Carnival Jubilee is well on her way across the Atlantic Ocean, having left Tenerife in the Canary Islands and set out to sea. What is coming next for the new Carnival Cruise Line flagship, and when can guests expect key experiences to begin onboard?

Carnival Jubilee On the Way

Carnival Jubilee was delivered to the cruise line, officially becoming the twenty-sixth Carnival ship, on Monday, December 4, 2023, and now the massive ship is on her way to her new home in Galveston, Texas.

The ship has already made her first port of call visit, a supply stop in Tenerife in the Canary Islands, before heading out across the Atlantic Ocean. The next stop will be Nassau in the Bahamas, also to take on additional supplies and crew members in preparation for her first official voyage.

At the moment, satellite tracking data indicates that Carnival Jubilee will arrive in Nassau at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 17. That quick visit – albeit without guests – will still be a momentous occasion for the new ship.

What will be most momentous, however, is when Carnival Jubilee sails into Galveston for the first time, sporting the beautiful star on her bow that connects her to the Lone Star State.

Party Planned for New Ship

Port of Galveston is planning a “Howdy, Carnival Jubilee Celebration” on Wednesday, December 20, 2023 from 8-9 a.m. when the ship arrives. The public is invited to offer a “Texas-sized welcome” to the new vessel as Piers 20-21.

“Bring your welcome signs and don your cowboy hats to cheer the Jubilee and her crew as they arrive to dock at their new home at Cruise Terminal 25,” the event announcement said. “An airplane flying overhead with a welcome banner and a tugboat shooting its water cannon will add to the festivities.”

Refreshments will be served at the event, which is sure to include iconic Texas fun to welcome the new ship. Carnival Cruise Line was the first ever cruise line to sail year-round from Galveston when they began passenger operations from Texas in 2001, and the new ship is the culmination of decades of dedication to fine Texas cruising.

“This is the first brand-new ship to homeport in Galveston since we became a cruise home port 23 years ago,” said Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO. “We hope to have a great turnout for this historic event so the Jubilee crew and Carnival staff see how happy we are to welcome this beautiful ship.”

While the exact timing of Carnival Jubilee‘s arrival may not be certain – weather during her crossing as well as on her way from Nassau to Galveston could impact her arrival – the celebration is sure to be a great occasion to make the new 183,521-gross-ton, Excel-class ship and all her 1,735 officers and crew members feel welcome and right at home.

Sailing Aboard Carnival Jubilee

Carnival Jubilee will welcome her first guests aboard on Saturday, December 23, 2023 for what is sure to be a very special Christmas cruise, with the new vessel decked out in her holiday finest.

That first sailing is a 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary, departing Galveston at 4 p.m. and with port visits to Roatan, Honduras (December 26) and Costa Maya (December 27) and Cozumel (December 28) in Mexico, before returning to Texas on Saturday, December 30.

Carnival Jubilee will be based from Texas year-round at least through April 2026, offering the same popular Western Caribbean itinerary, though the order of port visits may vary depending on the sailing date.

Some Experiences Not Ready

For the first few weeks of the ship’s operation, however, some key experiences will not be quite ready for guests. This is common with new ships, as crew members need time to familiarize themselves with the vessel’s quirks and settle in to general operation before offering special events.

For example, the Seuss at Sea breakfast – a special event with appearances by very special and beloved characters and featuring none other than green eggs and ham – will not be offered until approximately the January 6 departure date.

“Sadly, it’s not going to be ready for the first two cruises, which is very normal when we bring out a new ship,” said Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald.

Similarly, the popular Behind the Fun tour that offers a limited group of guests behind-the-scenes visits to key operational areas of the ship will not be offered until approximately mid-January, though exact dates for the tour to begin have not been confirmed. Carnival Cruise Line is rolling out pre-cruise sales for the Behind the Fun tour, which will make it easier for guests to reserve their space.

Finally, the Faster to the Fun program will also not be offered on Carnival Jubilee for at least the first two or three months, according to Heald, which is also normal for a new ship. This exclusive program gives guests highly desirable perks such as priority boarding, express luggage delivery, immediate stateroom access, priority dining reservations, and more.

Read Also: Carnival Opens Priority Package for 2024 Cruises, Price Increased

Because many of the perks are also part of the cruise line’s VIFP loyalty program, it is not possible to offer Faster to the Fun right away on a new ship, as many experienced cruisers are setting sail on the new ship and the program is limited to ensure everyone is able to enjoy the benefits.

Undoubtedly, these premium experiences will be made available as soon as possible, and in the meantime, all guests aboard Carnival Jubilee will have plenty to enjoy on the new ship, from amazing dining to spectacular themed zones to the Bolt rollercoaster and more.

