Carnival Cruise

There’s no secret formula to determine the cheapest time to book a cruise. As much as we’d all love to have a crystal ball, there’s no way to accurately predict how cruise prices fluctuate.

For many, booking a cruise vacation requires careful budgeting. Costs can quickly add up, from the base cruise fare to shore excursions, internet packages, specialty dining, airfare, and more. Not to mention, cruise fares have continuously increased over the last few years.

Carnival Cruise Line is planning its biggest class of ships yet. However, with that, they're also planning to stuff as many passengers onboard as possible. 

The new "FUN" ships will measure around 230,000 gross registered tons (GRT), making them larger than most of Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class, excluding Wonder and Utopia of the Seas. They're expected to be delivered in 2029, 2031, and 2033, respectively. 

When it comes to family cruises, few names are as well-known as Carnival Cruise Line. The popular cruise line boasts a fleet of 27 ships, with two more expected to join the fleet in 2025. 

Not all Carnival ships were designed equally, though. While older ships have a more intimate atmosphere, newer vessels are jam-packed with more activities and restaurants. 

Carnival Cruise Line is just five months away from debuting its highly-anticipated private destination, Celebration Key. To mark this exciting milestone, the cruise line has released new videos and construction progress photos to share in their excitement.

The food is arguably one of the best parts of any cruise, and Carnival delivers when it comes to variety and quality. From casual poolside bites from Guy's Burger Joint and BlueIguana Cantina to indulgent three-course meals in the Main Dining Room, there’s something to satisfy every craving. 

Carnival Cruise Line is one of the most popular mainstream cruise lines at sea and has a large fleet of ships ranging from 70,000 to over 184,000 gross registered tons.

Today, Carnival has 27 ships in their fleet with another 4 expected to enter service between 2025 and 2028. The largest Carnival cruise ship is Carnival Jubilee, while the smallest is Carnival Elation. 

Carnival requires all guests to provide them with their check-in information by completing the online portion and selecting their arrival appointment no later than midnight Eastern Standard Time before their cruise date. 

The multi-step online check-in process is easy and takes just a few minutes. It will go even quicker if your passport (or other travel documentation) and credit card are readily available. 

Cruise ships are prohibited from visiting one country in the Caribbean. However, U.S. travelers hope the restrictions will eventually be relaxed. 

President Obama eased travel restrictions to Cuba in 2016, so certain U.S. cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Carnival, began offering voyages to Cuba. Before that, the country had been largely off-limits to American tourists.

Because I cruise at least 9 or 10 times per year, I usually sail in standard cruise ship cabins. However, I splurged on a suite aboard my Caribbean cruise on Carnival Vista, paying nearly $3,600 for a 5-night cruise.