From the Big Apple to the City of Angels, Carnival Cruise Line is reaching out to cruisers with a raft of sailings now open for sale from major East and West Coast ports in 2026-27.
The itineraries offer a diverse set of choices for cruisers embarking in New York and Long Beach, California, on three ships — Carnival Venezia and Carnival Firenze, both former Costa Cruises’ vessels transformed into “Carnival Fun Italian Style” ships, and Carnival Radiance, a Sunshine-class ship.
The 5,260-guest Carnival Venezia sails seasonally from New York, while the 4,126-guest Carnival Firenze and 3,000-guest Carnival Radiance are based year-round at Long Beach, the port for Los Angeles.
“Our two Carnival Fun Italian Style ships offer great options from the East and West Coasts, conveniently connecting New York and Long Beach to popular destinations, while delivering unique experiences on board,” said Fred Stein, vice president of itinerary planning for Carnival Cruise Line.
Sailing from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, Carnival Venezia in summer 2026 will offer four itineraries to Bermuda, with a choice of 1- to 3-day port calls at the island. The ship also will sail one Canada cruise, a 5-day voyage to the Nova Scotia ports of Halifax and Saint John, and several itineraries to the Caribbean.
Popular destinations such as Carnival Cruise Line’s new Celebration Key private destination on Grand Bahama Island, plus Turks & Caicos, Nassau, Bahamas, and Half Moon Cay, a private island in the Bahamas, are port calls on Caribbean voyages.
Carnival Venezia will arrive for her New York summer deployment after operating a series of winter cruises from Port Canaveral.
On the West Coast, voyages newly opened for sale include Carnival Firenze’s 3- and 4-day getaways to Ensenada, Mexico, and Catalina Island. The 3-day option is a weekend trip departing on Friday and calling at Ensenada. The 4-day cruise departs on Mondays and adds the call to Catalina Island.
Carnival Radiance offers a wider choice of Mexican Riviera cruises, and several departures of Carnival Journeys voyages to the Hawaiian Islands. The line opened bookings on seven 14-day Carnival Journeys cruises to Hawaii, calling at Maui, Oahu, Kauai, and Hawaii.
Carnival Firenze Cruise Ship Docked in Long Beach
The just-opened Mexico sailings feature 3- and 4-day Baja Mexico cruises, calling at Ensenada and Catalina Island, plus longer, 5- and 6-day itineraries that call at Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada. One 8-day cruise will call at Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán and La Paz.
Also based year-round at Long Beach but not included in the cruises newly opened for bookings is the 4,000-guest Carnival Panorama. Her 2026-27 roster of sailings includes mainly Mexican Riviera destinations.
Italian-Style Ships Sail From Both US Coasts
The Long Beach-based Carnival Firenze joined the Carnival Cruise Line fleet in February 2024 following a major refit. The ship entered service in 2019 as Costa Firenze, operated by sister line Costa Cruises.
As one of the line’s Fun Italian Style ships, Carnival Firenze was renovated to include Carnival’s signature offerings while keeping her Italian design — inspired by the Italian city of Florence. The dry dock refit added restaurants such as the Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse and the popular Guy’s Burger Joint.
Carnival Venezia, the first of the Italian-style ships, was transferred from the Costa Cruises fleet and introduced as a Carnival ship in March 2023. The Vista-class Costa ship was launched in 2018. The ship began sailing from New York in June 2023.
Like Carnival Firenze, Carnival Venezia retains her Italian charm, with an atrium designed to resemble the Piazza San Marco in Venice, and a Lido Deck design inspired by the Italian Riviera.
Travelers dreaming of an Alaska cruisetour in 2026 have a slew of booking options now open on four Holland America Line ships, including itineraries that explore the remote Denali and Yukon regions, plus a new option that features both destinations.
The cruise line’s Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Westerdam, and Zaandam will operate a total of 18 itineraries that combine a vacation at sea with adventures on land, featuring inland road transportation on motorcoaches or the glass-domed, luxury McKinley Explorer train.
Guests can choose from among Denali cruisetours ranging from 9 to 14 days aboard the 2,100-guest Nieuw Amsterdam and 1,964-guest Westerdam, and Denali-Yukon cruisetours of 9 to 17 days offered on the 2,650-guest Koningsdam or 1,432-guest Zaandam.
Some of the itineraries that include the Yukon provide land transport on the White Pass & Yukon Route railroad, offering great views of the area’s forested landscapes. Holland America Line remains the only cruise brand that brings guests into the Yukon, with visits to Whitehorse and Dawson City.
Cruisers can select the order of their vacation components from a range of routes that offer a pre- or post-cruise land tour.
“Guests who embark on one of our cruisetours get the opportunity to combine our award-winning cruise experience with exploration deep into the heart of wilderness that’s unseen by most,” said Beth Bodensteiner, chief commercial officer for Holland America Line.
“And with their arrival at Holland America Denali Lodge, they can take in the awe of this majestic mountain while experiencing the premium service and comfort they have come to expect from Holland America,” added Bodensteiner.