Carnival Cruise Line continues to deal with the fallout from its recent omelet decision, with more and more guests expressing anger – often in not so nice ways – about how the cruise line has adjusted breakfast options. Everyone knows not to cry over spilled milk, but apparently, broken eggs are very much worth a few tears.

Omelette’s Decision Here to Stay

In recent weeks, Carnival Cruise Line has adjusted its made-to-order omelet options at both the Lido Marketplace breakfast buffet as well as at the Sea Day Brunch options onboard.

Rather than a broad range of customizable ingredients, the cruise line is now offering omelets in just three of the most popular options – cheese, ham and cheese, and a veggie omelet with bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions. The only customization for these choices is to opt for either cheddar or mozzarella cheese (or a mix of both).

Prior to the change, omelets could be made with a wider range of ingredients, including bacon, arugula, spinach, mushrooms, and additional types of cheese.

Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald has addressed “omelet-gate” and explained that the decision was made to help speed up service, ensuring every guest receives their omelet quickly and efficiently.

“One of the reasons we are changing the slightly is to speed up the process,” he explained. “There are no plans to change back at this time.”

More Omelette Concerns

It isn’t just the change in the omelet stations that has cause ire among loyal Carnival guests, but other rumors related to these breakfast dishes have also begun to run rampant. Over the past few days, there have been numerous concerns raised about the omelets through social media and message board posts, many of which Heald has continued to address, such as:

Omelet stations are going to be eliminated and only pre-made omelets will be available under heating lamps.

Heald has confirmed without doubt that this is untrue. “You can still have a freshly made omelette of three different varieties made on the Lido,” he said. “The omelette stations remain.”

Egg-white omelets will not be available since they can no longer be customized.

Egg whites are an option many people choose for health reasons, such as limiting cholesterol intake or for taste preferences. Heald also confirmed that guests will still be able to get egg white omelets without difficulty.

“Yes, you can order an egg white omelette,” he said.

Other egg options will be limited.

Carnival continues to offer a wide range of egg dishes on its breakfast menu, including scrambled eggs and hard boiled eggs. Guests can also request eggs cooked-to-order, including sunny side up eggs, over-easy eggs, and different permutations as they wish. Eggs benedict, huevos rancheros, and other egg dishes are also often available depending on each day’s individual menu.

Unkind Comments

Guest reactions to “omelet-gate” have varied from not being fussed over the change – an omelet order won’t make or break a cruise vacation, no matter how many eggs are broken – to passengers considering not booking another Carnival vacation because of yet one more change that is perceived as a cutback or loss of service.

Heald has continued to address guests’ concerns on his popular Facebook page, and is sending those concerns, suggestions, and criticisms to “the beards” – the upper levels of Carnival Cruise Line’s executive leadership. He does not, however, believe any changes will be imminent, though the comments will be passed along.

“No changes are planned,” Heald said. “But I will, I promise, make sure they understand some of you are asking for different types of omelettes.”

What is most astonishing is the nastiness some guests are expressing over a change in omelets, including name-calling and bringing family members into what is no longer a polite discussion. Heald has, however, remained polite with his signature wit no matter what guests have said.

“I never thought that I’d be spending time being screamed at and called all sorts of names because of eggs,” he said. “Most of you have been very nice, some of you have been a little disappointed, and one or two of you have called me all sorts of names, and a few people made some really awful comments … bringing my family into this. Why? What’s that got to do with an omelette?”

Carnival’s controversy over omelets follows several food-related issues in recent months among different cruise lines, all of which have garnered strong opinions from passengers.

Just days ago, Carnival quietly raised specialty dining prices, with increases ranging from 2-52% depending on the restaurant and ship.

In August, Celebrity Cruises introduced a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie for a $2 fee, which stunned guests and led to an overwhelmingly negative response over perceived nickle-and-diming practices, though free cookies were still available.

Similarly, also in August, Royal Caribbean International sparked controversy with a post-cruise poll about charging a fee for Sorrento’s pizza, which was quickly retracted after stunningly negative reactions.

In early September, Swan Hellenic Cruises responded to social media posts and outrage about chips of icebergs being used for cocktails on certain luxury itineraries, and ended the unofficial practice.

Food is very much a hot topic with all cruise travelers, and is likely to continue to remain a controversial issue whenever cruise lines make changes.

Carnival Cruise Line’s popular “Behind the Fun” onboard ship tour will soon be available for all guests to reserve before they ever set sail.

The cruise line has been testing pre-cruise reservations for the tour aboard one ship, and is ready to roll out the booking option fleetwide to make it easier than ever for interested guests to secure their space for the exclusive tour.

Behind the Fun Online Booking to Begin

Carnival Cruise Line began testing pre-cruise reservations for the onboard “Behind the Fun” tour on Carnival Horizon several weeks ago, with the intention to see how well the presale option was accepted. It has so far been greatly received, and the cruise line will be rolling out the reservations to the rest of the fleet in the coming weeks.

