What to Expect When You Go on a Carnival Cruise

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If youโ€™re looking for a relatively affordable cruise that sets sail from one of the United Statesโ€™ major cruise ports, and you want to visit top destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico or New England, chances are good youโ€™ll end up considering a Carnival cruise.

With 27 ships in its fleet, Carnival is one of the largest cruise lines in the world by fleet size, and itโ€™s grown to such mammoth proportions in part thanks to the Carnival experience. Across these ships, regardless of age or size, the Carnival vibes are nearly always the same.

So, if youโ€™ve never sailed with Carnival before, what can you expect? Hereโ€™s everything you need to know before you go on a Carnival cruise vacation.

The Crowd Skews Younger

Itโ€™s no secret. If you take a look at many cruise lines, especially higher end, more expensive cruise lines, the average cruiser age tends to be on the older side. Cruising on lines like Holland America, Viking or Cunard means rubbing elbows with the retired set, more often than not.

Thatโ€™s not the case on a Carnival cruise. Thanks to the lineโ€™s affordable pricing and bevy of fun activities, including for the kiddos, the crowd skews younger. You can expect to find yourself among plenty of young families and young singles.

That said, if you are a senior cruiser, you wonโ€™t stick out like a sore thumb either. Overall, Carnival welcomes a more diverse group of cruisers than many other cruise lines.

Fun is the Name of the Game โ€” And itโ€™s All Thanks to Your Cruise Director

On some cruises, you might be focused solely on hopping from port to port and getting off the ship as quickly as possible, to spend as much time as possible in the destination youโ€™re visiting.

However, you might just find that, on a Carnival cruise, you enjoy your time on the ship every bit as much as you enjoy your time in port โ€” or even more so.

This is in part thanks to the cruise director. Each cruise ship has a cruise director who oversees and plans the shipโ€™s events and activities, all with the mission of making your cruising experience as enjoyable as possible. And, on Carnival ships, this means making your cruising experience as fun as possible.

Carnival Cruise Line Fleet Cruise Director
Photo Courtesy: Carnival Cruise Line

As such, expect tons to be going on, on the ship, at all times. The list of daily activities ranges from trivia to karaoke, live music to magicians and movies. Youโ€™ll receive a list of the activities on offer in the Carnival app once your ship sets sail. Definitely make a point to check these out. You may just be surprised at how much fun you have!

Read Also: Carnival Cruise Director Schedule

Youโ€™ll also likely get to know your cruise director throughout the sailing, as theyโ€™re a public-facing member of the crew and often show up to make announcements, emcee shows, etc.

Some avid cruisers even take cruises specifically because they know a certain cruise director will be working. Theyโ€™ve had such great, fun experiences thanks to a particular Carnival cruise director in the past, that they want to sail with them again.

So, if youโ€™re in the middle of your cruise and having a truly awesome time, make a note of your cruise director!

The Lido Deck Can Get Busy During Sea Days

Depending on the exact Carnival cruise ship youโ€™re on, the lido deck will refer to a different deck on the ship and the exact venues on that deck may differ, but you can always expect to find the pool or pools on the lido deck, as well as some casual dining and drinking options, such as the buffet.

For example, on Carnival Mardi Gras, the lido deck is Deck 16 and itโ€™s home to the beach pool, BlueIguana Cantina, Seafood Shack, Street Eats, RedFrog Tiki Bar, the Tides Pool, two hot tubs, Shaqโ€™s Big Chicken and plenty of sun loungers.

Carnival Cruise Line Ship Deck
Photo Copyright: Cruise Hive

Regardless of the ship, though, the lido deck is guaranteed to be busy during sea days. With no port visits to fill their time, many cruisers spend sea days by the pool and in the nearby bars and restaurants.

As such, if you were hoping to go to the pool when it was less crowded, or if you wanted to try one of those casual, complimentary eateries during a time when there wonโ€™t be a wait, a sea day is not the time to do it.