Denali cruisetours operate between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Anchorage or Fairbanks, Alaska. All trips include a 7-day Glacier Discovery voyage and up to three nights’ accommodation at Holland America Denali Lodge.
For those with more time, a 14-day option, Ultimate Denali, features additional land explorations in Fairbanks and Anchorage, plus an overnight in Homer, Alaska.
Holland America Ships Docked in Alaska (Photo Credit: Drew Rawcliffe)
Land tours in Denali offer guests complimentary tours such as the Denali Natural History Tour, where cruisers can explore the national park while looking for wildlife like bears, moose, caribou and wolves.
Yukon & Denali cruisetours include a 3- or 4-day Inside Passage voyage on Koningsdam or Zaandam or a longer, 7-day Glacier Discovery cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam or Westerdam. These are combined with a 2- or 3-night stay at Denali and Dawson City, as well as overnight stays at Fairbanks, Anchorage and Skagway.
New Itinerary Offers Multiple Days in Denali National Park
The 2026 cruise series features a new itinerary — the 13-day Alaska, Denali and Yukon Cruisetour aboard Nieuw Amsterdam or Westerdam. The trip offers the land component first, taking guests by air from Fairbanks to Dawson City and into Denali National Park for a three-day adventure.
Guests then travel to their ship via rail and cruise from Whittier, Alaska, to Vancouver, British Columbia. The at-sea itinerary features Glacier Bay, the Inside Passage, and Hubbard Glacier, plus port calls at Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan.
Three tours are included in this itinerary: Riverboat Discovery in Fairbanks, the Klondike Gold Tour in Dawson City, and the Tundra Wilderness Tour in Denali National Park.
Also new in 2026 will be a policy that includes the Klondike Gold Tour in Dawson City and the Tundra Wilderness Tour at Denali National Park in every Yukon and Denali itinerary. These day tours feature a Parks Canada guide offering insights into the attractions.
Holland America Line is offering a time-limited promotion on 2026 Alaska cruise tours that feature the Have It All package. The plan covers specialty dining, shore excursions, WiFi, crew gratuities, and other perks.
A cruise is a great vacation for families, as nearly 24 hours a day, something fun will be happening that appeals to everyone.
One of the pros to cruising is that members of the family can safely and easily split up to check out different activities happening on board at the same time – or sometimes parents simply want to take a break from their kids to enjoy some alone time.
But, how do families keep in touch onboard and know when and where to come back together – especially without purchasing Wi-Fi packages or when kids don’t yet have their own cell phones? That is what one parent took to Reddit to find out.
“Our kids don’t have cell phones, but while onboard a cruise ship, we’d like to have the option to communicate if not together. Is purchasing a “burner” phone a viable option or are there better methods? We won’t be purchasing WIFI onboard. This is Carnival, if it matters,” the anonymous parent asked on Reddit.
If the parents did choose to purchase temporary burner phones for their kids, they could download the Carnival HUB app and chat through there – without purchasing a Carnival internet package – at a one-time cost of $5 per person.
But while basic burner phones can cost as little as $10, chatting on the HUB may still be a better solution for teens who already have cell phones – especially if they arestaying in their own cruise cabinaway from their parents.
Depending on the age of the child, parents who prefer a bit more supervision and structure may want to limit their child’s freedom to explore alone to roaming between the kids’ clubs and their stateroom.
As a family-friendly cruise line, Carnival boasts award-winning youth clubs for kids and teens – and that way the parents would always know where to find their children.
Children have to be at least between the ages of 9 to 11 to have the option to sign themselves in and out of the kids’ clubs – and even then parent permission has to be given in advance.
Unique Ways to Keep in Touch
In response to the Reddit post, seasoned cruisers had more creative suggestions, including setting curfews for the kids to return to the cruise cabin and communicating via notes and whiteboards.
“Our family cruise rule was always ‘enjoy your day, but everyone eats dinner together.’ This meant a 4:30/5:00 deadline to get back to the cabin to wash up and dress for dinner,” one cruiser replied on Reddit.
Walkie-Talkies (Photo Credit: Oleh Tkachuk / Shutterstock)
“During the day, all family members were required to check in on the magnetic whiteboard we brought. Every venue change required an update: leaving the Kids’ Club to go to the pool? Leave a note with a timestamp. Going to the arcade? Leave a note. Hanging out by the Flowrider? Note,”the commenter continued.
Another guest had an interesting suggestion of bringing walkie talkies onboard – although some in the comments were skeptical about how well they would work considering the steel within the ship could potentially block the signal.
“I saw many parents and kids with the small walkies,”one cruiser observed.
While every cruise line has a slightly different walkie talkie policy, Carnival does allow them onboard.
It’s best to check with Carnival directly about which brands they allow at the time of your sailing in case things change, but a good rule of thumb for most cruise lines is to choose walkie talkies with a range of up to 10 miles and a power of up to 5 watts.
Many guests love their experience on Carnival Celebration – a newer mega-ship that launched at the end of 2022 and can accommodate up to 6,500 passengers.