“It has been a brilliant success, and so very early in January it is our intention to put presales for every ship for Behind the Fun online,” Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald said.

While no exact date for the fleetwide reservations has yet been confirmed, it is likely to happen very quickly once the reservation system can be adapted for all 26 ships in the Carnival fleet.

The only exception for a short period will be the newest ship, Carnival Jubilee, which will not be offering the exclusive tour until sometime closer to mid-January as she begins her guest operations. Again, the exact date has not been confirmed but will be announced at a later date.

Heald has not indicated whether all ships will have the pre-cruise sales options at once, or if the rollout may be in phases with different ships beginning the reservations on different dates, possibly depending on their sailing dates.

How Tour Reservations Work

The pre-cruise tour sales work exactly like reserving shore excursions before setting sail. Booked guests simply log in to their cruise reservation and select “Behind the Fun” as a tour option.

Pre-paying for the tour will reserve their spot on the exclusive activity, which is only offered once per sailing and for just a small group of people.

There is no indication whether or not guests who have achieved higher levels of the cruise line’s Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) loyalty program may have the option to make reservations ahead of less frequent cruisers, though this could be a perk offered at some point in the future. Early shore tour or onboard reservation access is a popular perk for loyalty programs with different cruise lines.

The pre-booking option will be of great help for guests who want to ensure their spot on the tour but who have later embarkation arrival times for their cruise vacations.

While the tour has only been available for booking onboard, it has often sold out early on embarkation day before all guests have boarded.

This means that guests with later travel arrangements to reach the ship may not have been able to reserve a spot for “Behind the Fun” via onboard reservations, but now, everyone should have an equal opportunity to book the tour before sailing.

Worth Reading: Guest Upset at Tour Cancellation – Did Carnival Drop the Ball?

Interested passengers should still make their reservations as soon as possible after all, however, because these tours are likely to sell out quickly, even weeks or months ahead of cruise departure dates. Group size is limited for each tour, typically for fewer than 20 guests – which can make it hard to secure reservations on ships with thousands of passengers.

About Behind the Fun

Behind the Fun is an amazing, behind-the-scenes tour of a guest’s Carnival ship, offering in-person visits to crew-only areas such as the bridge, the engine control room, the main guest galley, staff dining rooms, laundry facilities, and more. The exact areas visited can vary for each tour depending on ship operations and security concerns.

In addition to enjoying the 3-4 hour tour (time varies for different vessels), participating guests receive exclusive photos and souvenirs to commemorate their experience.

All guests on the Behind the Fun tour must note that some parts of the tour are accessibly only by very steep stairs, and close-toed shoes or sneakers are required. Similarly, swimsuits and skirts are not permitted, and the minimum age for participants is 8 years old. All guests under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. No cameras or other recording devices are permitted due to security restrictions.

Have you joined in a Behind the Fun tour? Share your tour tips on the Cruise Hive boards!

Carnival Venezia, currently homeported from New York City, was unable to leave on her Sunday, December 10, 2023 sailing due to rough weather that made conditions in the Hudson River and the adjacent bay unsafe for the ship to navigate.

Fortunately, the ship has now been able to depart and there appears to be no significant change to her itinerary, though it is possible her arrival to her first port of call may be later than originally planned.

Carnival Venezia Departure Delayed

Carnival Venezia was delayed and spent an unexpected overnight in New York City on December 10, 2023 due to rough weather that impacted conditions on the Hudson River, a critical passage the ship must navigate to safely put to sea.

“The weather has been taking a toll,” Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald explained. “Carnival Venezia was expected to leave [Sunday] from New York, but you will ssee that she is still there [on Monday morning].”

Worth Reading: Thousands of Cruise Passengers Delayed in New York as Nor’easter Batters Northeast

Guests onboard were notified by the ship’s captain that the ship would be delayed in her departure via letters and announcements.

“Unfavorable weather marked by strong winds is currently impacting the … bay area, a route we must navigate shortly after we depart,” the letter explained. “After consulting with our Fleet Operations Center and local pilots, we have determined that it’s unsafe to sail through these conditions. Consequently, we will remain docked until [Monday] morning when conditions are expected to improve.”

The weather did indeed improve by early Monday morning, and Carnival Venezia was able to set off on her way before 7 a.m.

At the time the ship was to have departed at 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, local winds were steady at approximately 9 miles per hour (14 kilometers per hour), but gusts were recorded over 30 mph (48 kph) just two hours later, when the ship would have been moving through the bay.

Read Also: What to Do Onboard a Cruise Ship in Bad Weather

Undoubtedly, the 1,400 international crew members onboard went above and beyond to offer additional activities and entertainment while the ship remained in New York, ensuring that every passenger had a great start to their cruise vacation even if the ship wasn’t yet underway.

