Carnival is the fun ship – and the party frequently continues late into the night.

But as guests return to their cabins after a night of celebration, they might not remember that other passengers may be trying to sleep in the staterooms around them. 

One recent Carnival passenger took to Reddit to vent about the noisy people returning to their cabins late at night and in the early morning hours. 

“I swear on this cruise it’s like everyone wants to have a conversation outside [their] cabins in front of other people’s doors and it’s like early in the morning or late at night,” complained the poster.

In the comments, fellow cruisers echoed the sentiment, saying that the noise was a symptom of entitlement, and oftentimes, a bit too much alcohol. 

“Main character syndrome accompanied by big mouths. People are genuinely oblivious to other people and that bunch usually talk super loud,” replied one person.

“Celebration was horrible about this last week. Entire groups of people just spread out across the width of main walkways talking,” added another. 

I personally just returned from my first ever Carnival cruise onboard Carnival Radiance a couple days ago on Monday, September 30, 2024, and I can attest that the party continued in the hallways at all hours of the night. 

I can normally sleep through just about anything, but had yelling, hollering, and whooping guests waking me up several times throughout the night.

By the end of my cruise, I had invested in ear plugs – which I’ve never had to do on any of my previous sailings with other cruise lines. 

It also seemed like the walls and doors were thinner and less sound proofed than other ships I had previously sailed on – which other Redditors confirmed in their responses. 

“The walls and doors are paper thin when it comes to sound. It sucks at 3:00 am,” another Redditor wrote.

If it’s true that the walls are thinner, it becomes extra important to be considerate of other passengers, who may be trying to sleep.

Proper Etiquette Around Staterooms

In general, the respectful thing to do when leaving or returning to your stateroom – on any cruise ship, not just Carnival’s fleet – is to keep your voice low or whisper, especially in the late night or early morning.

During typical “quiet hours,” try to keep the party in specified areas of the ship where it’s okay to be loud – such as in cruise line hosted parties, on the Lido deck, or the Punchliner comedy club, where adult-shows are hosted as late as 11 or 11:30 p.m. 

On my sailing, the cruise director and Fun team hosted special late night parties, such as the White Hot Party, that lasted until after midnight in the ship’s main atrium – allowing guests to sing, dance, and party as long as they wanted without bothering others.

Read Also: 15 Mistakes to Avoid on a Carnival Cruise

But while guests may know the proper etiquette when in the cruise cabin areas, they might forget or get carried away in the fun – and it’s simply impossible to try to control the behavior of the potentially thousands of other guests onboard.

But what you can do about it is respectfully and politely ask people to keep their voices down – or contact guest services who will send security to address particularly rowdy passengers.

It’s also important to consider where you want to be located when you pick your cruise cabin if you’re particularly sensitive to noise.

While it’s common knowledge to try to avoid being directly above or below noisier parts of the ship, such as clubs and prime party spots, it may also be a good idea to pick a cabin at the end of a corridor where there may be less foot traffic. 

Worse case scenario, be like me and invest in air plugs to block out the sound and accept that other guests are just having a good time.

Just one day following a series of 11 itinerary changes impacting five different ships, Carnival Cruise Line has released yet another batch of changes for six more ships and 13 itineraries.

While all the changes are relatively minor, so many changes in such a short period of time can be concerning to guests who book their cruise vacations based on specific destinations.

The ships impacted for this latest round of changes are Carnival Radiance, Carnival Sunshine, Carnival Spirit, Carnival Valor, Carnival Liberty, and the cruise line’s newest Excel-class ship, Carnival Jubilee.

Carnival Radiance Itinerary Changes

Two upcoming itineraries for the 102,232-gross-ton Carnival Radiance are now changed, both holiday cruises later this year. For the December 23 and December 30, 2024 sailings, the ship’s day of visit to Ensenada has been changed, though Carnival Radiance will still be visiting the port.