However, for one recent passenger, their time on the Excel-class ship was disappointing because there were simply too many people onboard – leading them to ask Reddit if overcrowding on cruise ships is becoming an issue fleet-wide.
“I have been on many cruises when I was younger. I remember hardly ever waiting in line. Able to always find a seat for shows. Able to walk up and get food and drinks at any time,”the recent guest began their Reddit post.
“Just recently went on the new ship Carnival Celebration and it was horrific. Everything was insanely packed. You could not get a seat for any show even if you show up like 45 minutes early. Everything has a line to wait in. Even the Casino did not have a single spot available on the slots or tables in the afternoon/night,” they lamented.
It’s unclear which sailing the original poster was onboard for, but it’s quite possible the 183,521-gross ton vessel felt extra crowded if the sailing was sold out or close to maximum capacity.
While Brand Ambassador John Heald hasn’t spoken directly about overcrowding on Carnival ships specifically, he did recently acknowledge that the Lido deck can get very busy– to the point where not everyone has a place to sit and eat during peak dining hours.
This came up as a hot topic on Heald’s public Facebook page after card players were asked to relocate their game from the Lido deck during lunch time to make room for guests who were trying to enjoy their meals from the Lido Marketplace Buffet.
How to Avoid the Crowds
In the comments of the Reddit post, the overwhelming majority agreed that their recent Carnival cruises had felt more crowded – perhaps more so because of the contrast between current sailings and the emptier voyages during the slow ramp up to normalcy in the cruise industry in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Recent data also confirms that there is a higher demand for cruising in general. According to statistics from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), 31.7 million people set sail in 2023 – which is a 7% increase over 2019 – with the number of cruisers expected to exceed 35 million in 2024.
Another recent study from CLIA also showed that interest in cruising is growing among first-time cruisers – including among younger demographics.
With the demand impacting all of cruising, including Carnival, what can guests like this Redditor do to make the most of their sailing in spite of possible crowds?
First, Carnival cruisers may want to consider purchasing the Faster to the Fun (FTTF) package. Carnival guests can eliminate at least some of the lines, starting at $69.99 per cabin.
The package comes with perks like expedited embarkation, disembarkation, and priority on water shuttles while in ports that use tender boats. It also includes better guest services, express luggage delivery, and priority dinner reservations.
Speaking of reservations, pre-booking things like dining reservations at specialty reservations, spa services, and other activities/amenities as early as possible can help ensure you get to do everything you want, when you want.
Another tip is to try to sail outside of the peak season – and to avoid periods when kids are out of school, such as summer break and around the holidays.
Last but not least, consider the ship you are sailing on. If you’re someone who doesn’t like crowds, you may be better off picking a smaller vessel with a lower guest capacity.
Additionally, newer ships are almost always going to be more popular, and therefore, more crowded – with many cruisers eager to experience the next big thing on the high seas.
Carnival Cruise Line’s onboard Piano Bars are outstanding venues that offer live music with talented pianists who not only play top songs and favorite hits, but do so with humor, energy, and panache. Guests are encouraged to sing along, and it can be a fun and engaging way to spend the evening.
Recent rumors, however, have Piano Bar fans confused and frustrated about what appears to be a shift in the hours for these venues, with some claims being made about fleetwide changes.
Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, has investigated the matter and spoken with the cruise line’s entertainment executives to clarify exactly what is being changed, and why.
“It is fair to say that Piano Bar fans are passionate and love the experience and the men and women who sit behind the piano,”he said.“Yesterday there was much speculation and many, many, many people asking me about the opening hours.”
To be clear, the typical opening hours for the Piano Bar have been 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. onboard most ships. This makes the venue a popular after-dinner gathering place for camaraderie and entertainment.
“Having spoken to the Entertainment beards I can tell you that we will be, on some ships, not all of them, moving to 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. performance times,”Heald confirmed.
It is important to note that this is not a fleetwide change, despite guest speculation. Some passengers have claimed to have the fleetwide notice “confirmed” by the piano players themselves, but it is unlikely that individual performers are notified of scheduling across all 27 ships in the Carnival fleet.
Heald also explains that the change may vary depending on individual itineraries as well as other entertainment options on different nights.
“What ships will depend on different variables as we know some itineraries are busier than others and experience more guests wanting to be [at the Piano Bar],”he said.“You may have noticed also that on some ships the Punchliner Late Night Adults Only Comedy Shows have been taking place in the main lounge at midnight. Those nights comedy is taking place, then piano bar will be open from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.”
To stay updated about the exact Piano Bar hours, guests should check the Carnival Hub app while sailing. This information will be updated with any changes in hours and other evening activity and entertainment times.
Should Piano Bar Entertainers Be Tipped?
A second issue Heald has addressed is the idea of whether or not the Piano Bar entertainers require tipping. While many guests do offer gratuities to these talented performers, it is not necessary.
“Why should we have to tip them to get a request?”a concerned guest asked.“I refuse to do that and [the piano player] says no tip no request!”
