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Carnival Cruise from Miami January 2023

Carnival Cruise Line fleet in January 2023

Destinations.

Cruise to the spectacular Caribbean Sea’s warm waters and lively islands with Carnival Cruise Line from Miami in January 2023. In January 2023, Carnival Cruise Line will take you from Miami to most beautifull places in the Caribbean Sea.

This Cruise Life

Carnival celebration, january 22-february 5, 2023.

How would I describe my recent back-to-back sailings on Carnival Cruise Lines? Three words come to mind: Epic, Fun, and Family.

We spent two weeks on Carnival’s flagship, Carnival Celebration, and had so much fun exploring the ship and experiencing all that this new ship has to offer. We checked out the food, the unique-to-ship entertainment, and of course, the fun (we had some ports, too, but that’s for another post! haha)

Carnival Celebration is the newest ship to Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet. Sister to Mardi Gras, she’s the second Excel-class ship for CCL. While the ship features many of the same features introduced on sister Mardi Gras (think Big Chicken, Street Eats, Emeril’s, Summer Landing, Excel-class suites, etc.), the ship has several new and redesigned spaces.

While our favorite Fortune Teller Bar and French Quarter Zone were replaced with The Gateway, it’s still a lovely space. That’s especially true if you’re a Carnival Cruise Line loyalist as the brand pays tremendous homage to the past, including special pieces from various ships across the fleet and “portholes” that feature Carnival Cruise Lines through the years. Golden Jubilee is pretty much an explosion of Carnival history and tradition – and we were here for every bit of it!

In addition to Golden Jubilee and Latitudes additions, Celebration also rethinks the pizza and deli in 820 Biscayne. Miami Slice was a welcome change to the pizza on board (that we still love, just nice to have some new options). We especially loved the picadillo pizza. Mmmm. Deco Deli has some of the standard sandwiches with a couple new additions. While we prefer the variety of Piazza Panini on sister-ship Mardi Gras, the options were still plentiful and we enjoyed them all. Across the walkway, Bar Del a Rosa has been replaced with Bar 820 (paying homage to Carnival Cruise Line’s original address). We found this bar to be a significant upgrade to her predecessor on Mardi Gras.

Other spaces we fell in love with on Mardi Gras like the new Serenity, Summer Landing, Center Stage, and Chibang all are here. If you’ve sailed Mardi Gras, you’ll simply feel like you’re “coming home” to Carnival Celebration – with some updates along the way.

Gosh, Carnival Celebration does not disappoint in the fun department. Literally, there is something going on all the time. We chatted with another family that was sailing and they shared how they were bored on another cruise line (I won’t share which one, but let’s just say they’ve got a big anchor). “There, you might have had 3 things to pick from. On this ship, there’s like 3 things to do every 15 minutes!”

This sentiment rings true to us. We hit up some new trivias, did several scavenger hunts around the ship (we may have won a trophy!), watched multiple production shows in each of the venues, listened to live music, met the cast of the various shows, rode a roller coaster on a cruise ship, walked the plank on the ropes course… and the list just keeps on going.

Carnival’s slogan of “Choose Fun Together” has never been more appropriate than it is here on Carnival Celebration. As that family we met from Phoenix shared, “if you’re bored on this ship, that’s on you!”

I’ve said this before, but I don’t know that it’s ever been more true: no cruise line can match Carnival when it comes to creating a sense of family. From the crew members that recognized us from previous sailings, to the new crew members we met this trip, it’s the Carnival Cruise Line’s team that keeps us coming back again and again. It may sound cheesy, but these amazing human beings hold a special spot in our hearts for the magical vacation memories they create. Below are just some of the crew that made our vacation extra special these past two weeks. And while we don’t have photos of everyone (Rigoberto was always on the move making up our staterooms and creating amazing towel animals!), we did manage to strike a pose with so many crew members who made our vacation extra special.

Sports Staff

These amazing humans went out of their way to make sure we tried everything in the Ultimate Playground! Emerson, Joseph (Joey), and Frank laughed with us as we rode Bolt, cheered us on when we did the Ropes Course, and always made it a point to call us BY NAME whenever they saw us. If you’re looking for fun, this crew will make sure you find it. Thank you to Joey for letting me live as a Carnival Crew Member for a brief moment one night by wearing the special “comedy doors” vest!

Magic In the Air

Manoj, or Man OJ as he sometimes goes by, made us smile with his magic while making it a point to say hello to us wherever he saw us around the ship. We had many conversations with Manoj about his work and his aspirations. He’s definitely going to do some amazing things, just watch out!

Go out with a Chibang!

We visited Chibang more this cruise than ever before – and part of that was Alina making us feel so welcome every night. She ALWAYS greeted us with a smile, always knew our names, and even made it a point to make sure we were seated with Putra who introduced us to the fact that we could order sambal with our meals at Chibang (gamechanger!) I cannot wait to see the big things that are in front of Alina; she just has such a warm personality and I hope to sail with her again on Jubilee later this year! Putra, thank you for your kindness and never judging us when we ordered one too many appetizers! Putra and his entire team made our dinners an absolute pleasure.

Thirst Quenchers

To say we never went thirsty is an understatement thanks to these amazing crew members. We sailed with Dajana on Mardi Gras where she took care of us at Fortune Teller Bar, and once again, she took care of us – just at the new namesake Bar 820. Jason was our go-to at Golden Jubilee and always made us smile with his “last call” calls! Kim, Anna Maria, and Tuty took such great care of us at Java Blue. Anna Maria and Kim both took the time in the evenings to chat with us about life on a ship, their future dreams and plans, and genuinely wanted to know about us as well. Honestly, if you sail with any of these lovely ladies, please order an iced caramel macchiato, extra caramel with whip and tell them Mark sent you. “We haven’t seen you yet today,” or “Where’s Jason been hiding?” were just some of the ways they made us smile. Thank you for the caffeine, but more importantly, thank you for the kindness. We met Gema during our first week and she literally made it a point to find us and talk with us every time we were out and about. While she might be going on vacation, we look forward to sailing with her again and following her adventures on social!

Playlist, Center Stage, Live Entertainment

If you are looking for live entertainment, Carnival Celebration is the ship for you! Regie sang for us in a variety of venues across the ship – Latitudes Bar, Golden Jubilee, and even the Platinum/Diamond Party. We’ve sailed with her before and I’ll tell you this: her sets never disappoint!

When it comes to stage/production shows, the Playlist cast is one of the best ones yet (I feel like I say that every time!) This time, leads Katelyn and David proved their power by continuing to finish out their song despite mics being cut and all background audio lost. Talk about a powerhouse duo.

If you like Piano Bar 88, you’re in great hands with Eden (though, he’s going on vacation soon). Can you believe he’s been on TWENTY Carnival ships? He’s got some serious chops and piano bar fans will not be disappointed. While we got photos with Matias and Lee, the entire Playlist and Celebration Central cast is not to be missed. From performing acrobatics soaring across a 3-story atrium, to live painting on stage, these performers and shows are truly fantastic. We’ll share more from The Magnificent Circus and Color My World in a future post!

Fun Squad (sometimes referred to as ‘red shirts’ for some reason…;)

Did we save the best for last? Maybe. The Fun Squad and entertainers on this ship have a tremendous future in front of them. We already see several future Carnival Cruise Line Cruise Directors in this group and we can’t wait to sail with them!! Sunshine, Jayden, Mike, Gabby, Luis, Eddie Spaghetti, Chacho, and Jay Jay – you are all stars in your own right. Thank you for ALWAYS making us feel like we were VIP. You knew our names right from the very start and you went out of our way to make sure we had so much fun. Trivia, showtime, welcoming us back from port, around the ship – wherever you found us, you made us feel special. And that, at the end of the day, is what makes a cruise director. We can’t wait to watch your careers grow with Carnival Cruise Line!

Lee Your Cruise Director

If you’ve sailed with Lee, you know what a true gem he is. But you know what we love most about Lee? He would graciously say, “thank you for the kind words,” but then immediately tell you it’s the power of the team that helps him and the entire fleet shine. That is true leadership. It’s what sets a good cruise director apart from an amazing cruise director. When you have a team that will run through walls for their CD, you have a team that will also run through walls for guests to make sure they have a truly memorable and fun vacation. This shines through brightly on Carnival Celebration. And while this week’s February 5th sailing is his last sailing before vacation, you’ll be able to find him on board another Fun Ship soon!

Final Thoughts

On a rating of 1 to 5 ships, we rate the Epic Carnival Celebration that’s filled with Fun and lots of Family a full 5-ships without question.

Have you booked yet? If not, what are you waiting for?

And if you haven’t already, take Lee’s advice and be sure to like and subscribe to all of our social channels – and we’ll see you on the sea!

2 thoughts on “Carnival Celebration, January 22-February 5, 2023”

Do they change the shows? We just sailed August 2023 and may go again in March. Would definitely go again if the entertainment shows are not repeated

Hey Darlene. Great question! In most cases, the shows that debut on one of Carnival’s cruise ships stay with that ship until there’s a full revamp of the theater space. In the case of Carnival Celebration, there were some shows that hadn’t made a full debut within her earlier months of sailing, so it’s possible that when you sail in March there could be one or two new shows introduced since your last cruise. We love the Carnival shows and will watch most of them multiple times across the different ships in the fleet!

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Carnival Cruise Line

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Carnival Cruise Line fleet

Carnival jubilee, carnival celebration, carnival mardi gras, carnival firenze, carnival venezia, carnival panorama, carnival horizon, carnival vista, carnival breeze, carnival magic, carnival luminosa, carnival dream, carnival splendor, carnival freedom, carnival liberty, review of carnival cruise line.

CCL-Carnival Cruise Lines (carnival.com) is an American passenger shipping company based in Doral, Florida ( Miami suburb). The company was originally private (independent), founded in 1972 by Ted Arison (1924-1999). The initial public offering of 20% common stock in 1987 provided capital for fleet expansion.

Today, CCL is one of the 10 brands owned by Carnival Corporation - currently the world's largest passenger shipping company (followed by RCG-Royal Caribbean Group ). In 2018, Carnival Corporation controlled ~39% of the global ship cruising market (revenue) and ~48% of the passengers (39% in 2020), with full ownership of 9 brands (CCL, AIDA , Costa , Cunard , HAL-Holland America , P&O UK & Australia , Princess , Seabourn ).