Both cruises are 4-night Baja Mexico sailings from Long Beach that will also be visiting Catalina Island. Changing the day of visiting Ensenada makes good sense, as on the December 23 departure, the ship was to have docked in Mexico on December 25, Christmas Day. Likewise, on the December 30 departure, the call to Ensenada was originally planned for January 1, 2025.

On those major holidays, it is likely that local businesses would be closed and there would not be as many tour options available for guests. By changing the date of the visit, travelers will have a more enjoyable time in Ensenada.

Carnival Sunshine Itinerary Changes

A total of seven sailings are now modified for the 103,881-gross-ton Carnival Sunshine while the ship is homeported from Norfolk, Virginia. Each impacted cruise is a 6-night voyage to Bermuda, and the changes are minor.

The only change to six sailings is a modified arrival time in Bermuda. This applies to the following departure dates in the summer and autumn of 2025: July 6, July 20, August 3, August 17, September 14, and October 12.

On the August 31, 2025 Bermuda sailing, Carnival Sunshine will have a modified departure time from Bermuda, though her arrival time will remain as originally published.

Carnival Spirit Itinerary Change

Just one cruise is changed for the 85,920-gross-ton Carnival Spirit. For the ship’s January 17, 2026 departure, Carnival Spirit will now be visiting Half Moon Cay rather than Amber Cove, and on a different day than originally scheduled.

Considering this is a 14-night Southern Caribbean itinerary with a total of seven ports of call, including the new Celebration Key, this is not a significant change for what is sure to be a memorable voyage.

Carnival Valor Itinerary Change

One 5-night Western Caribbean itinerary is now significantly changed for the 110,438-gross-ton Carnival Valor. The ship’s March 21, 2026 departure from New Orleans will now be visiting Progreso rather than Costa Maya, and the time in port has been adjusted.

The order of port visits has also been changed and Carnival Valor will visit Cozumel first during this cruise. The times to and from New Orleans are not impacted, however.

Carnival Liberty Itinerary Change

Also sailing from New Orleans, one itinerary for Carnival Valor’s sister ship, the 110,428-gross-ton Carnival Liberty, is also included in this round of changes, but not as dramatically.

The ship’s March 22, 2026 cruise is a 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary that will now reverse the order of visits to Mahogany Bay, Belize, and Cozumel, though all the ports of call are preserved. The time in Mahogany Bay is modified, but the ship will still be visiting the destination on Roatan Island.

Carnival Jubilee Itinerary Change

Carnival Cruise Line’s current flagship, the 183,521-gross-ton Carnival Jubilee based in Galveston, has just one itinerary adjustment in this group of changes.

For the ship’s November 1, 2025 departure, the day of visiting Cozumel has been changed along with a slight time shift. Similarly, the port time for Mahogany Bay has also been slightly tweaked.

During the 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary, the visit to Costa Maya remains unchanged. Likewise, there are no adjustments to and from Galveston.

Are More Changes Coming?

Over the past few weeks, Carnival Cruise Line has made similar minor adjustments to dozens of itineraries across the Fun Ship fleet. These include some port swaps (particularly around the cruise line’s private islands of Princess Cays and Half Moon Cay), along with time shifts and occasional cancellations.

This can be frustrating to travelers who may be planning a cruise vacation specifically for a certain destination (I always buy vanilla in Cozumel and would be upset to miss that port if my supply was running low!).

Experienced cruisers, however, know that all cruise lines have the right to adjust itineraries at any time and for any reason, even for last-minute changes while a sailing may already be underway.

No compensation is required and should not be expected, though pre-paid tours booked through the cruise line are refunded back to the original payment.

Read Also: 15 Mistakes to Avoid on a Carnival Cruise

While Carnival Cruise Line has not indicated any specific reason for so many changes, these simple shifts are not too dramatic and most travelers will not necessarily mind the adjustments.