Heald noted that while the entertainers are able to accept tips, they are not, however, permitted to “require” tips for guests to request a specific song during the evening’s performance.
Carnival Paradise Piano Bar
“As for the tips, yes, we do allow them to take gratuities but it is not something you have to give in order to have a request made,”Heald confirmed.“If this ever happens please let me know and I will address [it], or indeed even better tell someone on board.”
Some guests do comment that in their experiences, requests accompanied by tips tend to get prioritized by the piano players, but this may simply be a perception rather than a deliberate effort.
It is also likely that some songs and aspects of the performance are more popular than others. It may seem that those requests get priority based on gratuities, but it could just be the players trying to ensure as many people as possible enjoy the evening’s entertainment.
Furthermore, the time the piano entertainers play is limited, and it isn’t always possible to get to every request every evening, regardless of whether those requests are accompanied by tips.
Do you enjoy spending time in the Piano Bar? Do you tip the piano player? Share your experiences on the Cruise Hive boards!
There are a handful of times when, yes, you should tip on a cruise. You can tip your room steward or butler (even while it’s not required, many cruisers say making this kind gesture leads to better overall service).
You can tip your bartender if gratuity is not already included in your drink bill. However, are there times when you should actually not tip on a cruise? Yes — here are 15 situations where tipping is unnecessary.
1. Don’t Tip When Gratuities Are Already Added Onto Your Bill
There are many times on a cruise ship when your gratuities are just bundled into the cost of your overall bill.
This helps make it easy for you to pay your bill while ensuring you’re also tipping the people who’re taking care of you, and simultaneously also nudging the people who normally wouldn’t tip to do so. It’s better for both cruisers and crew members.
However, since this isn’t often the way it’s done on shore, in restaurants or bars, you may forget this fact and start to leave behind a cash tip at the bar or as you leave your restaurant table.
Before you do so, stop, look at your bill, and make sure gratuity isn’t already included. You’ll find that most cruise lines automatically include gratuities when you’re buying a drink at a bar or dining at one of the cruise ship’s specialty restaurants.
Gratuities may also already be added onto your spa receipts. So, if you might normally tip 20% after getting a spa treatment at a spa on land, just be sure you check that receipt before doing so on your cruise.
2. Don’t Tip if You’re on a Luxury, All-Inclusive Cruise Line
Photo Courtesy: Regent Seven Seas
Along these lines, if you’re on a luxury, all-inclusive cruise line, chances are very likely that absolutely all gratuities are included in the cost of your cruise fare and it’s entirely not expected that you would tip certain members of the crew, even if you might tip those individuals on a “normal” cruise line.
For example, when sailing on Silversea, the cruise line specifically notes, when laying out its all-inclusive policy, that cruisers shouldn’t worry about tipping their butlers or other staff, as not worrying about tipping is one of the things that makes the Silversea experience even more relaxing and special.
3. Don’t Tip the Crew Management and Higher-Ups
You really appreciate everything that the cruise director does to make your trip all the more special. And you really appreciate the fact that your captain ferried you to all of your destinations safely and on time.
However, don’t tip these individuals. They’re not really in the roles where tipping is seen as permissible, and the gesture may be frowned upon. After all, after getting off a flight, you wouldn’t try to tip your airline captain, would you?
4. Don’t Tip the Maintenance Personnel
Maintenance Crew Member (Photo Credit: Ceri Breeze)
Likewise, don’t feel as if you need to tip the maintenance personnel, if you see them working in the cruise ship or if they come to your cabin specifically to fix something. These workers aren’t really in the service industry in the same way your bartender or waiter might be, so there’s no need to tip.
5. Don’t Tip the Kids Club Staff
You also don’t need to feel as if you should tip the kids club staff, either. While tipping a babysitter on land is pretty par for the course, the kids club fees are included in your basic cruise fare. The service is all covered and you don’t have to feel like you need to pay a penny more than you are, already.
6. Don’t Tip for Free Activities
Serenade of the Seas World Cruise TikTok (Photo Credit: Jeff Whyte)
Going with this theme, if you’re enjoying the free activities aboard your ship — say, climbing on the rock-climbing wall or trying your skills on the surfing simulator — you don’t need to tip the attendants watching over these activities.
They’re paid to be there to keep you safe and manage lines and equipment, but the costs of these activities are in your cruise fare. Tipping is unnecessary.
7. Don’t Tip if You Purchased a Certain Cruise Package
While not all cruise lines are all-inclusive, like Viking Cruises, some do offer all-inclusive (or, rather, more-inclusive) cruise packages that include your gratuities costs within the package. If you purchase one of these packages, that means you won’t need to pay gratuities throughout the ship, like some other cruisers might.
These packages are available on cruise lines such as Princess Cruises. Princess Cruises offers Plus and Premier Cruise Packages that include not just your gratuities but a bevy of other extras.