Will the Itinerary Be Impacted?

Carnival Venezia is now en route to Freeport in the Bahamas, the first scheduled port of call. The ship was to have been in Freeport from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, December 13.

While satellite tracking data shows the ship will still be in Freeport on Wednesday, her estimated time of arrival is not until 2 p.m. This time may yet be adjusted, however, as the ship makes her way the 1,100 miles (1,770 km) to Freeport.

It is possible that once the ship has cleared any further challenging weather, her speed may be increased to make up time and she could arrive closer to her original schedule. It is also possible that her stay in port will be extended past 4 p.m. to give guests more time to enjoy Freeport even after a later than anticipated arrival.

The additional ports of call on the itinerary – Nassau and Half Moon Cay – should not be impacted, though their times may also be slightly adjusted if necessary.

Carnival Venezia will leave the Bahamas on December 15, 2023 and will enjoy two days at sea as she makes her way back to New York.

There should be no impact on the ship’s next sailing, a 10-night Eastern Caribbean Christmas itinerary leaving New York on Monday, December 18 and visiting Nassau, Princess Cays, Grand Turk, and Amber Cove.

The 135,225-gross-ton Carnival Venezia can welcome 4,090 guests at double occupancy and up to 5,263 passengers when fully booked with all berths filled.

She will remain homeported from New York through mid-December 2024, offering Eastern Caribbean and Bermuda itineraries. In December 2024, Carnival Venezia will move to Port Canaveral to bring her unique style to the world’s busiest cruise port with Bahamas, Eastern Caribbean, and Western Caribbean sailings.

Guests booked on the highly anticipated Christmas and New Year’s sailings of Carnival Panorama will be thrilled to learn that the repairs to the ship’s engines have been completed and the vessel is already on the move to have her whale tail reinstalled.

There should be no further cruise cancellations, and the ship will be ready to welcome guests for her December 23, 2023 departure.

Carnival Panorama Engine Repairs Complete

Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald confirmed on Monday, December 11 that Carnival Panorama‘s emergency engine repairs have been completed, and the ship will be able to make her next scheduled sailing, departing Long Beach, California on Saturday, December 23 with no further cancellations or delays.

“I have great news and glad tidings of joy,” Heald said. “The ship has completed the work, all the chief engineer and the people helping have completed the work on the starboard side azipod.”

Carnival Panorama first developed engine trouble in early November, and it was determined the ship could not complete her Mexican Riviera itineraries as planned because her maximum cruising speed was dramatically impacted. Instead, the decision was made to remove the ship from service for emergency repairs, and ultimately, six cruises were cancelled.

Now that the repairs have been completed, satellite tracking data shows the vessel moving down the Columbia River on her way to the coast as she has already left the dry dock facility in Portland, Oregon. Heald thanked everyone involved in these emergency repairs, ensuring that the ship can promptly return to service.

“The great news is that everything is on schedule for her to return,” he said.

The work was completed early on Monday, December 11, and the ship left promptly on her way to Victoria, British Columbia for her whale tail to be remounted on her funnel, the final step before Carnival Panorama can return to service.

The 133,868-gross-ton, Vista-class ship can welcome 4,008 guests at double occupancy, or up to 5,097 passengers when fully booked. Also onboard are 1,450 international crew members to ensure that every sailing is an enjoyable one, packed with Carnival’s signature fun.

Whale Tale to Be Reinstalled

Before the ship can welcome guests again, Carnival Panorama must have her iconic “whale tail” funnel reinstalled. The funnel, along with the tallest parts of the ship’s radar and communications array, was removed prior to the ship traveling up the Columbia River to Portland. There are two low bridges that cross the river and the funnel did not have adequate clearance to safely navigate beneath those bridges.

Read Also: Broken Carnival Cruise Ship Makes Her Way Under Columbia River Bridges

Once the ship has cleared those bridges once again, she will have her funnel reinstalled in Victoria, where it was initially removed.

It should be noted that the winged funnel – a characteristic of every Carnival cruise ship since Tropicale debuted in 1982 – is largely a stylistic piece, and the cruise line’s ships can operate with just a straight stack when necessary.

This was the case with Carnival Freedom, when that ship’s funnel was damaged in a fire in May 2022. The starboard side wing of the funnel was melted away, and the top part of the funnel was removed so the ship could continue to sail with a modified straight funnel.

Carnival Freedom received her new whale tail during a scheduled dry dock in October 2023 in Cadiz, Spain.

Carnival Panorama‘s December 23 sailing is a 7-night Mexican Riviera sailing with calls to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, and Cabo San Lucas. Now that the cruise is sure to go ahead, it will be a very celebratory holiday sailing indeed.