If you really want to avoid the crowds at the pool or restaurants, the best time to do so is while the ship is in port. There are many reasons why you might stay on the ship while at port, but fewer crowds is one of the best.

Nearly Every Nightโ€™s a Party

Bring your best party attire, because youโ€™ll find multiple big events occurring on the ship throughout your cruise. Most Carnival cruise itineraries include a few key parties.

Thereโ€™s the Sail Away Party, which sounds exactly like a party that takes place as the ship sets sail. It kicks off on the shipโ€™s lido deck right after the safety briefing. Youโ€™ll get to know your cruise director there, and a DJ will encourage you to get out on the dance floor. Drink specials are also usually on offer.

Carnival Panorama Deck Party
Carnival Panorama Deck Party (Photo Credit: Ritu Manoj Jethani)

Then thereโ€™s the Mega Deck Party and the 80s Night Deck Party. Depending on the length of your cruise, your cruise will include one or the other (on cruises less than six days in length) or both (on cruises more than six days in length).

The Mega Deck Party is island-themed and the 80s Night Deck Party is, obviously, 80s-themed, with tons of 80s music. Be sure to dress accordingly.

Then, thereโ€™s the White Hot Night Party, which is offered on select cruises and where cruisers wear their best or most unique white attire. Regardless of which party you attend, expect tons of dancing, drinks and fun.

Youโ€™ll Need Your Best Dress or Suit for Cruise Elegant Nights

While participating in Carnivalโ€™s Cruise Elegant nights isnโ€™t mandatory, it is loads of fun, especially if youโ€™re not necessarily into the big deck parties.

Cruise Elegant nights are essentially when cruisers are asked to wear their best semi-formal attire to the main dining rooms, for upscale meals in a classic cruise setting. There are lots of photographers on hand to snap your pics and itโ€™s just a fun excuse to dress up and do something a little, well, elegant.

Cruise Elegant Night
Cruise Elegant Night (Photo Credit: Ally Lee)

If your cruise lasts under six days, there will be one Cruise Elegant evening during your cruise. If your cruise lasts more than six days, there will be two Cruise Elegant evenings.

During these evenings, men are asked to wear dress slacks, dress shirts and a sport coat, or a suit and tie or tuxedo. Women are asked to wear cocktail dresses, pantsuits or โ€œelegantโ€ skirts and blouses, or an evening gown.

Whatever you choose to wear, Carnival asks you to not wear cut-off jeans, shorts, sleeveless shirts (for men), t-shirts, sportswear, flip flops, baseball hats or bathing suits.

Gratuities Will Be Automatically Added to Your Cruise Costs

Thereโ€™s no need to carry around cash to tip the cruise ship crew when youโ€™re on a Carnival cruise! Carnival will automatically add your gratuities onto your cruise costs and you can choose to pay for gratuities either before your cruise or at the end.

How much gratuities youโ€™re charged will depend on the type of stateroom youโ€™re in. If youโ€™re in a standard stateroom, Carnival charges a flat gratuity fee of $16 per person, per day.

Carnival Cruise Ship Cabin
Carnival Cruise Ship Cabin (Photo Copyright: Cruise Hive)

If youโ€™re in a suite, Carnival charges a flat gratuity fee of $18 per person per day. An additional 18% gratuity fee is added to beverage purchases and at select restaurants.

The gratuities, however, are not mandatory. If you did not prepay your per-person, per-day gratuity flat fees, and if you do feel that a reduction in gratuity fees are warranted, you can address that at the end of your cruise, once the fees are listed on your Sail & Sign account. This occurs on the second-to-last day of the cruise and you must address this with guest services before the cruise ends.

You Can Bring Some of Your Own Food and Drinks Aboard, But There Are Limitations.

If youโ€™re thinking that youโ€™ll bring some of your own snacks aboard the ship, or even some of your own drinks, in order to save on costs, be sure that youโ€™re not violating any of Carnivalโ€™s policies regarding what you can and canโ€™t bring onto the ship.

