Can you enjoy a Carnival cruise even if you’re not on the water? One family turned their truck into an Excel-class Carnival ship for a local trunk-or-treat Halloween event, proving that you can be onboard a Fun ship even if you’re not on a cruise.
Facebook user Angel Sikes shared the photo with John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s official Brand Ambassador, showing off their amazing cardboard cruise ship creation.
“Wanted to share our trunk or treat theme with you and Carnival Cruise Line – we can’t wait till our next cruise[s] in April and August!” Sikes said with the photo.
The family is “aboard” their creation, which fits over the back of their pickup truck. The ship – Carnival Celebration, perfect for a Halloween celebration event – is crafted from painted cardboard and is complete with the cruise line’s signature red-white-and-blue livery, the whale tale funnel, and lifeboats occupied by stuffed animals.
The family even added decorative “water” on the parking lot beneath their vessel, and is aboard the ship standing in the bed of their pickup appropriately attired for the event with a Groove for St. Jude t-shirt, a Hawaiian shirt, Carnival prize medallions, and sunglasses.
This Carnival cruise guest has just one single criticism – the swan on the water on the starboard side of the ship SHOULD have been a towel swan, but to be fair, I can never make those ones either.
More than 100 commenters have responded to the photo, with overwhelming agreement that the decorations are cute, clever, and fun, a great way to represent Carnival Cruise Line, and
One commenter certainly had the best remark with:
“Now if y’all are handing out Carnival gift cards instead of candy, I’m coming! lol”
Another guest noted they could have given out rubber ducks as well, an homage to the onboard cruising ducks phenomenon.
The Carnival Celebration trunk-or-treat decoration is a great representation of the family’s upcoming sailings, with Carnival Celebration in April and Carnival Freedom in August.
While the family does not reveal which itineraries they will be enjoying, Carnival Celebration offers both Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean 7-night sailings from Miami in April, while Carnival Freedom is sailing 4-night Bahamas cruises and 5-night Eastern Caribbean sailings from Port Canaveral in August.
The Carnival Freedom voyage in August 2025 is sure to be an amazing adventure for the family, because no matter which departure date they set sail, each one is planned to visit Carnival’s new private island destination on Grand Bahama island, Celebration Key.
Halloween Onboard Cruise Ships
This version of Carnival Celebration was undoubtedly a star during the family’s local trunk-or-treat event – a great option for decoration and costume contests and other family fun.
If they were guests aboard the real Carnival Celebration at this time of year, however, they’d be enjoying not only spooky onboard decorations, but a range of themed activities.
“Halloween is always an exciting time aboard Carnival and we take it to the next level with Frightfully Fun activities that guests of all ages can enjoy,” Carnival Cruise Line’s website describes the season. “Just so we’re clear, our ships probably aren’t haunted… but every sailing does come complete with fun Halloween extras!”
Ship decorations, a costume party, special trivia contests, themed music, photo-ops, horror movies on the big screen, pumpkin-carving contests, treats, and more are all part of the fun onboard the Carnival fleet’s 151 Halloween-themed sailings this year.
While “trunks” won’t be part of the festivities, there is also trick-or-treating for the youngest cruisers.
Read Also: The Best Treat for Carnival Cruisers – Carnival Cruise Gift Cards!
Travelers should note that there are rules for any costumes guests want to wear onboard, whether for contests or just for fun. All costumes must be considered family-friendly, and may not include even the fakest of fake weapons. No masks or face coverings are permitted for security purposes, and not too sexy (no real, fake, or “implied” nudity permitted).
Have you celebrated Halloween on a Carnival cruise ship? Share your spooky experiences on the Cruise Hive boards!