For example, the Princess Premier package is $90 per day per guest, and it covers the cost of all your gratuities, WiFi for four devices per guest, unlimited beverages, unlimited specialty meals and casual meals, unlimited professional photos, unlimited premium desserts, unlimited room service, free delivery of items elsewhere on the ship, unlimited fitness classes and reserved theater seating.
8. Don’t Tip for Extra, One-off Services
Cruise Ship Butler (Photo Credit: alexkich)
While cruise cabin stewards and butlers are some of the members of the crew that you’re most likely to tip, you don’t have to worry about tipping them every time they complete an extra one-off service or fulfill a request.
For example, say you’ve run out of towels in your cabin and you need some more. You don’t have to anticipate offering up a tip just because your steward brought you a few more towels.
Likewise, if you ask your butler to bring you a bucket of ice for a bottle of Champagne every night, you don’t have to tip them every single night for this courtesy.
If you do want to tip your steward or butler, just do it at the beginning or end of your cruise. No need to tip every time they help you out.
9. Don’t Tip the Performers
Cruise ships are filled with talented performers, from those who take to the theater stage to comics to magicians to musicians that fill the public spaces with lively tunes. You usually don’t have to worry about tipping these individuals, though.
The only time this might not be the case, and when tips might be welcome, is if there’s a very visible and apparent tip jar sitting out near live performers. In that case, go ahead and drop a few bills in — but don’t worry about bringing a stack of cash along with you, every time you go to a show.
10. Don’t Tip at the Coffee Shop
A barista at the Crow’s Nest coffee and cocktail bar (Photo Credit: Donna Tunney)
Many ships have coffee shops, either a small, cruise line-specific café or a Starbucks outpost, for example, which is what you’ll find on many Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line ships.
However, while you’re probably accustomed to dropping a few bucks into the tip jar when you pick up your mocha latte every day at your neighborhood Starbucks, there’s no need on the cruise ship.
In fact, these coffee shops probably don’t even have a tip jar out. Just look at your receipt and you’ll likely see that any gratuity expected is already in the cost of your coffee, just as the gratuity is added into your final total at specialty restaurants and at bars.
11. Don’t Tip the Medical Team
Like cruise ship officers, the medical team is just someone you shouldn’t tip, even if you’re grateful for their care. You wouldn’t tip your doctor at home, wouldn’t you?
When it doubt, it’s usually smart to just think of whether or not you’d tip this individual on land. If the answer is a clear “no,” don’t worry about tipping.
12. Don’t Tip the Security Team
Likewise, don’t tip the security team on the cruise ship. These are folks who are not in the service industry and are paid accordingly. Don’t worry about tipping them.
13. Don’t Tip on Tipless Cruise Lines
Beyond cruise lines like Silversea, which are luxury, all-inclusive cruise lines that do not require tipping, there are also some cruise lines that have just chosen to go tipless — regardless of how “luxury” they are or not. This is the case on cruise lines like Azamara and Virgin Voyages.
Virgin Voyages, for example, is considered “almost all inclusive,” and no gratuities are necessary, as they’re factored into the cost of your cruise. Same goes for dining at 20-plus restaurants, WiFi and fitness classes.
Azamara is very similar, with food, entertainment and basic drinks, as well as daily gratuities, already factored into your cruise fare. There’s no gratuity necessary for housekeeping, dining or bar staff. The one rare instance where Azamara hasn’t forgone tips is at the spa.
You may need to visit the guest services team at some point during your cruise to get help with your cruise account, reservations or some other admin need. These folks are there to help you out and your overall cruise fare helps pay their wages. These are not crew members that you would need to tip.
15. Don’t Tip if you Truly Had an Issue with the Service
Lastly, there is one instance where you might not just forgo actively tipping during the course of your cruise, but you might actually also dispute the automatic gratuities that are charged to your cruise account near the end of your cruise: if you were truly dissatisfied with the service received.
Do be wary of doing this, though. Before you visit guest services and ask to remove the automatic gratuities from your charge, think. Was the poor service truly poor?
Was it consistent throughout the duration of your cruise or a one-off incident? Was the poor service the fault of a crew member or just poor circumstances? Can you provide several specific examples of the poor service?
Valid examples might include outright rude behavior, or an outright failure to perform services such as cleaning your cabin.
Regardless of why you might be dissatisfied, though, before opting to not tip at all, speak with guest services and see if there’s anything else they can do to try to remedy the situation.
A Note of Caution
Carnival Cruise Ship Crew Members (Photo Copyright: Cruise Hive)
Of course, there are always exceptions to the rules.
The best way to have a clear idea of whether or not you should tip in certain situations is to consider (a) if the person you’re considering tipping works in a service industry and they’re the type of worker you’d typically tip onshore, and (b) whether or not gratuities are already included in your bill. If the answer to (a) is “yes” and the answer to (b) is “no,” then you’re probably safe to tip.
However, while tipping is often very appreciated by a cruise ship’s hardworking crew members, never force a tip on a crew member, if it looks like your gesture is making them uncomfortable or awkward.
Additionally, many cruise lines include a daily gratuity fee, per person, per day, in the overall cost of your cruise. This fee is usually charged at the end of your cruise.