If such changes do cause enough tension that guests no longer want to set sail, the impacted voyages are far enough in the future that cancellations are still possible and travelers could pick a different cruise itinerary.

Two Carnival Cruise Line guests are now banned for life after purportedly smuggling a handgun past the cruise line’s security and onboard their sailing.

Evidence of the guests’ actions came to light because they filmed a video and posted it online, most likely seeking viral fame. The video was posted on Facebook on October 1, 2024 under an account by the name of Kendra Gordon, which has other videos that identify her business as a shuttle transportation service in Manatee County, Florida.

The exact ship and sailing date of the trip when Gordon supposedly snuck the weapon onboard is not identified, but she does say it was “day two” as she shows off the item in the stateroom’s safe.

She specifically says it is Carnival, and the video clearly shows a Carnival Cruise Line stateroom with the distinctive décor, the Choose Fun luggage mat on the bed, and a Fun Times newsletter in the stateroom’s mailbox as she briefly opens door and looks into the hallway.

Other videos the couple has posted indicate a birthday cruise aboard Carnival Liberty from Port Canaveral, but do not share a sailing date. You can watch the video in question below:

Gordon notes that the cruise line’s security did confiscate food items such as pickles, hot sausages, and an open bag of popcorn, and she seems to indicate that was all from a checked bag. In the video, Gordon picks up the handgun but does not actually remove it from the safe.

“We all good,” she says while showing off the item in the safe.

It is not clear whether the weapon is authentic or a replica or toy of some variety, but all types are expressly forbidden by Carnival Cruise Line. In fact, weaponry is the second item on the cruise line’s prohibited items list, after illegal narcotics and drugs.

“All weapons and any item made, adapted or intended for use as an offensive weapon: firearms (including replicas, imitations and their components),” the list reads.

The cruise line does explain the policy, noting that all bags are subject to searches and screening.

“Carnival conducts security scanning of all luggage and reserves the right to confiscate any item, which in Carnival’s sole discretion, is deemed dangerous or can pose a risk to the vessel or its guests. Items will be removed and disposed of and no compensation will be provided,” the policy reads.

Read Also: Things You Can’t Take on a Cruise

The cruise line has confirmed that Gordon and her traveling companion, Travis Rainey, have been identified and banned for life from sailing with Carnival Cruise Line again.

“The guests who recorded the video have not sailed with us since April and have been prohibited from sailing Carnival in the future,” the cruise line stated.

Carnival Liberty – which is not confirmed as the vessel where this incident occurred – was indeed homeported from Port Canaveral through April 2024, but has since repositioned and is now sailing from New Orleans.

It is unclear how Gordon’s item, whether real or an imitation, passed through security screening, though security procedures are sure to be thoroughly reviewed and enhanced to be sure such an incident cannot happen again.

Worth Reading: Cruise Critics Banned by Carnival UK for Five Years

It is possible the couple may face additional charges if the case is turned over to local authorities and further investigated. Carnival Cruise Line has not commented on any such possibilities.

Other Recent Bans

In quests to seek viral video fame, other cruise guests have filmed similarly questionable actions and posted them online, and the outcome has been the same – banned for life.

For example, a woman who shared a “hack” to not pay for bottled water by tampering with bottles and refilling them was similarly identified and subsequently banned from the cruise line in early 2024.

In April 2023, a couple was banned after filming themselves fishing from their stateroom balcony while their ship was docked in Nassau, which is a violation of local laws as well as cruise line policy.

While these types of bans do raise eyebrows, no frequent cruise traveler is surprised when guests may be banned for more obvious cruise line regulations. For instance, a woman was banned after attempting to bring CBD gummies onboard Carnival Horizon in August 2023. While legal in some states, all forms of marijuana are prohibited onboard Carnival cruise ships.

Causing fights, destruction of property, and abusing crew members are other actions that will obviously get travelers banned from Carnival or any cruise line.