CCL currently has 40,000+ employees from 120 nationalities.

For 50 years - between March 11th, 1972 (CCL's maiden voyage with TSS Mardi Gras out of PortMiami) and March 11th, 2022, the company served 90+ million passengers.

CCL has the largest fleet in the Corporation's group of companies and accounts for over 1/5 of the Group's worldwide market share. CCL's executive control is provided by Corporation's North American division. CCL pioneered the concept of less expensive, short-break itineraries. In 1996, the 101,000-GT Carnival Destiny (now Sunshine) became the world's biggest passenger ship and the first to weigh over 100,000 tons.

Most CCL ships are Panama- flagged .

IMPORTANT : In May 2024, Carnival Corporation announced that terminates P&O Cruises Australia's operations and discontinues the brand in 2025. Pacific Explorer will be retired in February 2025 (sold or scrapped). Pacific Encounter and Pacific Adventure will remain based in Australia but will be transferred to CCL and renamed. Both vessels will be taken out of service in March 2025 for unscheduled drydocking before starting operations for CCL (in April 2025). The other Carnival Australia ship with a year-round deployment in the South Pacific is Carnival Splendor .

Company changes 2024

(starting January 1st) Available fleetwide are:

• The enhanced "Chef's Table 2.0" version (VIP dining hosted by the ship's Executive Chef) features a new menu (with cocktails), hors d'oeuvres, a galley tour, and a multi-course gourmet dinner.
• "Behind The Fun" (ship tour/behind-the-scenes experience) are now available for pre-cruise/online booking (previously bookable only onboard).
• HUB App's Streamlined Debarkation simplifies the process with a new feature indicating individual time preferences and the number of bags for tag delivery to the stateroom. The option is available on select ships. VIFP members and Suite passengers receive priority debarkation tags.

In February was introduced CCL's exclusive beer "Lord Nelson's Smooth Sailing Cruising Ale". CCL's partnership with "The Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel" (1815-built, based in The Rocks, NSW Australia) is since June 2014, when was introduced the "Thirsty Frog Summer Ale".

Carnival Corporation ordered CCL's 4th and 5th EXCEL-class ships to Meyer Werft Papenburg in February (TBN 2027) and March (TBN 2028).

Company changes 2023

In September CCL announced that the libraries on older ships would be removed (during their next scheduled drydocks) while the newer (EXCEL-class) ships lack such facilities by the original design. The former library spaces (used for reading or board game playing) will be repurposed/redesigned as bars, cafes, live music setups, or existing venue-adjacent seating areas.

Since April 1st, CCL again offers the popular "Behind the Scenes" ship tour fleetwide. It costs extra ($55-$95 per person), lasts ~2-3,5 hours and visits the Wheelhouse/Navigation Bridge, the Engine Control Room, Main Dining Room's Galley/kitchen, crew areas (cabins, mess hall, dining room, bar lounge), laundry, among others.

On March 16th CCL became the world's first cruise company to have served 100 million passengers. The unique milestone was celebrated on Carnival Sunrise (in PortMiami) and attended by Christine Duffy (President). CCL's 100-millionth guests were the Clifford family (Debi and David) from Ohio.

On August 28th was announced the name of the new (CCL-exclusive) Grand Bahama Port - Celebration Key , scheduled for opening/inauguration in July 2025.

As of 2023, 9 out of CCL's 14 American homeports (Miami, Port Canaveral, Tampa, Jacksonville, New York City, Baltimore, Mobile, Galveston, Long Beach/Los Angeles) utilize Facial Biometric Technology (public-private partnership with CBP/US Customs and Border Protection Agency), resulting in ~30% reduction in debarkation time. Americans and certain foreign nationals who prefer not to use facial biometrics can request a manual document check from a CBP Officer, adhering to existing admission requirements into the USA.

Company changes 2022

In late-December CCL employed the renowned chef and restauranteur Emeril John Lagasse (1959-born American celebrity chef, restaurateur, author, TV personality) as the company's Chief Culinary Officer. The announcement mentioned that chef Lagasse's "Emeril's Bistro" (restaurant introduced on Mardi Gras) will be utilized fleetwide.

In October CCL imposed fleetwide a US$500 fine plus expenses/detention costs (local police services and emergency docking fees) for passengers found guilty of unruly shipboard behavior.

In September CCL extended its onboard retail shop partnership with Starboard Cruise Services (premier cruiseship retailer, subsidiary company and brand of LVMH /1987-founded) through 2027. The deal covers 10 ships (Celebration, Dream, Freedom, Horizon, Legend, Magic, Miracle, Pride, Sunrise, Sunshine). Starboard is working with CCL since 1992.

On June 22nd, CCL and Costa Cruises announced the "COSTA by CARNIVAL" cruise program targeting CCL's North American source market. The program is based on two newbuild Costa ships - Venezia (starting in April 2023 with homeporting in NYC New York USA ) and Firenze (starting in 2024 with homeporting in Long Beach/Los Angeles California USA ). Both Costa liners are CCL-managed (while operating out of the USA) and were scheduled for drydock refurbishments prior to the Carnival service.

On June 15th was announced that Costa Luminosa will be transferred from Costa to CCL in September and renamed "Carnival Luminosa".

On February 3rd was announced that in 2022 CCL's fleet leave Ecstasy (1991-built/31-year-old) and Sensation (1993-built/29-year-old). The decision triggered the following deployment changes:

• In Jacksonville, Ecstasy was replaced by Carnival Spirit, starting April 23rd. Ecstasy was repositioned to/homeported in Mobile AL for the period March 5 thru October 10.
• Carnival Sensation's Mobile Alabama schedule (Oct 15, 2022, thru Sept 30, 2023) was canceled.
• In Australia, Carnival Splendor's schedule (June 10 thru Sept 26, 2022) and Carnival Spirit's schedule (June 5, 2022, thru October 5, 2023) were canceled.
• Carnival Sensation will not restart operations. Ecstasy's last voyage for CCL departed on October 10, 2022, from Mobile.

CCL's 50th Anniversary (2022)

In March 2022, for CCL's "50th Anniversary" were scheduled various onboard festivities (on a total of 17x so-called "Sailabrations" cruises) as well as fleet meetups.

• On March 5th, off Ensenada Mexico rendezvoused 2 ships (Miracle, Radiance).
• On March 7th, off Cozumel Mexico rendezvoused 7 ships (Breeze, Ecstasy, Glory, Pride, Sunrise, Vista, Mardi Gras).
• On March 9th, off Eleuthera Bahamas rendezvoused 6 ships (Conquest, Freedom, Legend, Liberty, Spirit, Sunshine).
• On March 11th, off Ensenada rendezvoused 2 ships (Miracle, Panorama).

On each liner during the meetups was hosted its own Lido Deck party complete with live music and entertainment, including the biggest "Ship-Tok at Sea" (posted on tiktok.com/@carnival). Onboard activities also included themed puzzles, fun-fact trivia games, Build-A-Bear Birthday Party (with a special-edition cuddle bear toy), Rollin' In Riches (gaming event), specially designed fashion collections and retail collectibles, Main Dining Room specials (themed food and beverage menus, original MDR show. Baked Alaska Farewell Parade).

CCL officially marked its 50th Birthday on March 11, 2022, onboard Carnival Conquest's 3-day voyage from Miami to Nassau (March 11-14). The onboard activities were attended by Christine Duffy (CCL's President), Micky Arison (Carnival Corp's Chairman), Arnold Donald (Carnival Corp's CEO), Congresswoman Frederica Smith Wilson (Florida), Congressman Vern Gale Buchanan (Florida), Daniella Levine Cava (Miami-Dade County's Mayor), Juan Carlos Bermudez (Doral City's Mayor), various VIP guests from Miami and CCL's leadership.

Commemorating the 50th birthday, John Heald (CCL's Brand Ambassador) hosted "Between Two Banners" - a series of interviews with the following guests:

• (March 21) Terry Thornton (former Senior VP Nautical and Port Operations)
• (March 23) Vicky Rey (VP Guest Care and Communications, Stakeholder Engagement, Deputy Ethics and Compliance Officer)
• (March 25) Stefan Christoffersson (VP Housekeeping, Laundry and VSP)
• (March 28) Gerald/Gerry Cahill (CCL's President & CEO between 2007-14)
• (March 30) Shahnaz Kashanipour (Director Guest Operations)
• (April 1st, 4th, and 6th) Micky Arison (Corporation's Chairman), 3-part interview

Company changes 2021

On June 23, 2021, CCL announced the addition of two ships to its fleet by 2023 - an EXCEL-class (2023-built Carnival Jubilee ) and Costa Magica (2004-built). The Costa boat (later changed with Luminosa) was to be drydock refitted and refurbished , Carnival-named, and to join CCL in 2022-H1.

In June, CCL signed a limited-time partnership deal with Guy Fieri's Flavortown Kitchen (delivery-only restaurant) for the signature "Straight Up Burger" (US$12). The offer was with app-food ordering (Uber Eats, Grubhub, Bite Squad, Waitr, Postmates, DoorDash) and with free delivery. Guy's Burger Joint (poolside food bar) was introduced in the CCL fleet in 2011 and by 2021 available fleetwide (on 24 liners). On each ship are daily served ~1000 burgers, or ~8 million annually - per boat!

In mid-April, CCL introduced "Carnival Edition Family Feud" (priced at US$25). The cruise-themed version of the board game includes 150 questions related to CCL and cruise travel in general.

On February 16, 2021, CCL officially launched "Carnival Monopoly" available for online purchase for USD 40. The limited-edition board game is cruise-themed (Carnival ship properties, port taxes, Cruise Director announcements).

Company changes 2020

Since January 2020, via partnership with PepsiCo Carnival's North American fleet serves various Pepsi-branded beverages, including sparkling water, energy drinks, iced teas, sodas, juices (also no-sugar and low-calorie variations), Starbucks coffee.

The list of Carnival's PepsiCo beverages includes Bubly (water), Gatorade (sports drink), Naked Juice, MTN Dew (carbonated), Pepsi, Pepsi Zero, Pure Leaf (iced teas), Sierra Mist (lemon-lime flavored), Sierra Mist Zero.