If this is the case on your cruise — if you’re sailing major cruise lines like, for example, Carnival Cruise Line or Royal Caribbean, it is — then don’t feel burdened to tip crew members like your room steward further.
That’s exactly what this fee is for! While you can tip extra if you want, in some cases, it’s not necessary and no one will think less of you for not doing so. What they will think less of you for, on the other hand?
Removing that daily gratuity fee from your bill at the end of the cruise. While it technically can be done if you talk to guest services, it’s not seen as very polite and usually should not be done unless you experienced specifically poor service.
I’ve been on multiple cruise lines, including Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Princess Cruises, but somehow never got around to trying out Carnival Cruise Line – at least not until September of 2024.
I married my husband in October, but before I could meet him at the altar, my girlfriends and I had to celebrate with my bachelorette party.
When my bridesmaids and I were looking for things to do, a Carnival cruise rose to the top as the best option. It only makes sense, considering my passion for cruise news!
So, my bachelorette party became a bachelorette weekend – with myself and five bridesmaids sailing onboard Carnival Radiance for a quick getaway cruise to Ensenada, Mexico, from September 27-30, 2024.
Not only did the dates work well for everyone, but a short cruise was shockingly affordableand all-inclusive.
Including the cruise fare, an excursion in Ensenada, and multiple meals in the fine dining venues onboard, our individual totals came out to less than $500 per person at the end of the long weekend.
Meanwhile, according to wedding authorities like The Knot, the average cost to attend a bachelorette party is $1,300 per person as of a 2023 study – and where we live in Los Angeles is easily on the higher end of that spectrum.
But while we all had a wonderful weekend at sea, I couldn’t help but take note of some good and bad surprises I wasn’t really expecting during my first Carnival cruise.
Embarkation and Debarkation Was Shockingly Easy
Carnival Radiance Docked in Long Beach, California (Photo Credit: Mariusz Lopusiewicz)
In the past, I remember arriving at different cruise ports at my scheduled arrival time, only to spend sometimes more than an hour waiting to get through the check-in process and board the ship.
I expected there to be a wait this time, too – as we didn’t choose the earliest arrival time when we completed the online check-in process, nor did we choose to invest in the Faster to the Fun package.
However, embarking at the Long Beach Cruise Terminal was quick and easy. It only took us around half an hour to go through security, verify our passports, and make it to the Lido deck. Our checked luggage even made it to our stateroom early.
Even the muster drill was simple and took less than 10 minutes. All we had to do was find our muster location when we got onboard, check in with a crew member who gave some safety information, and watch a brief video.
Debarkation was similarly easy. We chose our departure time in our Carnival HUB app during our sailing, which only took a moment, and essentially walked right off the ship when we were ready.
Even though we chose to sail on the Fun ships, which are known to host a party-loving crowd, my friends and I are not big partiers.
However, we discovered the adults-only Serenity Retreat shortly after embarkation – and it instantly became our favorite spot onboard.
It was quiet, peaceful, and not crowded. We never had an issue finding enough lounge chairs for all of us.
In fact, we spent almost our entire first night and sea day in the Serenity Retreat – playing cards, reading, lounging, chatting, and even ordering drinks and room service directly to our loungers.
Other Passengers Were Very Kind
Carnival has a bit of a reputation for fights breaking out onboard, which in my opinion, is not deserved. I didn’t see a single fight, but saw many acts of kindness.
While I did encounter more intoxicated passengers onboard than I noticed on my previous cruises with other brands, everyone I met was friendly. Other passengers were always quick to say hello, smile in the hallways, or hold a door open for another guest.
I honestly wasn’t sure how a non-luxury cruise ship would compare to my previous fine dining experiences on land or on luxury cruise ships. But the petite filet I enjoyed was arguably one of the best I’ve ever had. It was perfectly cooked, juicy, and so tender you could cut it with a butter knife.
After dinner, the waiters brought out a special cheesecake for dessert and wrote a congratulatory message out of chocolate sauce, which was a special added touch.
We enjoyed our meal so much that we decided to dine at Cucina del Capitano the next night, which is another specialty dining venue that serves gourmet Italian cuisine, and had an equally amazing experience.
Food Allergies and Safety Were Always a Top Priority
Carnival Radiance Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: Felipe Sanchez / Shutterstock)
One of my bridesmaids has Celiac disease – meaning she can’t eat anything with gluten, nor can she risk any cross contamination with something that has touched gluten.
We were worried that the crew members would not be as careful as they were or that she would be exposed to gluten by accident. But in the end, we were pleasantly surprised by how seriously everyone took her allergy.
Not only were we greeted by name at every sit-down meal, but the waiters listened to her carefully about her allergies at each and every sitting.
Her meals were always brought out separately from the rest of ours and prepared in a separate location within the kitchen.
She even got her own butter and butter knife to go with her gluten free bread so there would be no cross contamination from sharing butter with the rest of us.
Because we knew we wouldn’t be spending much time in our staterooms, we decided not to splurge – opting for side-by-side interior cabins with three of us in each room.
