Carnival Cruise Line
Also called: CCL
Parent company: Carnival Corporation & plc
PremiumSee how Carnival Cruise Line describes itself vs how we list it
What to say on a call
Best for
- 1"Fun Ships" - biggest focus in the industry on onboard fun: waterparks, comedy clubs, Guy Fieri's Pig & Anchor BBQ (select ships, small fee), and lively pool decks
- 2Generally the most affordable mainstream line, great for guests who want a low up-front price
- 3Havana and Cloud 9 Spa staterooms give a resort/spa-cabin experience at a lower price point than a full suite
Payments & cancellations
Final payment
Not published: Carnival's public pages don't state when final payment is due. Check the booking for the final payment date.
Carnival's public pages don't say when final payment is due; the final payment date is shown on the booking.
Deposit
Not published: Carnival's US pages don't state the standard deposit amount; it is shown when you book. Early Saver deposits are non-refundable.
Carnival's US pages don't publish the standard deposit amount; it is shown when you book. Early Saver deposits are non-refundable.
Cancellation penalties
Per cruise line2-5 day: none up to 76 days; 75-56 days deposit; 55-30 days deposit or 50%; 29-15 days deposit or 75%; 14 days or less 100%. 6+ day (and all Alaska/Europe/Transatlantic/Panama Canal): none up to 91 days; 90-56 days deposit; then same as short cruises
2-5 day: none up to 76 days; 75-56 days deposit; 55-30 days deposit or 50%; 29-15 days deposit or 75%; 14 days or less 100%. 6+ day (and all Alaska/Europe/Transatlantic/Panama Canal): none up to 91 days; 90-56 days deposit; then same as short cruises. Carnival's deposit page says the Early Saver deposit is non-refundable and, in the same paragraph, that cancellations before the final payment due date get a future cruise credit of the deposit less a $50 per person fee, to be used within 12 months. It doesn't say whether the credit rule covers other fares, whose cancellation table charges nothing up to 76 days (2-5 day cruises) or 91 days (6+ day cruises) before departure.
Onboard extras & packages
Prices are approximate, per person per day unless noted. Always confirm the current price with the cruise line.
- Gratuities (standard rooms)
- $17 pp/dayPer cruise line
- Gratuities (suites)
- $19 pp/dayPer cruise line
- Drink package
- $69.95 pp/day pre-cruise (CHEERS!; $74.95 onboard; + 20% service charge)Per cruise line
- Premium drink package
- Not offered (CHEERS! is Carnival's only alcoholic drink package; the $124.00 item is the Cruise the Vineyard Premium Wine Package, a bottle package, not per day)Per cruise line
- Soda package
- $11.99 pp/day adult, $6.95 child (Bottomless Bubbles; + 20% service charge)Per cruise line
- Non-alcoholic package
- $29.99 pp/day (CHEERS! Zero Proof; + 20% service charge)Per cruise line
- Wi-Fi (basic)
- $23.80 pp/day (Value Wi-Fi plan, pre-cruise; $32.00 onboard). Social plan (social apps only): $20.40Per cruise line
- Wi-Fi (premium)
- $25.50 pp/day (Premium plan, pre-cruise; $35.00 onboard)Per cruise line
- Specialty dining package
- N/A - no set specialty dining packageUnofficial tip
- Specialty dining (avg per meal)
- US$52 pp adult / US$15 child (Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse dinner; not an average)Per cruise line
- Fitness classes
- $39 for a 3-class pass; unlimited class pass $39 (cruises up to 4 days), $69 (5-7 days), $99 (8+ days)Per cruise line
- Spa / thermal pass
- $30 day pass (Thermal Suite); 7-day pass from $129; unlimited use included with Cloud 9 Spa stateroomsPer cruise line
- Air program
- Fly2Fun (Flexible or Restricted fares; flight protection included)Per cruise line
- Other fees & perks
- Wine packages: Cruise the Vineyard from $81.00, Premium from $124.00Per cruise line
Accessibility & special needs
- How to tell the cruise line
- Guests fill out the applicable Pre-Cruise Forms (mobility, blind/low vision, deaf/hard of hearing, service animal, oxygen/CPAP, dialysis) and can email the Guest Access team at access@carnival.com. Carnival says to tell them about wheelchairs or scooters at booking, asks for 60 days' notice for sign language interpreters, and does not guarantee every request. Per cruise line
