Table Of Content
And, on Carnival Celebration, passengers can enjoy dinner at Guy’s Pig and Anchor Smokehouse and Brewhouse gratis, save for the drinks and a few select menu items that are provided at an additional cost. However, we found ourselves missing the generous size of Carnival’s bathrooms of the past. Standard stateroom bathrooms aboard Carnival Celebration are noticeably smaller, and seemed cramped and difficult to even turn around in and could present challenges for larger passengers. That modern styling continues too in stateroom bathrooms, which are crisp and well-designed and finally shed the horrifying pinks and pea-soup-green plastic molding found on past ships. Gone, too, are the cylindrical showers with the clingy curtains, replaced instead by a generously sized shower with an articulated door that slides out of the way when opened. In typical Carnival fashion, its neon-blue and orange Body Wash and Shampoo are located in pump-dispensers mounted to the wall.
Cloud 9 Spa Interior
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 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.
Guy's Burger Joint
The race track has length 244 m (800 ft), with twists, turns, drops and speeds up to 64 kph/40 mph. 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). With its two-story ceilings and LED panels that can project any image at any time, it’s a fun and whimsical take on the traditional bar and lounge concept. It is anchored at the forward end by the Latitudes Bar, with its train station-style clackerboard and bar seating that is decorated with faux passport stamps. (It also happened to consistently have some of the best drinks, and service, on our sailing).
Carnival's "Great Vacation Guarantee"
As you might expect, pricing for ships will generally be lower during offseason periods such as September, October and parts of November. In fact, the lower tiers of the Carnival program are among the most stingy in the entire cruise universe. You'll receive things like a single complimentary bottle of water (at the Red tier) and a single free drink that only can be ordered on the last night of a cruise (at the Gold tier). Carnival has a point-based frequent cruiser program, the VIFP Club, that has five tiers, ranging from Blue (requiring no points) to Diamond (200 points). During the day, there is no specific dress code, and people dress casually.
Carnival Cruise Lines Set To Sell Headquarters Near Miami - CoStar Group
Carnival Cruise Lines Set To Sell Headquarters Near Miami.
Posted: Tue, 16 Apr 2024 04:41:15 GMT [source]
Current fleet
Thankfully, that demeanor changes once you hit Carnival’s for-fee dining options; our meals in Bonsai Sushi and Bonsai Teppanyaki were above reproach in terms of service. Bars, lounges and cabin stewards all seemed personable and friendly, for the most part. But Carnival’s complimentary dining options came with an unwanted side-order of visible hostility. Throughout the week, wherever we went – from the main dining rooms to the buffet to grab-and-go options like Guy’s Burger Joint and Shaq’s Big Chicken – we were met with service that was, at best indifferent and, at worst, downright cold.
So perhaps it makes sense that it has one of the most extensive children's programs at sea. The line has formal children's programming and activities for children as young as 2 years old through the age of 17. On the vast majority of Carnival ships, there's not just a single waterslide but a whole water park area. Dubbed WaterWorks, these areas vary in size and features from vessel to vessel. They typically have one or two big waterslides (sometimes three!), a play zone with interactive water features and a large, continuously filling dump bucket that periodically soaks everybody within range. On one of Carnival's newest ships, Carnival Panorama, there's no RedFrog Pub, but the Smokehouse Brewhouse has a stage that's home to live music nightly and some of the ship's karaoke sessions.
Cunard welcomes Queen Anne to its fleet in Venice handover ceremony
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. 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). The unique Panama Canal cruises on Carnival Pride leave from Tampa. The new program "Carnival Journeys" features destinations like Hawaii, Caribbean, Mexico, Panama Canal, Europe.
Carnival Magic
All this said, we recommend checking Carnival's website before sailing for the very latest on requirements. Unlike some lines, Carnival has resisted the trend of big-ship operators carving out whole sections of deck-top areas for the exclusive use of passengers staying in suites or willing to pay hefty access fees. It's a fun-at-sea focus that has gone to new levels over the past two years with the debut of Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration, each of which has — get this — a roller coaster on the top deck.
Note that the Carnival fleet is scheduled to grow over the next year with two more new vessels. As noted above, the line has ordered another sister vessel to Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration that will be ready to sail in late 2023. Carnival has just begun operating its first truly giant ships in years, the 181,808-ton, 5,282-passenger Mardi Gras and the 183,521-ton, 5,374-passenger Carnival Celebration.
Where you won't find Carnival ships, notably, is in Asia, South America or, for the most part, Europe. Unlike other big cruise brands such as Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises, Carnival doesn't spread its vessels around the world to draw a fly-in crowd. Aimed squarely at Americans, its trips are all about cruising close to home at a reasonable price. You’ll do more than just pass the time as you sail from port to port.
Design, décor, cuisine and even the entertainment is inspired by grand locations, landmarks from around the world. But every moment is a special occasion thanks to onboard spots that are proud to import their flavor from all over. We’re talking restaurants and bars like Latitudes™ with its old-school railway station vibe, The Golden Jubilee™ featuring a unique mix of great drinks and live music, plus Emeril’s Bistro 1397™, which is deliciously all over the map. And don’t miss your chance to sip a little cocktail magic at returning fan-favorite Alchemy Bar®. Balcony staterooms were designed for maximum sea breeze and the most stunning views, so look to a balcony if you're looking to cruise aboard Carnival Magic.
Every Carnival ship has a casino, usually smack in the middle of the main entertainment deck. Most of these six ships (all but Carnival Venezia) have an a la carte barbecue-and-beer joint called Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse Brewhouse, too. Every vessel has two main dining rooms and a casual buffet eatery where meals are included in the fare. For dinner in the main dining room, you must sign up for either Your Time dining (you go whenever you want) or Traditional Dining (you have a fixed table and time for dinner). This is, after all, the brand that for many years held a Hairy Chest Contest around the pool deck on every voyage, to a standing-room-only, hooting and hollering crowd.
I tried Carnival's older cruise ships and never want to go back - Cruise Blog
I tried Carnival's older cruise ships and never want to go back.
Posted: Tue, 16 Apr 2024 12:39:44 GMT [source]
You'll find at least one of its ships sailing out of pretty much every major port city around the country. On the entertainment side of things, Carnival Liberty features two of our best, live on stage. First there's Playlist Productions™, where pros sing and dance their hearts out, performing high-energy themed revues of tunes you know, backed by amazing visual effects. Then there's Punchliner™ Comedy Club where you'll find some real pros who know how to wedge a little laughter into anyone’s evening.
In other words, if you are sailing seven-night cruises, you will be Gold level on your fourth sailing, as you will be passing the 25-day mark on that sailing. Carnival also offers dedicated tween and teen programs on ships for children aged 12 to 17. The younger children in this age range (12-14) are grouped into what's known as Circle C and have their own dedicated lounge on ships. It's a place to get together to talk, watch movies, play video games and take part in other activities. In short, there's a ton to do up top on Carnival vessels — and it's almost all available to every passenger on board the vessels at no extra charge (the roller coaster is the only exception).
On the West Coast, sailings to Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska are the norm. The arrival of Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration over the past two years has marked a major turning point for the line. At around 180,000 tons, they rank at No. 15 and No. 13, respectively, among the world's largest cruise ships — the only Carnival ships to crack the Top 20.