Carnival Cruise Line Lido Marketplace Buffet
Carnival Cruise Line Lido Marketplace Buffet (Photo Credit: Emrys Thakkar)

For food, you can only bring pre-packaged, unopened items onto the ship; nothing homemade or pre-cooked is allowed. You can bring some non-alcoholic beverages, so long as theyโ€™re in a can or carton, and youโ€™re not bringing more than 12, 12-ounce drinks per person.

Worth Reading: Can You Bring Food On a Cruise and How Much?

Likewise, you can bring some wine or champagne (no liquor or beer), but only in quantities of one 750 milliliter bottle per adult.

If Youโ€™re Looking for a Quieter Pool, Try the Serenity Deck

As we already mentioned, if youโ€™re hoping to enjoy laying by the pool during your Carnival cruise, and you want to have the space mostly to yourself, youโ€™ll want to wait until the ship is in port somewhere. However, if you donโ€™t want to sacrifice a port day for the pool, you do have other options beyond the main pool.

Carnival Cruise Line Serenity Adults-Only Area
Carnival Cruise Line Serenity Adults-Only Area (Photo Credit: Emrys Thakkar)

Try checking out the Serenity Deck, the shipsโ€™ adults-only area where you can typically find not just a pool, but also hot tubs, sun loungers and a bar as well. (Do note that there arenโ€™t pools in the Serenity area on every single Carnival ship.) You can access this area completely for free.

If you want a quieter pool where the kiddos are welcomed, you may want to consider upgrading to a Havana suite. These suites are tucked away in a special portion of the ship thatโ€™s closed off from the masses, where youโ€™ll find a private pool, deck and bar, only open to guests staying in these special suites.

Prepare to Wait in Line (if you didnโ€™t buy Carnivalโ€™s Faster to the Fun upgrade)

Just as is the case at resorts or at theme parks, you can expect to wait in a lot of lines on a Carnival cruise ship. Youโ€™ll wait in lines to board the ship. Youโ€™ll wait in lines to get off the ship. Youโ€™ll wait in lines at restaurants and at entertainment venues.

Cruise Passengers Lining Up for Buffet
Cruise Passengers Lining Up for Buffet (Photo Credit: Melissa Herzog)

However, Carnival has done something to help alleviate this, and itโ€™s called Faster to the Fun. This is an upgrade that you can pay for ahead of your cruise and it comes with perks such as priority check-in, express luggage delivery, priority dining reservations, priority access to water shuttle boarding and priority debarkation.

Many cruisers say that Faster to the Fun is definitely worth it, so if waiting in long lines isnโ€™t quite how you planned to spend part of your vacation, check out pricing for your particular cruise.

Youโ€™ll Find Something for Everyone

Lastly, overall, youโ€™ll find something for everyone on a Carnival cruise. Thereโ€™s just about every kind of cruiser on board each ship, for each itinerary, and no matter your age or tastes, youโ€™ll find something to enjoy.

Carnival Cruise Line Ship
Carnival Celebration Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: Nancy Pauwels)

Yes, these ships can have more of a fun, party atmosphere, but you can also find quiet spots to relax. There are loads of amenities and activities for families with children from toddlers all the way up to teens. However, singles, couples and seniors will find lots to love, too, with entertainment and activities geared toward their tastes as well.

If you want a super-casual experience, youโ€™ve got it. If you want something a little more elegant and upscale, you can find that, too. In short, Carnival has a little bit of it all and you can experience it all, on your first Carnival cruise vacation.

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Holly Riddle
Holly Riddle
Holly Riddle is a travel and food freelance writer whose work can be found in print and digital publications all around the world. She is additionally an entrepreneur specializing in content and marketing services. Beyond frequent travel, Riddle enjoys cooking, reading, camping and spending time with her husband and two dogs. Her favorite travel destinations include Chicago, Amsterdam, Edinburgh and just about anywhere in the Caribbean. Find out more about us here.

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