Carnival Cruise Line Cruises

When it comes to dining, a Carnival cruise ship offers plenty of options to suit everyone’s needs. Choose to reserve a table for either an 'Early' or 'Late' sitting, or opt for 'Your Time' open-seating, which offers a more flexible approach to dining on a first-come-first-served basis. Be sure to save at least one evening to treat yourself at a speciality restaurant too.

There are plenty of breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and snack options onboard, with speciality restaurants, main dining rooms, and more casual low-key options.

Included Restaurants

From Pan-Asian specialities to freshly cooked pizza and mouth watering burgers, Carnival Cruise Line has a restaurant to suit all palates. Highlights include Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ, Mongolian Wok and Pizzeria del Capitano. If you're looking for a more classic cruise ship dining experience, the Main Dining Room is always on hand, while casual eats can be found at the Lido Marketplace.

Speciality Restaurants

While they may not be included in your cruise fare, Carnival Cruise Line's impressive speciality restaurants are well worth splashing out on. Popular choices include Emeril's Bistro, Seafood Shack and Bonsai Sushi. For a truly elevated mealtime, book yourself a spot at the Chef's Table and enjoy fine dining and a private tour of the kitchen.

Food Allergies and Special Dietary Requirements

Carnival Cruise Line make every effort to ensure everyone with a food allergy or special dietary requirement is catered to onboard, but all of these requests are largely handled while onboard your Carnival cruise. So, while you should still mention this to your cruise consultant ahead of time, you will need to make sure you're speaking to the Head Waiter in the main dining room on your first day. This is a little unique for cruise lines, but you can find out more about Carnival Cruise Line's current policies in our blog on the best cruise lines for food allergies and special diets right here.

If you’ve got some energy left after a busy and jam-packed day of exploring, the onboard entertainment on Carnival cruise ships are bound to keep you going for a few more hours after dinner.

• Live shows- watching live shows are a great way to spend your evenings on a Carnival ship and with so much variety, there’s something for everyone. If it’s interactive sing-a-longs that you’re looking for, the all-request piano bar will delight you. Meanwhile, the onboard theatres host some of the best performances at sea, ranging from Broadway-style shows to acrobatics and dancing. There’s even a comedy club for anyone who enjoys watching a spot of stand-up.
• Casino- popular amongst guests trying to hit the jackpot, the onboard casino on Carnival ships are a lively spot featuring games tables and slot machines, as well as a bar when you need to take a break and refresh yourself with a drink.
• Bars- Carnival Cruise line isn’t short on bars. With everything from outdoor bars, sports pubs and innovative cocktail bars, your perfect drink is waiting for you.

If you are considering embarking on a family cruise, Carnival Cruise Line is among the best when it comes to all the gang having an unbelievable cruise experience. There are a number of award-winning children’s clubs on each cruise catering for kids aged between 2 and 17, from teenage hangouts to late-night programmes to an immersive Dr Seuss experience (adults are allowed too!).

Carnival Kids Clubs

• Camp Ocean (2-5 years, 6-8 years and 9-11 years)- Camp Ocean is split into three age groups with activities and itineraries designed to suit each group, allowing children to interact with others the same age. The children can enjoy their own space, play games, do arts and crafts, or head to the kid’s pool. When it's time to eat, they can enjoy their very own menus including all their favourites like chicken nuggets and pizza as well as fresh fruits and vegetables and other nutritious food.
• Circle C (12-14 years)- Circle C is where younger teens can socialise, chill, and take part in fun activities. There are games, dance parties, outdoor movies, karaoke, air hockey, and table football, as well as a chance to hang out with kids their own age in a space without their parents.
• Club O2 (15-17 years)-Club O2 offers cool activities and a more relaxed atmosphere where teens can hang out and make new friends. They can watch a movie, play video games, listen to the latest music and join in with a karaoke jam session. There are also teen-only shore excursions, so young adults can enjoy the sights and sounds of the ports with people their own age if they wish. From basketball to pool parties, Club O2 has been specially created with 15 to 17 years old in mind.

In addition, Carnival Cruises also offer Night Owls, a paid-for babysitting service between 10 pm and 3 am, where children 11 and under can be cared for while you take advantage of the ship’s nightlife. It's run by the Camp Ocean staff who have professional childcare experience to make sure your children are safe at all times. For more information enquire onboard.