Company changes 2019

In August, CCL signed a deal with The Bahamas to build a new cruise port on Grand Bahama Island. The project (~USD 100 million) will create ~1000 jobs.

In November, CCL partnered with Uplift (travel now and pay over time platform). Instead of paying in full upon booking, Uplift Pay Monthly allows CCL's customers to pay for their cruise over time - by making monthly payments for up to 2 years (24 months). The new option allows securing the ship, stateroom and itinerary with a predetermined payment plan and monthly amounts. The new cruise payment option is available for US and Canadian residents only, for all CCL cruise destinations and through any travel agent, via Carnival.com and the company's call centers. In late-November 2019 was launched shop.carnival.com (online retail store) selling Carnival-logoed merchandise.

In May, CCL partnered with Harlem Globetrotters (exhibition basketball team) to serve as team's official cruise line sponsor, with Carnival-inspired activations taking place at 150+ shows per year. In July 2019, CCL signed a partnership with "Clean the World" - hospitality recycling organization that recycles hotel soap and amenities. CCL fleet's discarded remnants from staterooms are taken to a recycling center ashore where are sanitized, melted down and reprocessed. The newly-formed bars are not reused onboard, but distributed to vulnerable communities worldwide. As of 2019, Clean the World recycles and distributes recycled hygiene products to 127+ countries.

In April, CCL expanded the shipboard youth programming (fleetwide) via exclusive partnership with Zumbini. The company specializes in 45-min high-energy classes and activities (for kids 0-4 years-old) that combine playing, singing and dancing. Zumbini classes (created by Zumba and BabyFirst) feature group sing-alongs, using musical instruments and learning activities. CCL's Zumbini program is free of charge, led by ship's youth staff and with 2 classes (30-min each) held at Camp Ocean and other venues. The program targets Carnival Penguins (2-to-5 years old) and is available on itineraries 6-day or longer.

In March, CCL signed an exclusive partnership with Lakeland Brewing Company (Florida) to can and keg CCL own private label beers crafted by a professional brewery team on the new liners Vista and Horizon (at sea). The 3 new craft beers (ThirstyFrog Caribbean Wheat, ParchedPig West Coast IPA, ParchedPig Toasted Amber Ale) are based on unique recipes and currently available (on tap and in 16-oz cans) fleetwide and also at CCL's private port destinations. In October were added ParchedPig Pumpkin Ale and ParchedPig Beach Lager. In mid-March 2019 started construction works on the exclusive "Carnival Terminal 3"/CT3 in Port Canaveral (opened in June 2021).

In February, CCL added X-ray security 3D scanning at 9 of its North American homeports. For the project (installing a total of 91 units) was contracted "VOTI Detection" (Montreal-based company). The 3D scanners feature advanced imaging and remote diagnosis capabilities. They save the image files which (if needed) can be later re-analyzed.

Company changes 2018

In October 2018, the word "tender" (large boat used for ship-to-shore passenger transportation in ports without berthing facilities) was replaced with "water shuttle". Since Dec 1, 2018, violators of the company's shipboard smoking policy are disembarked at the next call port. Previously, they were fined USD 500 cleaning fee.

With the 3x Vista-class liners (Vista/2016, Horizon/2018, Panorama/2019) were introduced the fleet-firsts "IMAX Theater at Sea" (87-seats cinema/part of "Carnival Multiplex"), "SkyRide" (outdoor/aerial bicycle ride/suspended 2-track bike course), Havana Staterooms (cabin complex with a swimming pool, sundeck, lounge, lanai balconies).

NEW Carnival-XL ship

On November 15, 2018, was the steel-cutting ceremony for CCL's first XL-Class (largest) cruise liner. The 183900 GT-ton newbuild also features a new livery and is LNG-powered .

The shipbuilder is Meyer Werft (Turku Shipyard, Finland). The first vessel ( Carnival Mardi Gras ) is scheduled for delivery in 2021 and homeported in Port Canaveral Florida . The second liner/sistership Carnival Celebration is homeported in Miami starting in November 2022 (the year when CCL celebrated its 50th Anniversary/on March 11th).

The XL-Class design features a new (red-white-navy blue) hull and was created by the NYC -based naval architecture firm "Bluarch Architecture". The new liners have length 1130 ft (344 m) and passenger capacity 5200 (lower berths). Among the various fleet-first and industry-first innovations is The Ultimate Playground (aft on decks 18-19) - a large family-friendly outdoor play area highlighted by fleet's largest WaterWorks (aquapark) and an expanded SportSquare (sports complex with a basketball court, ropes course, jogging track, mini-golf). Also new is the "BOLT Ultimate Sea Coaster" (first at sea). The aft-located (Deck 19) BOLT was designed and built by Maurer Rides ( Munich Germany -based company) specializing in roller coaster manufacturing. The race track has length 244 m (800 ft), with twists, turns, drops and speeds up to 64 kph/40 mph. Individual speeds are posted after the race. Carnival's roller coaster is all-electric and allows 2 riders to race along in motorbike-like vehicles at height 57 m (187 ft) above the sea. The experience features breathtaking top-deck 360-degree seaviews and ends with a high-speed turn around the ship's funnel (smokestack/chimney).

(NEW) Carnival China cruise brand

In February 2015, Carnival Corporation signed an MoU with China Merchants Group for 2 joint ventures. The MoU outlined an eventual partnership that could result in a new cruise brand (joint shipowner company), as well as joint development plans for Chinese seaports and destinations.

• MoU's joint venture port plans included the development of transit and turnaround/homeports within China. China Merchants Group (founded 1872) is a state-owned company focusing on infrastructure and transportation, also real estate development and financial services. Currently, Carnival Corporation serves the Chinese market through the brands Princess and Costa.
• In October 2015, Carnival Corp signed an agreement with the Chinese companies SWS (Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co Ltd, a subsidiary of CSSC / China State Shipbuilding Corporation) and China Investment Corp. The USD 3,88 billion deal established the Hong Kong-based joint venture company Adora Cruises/CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping to place ship orders with SWS. The company plans to build up to 5 new vessels per year for the next 15-20 years. All ships will be China-homeported and with technical support and design plans provided by Fincantieri. SWS builds some of the world's largest container ships (capacity up to 21000 TEUs) for CSCL.

In February 2017, Carnival Corp and CSSC announced an agreement to build 2 new ships for "CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping Ltd". The deal was officially signed on November 6, 2018.

• The shipbuilding project had total value ~USD 1,5 billion, not including the options for 4 more liners. Additionally, Carnival China purchased 2 existing liners from Costa Group ( Atlantica and Mediterranea ).
• The shipbuilder is SWS. Another joint venture - "CSSC Cruise Technology Development Co Ltd" (SWS plus Fincantieri) granted shipbuilding technology licenses and provided technical services to SWS, including supply chain and project management, components and fundamental marine systems. The new liner's design (based on Fincantieri's CCL VISTA platform) was specifically tailored for Chinese tourists.
• First ship's delivery was scheduled for 2023, a second follows in 2024. Ship design is based on Vista-Class, with GT 85,000 tons and passenger capacity around 2800.

Carnival Cruise Line ships

CCL is best-known for implementing top-notch marine technologies, innovative vessel construction methods and ship designs. Its customers are mostly Americans, 30% of which under 35 yo, 40% - between 35-55, 30% over 55.

All CCL liners names have the prefix "Carnival", and are also trademarked "The Fun Ships". Also trademarked is the ship's funnel - colored in red-white-blue, and shaped like a whale tail. Company's vessels offer spacious public spaces and staterooms that are one of the largest at sea with a huge variety of stateroom types in several categories. Between the high-quality amenities are Carnival's terry robes and "Comfort Bed" sleep system with deluxe mattresses, linens, duvets, and pillows - Suite guests can even choose from a "pillow menu".

Carnival is famous for its great cuisine and multiple dining options. The long list of dining venues includes the Main Dining Rooms (with 5-course meals), Chef's Table (ship tour and gourmet cuisine), Supper Club with steakhouse favorites (reservations-only), BlueIguana Cantina (Mexican), Sushi Bar, European-style Patisseries and Cafes, Poolside Bars, themed Kids Dining, Midnight Buffets, 24-hour Pizza and Room Service.

CCL ships provide a variety of onboard activities - from napkin-folding classes, Vegas-style revues, and gourmet and galley-kitchen tours to cool deck parties, belly-flop pool competitions, and waterslide races. Signature shipboard facilities are Seaside Theatre (outdoors), Thrill Theatre (3D Cinema), Disco Nightclub, Casino (gambling, tournaments), Stage Shows, Playlist Productions, Hasbro Game Show, Carnival Waterworks (aqua park with slides).

For those who love sports, Carnival has done a great job by creating the SportSquare with ropes SkyCourse, SkyRide and Basketball Court, also used also for Soccer and Volleyball. Since October 2016, Carnival Cruise Line ships offer bocce court activities, due to an inflatable court developed by the company Packaworld (New Zealand). The new activity was added following successful test trials (on Carnival Glory and Carnival Pride) run by American Bocce Company (USA).

Bocce (aka bocci) is a nodules sport similar to lawn bowls. However, the traditional courts are usually made of wood and sized 60x12 ft (1830x365 cm, which is a lot of space to install bocce on cruise ships. To overcome the problem, the NZ company Packaworld developed inflatable "Packabocce", making it easier to bring the game to new locations. The portable courts are sized 30x8 ft / 914x244 cm (recreation) and 22x6 ft / 670x180 cm (mini court) and can be set up in just minutes.

The portable bocce courts are also available in some of the ship's indoor public spaces (including bars). The new onboard activity is offered fleetwide, including on the Australia-based ships, where are also available giant board games (like Trivial Pursuit, Guess Who, Cranium).

SkyRide is an outdoor/aerial bicycle ride (suspended 2-track bike course) on the newest Vista-class Carnival ships. This is industry's first pedal-powered open-air bike ride in hanging bikes encircling around an 800-ft / 245-m long suspended track on the ship's top deck, allowing 360-degree panoramic views 150 ft / 46 m above sea level.

