Carnival has a very loyal following and is widely known as America’s Cruise Line – but not everyone is a fan.
Indeed, the Fun Ships can be divisive – with some going so far as to describe Carnival sailings as “ghetto,” “cheap,” or as YouTuber Jack Pembrook reports, “the world’s worst cruise” or “the cruise from Hell.”
Curious to find out if Carnival sailings were truly as terrible as some would insist, Pembrook headed to Florida’s PortMiami to embark on a $50 sailing onboard Carnival Conquest.
The ship is currently offering 3 and 4-night getaway sailings to the Bahamas, though it’s unclear which itinerary the influencer selected or when he was actually onboard.
Along the way, he rated Carnival on four key criteria that he saw come up the most in bad reviews: food, rooms, activities, and vibes – and found that the 2002-launched ship performed better than he expected.
Starting with the cruise cabins, Pembrook was pleasantly surprised by his interior stateroom – noting that his room could still fit a big bed and that the bathroom was “spacious” and smelled “really good.”
“Yes, I did find some hairs and some stains on the bed, as well as plenty of signs of wear around the room. But for the reputation these rooms have online, honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” Pembrook said during a stateroom tour.
Moving onto the food, the vlogger sampled many of the selections onboard, including the Lido Marketplace buffet, Guy’s Burger Joint, and specialty dining at the Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse.
The Steakhouse meal ultimately sealed the deal for Pembrook, who enjoyed his steak so much he shut his eyes as he savored a bite.
And even after saying the 110,000-gross ton ship reminded him of a Cheesecake Factory Restaurant and trying the night club as someone who doesn’t normally enjoy them, Pembrook said both the activities and the vibes were up to par.
“Before I got on this ship, I really didn’t even want to step foot on this thing. But by the end of my trip, I’m surprisingly sad to leave,” Pembrook said.
“No, it’s not super luxurious or perfect in any way, but for me, I just come on a cruise to have fun, eat good food, and like my boy Steven said, meet cool people,” he continued, inserting a clip with another guest who is presumably Steven.
Watch Pembrook’s YouTube video, which has been viewed more than 545,000 times since it was posted on February 13, 2025, below:
Does Carnival Deserve a Bad Reputation?
Over the years, things have gone wrong on Carnival ships that have led to its less than stellar reputation.
Likely not helping matters, Carnival Conquest has already made headlines this year due to malfunctions onboard.
The 2,980-guest ship experienced engine trouble that limited her speed and delayed her return to Miami, Florida, on January 6, 2025 – with multiple Carnival cruise ships also suffering from propulsion issues in the past year.
Additionally, there’s no denying that mishaps across the fleet have left a bad impression for some. For example, Carnival Freedom losing her funnel to fires on more than one occasion (in 2022 and 2024) still feel top-of-mind.
That said, things can go wrong on all cruise lines – even the most luxurious brands. Cruise ships operate on a 24/7 basis, and although the cruise lines work hard to maintain their ships, malfunctions are sometimes inevitable.
Read Also: From Mishaps to Maydays – Cruise Ship Accidents
In response to Pembrook’s YouTube video, many of his subscribers were also quick to defend Carnival in the comments.
“Honestly Carnival gave me one of the best experiences of my life and I will never forget the memories and people I met,” one person shared.
“After 30 cruises, of which Conquest was my 2nd cruise, I really had fun. As long as you know what you are getting with Carnival, you can’t go wrong,” another cruiser chimed in.
Indeed, a lot of the experience does come down to mindset and what guests are hoping to get from their sailing.
Someone looking for a luxury experience might not love Carnival, but someone looking for a budget-friendly option can certainly have a blast.
