in 2025 and 2026. 

Cruise lines have the right to tweak your itinerary, sometimes years ahead of sailing. Sometimes, they'll swap ports or simply adjust the hours in port. Either way, it can be frustrating, especially since cruise lines don't legally have to provide compensation, as per the cruise contract. 

Carnival Cruise Line is best known for a few things in the cruising industry. First, the cruise line has some of the most fun ships at sea with nonstop activities and parties from the moment you step onboard. You can anticipate a lively crown onboard, creating a very upbeat atmosphere during your Carnival cruise.