Foosball and Ping-Pong tables are available, as well as a Walking/Jogging track and Fitness Center with a separate room for Yoga, Aerobics and Pilates classes. There is also a Mini-Golf course and golf cruise packages created for keen golfers.

CCL caters for families with amazing kids programs. Kids club activities by "Camp Ocean" (children's facilities and programming) feature "Seuss at Sea" entertainment (including the "Green Eggs and Ham” Breakfast served in the MDRs once per voyage) via an exclusive partnership with Dr Seuss Enterprises LP. At the same time moms and dads are able to unwind in the many relaxation lounges and complexes: Carnival Cloud 9 Spa, Serenity Adult Retreat, themed Bars (RedFrog, BlueIguana, Alchemy, Havana, Sports), big-size Swimming Pools and Whirlpools.

Carnival has been spending a lot on fleetwide refurbishments and upgrades since 2007. The initiative "Evolutions of Fun" cost USD 350 million (8x Fantasy-class vessels) and included new open-deck spaces, kids- and family-themed facilities and activities, Carnival WaterWorks (aquapark with slides).

On Oct 6, 2022, was announced a new kids program via partnership with Cape Canaveral's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The new programming (Space Cruisers, hosted at Camp Ocean) is NASA-supported and debuted on Carnival Celebration in November. Space Cruisers' activities are grouped into the following programs - "Optimal Orbit" (2-8 yo) and "Design Your Own Mission Patch" and "Space Cruisers Rocket Workshop" (6-11 yo), as well as the family-friendly "Mars Base Connect" and "ASTRO!". Carnival's Space Cruisers program was implemented fleetwide by 2023-Q2.

The "Fun Ship 2.0" program (2011-launched) cost USD 500 million and added fleetwide new dining venues, redesigned staterooms, themed bars, lounges, clubs. The biggest project was the Carnival Destiny-Carnival Sunshine transformation in 2013 (USD 155 million, 49-day drydock refit).

This official YouTube video reviews DREAM-class vessels (Breeze, Dream, Magic) as facilities and amenities.

Next link is to CruiseMapper's Carnival cruise secrets, tips, and tricks . At the following link, you can compare Carnival's major rival - Royal Caribbean (fleet and review of RCI's cruising experience).

ATM (cash) machines are available onboard all Carnival ships since 2009. The service is exclusively provided by Cardtronics and available to both passengers and crew. In 2016, ATMs were also installed in ships' crew sections. Each Carnival ship has all 4 ATMs - 2 located in high-traffic passenger areas and 2 are exclusively for the crew.

Since August 2018, CCL doesn't require passengers to complete health-related questionnaires during check-in. Instead, they are asked to self-report illnesses, without answering questions on paper. At port terminals upon departure were installed health signage to remind practicing hand hygiene and reporting any illness to staff crew.

(NEW) Carnival cruise gratuities (2023)

Since 2023 (April 1st), CCL's daily gratuities per person (pp) are as follows:

• USD 16 pp (standard staterooms - interior, oceanview, balcony, both adults and kids) - being increased from US$14,50 pp
• USD 18 (suites) - being increased from US$16,50 pp. Suite perks (in addition to priority embarkation/debarkation in all ports, confirmed main dining room preference) also receive priority tender service, free in-cabin bottled water, 1 complimentary bag of laundry (per cruise), enhanced turndown service.
• Cruise gratuities for children - tips don't apply to kids less than two years of age.
• Gratuities can be prepaid. Daily gratuity is an automatic service charge added to the passenger's onboard account each day. The amount of gratuities is split between the onboard staff (dining, housekeeping, cabin stewards).

On Carnival ships departing from Australian ports tipping is not compulsory. Room Service staff tipping is also not compulsory.

On Cruises To Nowhere , the daily amount of gratuities is USD 14 pp.

Carnival Barbados deals (any itinerary visiting Bridgetown Barbados ), all gratuities are prepaid and added upon booking.

For drinks purchases, an automatic 18% gratuity is added to the bill. Charges are applied directly to the onboard account. An automatic 15% gratuity is added to "Chef's Table" (dining package) cover charge and applied directly to the onboard account.

Follows the breakdown of the gratuities on Carnival cruises (in USD, per day, per person):

• Housekeeping staff: USD 4,05 (standard cabins) USD 5,05 (suites)
• Dining/wait staff: USD 6,40
• Alternative Services (kitchen, entertainment, passenger services, other hotel staff members): USD 2,50.

Carnival shipboard Wi-Fi plans

In 2017, CCL updated the cruise ship Wi-Fi service fleetwide, introducing the option to pre-purchase Internet packages online.

Starting April 19, 2017, the company offers pre-purchasing internet plans (first introduced on Carnival Fascination and Carnival Vista). The option is available via "Manage My Booking" (Carnival.com) where customers can select a package for the duration of the cruise.

Carnival's Wi-Fi plans can be purchased (at discounted rates) for either the entire voyage or for a day (24-hour period).

• "Social Package" (costs USD 12,75 per day) offers access most popular applications and websites, including Facebook (and Facebook Messenger), Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Linkedin, WhatsApp, plus the most popular airline websites. The Social plan doesn't include Snapchat, Facetime, iMessage, in-app calling or access to any other apps or websites.
• "Value Package" (costs USD 17 per day) offers access to all websites and apps, including e-mail, news, banking, sports, weather, all social media. The Value plan doesn't support music and video streaming or Skype calls.
• "Premium Package" (costs USD 18,70 per day) offers the fastest possible Internet connection. Depending on coverage, speeds can be up to 3 times faster compared to the "Value Package". The Premium plan includes all apps and websites, plus streaming services and Skype video calling.

Since May 2017, CCL offers a new, convenient option for fully booked passengers to select and pre-purchase Wi-Fi packages through carnival.com ("My Cruise Manager" tab). However, when purchasing W-Fi online, passengers must also pre-purchase an Internet package covering the whole voyage.

Daily Internet packages are available onboard.

• WiFi package costs USD 12 per day, with discount price $10,25 if pre-purchased (prior deprture), 24-hour / daily rate $16.
• Premium WiFi package costs USD 17,70 per day ($14,88 if pre-purchased), , 24-hour / daily rate $25.

Booked Carnival cruise ship passengers can upgrade from one plan to another and are also allowed to use multiple devices per plan (including the ship's onboard computers), but only on one device at a time. All the new Carnival WiFi plans do not include video streaming (Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime) and don't support WiFi Calling (voice calls via the ship's Wi-Fi network) and Facetime (Apple's videotelephony) services. Printing services on the ship are provided at no charge.

Carnival "Future Cruise" booking

In May 2017, Carnival Cruise Line started offering new incentives to customers on current voyages if they book next cruise while on the ship.

• Cruisers are able to book a future Carnival cruise either while on the ship or within 2 weeks after the current cruise. Booking ashore can be done through travel agent or the Carnival HUB app. Onboard booking is through Loyalty and Cruise Rep. Before May 2017, passengers could only book a future cruise through onboard reps.
• At the time of booking, passengers are entitled to the following perks: reduced deposit, 2-category cabin upgrade, 20% off "Early Saver" rates with price protection.
• Passengers who opt to change the cruise date lose their onboard credit. That credit is forfeited in case the price drops and customers opt to rebook. Before May 2017, the amount of onboard credit offered was varying depending on itinerary's length, Now it is a flat rate of USD 25 per person (up to USD 50 per cabin) excepting suite staterooms, which receive USD 50 per person in onboard credit (up to USD 100 per cabin).
• Travel agents are able to book their customers into a group booking with the offer.
• Carnival's "Friends and Family" vouchers are not offered anymore. They used to allow passengers who may like to sail with you to get the same discount deal.

Carnival is the only cruise company allowing its customers to take advantage of a "Future Cruise Vacation" promo up to 2 weeks after the end of the voyage (debarkation).

In late-December 2018 was signed a contract with Speedcast (world's largest global satellite comm provider) to improve fleet's connectivity at sea. By this contract, Carnival increased fleet's bandwidth in order to provide highest-quality Internet at sea. Utilizing a total of 40 mini-satellites, Carnival now has the world's largest maritime satellite network. Specifically for Carnival, Speedcast developed the TrueBeam system, which constantly looks for weaknesses which would impact the satellite signal and instantly reroutes it to avoid interruptions. Such interruptions could be weather ("rain fade"), overcrowded networks and line-of-sight blockage.

Carnival fly-cruise deals Fly2Fun

Since 2015, Carnival offers a "flight and cruise" program (branded Fly2Fun) providing the company's potential customers with choice, convenience, and value when making flight arrangements in connection with the cruise.

Fly2Fun deals allow customizing flight reservations with different options, including the specifying preferred departure ports, flight schedules, airline/carrier, type of accommodation. Confirmations are received after making the reservation. Flights can be customized to allow pre- or post-cruise hotel stays.

• The Fly2Fun program is operated with Carnival's "Flight Protection". It guarantees that in case of missing the cruise departure (due to aircraft mechanical or weather-related issues) Carnival will fully cover the airfare, plus all the expenses related to transportation, meals, and hotels for the booked passengers to meet the ship in the next call port of the cruise itinerary.
• Within Carnival's flight cruise program there are 2 options available - "Restricted Air" and "Flexible Air".
• With Flexible Air, potential Carnival customers (or travel agents) can book cruise up to 4 days prior to departure with the "Book Now-Pay Later" feature. With this option, flights payment is collected together with the cruise's final payment. There are no fees if air changes are made outside of 60 days prior to departure.
• With "Restricted Air", flight tickets are non-refundable and due paid in full upon booking. Change fees are based on the airline's policy, once air tickets are issued.

Fly2Fun (Carnival fly-cruise deals) are bookable only via phone. After the cruise reservation is made, customers can call "1-800-CARNIVAL" to make a flight reservation.

In November 2018, Carnival partnered with American Airlines for a new exclusive fly-cruise offer.

• Members of the airline's loyalty program (AAdvantage) can earn up to 10,000 miles on voyages. AAdvantage cardholders can earn up to 20,000 miles.
• The deal includes Citi AAdvantage Platinum Card and Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard.
• AAdvantage members earn 1 mile per dollar spent on Carnival cruises. AAdvantage cardholders earn 2 miles per dollar spent.
• Miles are awarded per stateroom, but only 1 passenger per booking can earn rewards. AAdvantage cardholders must book the cruise through "American Airlines Cruises" using their card to get an additional mile per dollar spent.
• The exclusive deal was offered on Carnival voyages November 1, 2018, through August 31, 2021.

