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27,927 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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We found you 432 cruises

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Carnival Venezia

12 Night
Journeys - 12-day Southern Caribbean

122 Reviews
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Carnival Magic

7 Night
Western Caribbean

1,530 Reviews
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Carnival Paradise

6 Night
Eastern Caribbean

1,012 Reviews
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Carnival Vista

8 Night
Eastern Caribbean

1,090 Reviews
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MSC Cruises

Cruise Critic Favorite

8 Night
Eastern Caribbean

1,090 Reviews
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7 Night
Eastern Caribbean

217 Reviews
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14 Night
Journeys - 14-day Hawaii

84 Reviews
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6 Night
Western Caribbean

508 Reviews
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9 Night
Eastern Caribbean

122 Reviews
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Cruise Critic Favorite

8 Night
Eastern Caribbean

1,443 Reviews
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7 Night
Eastern Caribbean

1,978 Reviews
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8 Night
Mexican Riviera

206 Reviews
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8 Night
Southern Caribbean

217 Reviews
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12 Night
Journeys - 12-day Southern Caribbean

122 Reviews
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6 Night
Mexican Riviera

206 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

First Luminosa Experience

Formal night was a let down as there was no real activities to support it other than people just dressing up and getting photos done.The 80s night was fun and more engaging than the formal night.Read More
Allyoop123

couple2-5 Cruises

•

Age 55s

First cruise nightmare

Everytime I addressed an issue I was dismissed as if I was no one important I wanted the experience carnival is known for unneeded the vacation.Shorter my room smelled like sewage the pool water wasn't clean my son got a terrible rash from it I spent an extra 270 on a room to accommodate my family not knowing if we would board at all we had no sail away party it really was a very bad experience but my stewardess was amazing!!Read More
reeree8181

oneFirst Time Cruiser

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Age 44s

Not a good experience overall

Food: Pigs and Anchor overall was good on the first sea day, yet tasted like overcooked leftovers on the last sea day.I’m not sure if it was because it was Elite cruise, but it was one of the worst casino experiences.Read More
Momtog

couple2-5 Cruises

•

Age 32s

You get what you pay for

To begin with Carnival is a budget cruise line and if you are looking to stretch your dollar this may be the one to go with.The staff with the exception of one of the security personnel and one of the guest services personnel were attentive and very friendly and couldn't be better.Read More
Jay Main

couple2-5 Cruises

•

Age 65s

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Carnival Encounter

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