- Wheelchairs & scooters
- Guests bring their own wheelchair or scooter, or rent one through Carnival's preferred vendor, Scootaround. The device must fold to be stored in the cabin, and scooters wider than 21 inches need a fully accessible cabin (32-inch door). Tender boats may not be accessible, and the captain decides who can board them. Per cruise line
- Blind / low vision, deaf / hard of hearing
- Blind and low-vision guests get braille signage, braille and large-print materials on request, and a familiarization tour on day one, but no sighted guide service. Deaf and hard-of-hearing guests can ask for a visual-tactile alert room kit, TTY, captioned Carnival TV, assistive listening headsets, and shared ASL interpreters on U.S.-homeport cruises (60 days' notice encouraged). Per cruise line
- Service animals
- Only trained service dogs are allowed; emotional support animals, pets, and dogs in training are not. Guests submit the Service Animal Form and send vaccination and rabies records, the microchip number, and the CDC Dog Import Form receipt to access@carnival.com at least one week before sailing, and a relief area is provided onboard. Per cruise line
- Guests of size
- Carnival does not publish a guests-of-size policy. The weight limits it states are 325 lb for wheelchair assistance, 300 lb for pool lifts, and 600 lb (guest plus wheelchair/scooter) for hydraulic-lift airport transfer vehicles. Per cruise line
- Medical equipment & pregnancy
- The ship has a medical center with qualified medical staff, but it is not a full-service hospital. Onboard medical charges go on the guest's Sail & Sign account and usually aren't covered by health insurance, so Carnival strongly encourages travel insurance. Guests who will enter their 24th week of pregnancy at any time during the cruise must not book or board. Per cruise line
Never promise an accommodation. Send the request to the line and let them confirm. How to handle these calls → Premium
Upgrade & suite ladder
entryHavana / Cloud 9 Spa Staterooms
Per cruise lineHavana: exclusive access to the Havana Bar & Pool area; guests must be 12+ (Havana Cabanas add a private patio). Cloud 9 Spa: unlimited Thermal Suite access, priority spa reservations, free fitness classes, port-day treatment discounts, ELEMIS toiletries, spa robes and slippers.
midSuites / Terrazza Staterooms
Per cruise lineAll suites: priority check-in, boarding and debarkation, priority Main Dining Room time, two large bottles of water, pillow-top mattress, bathrobes. Terrazza staterooms (Carnival Firenze and Carnival Venezia only, guests 12+): exclusive private deck.
luxuryPresidential & Excel Suites (Loft 19)
Per cruise lineCarnival Excel suites (Excel-class ships): complimentary Loft 19 access and priority cabana reservations, dedicated concierge phone line, guaranteed MDR time and specialty-dining reservations (when booked 24 hrs ahead), Bottomless Bubbles soda package, free room service, laundry and on-demand movies, sparkling wine and fruit on arrival, plus all suite perks. Excel Presidential Suite adds Thermal Suite and Havana Pool access. No butler.
Loyalty program
Carnival RewardsPer cruise line
- 1Red — On enrollment
- 2Gold — 10,000 Stars (3 Stars per $1 on eligible Carnival purchases; first window Sep 1, 2026 - Dec 31, 2028)
- 3Platinum — 50,000 Stars (3 Stars per $1 on eligible Carnival purchases; first window Sep 1, 2026 - Dec 31, 2028)
- 4Diamond — 100,000 Stars (3 Stars per $1 on eligible Carnival purchases; first window Sep 1, 2026 - Dec 31, 2028)
Guests may say
“Carnival Rewards”, “Carnival Rewards number”, “Diamond with Carnival”, “Platinum with Carnival”, “VIFP”, “VIFP Club”, “VIFP number”, “Very Important Fun Person”, “my Carnival status/loyalty number”
VIFP Diamond (earned by Aug 31, 2026) gets lifetime Carnival Rewards Diamond after enrolling; VIFP Platinum gets Platinum through Dec 31, 2028 plus a 10,000-Star boost each two-year cycle; VIFP Blue members who enrolled became Red. Guests must enroll. Guests will still say 'VIFP' for years.
