Carnival Cruise

Congratulations on booking your first Carnival cruise! 

As one of the most popular mainstream cruise lines, Carnival is renowned for its lively atmosphere, diverse culinary experiences, and budget-friendly fun. As excited as you may be, you likely have a few questions on how to best prepare — that's where we come in. 

After placing your deposit, you’ll need to plan shore excursions, book add-ons, arrange pre-cruise transportation, and more.

Climbing the Carnival loyalty ladder is a big deal. Not only do cruisers proudly wear their status on their colored Sail & Sign cards, but the higher you are, the more perks you get while onboard. 

More cruisers than ever have reached the coveted Platinum and Diamond statuses, as revealed by some ships' inability to offer the full lineup of VIP perks on sailings with a high number of top-tier sailors. 

Although I'm still 47 points away from reaching Platinum status, I've already begun to reap the benefits of Carnival's VIFP Club. 

Thousands of Carnival passengers were stranded overnight in the Port of Long Beach as the ship’s crew worked to resolve ongoing “connectivity issues” that prevented the vessel from departing as scheduled. 

The 6-night cruise was originally set to sail on December 15, with planned stops in Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, Mexico. However, the extended delay forced Carnival to remove Ensenada from the itinerary at the last minute. 

Despite the high daily price of Carnival's drink package, guests are limited to 15 drinks per day — and that doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon. 

A recent rumor caught the attention of the cruise line's Brand Ambassador, who was quick to put the baseless speculation to rest. 

Carnival Cruise Line is building a first-of-its-kind destination concept in the Mexican Riviera.

The cruise giant, in partnership with ITM Group and Hutchison Ports ECV, announced plans to construct a new shoreside destination in Ensenada, Mexico, on December 5, 2025. 

Not only does Carnival have one of the most expensive cruise drink packages at sea, but guests are expected to pay extra for beverages at the line's private ports. 

That's right — the line's $80-per-day package doesn’t cover alcoholic beverages at Half Moon Cay or Celebration Key. It's one of the most frustrating limitations of the package, on top of the 15 daily drink cap.