In late-February 2020, was introduced a new Fly2Fun option - upon online booking customers now can secure the flight arrangements (Flexible Air or Restricted Air) right after completing the voyage booking. The upgraded Fly2Fun allows booked customers to select flight dates and preferred airline and receive (online) immediate confirmation.

Carnival's "Great Vacation Guarantee"

Since 2013, Carnival is the company providing industry's biggest and strongest vacation guarantee ever - "Great Vacation Guarantee". Starting with the Victory ship cruise from Miami (September 12, 2013), this new brand-building initiative allows CCL passengers to end their cruise vacation early if they aren't happy with the experience - and to receive a 110% refund in OBC. And this is not all!

• Unhappy customers also get a free air transportation home.
• Plus free ground transportation from the next call port.
• Plus free hotel stays (if necessary).
• Plus USD 100 onboard credit for a future Carnival cruise booking.
• Booking shore excursions through Carnival is the best deal in terms of money, quality of service and guaranteed ship departure/arrival times.

The only requirement is passengers must claim their unhappiness on the ship and within the first 24 hours after boarding.

Carnival HUB app

HUB app is a free download mobile app allowing onboard chatting between Carnival passengers. The app also provides access to ship-related information. A fee of USD 5 per device per cruise is required to activate the chat feature. The other functions are at no cost.

The HUB app was last updated in June 2017 and now offers the хew features weather forecast (for each day of the itinerary), dining menus, tips info (dress code, shipboard events schedules, deck plans, ports info). App's design was also updated.

Hub app also allows checking the Sail & Sign onboard account, viewing maps, scheduled events, dining and drinking options, add favorites. On select ships via Hub app can also be purchased tours/shore excursions. The app is available for Apple and Android mobile devices.

Carnival EasyPay

"Carnival EasyPay" was introduced in June 2017. This is Carnival Cruise Line's pay-over-time program allowing customers to book a cruise and pay for it in 3 monthly installments.

• The program (cruise ship industry's first) is designed as a hassle-free cruise payment option. It allows booked passengers' to deduct cruise payments automatically (from the credit card on file). Then the payments are applied to the current balance over a 3-month period - interest-free.
• The customer makes the initial deposit, then the balance of the cruise is charged in 3 equal payments - taken out automatically (on the designated day) for 3 consecutive months.
• Booked cruise passengers can either register for "Carnival EasyPay" (at carnival.com) or call.
• Travel agents can sign up in order to process payments on behalf of their clients.

Since 2017, Carnival Cruise Line accept PayPal as digital payment method available from any device. Via PayPal, customers can securely choose their payment methods for purchases - credit card, debit card, bank account or PayPal balance.

PayPal can be used by cruise ship tourists upon making their initial deposits on the voyage or any balance due. In addition to PayPal, Carnival also accepts all major credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diner's Club, MasterPass.

PayPal allows CCL customers to make online purchases more quickly and securely. PayPal can be used as a payment option for any of Carnival cruise itineraries with durations 3- to 15-days, visiting ports both USA and international ports and destinations.

(NEW) Carnival cruise passengers debarkation policy

In August 2018 the company changed its passengers' debarkation policy.

• Only customers who exceeded duty-free allowance must complete one US Customs Declaration Form per household, including family members traveling with them and residing at the same address.
• On the day prior debarkation, new Zone-numbered luggage tags are offered in a shipboard designated area (listed in Carnival's Debarkation Flyer). This doesn't apply to passengers who choose self-assist debarkation.
• Passengers may pick up luggage tags with desired debarkation time (subject to availability). Each tag has to be filled out and attached to luggage. It's recommended not to disembark until your zone has been called as your luggage will not be available for pick-up.
• Passengers who use the new luggage tag system must leave luggage outside the stateroom (in the hallway) the night before debarkation (collection between 10 pm and midnight).
• To avoid confusion, luggage tags used during boarding must be removed, leaving just the zone-numbered tags.
• Passengers with confiscated stuff can reclaim them starting at 6:30 am (debarkation morning) in the designated area.
• Upon debarkation, each passenger must present Sign & Sail card for scanning by ship's security (to know when the entire cruise liner has been cleared of travelers).

Carnival ship lifeguards

In April 2017, at the Clia Cruise 360 conference in Fort Lauderdale Florida , Carnival Cruise Line's president Christine Duffy reaffirmed that the company wouldn't add onboard lifeguards to the Fun Ships soon. Mrs. Duffy stated that "the responsibility for pool safety must be with the parents onboard and our employees".

On each of the Carnival ships, there are three full-time attendants (at the waterworks facility/ aqua park with slides), which are swimming pool safety, CPR and first aid trained. Still, the safest system remains "vigilance and awareness".

• For comparison, NCL Norwegian Cruise Line started employing certified lifeguards (on its largest vessels only) in summer 2017. NCL's lifeguards were employed fleetwide by 2018. The announcement made NCL the 3rd major cruise company with lifeguards onboard its ships - following Disney and Royal Caribbean . The onboard NCL lifeguards are stationed only at the family pools during scheduled swimming pool hours. This staff is "American Red Cross" trained and certified. NCL also offers complimentary swim vests for both adults and kids. Parents can obtain safety vests at the Lido Deck's towel station during daytime hours.
• NCL started testing monitoring through CCTV cameras at family pools (on fleet's largest ships only) since 2015. So adding full-time lifeguards was a decision for more safety on pool decks. However, it should be known that lifeguards don't replace parental supervision and that parents (legal guardians) remain the best form for preventing onboard accidents.
• RCI Royal Caribbean employs cruise ship lifeguards since February 2017 (by the line's "water safety program"). RCI's onboard lifeguards are dressed in special uniforms (bright red and white) and stationed at every onboard swimming pool, including at the Solarium (adults-only retreat) during the complex' opening hours.
• Disney Cruise Line employs certified lifeguards since 2013.

In mid-October 2019, Carnival issued the following safety briefing video that outlines all the fleet's main shipboard safety regulations .

"Fun Ship Freddy" is Carnival's mascot in the shape of the company's distinctive funnel.

Former Carnival liners

All vessel names have the prefix "Carnival", and are also referred to as "Carnival Fun Ships". The first Carnival liner (second-hand vessel) was "MS Mardi Gras".

Next, are listed Carnival ships no longer part of the company's fleet. In brackets are shown the years the vessels served CCL.

• MS MARDI GRAS (1972-1993), the first-ever Carnival cruise ship/1961-built ocean liner ("Empress of Canada"), scrapped 2003, weight 27300 GT, passengers 1240, former names Olympic, Star of Texas, Lucky Star, Apollo, Apollon.
• MS CARNIVALE (1975-1994), an ocean liner built in 1956 as "Empress of Britain", scrapped in 2008, weight 25500 GT, passengers 1124, former names Queen Anna Maria, Fiesta Marina, The Topaz.
• MS FESTIVALE (1977-1996), an ocean liner built in 1961 as "RMS Transvaal Castle", scrapped 2003, weight 32700 GT, passengers 726, former names SA Vaal, Island Breeze, Big Red Boat III.
• MS TROPICALE (1982-2001), built 1982, tonnage 36700 GT, the first newbuild Carnival liner, named after the CCL service as Costa Tropicale, Pacific Star, Ocean Dream (2008-2020/scrapped).
• MS JUBILEE (1986-2004), 47300 GT, passengers 1490-1900 (max), sold to P&O Australia in 2004, renamed Pacific Sun, sold in 2012 to a Chinese company (serves as the gambling ship MS Henna (scrapped in 2017).
• MS CELEBRATION (1987-2008), now Grand Celebration , Sweden-built, weight 47300 GT, passengers 1490 (max 1900), transferred to iberoCruceros, currently operated by Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line .
• MS HOLIDAY (1985-2009, scrapped in 2021 as CMV Magellan ), Denmark-built, weight 46000 GT, passengers 1450 (max 1800), transferred to iberoCruceros, later chartered by CMV (Cruise and Maritime Voyages) .

On May 10, 2018, in Miami was officially opened Carnival's "Fleet Operations Center". The 35,000 ft2 facility allows simultaneous real-time monitoring of all ships in the fleet. The main feature is its 74 ft (22,5 m) long video wall composed of 57x LED screens. The data processed here includes itinerary information, current position, weather conditions, logistics, environmental status, guest operations. The interactive world map shows also current locations of all Carnival Corporation ships (all brands). The center is staffed 24 / 7. The Corporation also owns similar monitoring centers in Seattle and Hamburg .

(Coronavirus crisis) passenger shipping pause 2020-2021

Due to the COVID pandemic, CCL-Carnival suspended its fleet's passenger shipping operations by canceling all voyages with pre-scheduled departures in the period March 13, 2020, through July 2021.

Next are listed CCL-Carnival's first departure dates by ship/homeport - BREEZE (July 15, 2021/Galveston Texas), CELEBRATION (Nov 6, 2022/ Maiden Voyage /Transatlantic Southampton-Miami), CONQUEST (Dec 13, 2021/Miami), DREAM (Sept 19, 2021/Galveston TX), ECSTASY (March 7, 2022/Jacksonville FL), ELATION (Oct 11, 2021/Port Canaveral), FREEDOM (Oct 9, 2021/Miami), GLORY (Sept 19, 2021/NOLA New Orleans), HORIZON (July 4, 2021/Miami), LEGEND (Nov 14, 2021/Baltimore to Bermuda), LIBERTY (January 3, 2022/Port Canaveral), MAGIC (Aug 7, 2021/Port Canaveral), MARDI GRAS (July 31, 2021/Port Canaveral/ Maiden Voyage ), MIRACLE (July 27, 2021/Alaska from Seattle), PANORAMA (Aug 21, 2021/Long Beach LA), PARADISE (March 12, 2022/Tampa), PRIDE (Sept 12, 2021/Baltimore to Bahamas), RADIANCE (Dec 13, 2021/Long Beach LA), SPIRIT (March 7, 2022/Jacksonville FL/Brisbane Australia 2022-24 schedule was canceled), SPLENDOR (May 2, 2022/Alaska from Seattle/Sydney Australia 2022-24 schedule was canceled), SUNRISE (Aug 14, 2021/Miami), SUNSHINE (January 13, 2022/Charleston SC), VALOR (Nov 1, 2021/NOLA New Orleans), VISTA (July 3, 2021/Galveston Texas), JUBILEE (October 30, 2023/ Maiden Voyage /Transatlantic from Southampton to Galveston).