Carnival Cruise Line is on track to nearly double its capacity in the Australian market starting with the 2026-27 season when it adds two ships to its fleet from the P&O Australia line.

Carnival Cruise Line already has a steady presence in Australia with the year-round deployment of the 3,000-guest Carnival Splendor, sailing from Sydney, and the seasonal homeporting of the 2,800-guest Carnival Luminosa in Brisbane.

With the addition of two ships from P&O Australia, Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter, each accommodating 2,600 guests, Carnival Cruise Line will significantly expand its capacity in the region.

Carnival Corporation, parent company to both Carnival Cruise Line and P&O Australia, announced in June 2024 that the P&O brand would be dissolved and absorbed into Carnival Cruise Line in March 2025. The vessels are being renamed Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter.

The third ship in the P&O Australia fleet, Pacific Explorer, built in 1997, is slated to be retired in February 2025. The transfer of two vessels to Carnival Cruise Line expands the fleet to 29 ships. 

Under the new Australia cruise series for 2026-27, which has opened for sale, Carnival Splendor and Carnival Adventure will sail from Sydney while Carnival Luminosa and Carnival Encounter will be based in Brisbane.

“As we expand our fleet to four ships in Australia and enrich our overall deployment plan, our 2026/27 itineraries significantly increase the options available for the Carnival experience from Sydney and Brisbane,” said Fred Stein, vice president of itinerary planning at Carnival Cruise Line. 

“Guests interested in a cruise from Australia are bound to find the perfect itinerary, whether they’re looking to explore a new region or revisit key vacation destinations – all showcasing the diverse beauty of the South Pacific,” Stein added.

Voyages from Sydney include short getaways and longer itineraries. Carnival Adventure will sail 2- and 3-night weekend cruises to Moreton Island and longer voyages, including a 12-day itinerary to Fiji with calls at Lautoka and Dravuni Island.

Carnival Splendor will sail a mix of 2- to 12-day voyages from Sydney, including 5- and 6-day cruises to Tasmania. The ship also will sail 10-day New Zealand cruises, with calls at Wellington, Lyttelton (Christchurch), and Dunedin. These itineraries feature scenic cruising in Fiordland National Park.

Carnival Luminosa, a vessel that was also transferred to the Carnival Cruise Line brand from the sister line Costa Cruises in 2022, will be based in Brisbane and sail 3- to 14-day cruises. Seven-day South Pacific sailings will visit Mystery Island and Port Vila, while an 8-day option adds Vanuatu and New Caledonia, for example.

Maritime history enthusiasts can book a Carnival Journeys cruise onboard Carnival Luminosa that spotlights the places made famous by the story of mutiny onboard the Royal Navy vessel HMS Bounty in 1789, such as Norfolk Island and Nuku’alofa, Tonga.

Read Also: What to Expect When You Go on a Carnival Cruise

Carnival Encounter will sail 2- and 3-night getaway cruises to Airlie Beach, in Queensland, plus 6- to 10-day voyages to Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and other South Pacific destinations.

Here’s Where the Ships Are Currently Sailing

Carnival Luminosa is on her way to Australia following her summer season in Alaska. Her 22-night journey from Seattle calls at the Hawaiian Islands, French Polynesia, and Fiji. The ship will sail multiple itineraries from Brisbane and Sydney through March 2025, before repositioning again to Alaska for summer 2025.

Carnival Splendor is based year-round in Sydney, sailing 2- to 11-night cruises to New Zealand, New Caledonia, the Great Barrier Reef, Tasmania, and other places.

Still, currently operating as P&O Australia ships, Pacific Adventure is based in Sydney. She is currently sailing a 10-day cruise that visits three ports in Vanuatu. Pacific Encounter currently homeports in Brisbane and is now sailing a 3-night cruise to destinations in Queensland.