The layout of the rooms themselves were fine – albeit a bit cramped – with two twin beds and a rollaway bed that certainly worked for our purposes for a weekend.
The issues we had were due to cleanliness and necessary features in our cabin simply not working.
To start, when we first entered our cabin on Day 1, we had a stranger’s dirty sock in one of our beds. Thankfully, we told a cabin steward who removed it quickly and provided us with fresh bedding.
Then, our toilet wouldn’t work. The first night, it wouldn’t flush. The second night, it wouldn’t stop flushing. Finally, sort of like a grand finale, our bathroom started to flood on the last night of our sailing.
Of course, as the icing on the malfunctioning cake, our room phone wasn’t working and wouldn’t let us call guest services for help.
That said, we eventually found a member of the housekeeping team in the corridors who called a plumber – but it took a long time for him to arrive and even longer to make the necessary repairs.
Meanwhile, in the room next door to mine, my bridesmaids kept finding mysterious screws every morning in the same spot. We never figured out where they came from.
And in both cabins, the air conditioning did not always work – and it was sometimes too hot to sleep comfortably.
While all we packed our bathing suits, we never really got a chance to use them. In our entire weekend onboard Carnival Radiance, we never made it into a pool or jacuzzi because they were always very crowded.
That said, I can now say from personal experience that the crew members do enforce the anti-chair saving policythey cracked down on earlier this year.
I saw several notices about no chair saving on reserved seats and crew members even asked us if people were coming back when someone would leave to use the restroom or get a snack.
The Wi-Fi Didn’t Always Work
We pre-purchased Carnival Wi-Fi packages in advance – but were only somewhat satisfied with what we bought.
When the Wi-Fi worked, it was great – and was arguably the best internet service I’ve ever had at sea. I could text, use social media, and stream my favorite Netflix shows at night with no issue.
However, we encountered problems with the Wi-Fi going in and out during the sailing. We also had issues activating our WI-FI packages in the first place – with the HUB app not wanting to recognize that we had made it onboard on embarkation day.
When we tried to message on Carnival’s app during periods when the Wi-Fi wasn’t working, we discovered the messaging feature was an extra $5 per person.
While $5 certainly isn’t a hefty sum, it struck us the wrong way after the Wi-Fi we already paid for wasn’t working.
It Was Always Loud – Even Late at Night
Evening on the Carnival Radiance (Photo Credit: Catie Kovelman)
While we knew Carnival was the party ship, we were surprised at how loud it always was – even inside our staterooms at night.
During the day, the DJs were blasting music by the pool and keeping the party going inside – sometimes even playing music in the dining rooms.
But late at night, themed parties were hosted in the main atrium of the ship – and the sound carried all the way into our staterooms.
Other guests would then come back to their stateroomslate at night or early in the morning, yelling and hollering, with seemingly little regard for other guests who might be trying to sleep.
Thankfully, this annoyance was nothing a good pair of earplugs couldn’t solve for us.
The Main Dining Room Was Hit or Miss
While Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald always posts tasty looking menus on his public Facebook page, we discovered that our meals in the main dining room left something to be desired.
While some of the entrees were good, others were bland and the portion sizes were quite small. On our first night, the chicken I ordered was rubbery and unseasoned – leading to me going for a second dinner on the Lido deck.
The other dining venues onboard, and especially the nicer restaurants that aren’t included in the cruise fare, were much more appetizing to us.
Would I Cruise With Carnival Again?
Catie Kovelman on Carnival Radiance
While we did encounter some unexpected snafus, we ultimately had a great long weekend sailing with Carnival.
Especially as a group trying to take a vacation on a budget, Carnival was a great value for the money and we made memories that will last for a lifetime.
While I might plan a couple of things differently or splurge for a nicer stateroom because of my experience, I would be open to trying out other ships within the fleet – such as the more recently launched Carnival Jubilee or Carnival Firenze.
But ultimately, I do believe your cruise vacation is what you make of it. We set out to have a good time and laughed it off when things didn’t go to plan – and we had a wonderful voyage because of it.
There are many amazing sights and splendid vistas to capture on a Carnival cruise, from ocean sunsets to deck parties to selfies all over the ship. Travelers should not, however, be attempting to capture some of the most unique moments of all – Coast Guard airlifts.
Carnival Cruise Line has asked guests to be mindful of emergency operations and not use camera flashes or video lights while helicopters are maneuvering near the ship. This is a safety issue for the outstanding emergency crews and could further endanger the lives of those requiring medical evacuations.
The cruise line’s official Brand Ambassador, John Heald, does acknowledge how awesome a sight it can be to watch such operations, but he reiterates the plea not to irresponsibly or inadvertently interfere with the emergency crews.
“You never get too old to enjoy the sight of a low flying helicopter, especially if it’s a US Coast Guard one taking a guest or a crew member off the ship for urgent medical attention,”Heald said.
Indeed, when a helicopter evacuation is called for, the aircraft often hover over the ship and it can be amazing to witness such heroic efforts.