• The 2020-built Mardi Gras ship's inaugural sailing (Caribbean from Port Canaveral) was rescheduled from April 24 to May 29, June 5, July 3, Oct 2.
• Carnival Radiance (fka Carnival Victory) restarted from Long Beach (3-4-night Catalina Island and Ensenada) on December 23 (rescheduled from Nov 5th due to revised drydock plans).
• Carnival Legend's Europe 2021 program (May 17 - October 31/Mediterranean from Barcelona) was canceled and the ship restarted on Nov 14, out of Baltimore to Bermuda.
• Carnival Australia ships were planned to restart in 2022 on April 16 (SPLENDOR from Sydney NSW) and April 17 (SPIRIT from Brisbane QLD), but in February 2022, both programs were canceled and the ships redeployed.
• CCL's newest boat (Carnival Celebration's Maiden Voyage) was scheduled for Nov 6, 2022 (Transatlantic from Southampton to Miami).

All affected bookings received full monetary refunds (100%), including on prepurchased through CCL packages and services. With rebooking (made by May 31, 2021), refunds were in FCC (future cruise credit) transferred to the new booking. Cruises 5-day or shorter received a full monetary refund or a 100% refund in FCC plus USD 300 in OBC (onboard credit) per stateroom. Cruises 6-day and longer received a full monetary refund or a 100% FCC plus USD 600 in OBC per stateroom. Booking cancelations prior to the final payment were penalty-free - unless the booking was on a specific promo offer with a non-refundable deposit and/or cruise fare.

IMPORTANT : In mid-June 2020, Carnival Corporation (CCL's parent company) announced that intends to sell 13 ships in FY2020 - instead of the previously expected fleet optimization planned over the next 3-5 years.

• The list of sold for scrapping liners includes Carnival Inspiration (1996-built, age 24) and Carnival Fantasy (1990 / 30-yo). On July 23, CCL announced that Fantasy and Inspiration are sold but not to be scrapped. The same statement mentioned that the ships Fascination and Imagination move to a cold lay-up (long term no-sail) status.
• Carnival Fascination's schedule 2020-2021 based on homeporting in San Juan (Puerto Rico) and Bridgetown (Barbados) was canceled. The ship's new homeport (Mobile AL) and itineraries in 2022 were also canceled. On September 16 was announced that Carnival Fascination is sold (to an undisclosed buyer, hopefully not for scrap).

Itinerary of Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Luminosa (former Costa ship) started an inaugural season in Australia in November 2022, based on homeporting in Brisbane Queensland .

In 2023 was launched the "COSTA by CARNIVAL" cruise program (CCL and Costa Cruises) targeting CCL's North American customers. The program is based on two newbuild Costa ships - Venezia (started in June 2023 with homeporting in NYC New York USA ) and Firenze (started in May 2024 with homeporting in Long Beach/Los Angeles California USA ). Both Costa liners are CCL-managed (while operating out of the USA).

In April 2025, CCL's/Carnival Australia's fleet will join two (currently operated by P&O Cruises Australia) ships -  Pacific Encounter and Pacific Adventure . Both vessels will be renamed and taken out of service in March 2025 for unscheduled drydocking. The other Carnival Australia ship with a year-round deployment in the South Pacific is Carnival Splendor .

Former CCL vessels (scrapped in 2020-2022)

Carnival Fantasy (1990-built/30-year-old) and Carnival Inspiration (1996-built/24-year-old) were sold for scrap in July 2020/ Carnival Imagination (1995-built/25-year-old) was sold in August/ and later dismantled at Aliaga Turkey .

Carnival Fascination (1994-built/28-year-old) was sold in August 2020 and scrapped in February 2022 at Gadani Pakistan .

In 2022, the CCL fleet left Carnival Ecstasy (1991-built/31-year-old) and Carnival Sensation (1993-built/29-year-old).

Itinerary changes

CCL-Carnival established cruise ship operations in China via a partnership with its local subsidiary company Costa Asia (in China since 2008).

Representing 90% of CCL's American capacity, by February 2022, the fleet's USA-based homeporting operations covered the following ports and ships

• Galveston TX : Breeze, Dream, Vista
• Miami FL : Conquest, Freedom, Horizon, Sunrise
• Port Canaveral FL : Mardi Gras, Elation, Magic, Liberty
• New Orleans (Port NOLA) : Glory, Valor
• Long Beach (Los Angeles CA) :Miracle, Panorama, Radiance
• Baltimore MD : Legend
• Tampa FL :Pride
• Charleston SC : Sunshine

In summer 2025-2026 (starting May 2025) CCL homeports in LA/Long Beach three ships (Firenze, Panorama, Radiance) for 4- to 8-day roundtrip itineraries visiting destinations along the Mexican Riviera (Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan) and Baja California (Ensenada, La Paz).

Follows a review of CCL-Carnival Cruise Lines' itinerary program for 2023-2024 scheduled itineraries. For sailing dates (departures, arrivals), call ports times and cruise prices (per person) follow the ship pages listed below.

Carnival AirShip

The 128-ft (39-m) long Carnival AirShip is a painted like cruise ship dirigible. The blimp floated around Galveston and Houston (September 7-8-9, 2018) as part of a 30-day air voyage across the Southern USA. The voyage started in Nashville TN (Aug 25) and ended in Atlanta GA (Sept 26-30), visiting along the route Memphis TN (Aug 29), Dallas (Sept 1-3), Austin (Sept 4), San Antonio (Sept 5), Houston (Sept 7-9), Galveston (Sept 9), New Orleans (Sept 10), Mobile AL (Sept 13), Tampa (Sept 15), Miami (Sept 16-20), Orlando (Sept 21), Canaveral (Sept 22) and Jacksonville (Sept 23).

Carnival AirShip is part of the company's marketing campaign about homeport changes (new ship deployments) - Carnival Vista (Galveston, since September 23), Carnival Horizon , ( Miami , since September 22), Carnival Breeze ( Port Canaveral , since September 30), and Carnival Magic (Miami, since September 30).

Carnival cruises to Cuba

Carnival expanded its cruises to Cuba with an additional 23 three- to five-day itineraries to Havana in 2020 planned for 5 different liners departing from 4 US East Coast homeports - Carnival Triumph (from Fort Lauderdale ), Carnival Sunshine (from Charleston SC ), Carnival Sensation (from Miami ). Carnival Sunshine was the biggest passenger ship to ever visit Havana and the liner with the first-ever Cuba cruise from Charleston SC. The new Cuba cruises include:

• Carnival Sunshine : 8 five-day voyages featuring Freeport and Havana departing January 6, February 3 and 17, March 2, 16 and 30, April 13 and 27, 2020.
• Carnival Triumph-Sunrise : 8 five-day itineraries featuring an overnight in Havana and a day-long visit to Nassau departing January 11, February 8 and 22, March 7 and 21, April 4 and 18, 2020; as well as a 5-day cruise featuring an overnight in Havana and a visit to Half Moon Cay departing January 20, 2020.
• Carnival Sensation : 4-day voyage featuring an overnight in Havana and an extended visit to Nassau departing on March 19, 2020, as well as a couple of 5-day trips with an overnight in Havana and visits to Nassau and Freeport departing February 15 and 29, 2020.

Note: According to the current Cuban law, US citizens of Cuban origin (born in Cuba) are not allowed to visit the island country (including on cruise ships). Regardless of their US citizenship status, Cuba-born Americans were denied booking on cruise itineraries visiting ports in Cuba. However, the situation changed in April 2016, after Carnival Corporation negotiated with the Cuban government to allow ships with Cuban-born passengers, as such US citizens are allowed to visit the country on USA-Cuba charter flights. The Carnival-fathom cruise line started Miami to Cuba cruises in May 2016 with the P&O UK ship Adonia (now Azamara Pursuit) . The brand was terminated in April 2017.

Alaska Airlines offers regular nonstop flights to Havana from Los Angeles (California USA). An 80-min ling JetBlue flight from Fort Lauderdale (Florida) to Havana costs less than USD 100. Previously, air travel from the USA to Cuba was thought charter flights only.

Carnival Journeys cruise itineraries

Since 2015, Carnival Cruise Line offers the so-called "Carnival Journeys" itineraries. These are longer than usual voyages with length ranging between 9 and 15 nights. Some are one-way (relocation cruises).

"Carnival Journeys" offer a more in-depth port of call experiences than the shorter itineraries of 7-8 nights. Among the highlights are live entertainment and exotic culinary experiences that reflect the local cuisine and cultural traditions.

The onboard "journey" experiences feature local cuisine specialties (served in the Main Dining Room), cooking demonstration, Academy of Fun (expert lectures), traditional dance performances, themed deck parties, crew connections (opportunities to connect with the ship's staff and crew). The new program "Carnival Journeys" features destinations like Hawaii, Caribbean, Mexico, Panama Canal, Europe.

Among the wide variety of offers are over cruises of up to 5 days, providing passengers with many "mini-cruise" options, including new 4- and 5-day deployments for Carnival Valor ( from Port Canaveral ) and Carnival Victory-Radiance (from Miami ). Longer Carnival Journeys visit exotic ports. Bermuda cruises depart from 7 East Coast USA homeports. The unique Panama Canal cruises on Carnival Pride leave from Tampa .

New Carnival Caribbean cruise shore excursions

Since July 2015, Carnival Cruise Line offers new shore excursions, new customized private tours and new family-friendly enhancements with complimentary beachside activities and complimentary land tours in select Caribbean ports of call. The min age requirement is 5 yo.

The new tour deals pertain to over 50 call ports in Mexico, Hawaii, Bahamas, Caribbean, Canada New England, South America.