Five Carnival cruise ships with itineraries in early 2025 and early 2026 are now getting itinerary adjustments for various ports of call in the Bahamas. Some ports are replaced, others have modified times, some visit orders are changed, and other slight shifts are being made.

The cruise line notified guests on the impacted voyages on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, more than four months before the first altered itinerary. This does give travelers ample time to change their cruise vacation plans if they prefer.

Five total ships are impacted: Carnival Freedom, Carnival Magic, Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Pride, and Carnival Spirit. In total, 11 voyages are adjusted in this latest round of relatively small changes.

Carnival Freedom

Carnival Freedom is the first ship to be impacted by these new changes, but it isn’t until the ship’s February 10, 2025 departure that any shifts are being made. That 5-night Eastern Caribbean cruise will be replacing the planned visit to Bimini with a stop in Nassau instead, and port times have been modified.

Two of Carnival Freedom‘s March 2026 itineraries have also been slightly adjusted. For the March 9, 2026 departure, the days visiting Celebration Key and Nassau are swapped, though the ship will still be visiting both ports. The time in Nassau has also been slightly changed.

Similarly, the ship’s March 28, 2026 departure is swapping the days visiting Princess Cays and Nassau, though the port times are unaffected for that voyage.

For all three adjusted itineraries, Carnival Freedom is sailing from Port Canaveral and there are no changes related to her homeport arrivals or departures.

Carnival Magic

Two March 2025 sailings for Carnival Magic are being changed. The ship is sailing from Miami, and her March 2, 2025 departure is changing port orders and revising times for both Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay on that 6-night voyage.

The ship’s March 16, 2025 cruise – also a 6-night voyage – will now be visiting Nassau rather than Half Moon Cay, and the time in port will be slightly different than what was planned for the private island.

Carnival Sunrise

Four early 2026 voyages for Carnival Sunrise are impacted, each in a slightly different way. For all four sailings, the ship is homeported from Miami.

First is the ship’s February 7 departure, a 5-night Bahamas cruise. On that sailing, the ship will now be visiting Princess Cays instead of Half Moon Cay, and the order of port visits has changed.

The change is minimal to Carnival Sunrise‘s March 7 sailing, which is only changing the day of visiting Half Moon Cay and with a slightly adjusted port time, though the actual port of call itself is preserved. Neither Nassau or nor Celebration Key are impacted on that 5-night cruise.

On the ship’s March 12 departure, Carnival Sunrise is replacing Half Moon Cay with a stop in Princess Cays instead during the 4-night cruise. The visit to Celebration Key remains unchanged.

Finally, the March 21 sailing date is more dramatically altered, with the ship now visiting Princess Cays instead of Half Moon Cay and the overall port time changed. The days of visiting Nassau and (now) Princess Cays are also changed for the 5-night voyage.

Carnival Pride

Just one cruise is changed for Carnival Pride, but it is a significant one. On the ship’s March 8, 2026 departure, a 7-night Bahamas itinerary from Baltimore, the ship will no longer be visiting either Bimini or Princess Cays.

Instead, Carnival Pride will be stopping in Half Moon Cay and Nassau. The visit to Celebration Key remains unchanged for this cruise.

Carnival Spirit

Likewise, just one cruise aboard Carnival Spirit is impacted in this list of itinerary changes. For the ship’s March 8, 2026 sailing from Mobile, Alabama, the visit to Bimini is now replaced with Nassau, the port order of (now) Nassau and Celebration Key is changed.

Why So Many Carnival Itinerary Adjustments?

Carnival Cruise Line has not explained why so many itineraries are being adjusted in these small ways. Some of the alterations may be due to the new pier construction at Half Moon Cay, during which island operations and capacity may be impacted.

Once the pier is complete, the desire to bring the line’s new Excel-class ships to the private destination may also change plans for other vessels in the fleet.

Read Also: All Carnival Cruise Ships by Age – Newest to Oldest

Similar changes have already been announced for Mardi Gras and Carnival Vista, as well as other itineraries impacted for Carnival Freedom, Carnival Magic, Carnival Pride, Carnival Sunshine, and Carnival Spirit.