Because the majority of cruises sail without such incidents, this is something most cruise guests may never see – I’ve been on 40 cruises and never had a helicopter evacuation on any of them. If an evacuation does occur, it can be tempting to capture such a unique moment.
While onboard announcements often implore travelers not to take photos or film the rescue operation, it is the style of filming that can be most dangerous and interfere with emergency personnel.
“The Cruise Director and Captain should not have to keep repeating not to turn the flashes of your phones and cameras,”Heald said.“One can only imagine how dangerous that could be for the pilots.”
Flashes or video lights could potentially cause vision disruptions for emergency personnel as they are implementing delicate maneuvers necessary to reach the ship, lower a basket, secure the guest or crew member requiring care, or otherwise completing their duties.
Furthermore, as the helicopter approaches the cruise ship, flashes or extra lights could cause confusion with navigational lights or indicators for where the aircraft needs to be for such precise work.
Carnival Celebration Airlift
For example, Carnival Venezia had a long-distance emergency airlift in May 2024. With the ship more than 350 nautical miles from shore, the aircraft’s maneuvers required very careful operations to ensure there was adequate fuel for the airlift.
Medical evacuations in poor weather conditions can also cause additional difficulties, and the extra challenges of unwanted flashes or lights can make those operations even more hazardous.
What’s It Like Onboard During an Airlift Evacuation?
Guests who have witnessed emergency evacuations from their cruises have chimed in with their experiences, noting that it would be best if no one videoed or photographed such situations at all.
“It’s definitely not a time for videoing that situation. Have some decency about it. Lend a hand, help that family by following rules. What if it was your family?”
“I can’t imagine even wanting a photo of someone else’s misfortune. I get these helicopters are cool to see, but what’s happening at the moment is frightening and tragic.”
“There’s a great deal of people that have never experienced the ordeal and might be still learning to use their phone. Some people don’t realize their settings can make a big difference.”
During such an incident onboard, crew members will typically close off all or part of the outer decks of the ship, clearing space for the emergency crew to work and for the impacted guest or crew member to be moved where they need to be for the evacuation.
Announcements over the ship’s loudspeakers will also advise those onboard not to interfere and to refrain from such videos and photographs.
It is important to remember that medical evacuations are extreme emergencies for those involved. It is best to stay well away from emergency personnel, including crew members assisting the evacuation, so the operation can be accomplished as smoothly and safely as possible.
Cruise Hive’s great thanks and admiration go out to all emergency personnel who take such risks with evacuations to ensure injured or ill parties get the help they need.
Disney Treasure hasn’t even entered service yet, but the Disney cruise ship is already saving lives.
While en route to her first ever homeport, Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida, the second of the Triton-class vessels rescued four people from a sinking catamaran in the early afternoon on November 10, 2024.
The 50-foot catamaran, which is named Serenity, began taking on water while about 230 miles off the coast of Bermuda due to a gasket failure in the escape hatch.
The passengers contacted the US Coast Guard for emergency assistance, which prompted the US Coast Guard to reach out to other ships in the area to render aid.
In this case, Disney Treasure was among the closest – at only 80 miles (or about 70 nautical miles) away.
The crew that had already joined the 144,256-gross ton vessel acted quickly and deployed one of the onboard lifeboats to the sinking vessel. Thankfully, all four individuals were rescued and no injuries were reported.
“We are pleased that the Disney Treasure was able to provide aid to the boat passengers in peril,” Disney Treasure Captain Marco Nogara said in a statement to ABC News.
“Our crew members worked together on the rescue, skillfully demonstrating their training and commitment to safety,” continued Captain Nogara.
The identities of the rescued individuals have thus far been kept confidential to protect their privacy.
It’s unclear where Disney’s newest addition will drop off their new companions – but usually cruise ships will transfer the rescued individuals to local authorities, such as the US Coast Guard, or will allow them to remain onboard until they reach a suitable disembarkation point.
But of course, the first step is to render any necessary medical aid and to provide the individuals with food and water.
According to cruise tracking data, the Disney ship is getting close to Florida – cruising along in the North West Atlantic Ocean at speeds of 17 knots per hour.
Once she arrives, all attention will turn to getting ready for her maiden voyage – which is scheduled to embark on December 21, 2024.
The historic, 7-night Eastern Caribbean sailing will call on Tortola, British Virgin Islands; St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, and Castaway Cay, the cruise line’s original private island destination in the Bahamas.
She will then spend her inaugural winter season alternating between Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.
After she makes her debut in Port Canaveral, the next month will be spent preparing for the first passengers.
For example, the crew members who have not yet joined the ship will make their way to the Orlando-based port. By the time she enters service, approximately 1,555 crew members will be onboard to cultivate a magical experience for guests.
Additionally, the creative team will continue testing and tweaking all the little details to make sure every single thing is perfect for the maiden voyage.
And in one last big opportunity to build up the wave of excitement for the new ship, a special float – named “Magic Meets the Seas” – will pay homage to Disney Treasure in the 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
