Carnival Cruise

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 which 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. 

Carnival Celebration, which just debuted in November 2022, is the cruise line’s newest ship. We booked one of Carnival Celebrations inaugural sailings from North America, sailing from Miami to the Caribbean over the course of a 7-night itinerary.

The brand-new cruise ship from Carnival Cruise Line was stylish, chic and trendy. As someone who’s sailed on Carnival a few times, I was blown away by how modern Carnival Celebration was.

Along with alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages, shore excursions, and port expenses, gratuities are another fee that you have to factor into your cruise budget.

Hardly any cruise lines include them in their advertised rates, unless you book an all-inclusive fare, and they can cost a family of four another $400+ on a 7-day cruise. 

When, if ever, does it make sense to prepay your gratuities if you’re sailing on Carnival Cruise Line? Should you wait until your vacation commences and worry about it at the end?

Each cruise line aims to differentiate themselves in the cruising industry by targeting different demographics; there's a cruise line out there for everyone to fit a variety of budgets and travel styles.

Cruise lines must add their own flair to the cruising experience to create an unparalleled vacation for guests; this entails each cruise ship offering their own special amenities, onboard thrills and specialty restaurants.

Carnival Cruise Line is known for having the most fun ships at sea. Attracting a young demographic, the cruise line caters to an upbeat, party-like atmosphere onboard; the fun starts from the minute you wake up! Additionally, you can find the best sailaway parties and nightclubs at sea.

I’ve sailed on four different Carnival cruises in my lifetime. First, I sailed on Carnival Destiny, which is now known as Carnival Sunshine, back in high school with my family. This was a spring break trip with quick stops to Cozumel and Key West from Miami.

With the continued popularity of cruises to Alaska, Carnival Cruise Line is offering a number of sailings to this northern destination in 2023, even adding an extra ship to the lineup.

My sister (a Millennial) and I (a Gen Zer) recently sailed on Carnival Cruise Line’s newest ship, Carnival Celebration. We have not cruised on Carnival very often, but we were excited to see what Carnival Celebration would be like for us as young cruisers in our 20s.