• Cozumel (La Casa en la Playa) 5-hour tour offers luxury limited to 30 participants who have access to a beach house for the day with 5-star service provided by the wait staff and personal chef. They also can learn Mexican cooking, making Margaritas and mojitos.
• Cozumel ("Photo Safari and Beach Expedition') is a 2-days tour starting with a 1-hour photo seminar on the cruise ship. On the next day, the tour continues with visiting a national park and beaches.
• Ocho Rios ("Eat, Drink and Dance') is a food-themed tour about Jamaica's culture, music, and food. After food tasting at jerk hut, passengers enjoy dining at Miss T's Kitchen. Follows a visit to a beach bar (where mixologists create rum cocktails), then ends with reggae dance lessons.
• Ocho Rios ("Jamaican Home for the Day') is a day-long tour on which cruise passengers enjoy their own Jamaican home, with included home-cooked lunch.
• Charlotte Amalie / St Thomas Island USVI ("Eat, Drink and Walk") is a walking tour starting with a bus-drive to StPeter Mountain Great House and Botanical Gardens. Passengers can try 24 different local rums and learn how to make banana daiquiri and local food.

CCL also offers new "family-friendly" cruise shore excursions in the Bahamas, Mexico, and the Caribbean. On these tours, kids aged 5 and under receive complimentary beach excursions if their parents book the excursion.

• Freeport Bahamas ("Family Beach Escape') tour starts with a bus ride to a beach resort, where kids enjoy treasure hunts, face-painting, sandcastle-making competitions, and other supervised outdoor activities. Lunch is included.
• Cozumel ("Island Beach Escape for Families by Power Catamaran') tour starts with a power catamaran ride to Passion Island and its white-sand beaches and resort facilities. Adults enjoy water trampolines, pedal boats, beach volleyball, while kids play is a dedicated beachside playground. A Mexican-style buffet is included.
• Nassau Bahamas ("Family Treasure Hunt with Lunch at Blue Lagoon') - discover hidden treasures, answer trivia questions, win Pirate's Bounty. Grilled lunch at Blue Lagoon Island is included.
• Montego Bay Jamaica ("All Inclusive Family Beach Resort Getaway') tour is at Seawinds Beach Club and includes live entertainment and complimentary buffet lunch.

Carnival offers private tours via motor coaches, yachts, and helicopters. These excursions are all guided by experienced locals. Carnival ships have a new tour dispatch system, from where tours depart as local operators board the ship to meet the participants.

All new cruisetour offers complement CCL's "Shore Excursion Best Price Guarantee" providing a 110% refund in OBC/onboard credit if passengers find a better price on similar land tour deals. Each Fun Ship also has a dedicated "shore excursion desk" with experienced staff to answer any questions and to recommend particular tours. The company's tour section was revamped with enhanced navigation, more videos, and photos, online reservations, guest-written tour reviews.

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Carnival celebration -January 2023

By backnine05 , August 20, 2022 in Carnival Cruise Lines

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Looking at cruises on the celebration in January and just curious if anyone knows why prices are so much less expensive even when compared to Feb or March? Just want to make sure it’s not going to still be under construction or something?

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Share on other sites.

It's just a slow time of year for travel.

She starts sailing in November 2022, way past the construction. It will be an old worn down ship by the time you get on her.

People are still broke from Christmas. February has a holiday and spring break starts in March.

Plus kids are back in school in January.

Guest BasicSailor

1 hour ago, Wennfred said: She starts sailing in November 2022, way past the construction. It will be an old worn down ship by the time you get on her.

Lee Cruiser

I hope not.  We don't sail on it until September!  😀

CruizinSusan70

January is a great time to cruise.  It's post Christmas and before holidays in February and spring break.  Did 7 days on the Celebrity Edge in January of 2020 and 12 days on the Celebrity Apex in January of 2022.  Have 5 days on the Celebration booked for January of 2023 combined with 7 on the NCL Encore.  Also have 14 booked on the Celebration for January of 2024.

I was shocked to get a casino offer for a free cabin on Celebration for 8 days over Christmas, 12/19-12/27/2022. Third/fourth pax fares at $249. Such a great deal I'll let my son bring a buddy.

I love cruising in January, but now that we have kids it’s not really feasible. I’m sure a lot of others have the same issue. With higher demand goes higher prices. If you have the ability to cruise in January do it! 

Early December and early January are the cheapest times of the year.

We have B2B booked for January, great prices for new ship. Haven’t cruised on Mardi Gras yet so wanted to get on Celebration when new. 

49 minutes ago, cellfree said: We have B2B booked for January, great prices for new ship. Haven’t cruised on Mardi Gras yet so wanted to get on Celebration when new. 

I usually give it a year for then to hash out all of the problems when a new ship comes out.

Mardi Gras B2B Nov 2023. Will do Celebration in 2024, and then will be moving on to other brand ships.

Indytraveler83

We typically cruise in January due to the low prices.  We've also found (prior to the pandemic anyways) that this was the least busy time of year.  Book and enjoy!

5 hours ago, deliver42 said: Early December and early January are the cheapest times of the year.

I believe that the first week of December, right after Thanksgiving and of course before Christmas is usually the cheapest week of the year on average.

• 3 weeks later...

On 8/19/2022 at 8:23 PM, backnine05 said: Looking at cruises on the celebration in January and just curious if anyone knows why prices are so much less expensive even when compared to Feb or March? Just want to make sure it’s not going to still be under construction or something?

I think January is a little bit cheaper because the holidays are over and people go back to school. I always look in January because it's slightly less crowded and more adults than kids

im going in dec, but tried to switch rooms and they said prices are way higher now . 

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I don't gamble, but I used a casino status match to get a cheap cruise

As I sat on my balcony looking at the Rock of Gibraltar in the distance, I couldn't believe I'd paid just $72 per night for me and my husband to take a 14-night transatlantic cruise.

Like many other passengers I talked to during the crossing, I'd booked my cheap cruise through a Carnival Players Club offer. My specific offer gave me a "free" balcony room, $50 of casino credit and complimentary drinks while playing in the casino.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

But unlike many passengers who booked Carnival Players Club offers, I hadn't gambled my way to a cruise. Instead, I'd used a chain of status matches to get casino status and sign up for a Carnival Fun Match. Then, I obsessively checked the Fun Match cruise offers until I found one I couldn't resist.

Read on to learn how I did it and how you can, too.

How I got casino status without gambling

To get a Carnival Fun Match, I needed to submit proof of status in another casino's players club or loyalty program.

I have Caesars Rewards Diamond status, but I don't believe I've ever gambled at a Caesars casino — although I have earned reward credits on hotel stays, shopping and dining in Las Vegas. The truth is my activity with Caesars is far too limited to have earned Diamond status with the program. Instead, I have Caesars Diamond status via a match from Wyndham Rewards Diamond status .

You can earn Wyndham Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year if you stay with Wyndham for at least 40 qualifying nights in a calendar year. However, the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Business Card offers automatic Wyndham Diamond status for as long as you have the card.

I initially held Wyndham Diamond status through a series of status matches that are no longer available, but after using my Wyndham status for the Carnival Fun Match, my status expired. Now, I hold Diamond status as a Wyndham Business cardholder.

The information for the Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Caesars now requires you to "have earned Tier Status with your current loyalty program in order for your status to be matched." But Diamond status from holding the Wyndham Business card counts as an earned status to match to Caesars Rewards.

To summarize, I got Wyndham Diamond status via a no-longer-available status match — but you can still get it by holding the Wyndham Business card. Then, I matched this status to Caesars Rewards online. In previous years, it has taken a few weeks for my match to go through, but this year, it took about a month.

Leveraging status matches

With Caesars Diamond status in hand, it was time to request a Carnival Fun Match in the hopes of scoring a free or cheap cruise.

You can register for the Carnival Players Club Fun Match program if you are 21 or older and a legal resident of one of the 50 U.S. states or Washington, D.C. Once you do so, you won't get elite status, but you might get discounted cruise offers. Even if you already are a member of Carnival Cruise Line's VIFP Club loyalty program , you can still register for a Fun Match.

To register, you'll need to input your VIFP Club number and email; if you don't have a VIFP account, you can create one. Either way, check the box for "I would like to receive emails for special offers and/or information from Carnival" to get offers in your inbox.

I submitted proof of my Caesars Rewards Diamond status by taking photos of both sides of my physical Caesars Diamond card I'd picked up in Las Vegas. If I had more casino statuses, I could have uploaded more than just one and might have gotten better offers. You'll likely get better offers if you go that route and submit proof of status with other casino loyalty programs.

Related: How to earn free cruises and perks with casino loyalty programs on land and at sea

Carnival Fun Match offers

Once you register for a Carnival Players Club Fun Match, you might see offers via email within a week. However, some travelers have reported registering for Fun Match and only receiving discounted cruise offers. You might go through all the effort of status matching and still not get any offers for a "free" cruise.

When I wrote this story, the Carnival Fun Match website said travelers who register will get "drinks included + upgrades + $50 to spend in the casino." You should get at least whichever offer is currently on the Fun Match registration page.

Otherwise, there are no rules or official guidance regarding the types of Fun Match offers you might receive or how long you might receive offers. Each offer you let expire could be the last offer you see. Once you book a Fun Match offer, the flow of offers into your email inbox will likely end ... at least, until you've gone on your cruise and Carnival has assessed your level of play in its onboard casino.

I started getting Fun Match emails in my inbox within a week of registering in January 2022. Until I booked a Fun Match offer in March 2023, I got one to four emails with Fun Match offers per week.

Some Fun Match offers were for cruises starting at $55 per person, per day (plus taxes, fees and gratuities), based on double occupancy. With these offers, I could have gotten complimentary drinks in the casino and bonus cash from Carnival based on how many points I accrued in the casino during my cruise. For reference, you'll earn 1 point for every $2.50 you wager through slot machines.

Other offers included a "free" cruise with complimentary drinks in the casino and a $50 FunPlay credit. Some offers even included balcony rooms, although these were more limited than ocean-view rooms, which in turn were more limited than windowless inside rooms.

A "free" cruise, mind you, isn't really free. You'll still need to pay a deposit (which you'll get back in onboard credits), plus taxes, fees and gratuities.

After a while, I forgot about the Fun Match offers, as they got hidden in the Promotions tab of my inbox. But once I rediscovered them in late 2022, I checked my cruise offers daily.