Military & veterans
Carnival advertises an exclusive military offer: up to 40% off cruise rates, up to $50 onboard credit and deposits from $25 per person, with the same savings on 2 additional rooms. It says it honors U.S. and Canadian military members and veterans, but the page does not say which statuses qualify or what proof is needed.
Eligibility details (retirees, spouses, Guard/Reserve) and verification steps are unverified. The help center at help.carnival.com that would have them is blocked by robots.txt.
How military rates work → PremiumAirport transfers
Carnival sells optional airport-to-pier and pier-to-airport transfers on embarkation and debarkation days, bookable through a travel agent, Carnival reservations or My Cruise Manager (Airport Transfers) up to two days before sailing. Guests with their own flights must enter flight details in Online Check-In; unused services are non-refundable.
Which ports: 14 locations: Barcelona, Galveston, London (Dover), London (Southampton), Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Rome, San Francisco, Seattle, Singapore, Tampa; see page.
What's offered changes by port and sailing. Check before you quote a price.
Cruise family
Carnival Corporation & plc
Loyalty between brands: No shared program found. Each brand has its own (Carnival Rewards, Captain's Circle, Mariner Society, Cunard World Club, Seabourn Club).
No official shared program found. Check with the cruise line before promising anything.
See the whole family →Good to know
Celebration Key (private destination, Grand Bahama)
Per cruise lineCarnival's private destination. Each guest gets one free meal at select fast-casual venues (Island Eats). Drink packages don't work ashore. Pearl Cove Beach Club is adults-only (18+) and costs extra.
CHEERS! is all-or-none per stateroom
Per cruise lineIf one adult in a cabin buys CHEERS!, every adult 21+ in that cabin must buy it. Max 15 alcoholic drinks per day. Not sold on 2-day cruises. On sailings from Texas, Norfolk and New York it starts on Day 2.
Bring-your-own wine rule
Per cruise lineEach guest 21+ may bring one sealed 750-ml bottle of wine or champagne on embarkation day, in carry-on only. Liquor and beer are not allowed. There is a $15 corkage fee per bottle in dining rooms and bars.
Dress code: cruise casual, plus Cruise Elegant nights
Per cruise lineMost nights in the main dining room are 'cruise casual' (jeans are allowed). Cruise Elegant nights are optional dress-up nights. The Steakhouse follows the main dining room dress code.
Specialty-dining benchmark: Steakhouse $52
Per cruise lineFahrenheit 555 Steakhouse costs $52 per adult and $15 per child (11 and under, kids' menu), plus a 20% service charge.
Agent insight
Best-value upgrade: Havana or Terrazza staterooms.
— Cruise Professional
Fleet
- Ships
- 29 ships sailing (carnival.com/cruise-ships lists 31, incl. Carnival Festivale arriving 2027 and Carnival Tropicale arriving 2028)Per cruise line
- Newest ship
- Carnival Jubilee (currently sailing, entered service Dec 2023); Carnival Festivale arriving 2027 and Carnival Tropicale arriving 2028 are next new buildsPer cruise line
- Ship classes
- Excel-class, Vista-class, Sunshine-class, Dream-class, Conquest-class, Spirit-class, Fantasy-class
Coming soon
All new ships- Carnival Festivale2027 · Port Canaveral (Orlando), FL Now sellingPer cruise line Preview
- Carnival Tropicale2028 · Galveston, TX Now sellingPer cruise line Preview
- Carnival DestinySummer 2029 · Caribbean and The Bahamas Not yet on salePer cruise line Preview
Where they sail
Learn these regions
Private destinations
- Celebration KeyCarnival Cruise Line's own · DocksDetailsMap
- Isla Tropicale (Mahogany Bay)Carnival Cruise Line's own · DocksDetailsMap
- Princess CaysAlso calls here · TendersDetailsMap
- RelaxAway, Half Moon CayAlso calls here · Docks or tendersDetailsMap
Not every sailing stops here; check the itinerary.
Last full review: 28 Sep 2026·Last updated: 2 Nov 2026
A full review is when we re-check every fact on this page.
"Last updated" is the most recent check or change to any single fact.
Something wrong or missing?
"Per cruise line" = confirmed on the line's own site.
"Unofficial tip" = from an experienced travel professional; helpful, but not confirmed by the cruise line.