Carnival Cruises

28,276 Reviews
Carnival Breeze (Photo: Carnival Cruise Line)

About Carnival Cruises

Carnival specializes in fun, laid-back, family-friendly cruises. With few exceptions, Carnival sails exclusively from North American homeports and offers some of the lowest pricing in the industry, particularly on short three- and four-night Carnival Caribbean cruises.

  • More about Carnival Cruise Line

  • Who goes on Carnival cruise ships?

  • Do I have to dress up on a Carnival cruise?

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Carnival Legend
Carnival Legend

12 Night
Carnival Journeys - Transatlantic Cruise

1,461 Reviews
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Carnival Venezia
Carnival Venezia showing off new livery (Photo/Carnival Cruise Line)

14 Night
Carnival Journeys - Southern Caribbean

83 Reviews
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Carnival Conquest
Carnival Conquest

4 Night
Western Caribbean Cruise

1,568 Reviews
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Carnival Legend
Carnival Legend

7 Night
Exotic Eastern Caribbean Cruise

1,461 Reviews
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4 Night
Bahamas Cruise

1,417 Reviews
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8 Night
Exotic Eastern Caribbean Cruise

1,041 Reviews
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10 Night
Exotic Eastern Caribbean Cruise

83 Reviews
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5 Night
Bahamas Cruise

1,133 Reviews
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10 Night
Exotic Western Caribbean Cruise

1,461 Reviews
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7 Night
Mexican Riviera Cruise

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6 Night
Exotic Eastern Caribbean Cruise

77 Reviews
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Cruise Critic Favorite

14 Night
Carnival Journeys - 14 Day Transatlantic

182 Reviews
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16 Night
Carnival Journeys - 16 Day Transatlantic

1,522 Reviews
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5 Night
Western Caribbean Cruise

1,522 Reviews
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Cruise Critic Favorite

7 Night
Exotic Eastern Caribbean Cruise

1,595 Reviews
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Carnival Cruises Tips, Activities, and Overview

Who goes on Carnival cruise ships?

Carnival Cruise Line sells itself as the "fun" cruise line, and it attracts cruisers who are looking to have a good time with little to no pretensions. Carnival cruisers, who range from young to old, tend to be quite friendly, looking to strike up conversations with other people in the buffet, by the pool and, really, anywhere.

Carnival is also one of the most family-oriented lines in the industry, and you're bound to see lots of kids onboard, even during the school year. When school is out, you can expect the number of kids to be well into the hundreds.

The line is also popular for family reunions, and bachelor and bachelorette parties.

People on Carnival cruise ships hail primarily from the United States, mainly the south and Midwest, but you'll also meet folks from Canada, England and usually a handful of other European countries.

Find more info on the history and vision of Carnival Cruise Line from our industry experts.

Do I have to dress up on a Carnival cruise?

Carnival cruises are casual, with shorts, tee shirts, capris, swimsuits or swim cover-ups de rigueur during the day (no bathing suites in the dining venues, however). Most nights, the dress code on a Carnival Cruises remains much the same, minus the swimwear, though technically the cruise line asks that people not wear shorts into the main dining room. The policy is inconsistently upheld.

On "elegant" nights, you'll see a range of clothing from ball gowns, dresses that leave little to the imagination, tuxes and suits to the same shorts and tees people sport all day long. Most men, however, opt for long pants and collared shirts, while women don sundresses, or a skirt or pants with a blouse. Men are not required to wear a suit jacket or tie in any venue.

Is everything free on Carnival cruises?

No. While Carnival is one of the more inclusive cruise lines when it comes to dining, you will still have to pay extra for some specialty dining, all drinks (alcoholic and non, except water, select juice at breakfast, and coffee and tea), shore excursions, visits to the spa and any retail purchases, including photos.

What are Carnival’s most popular activities?

Aside from the main pool, which is the hub of much of the line's fun activities, almost every Carnival cruise ship also has at least one waterslide, with several having multi-slide water parks. Additionally, several have a top-deck SportSquare that features a colorful collection of outdoor amusements, including Ping-Pong, billiards, foosball, mini-golf, Twister and a SkyCourse ropes course. On the line's newest ships (Vista and Horizon), there's also the Carnival SkyRide, a recumbent bike attraction suspended 150 feet up in the air, requiring riders to pedal their way around an 800-foot track that wraps around the outer decks.

Inside, you'll find activities that range from trivia and Bingo during the day to comedy shows and high-tech song-and-dance revues at night. Carnival ships also have lively bar nightlife, especially on ships with a RedFrog Pub; there's also an always-busy casino.

Why go with Carnival?

  • Cruises are for families and fun-lovers of all ages.
  • "Fun Ships" offer great value for money.
  • The world's largest cruise line -- big ships with panache.

Best for: Budget-conscious, gregarious families, couples and solos looking for an unpretentious vibe that's all about having fun

Not for: Anyone who doesn't appreciate off-color humor, lively hairy chest contests, burgers and BBQ, and thumping music. Find more questions and answers about cruising on Carnival ships.

Carnival Cruise Line Cruiser Reviews

Honest experience shared

We began our cruise in Brisbane Australia headed for a couple small islands in the South Pacific.Nothing short of a complete refund including my substantial travel costs getting to Australia would even come close to making up for this disaster of a cruise!Read More
Disgusted cruiser

couple2-5 Cruises

Age 59s

Great entertainment

Pizza was never ready always had to wait 10 minutes and the lines would be so long I opted for room delivery twice as that was one of the few things my son ate.So we were all just sitting around but they did as best as they could by reopening the food places for us all and giving us complimentary internet access I know it was beyond their control, just wish we could stay in the room a little longer.Read More
Mel2290

couple2-5 Cruises

Age 39s

Amazing steward

was amazing, he went above and beyond for us and made sure to make our little girl smile .Kept us laughing and dancing and fun games !Read More
Williams3

couple2-5 Cruises

Age 32s

Adjust your expectations!

The main dining experience was terrific...not a luxury experience...Read More
AMDM83

couple2-5 Cruises

Age 66s

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