In all cases, any pre-paid shore tours booked through Carnival Cruise Line will be adjusted as needed for changes in port visits, or cancelled if the port of call has been changed. Refunds will be made to the original form of payment.

It is not at all unusual for cruise lines to “tweak” itineraries for more fuel efficiency, streamlined sailing routes, port capacity, or other factors. While some cruise guests may be disappointed at the changes, it is important to note that Carnival Cruise Line reserves the right to change itineraries at any time and without notice if necessary.

By providing advance notice of these changes, the cruise line is giving guests the opportunity to likewise adjust their vacation plans if preferred.

Carnival Cruise Line gave a warm welcome and big applause to the Litteral family as they stepped onto Carnival Valor on October 1, 2024.

Turns out the family, traveling from the homeport of New Orleans on a 5-night journey to the Caribbean, included the 2,980-passenger ship’s 7th million guests since Carnival began sailing year-round from the Louisiana port in 1994.

It was a significant moment as Carnival Cruise Line is now the first cruise line in New Orleans to achieve this peak.

The family, comprised of Thomas and Julie Litteral and their children Zachary and Zoey, were welcomed on board by Carnival Valor’s Captain Antonio Modaffari and the ship’s crew, who celebrated the occasion with an impromptu ceremony.

The Litteral family are loyal Carnival cruisers and celebrated one more momentous occasion when 12-year-old Zachary achieved Diamond VIFP status on the voyage, joining his parents at the cruise line’s top loyalty level.

Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy shared her excitement about the milestone, saying, “Sharing this landmark embarkation in New Orleans with loyal guests, a family that clearly loves the fun they fund when they sail with us, makes this moment truly special.”

In May 2024, Carnival Cruise Line marked 30 years of year-round service from the Port of New Orleans with the arrival of the Carnival Liberty, a 2,974-passenger vessel.

At that time, Carnival Liberty was greeted by iconic New Orleans Chef Emeril Lagasse, who also serves as Carnival’s Chief Culinary Officer.

“Just after celebrating 30 years of year-round service here this spring, we’re proud to continue building on our important partnership with the New Orleans community,” said Duffy.

She added, “Seven million guests cruising with us from Port NOLA signifies our unwavering commitment as the market leader in this vibrant city.”

Carnival’s commitment currently includes keeping both the 110,000-gross-ton Carnival Valor and Carnival Liberty in New Orleans, operating a series of 4- to 10-day cruises to destinations in the Caribbean and the Panama Canal.

Combined, the cruise line carries approximately 400,000 passengers annually from New Orleans, contributing to the city’s vibrant tourism industry.

Port New Orleans Sees Strong Comeback and Cruise Commitments

The Port of New Orleans is having its moment, having finished 2023 with nearly 1.2 million cruise passengers, reflecting a strong recovery from the pandemic and renewed confidence in the city’s cruise market.

“The cruise business has rebounded in New Orleans and cruise line partners are confident in our Port NOLA cruise market,” said the port’s President and CEO Brandy D. Christian.

With 90 percent of cruise guests coming from out of state, New Orleans is a top pre- and post-cruise destination. It generates more than 300,000 hotel room nights and contributes over $125 million to the local economy each year.

Read Also: New Orleans Cruise Port – Terminals, Piers and Getting Around

Christian continued, “We want to thank all our cruise line and hospitality partners as we work together to make cruising out of New Orleans two vacations in one.”

Besides Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line has a commitment to the city through 2028 with Norwegian Getaway, which can accommodate 3,963 guests, set to replace sister ship Norwegian Breakaway this month.

Disney Cruise Line also has a presence with Disney Magic, which returned to the city in January 2024, and Royal Caribbean’s 2,543-passenger Brilliance of the Seas, which is making its debut in November 2024.