You might find hundreds of offers when you click through to see the eligible cruises for a specific offer. Most are usually for cruises to the Caribbean, the Bahamas or Mexico in inside cabins. You can filter by cruise destination, departure port, length of cruise and sail date.

You can select an ocean-view room, balcony or suite if they're available for the sailing, but you will often need to pay more to upgrade to these room types.

Carnival is not in the business of giving away free cruises if it believes it could sell them for more. The best Fun Match deals will likely be on shoulder-season sailings, last-minute cruises and other itineraries that are unlikely to sell out. Don't expect to find a "free" offer on a popular Christmas cruise or a summer cruise on the line's newest ship.

With this understanding, my husband and I decided that if we were going to accept a Fun Match offer, we wanted a "free" balcony cabin on a transatlantic , transpacific or Panama Canal full transit cruise . We had high hopes and were willing to risk not booking an offer for the chance to book one of these extended cruises with a balcony.

After a few months of daily checks, we saw a Fun Match "free" cruise offer for an April 2024 transatlantic cruise from Barcelona to Port Canaveral (near Orlando) in a balcony cabin. This offer perfectly fit our criteria — a balcony cabin on a transatlantic cruise — so we booked it with a $200 deposit before it disappeared. After all, months of searching had taught me that offers can go away quickly.

As you can see, our "free" cruise wasn't free. But even after the $391 in taxes and fees and $406 in prepaid gratuities, we got a great deal on our transatlantic voyage. It cost just $36 per person, per night — and that included meals in the ship's multiple complimentary restaurants, onboard entertainment and transportation across the Atlantic.

Plus, about six months before our cruise, a Chase Offer appeared for Carnival that let us get some cash back while paying for the remainder of our cruise cost.

Related: I earned a 'free' cruise in a ship casino — here's what it cost, plus tips for getting comped

Was it worth it?

The Carnival Fun Match was worth it for me. I enjoyed our extended cruise on Carnival Glory and would certainly book another casino offer. It takes patience and stubbornness to wait for the perfect offer that might never come, but I was happy we waited to use my Fun Match offer for a balcony cabin on a 14-night transatlantic cruise.

Once on board, I felt no pressure to gamble despite cruising on a casino offer. You could theoretically never visit the cruise ship casino while sailing on a Fun Match cruise. But since my husband and I had complimentary drinks when playing in the casino as part of our Fun Match offer, we did spend some time at Carnival Glory's Camel Club Casino. I stuck to 1-cent slots, ended up about even and enjoyed a few hard seltzers most evenings.

My limited casino play was enough. I've now started getting new "free" inside cabin cruise offers from Carnival Players Club and am considering booking another cruise if I find the right offer. Panama Canal, here we come!

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Cruise lines' private islands are having a renaissance. These are the 3 reasons they need it now more than ever before.

• Cruise lines spend big on private islands and destinations exclusive to their guests.
• These private Caribbean properties are money trees for companies like Carnival and Royal Caribbean.
• In-house destinations are becoming increasingly necessary amid rising fuel costs and port restrictions.

About 140 miles east of Miami, Royal Caribbean's private Bahamas island, Perfect Day at CocoCay , receives thousands of eager families virtually every day of the year.

The cruise line and many of its competitors don't just own ships — they also have land-based portfolios. Throughout the Caribbean and in countries like Honduras and Belize, practically every major cruise company has snatched up and developed beachfront properties to make exclusive to their guests.

To travelers, these secluded ports of call are convenient, safe, and cherished: "The vast majority of people love the islands," Patrick Scholes, the managing director of lodging and leisure-equity research at Truist Securities, told Business Insider.

To cruise lines, they're cash cows. And now, maybe more than ever before, a necessity as operators seek out profits while battling rising operating costs and ever-restrictive ports.

The industry is cruising into a private island renaissance

Cruise lines like Princess, Holland America, and MSC collectively own 16 ports and private destinations in the Caribbean (including properties that are still under development).

Many of them, like CocoCay, are hits.

Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, told analysts in 2023 that the private island had seen robust demand, including from repeat travelers. So much so that the financial returns on the $350 million investment, launched in 2019, have been "exceptionally high and significantly above its target," Naftali Holtz, CFO of Royal Caribbean Group, said a few months prior.

Given travelers' appetite, Royal Caribbean has continued to expand its splashy Bahamas getaway.

Its most recent addition, the adult-only Hideaway Beach , opened in January, adding to CocoCay's 14-slide waterpark, upscale beach club, massive pool, and umbrella-lined beaches.

But it's not done: The cruise giant plans to open its next development, a 17-acre private beach club on Nassau, Bahamas' Paradise Island, in 2025.

Carnival Corp is also updating its popular private island, Half Moon Cay, with an additional berth to accommodate its largest ships, increasing the destination's guest capacity.

Like its competitor, Carnival has more plans to expand its real estate footprint — this time with Celebration Key, a $500 million exclusive resort on Grand Bahama Island, set to open in 2025.

The vacation-at-sea industry's land-based conquest could continue to grow: Given their benefits, Scholes said he wouldn't be surprised if Royal Caribbean were to announce plans to build another private island in the next five years.

These are the three reasons cruise-run private destinations have become so important.

1. Fuel is expensive

Fuel is one of the cruise industry's biggest expenses . Fortunately, most Caribbean-based private destinations are just a night's sailing from Florida's major cruise ports.

Amid rising fuel costs, it's easy to see why cruise lines would want to plan more itineraries around these nearby stops.

In September 2023, Josh Weinstein — president, CEO, and chief climate officer of Carnival Corp — called the forthcoming Celebration Key a "win-win-win for the environment, our guests, and the people of the Bahamas," citing the property's proximity to its Florida homeports and the subsequent reduced fuel expenditure.

It could certainly be a "win" for travelers: In the same call, he told analysts that a guest-fronted fuel surcharge is "certainly not off the table."

2. Private destinations keep profits in-house

Before its debut, pre-cruise bookings for CocoCay's Hideaway Beach surpassed the company's expectations, Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, told analysts in October 2023.

Admission costs up to $89 per person during peak season. Nearby, entry to the more exclusive beach club could be shy of triple that cost .

Even the otherwise complimentary parts of the island have splurge-enticing options like rentable cabanas and snorkeling gear.

Travelers content with a basic beach chair and the lunch buffet don't have to ball out on these up-charged luxuries. But they sure are hard to resist, especially as cruisers have become eager to splurge on their vacations.

For families, skipping CocoCay's waterpark could be as sacrilegious as skipping Disney World during an Orlando vacation, Scholes said. A day pass to Thrill Waterpark can exceed $100 per person — that's more than $400 down the drain for a family of four in one afternoon.

These destinations have plenty of opportunities for guests to spend big. And because there's no need to rely on other excursion operators, they allow cruise lines to keep more profits in-house.

3. Some popular ports are saying "no" to giant cruise ships

The world's largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas , can carry 7,600 guests and 2,350 crew.

This sudden influx of travelers could overwhelm smaller destinations and their locals, like the just over 25,000 residents of Santorini, Greece, and 25,600 of Key West, Florida.

With concerns like pollution and over-tourism, it's no wonder the popular Greek island has a daily cap on cruise visitors, while its Florida counterpart has faced a fraught battle to restrict cruise tourism .

They're not alone. Cities across the US and Europe have increasingly limited travelers coming by sea — either through size restrictions, daily visitor limits, or complete bans. This includes desirable ports like Juneau, Alaska, French Polynesia, and Venice, Italy.

Ironically, at the same time, mass-market cruise lines have continued to grow the size of their vessels — so much so that several of these new mega-ships are now simply too big to fit into some ports.

So, if you can't beat the ports, why not join them? Especially if you can outfit your private properties with dozens of profit-growing amenities.

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Carnival Glory - January 15, 2023

January 15, 2023

January 15 - 22, 2023

Carnival Glory

Carnival Cruise Lines

7 Night Western Caribbean

from New Orleans, Louisiana

The January 15, 2023 cruise on the Carnival Glory departs from New Orleans, Louisiana. On this 7 Night Western Caribbean sailing, the ship will visit a total of 4 different cruise port destinations, including its departure port. The Carnival Glory sets sail on a Sunday (January 15, 2023) and returns on a Sunday (January 22, 2023).

The Carnival Glory was built in 2003 and is amoung Carnival's 26 ships in it's fleet. The Carnival Glory is included in the cruise line's Conquest Class. In the cruise ship stats below you'll find the Carnival Glory vs all other Carnival ships.

All Itineraries

New Orleans

New Orleans is world famous for its crowd-pleasing parades and parties. Here, every day is an eating event featuring the best food in the world. From haute cuisine to hominy grits there are flavors of every taste. Witness living history in the fabulous French Quarter and shop in one-of-a-kind boutiques. Tour a world class zoo and aquarium, or just glide across the water on a paddlewheel boat.

New Orleans is world famous for its crowd-pleasing parades and parties. Here, every day is an eating event featuring the best food in the world. From haute cuisine to hominy grits there are flavors of...

Take advantage of the many on board activites during your day at sea. Explore the Carnival Glory Deck Maps and make sure to view our list of Ship Venues and Features. You'll have more than enough to fill your day!

Mahogany Bay

Belize City

Belize City is the country's chief seaport, so snorkeling and diving is big here...bring a suit! Travel to a city previously inhabited by the Mayan people at Altun Ha, ancient temple of the Sun God. Or visit the Belize Zoo or Baboon Sanctuary. Gales Point is a great place to view manatees!

Belize City is the country's chief seaport, so snorkeling and diving is big here...bring a suit! Travel to a city previously inhabited by the Mayan people at Altun Ha, ancient temple of the Sun God...

Sitting just off the gorgeous Yucatan coast, Cozumel revels in its mythic white-sand beaches and world-class coral reefs. Yet Cozumel is also the last stronghold of the Mayas, who settled the island in 300 A.D. Residents still speak Maya, and sometimes wear traditional Mayan clothing. Nearby stand the great pyramids and temples of their ancestors.

Sitting just off the gorgeous Yucatan coast, Cozumel revels in its mythic white-sand beaches and world-class coral reefs. Yet Cozumel is also the last stronghold of the Mayas, who settled the island...