Carnival Cruise

Carnival Cruise Line's 29 cruise ships range in size from 70,000 to over 184,000 gross registered tons. Today, the largest Carnival cruise ship is Carnival Jubilee, while the smallest is Carnival Elation. 

Despite the age gap between Carnival's newest and oldest ships, the "Fun Ship 2.0" initiative upgraded the line's older ships' onboard dining, entertainment, and other public venues. 

In addition, venues that became popular on newer ships were added, including BlueIguana Tequila Bar and Guy's Burger Joint. 

Carnival's loyalty overhaul outraged many longtime cruisers who felt that the cruise line didn't value their dedication over the years. 

The updated Carnival Rewards™ program was met with a lot of criticism across social media and cruise forums, resulting in Carnival announcing a major change for top-tier cruisers. 

Hurricane Lorena has forced at least one cruise ship to change its itinerary to avoid the storm. 

Guests aboard Carnival Firenze were informed that, although no ports of call have been cancelled, they will now be visiting the ports in a different order. 

Carnival Firenze departed from Long Beach, California, on Thursday, September 4, on a 5-night cruise to the Mexican Riviera. 

After months of disappointing changes and updates, Carnival Cruise Line finally caved and announced a new non-alcoholic drink package for guests. 

In the past, Carnival only offered two drink packages: CHEERS! and Bottomless Bubbles. Although Bottomless Bubbles technically is a non-alcoholic option, it's limited to soda and juices. If cruisers wanted a mocktail or energy drink, they'd have to purchase it individually. 

With the launch of CHEERS! Zero Proof passengers can now enjoy a wider variety of non-alcoholic beverages for a set price. 

There are numerous ways you can contact Carnival for assistance regarding your upcoming cruise. However, if you don't want to sit on hold for a Personal Vacation Planner, there are a few email addresses that can help streamline your request. 

Perhaps, for example, you have certain dietary restrictions, and you want to make sure the dining room can accommodate your needs. Or maybe you're traveling with a large group and want to arrange a special event for everyone on board. 

Carnival's new private destination in The Bahamas has spaces for families and adults. However, the age restriction in one of the adult-only areas is being relaxed. 

Key takeaways:

Just like with airlines and hotels, you can book your Carnival cruise months in advance. In fact, Carnival sometimes releases its itineraries over two years beforehand, giving travelers more opportunities to plan and budget for their vacation. 

Although you don't have to rush to make your next cruise booking this minute, there are benefits to planning in advance. For example, you'll have more cabin options than if you were to look at a last-minute Carnival cruise. 

Passengers aboard a Carnival cruise ship were caught fighting in the ship's buffet after an argument quickly escalated.

Video of the fight, which is less than one minute long, was shared on Instagram and Facebook by Mike Terra. In the clip, a massive brawl breaks out in the Lido Marketplace buffet.

The incident supposedly took place on the last night of the cruise, when the vessel was just hours away from returning to Miami, Florida. 

Carnival Cruise Line recently opened its newest adults-only beach club in The Bahamas. The exclusive retreat costs extra, so I spent a day there to see whether or not it's worth it.

Celebration Key is Carnival’s latest private destination, and it's exclusive to the cruise line's guests. It offers beaches, lagoons, swim-up bars, waterslides, and a whole lot more. It’s also where you’ll find Pearl Cove Beach Club, the cruise line’s brand-new adults-only getaway.