Family activities

While it’s nice to have some time apart, Carnival Cruise Line also likes to bring the family back together again thanks to its extensive range of family-friendly activities where everyone can make memories together to last a lifetime.

• Lip Sync Battle- show off your skills in this hilarious game of celebrity-miming!
• Bolt-this one of a kind rollercoaster allows you to take charge of the speed, so everyone can enjoy with ease
• Build-A-Bear Workshop at Sea- children can design and buy their own cuddly toy onboard, making for a fantastic souvenir
• Seuss-A-Palooza Story Time- young cruisers can watch wonderful Dr Seuss stories come to life at this colourful show
• WaterWorks- everyone can cool off in the pools, slides, and drench buckets at this fun waterpark
• SkyCourse- take on this exciting ropes course which offers amazing views of the ship and sea while you’re safely strapped in
• SkyRide-this unique activity allows you to pedal-power your way above the seas elevated in a ‘go-mobile’

Carnival Cruise Line offers itineraries all over the world, with their Caribbean, Mexico Riviera, and Bahamas cruises being especially popular. Alaska itineraries are also a top Carnival destination, while Carnival Mediterranean cruises remains a favourite among families.

Many Carnival cruise ships depart from the United States, so for the British market, the line is popular for fly-cruise holidays which can begin at four large UK airports. These departure airports are Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester and Glasgow while other regional flights from other UK airports are available at a supplement.

Carnival Cruises also offers cruises that sail to Iceland. For some useful travel inspiration, read our blog - Top Things to do in Iceland.

Celebration Key, Your Key to Paradise

Carnival Cruise Line’s brand-new private resort, Celebration Key, is now open and available as a destination on select Carnival Cruise Line voyages to the Caribbean. Located on Grand Bahama, Celebration Key is split into several ‘portals’ – each of which features unique amenities and activities for everyone to enjoy. With Paradise Plaza, Calypso Lagoon, Starfish Lagoon, Pearl Cove Beach Club, and Lokono Cove boasting a wide selection of family-friendly and adult-only areas, the whole family will have a blast at this extraordinary resort. And, adults won’t have to worry about children running around if they’d rather avoid that!

For more, check out our blog on the top five things to do on Carnival Cruise Line’s Celebration Key.

No matter what your age, you’ll always find something to do onboard Carnival cruise ships with such a broad range of activities to choose from. There are attractions where children can make friends, exhilarating options for thrillseekers, and places to simply relax and enjoy some quality time on the ship.

There are also immersive classes onboard, such as mixology and cooking classes if you're looking for something a little different.

Whether you’re a couple or single travelling alone, or you’ve left your little ones at the kid’s club and are looking for a little peace, Carnival Cruise ships cater just as well for adults as they do for the younger guests. Some of the highlights include:

• Cloud 9 Spa- treat yourself to a calming treatment at the hands of a skilled therapist, or simply relax in a whirlpool or sauna
• Serenity Adult-Only Retreat- escape the bustle of the rest of the ship in this oasis where you can sunbathe, sip on a cocktail, and relax
• The Punchliner Comedy Club- the adults-only evenings at this comedy club can provide a great option for a memorable date

For further inspiration, read our handy guide to 25 free things to do on a Carnival Cruise.

Carnival Cruise Line Drinks Packages

For those who want to make the absolute most of their time onboard, Carnival Cruise Line offers a selection of incredible drinks packages for you to take advantage of when sailing to some of the world’s most stunning destinations. The options available are as follows:

• Bottomless Bubbles (from $6.95 per child per day/$9.50 per person per day) - focusing on soft drinks, this option includes flavoured mineral waters, juices, and Coca-Cola products
• Cheers! Zero Proof (from $29.99 per person per day) - this includes a wide range of non-alcoholic beverages and non-alcoholic beers, sparkling wines, and cocktails
• Cheers! (from $69.95 per person per day) - this includes a variety of spirits, beers, wine by the glass, and more
• Cruise the Vineyard Wine Package (from $81.00 per person per day) - enjoy a selection of fine wines with this package
• Cruise the Vineyard Premium Wine Package (from $124.00 per person per day) - with this package, you can enjoy even more wines and discounts on the finest bottles onboard

To find out more information, check out our detailed look at Carnival Cruise Line’s drinks packages right here.

Top ships in the Carnival fleet

• Carnival Fascination - this ship has a grand, art deco feel which transports passengers to the great classic Hollywood era. It has popular facilities such as Guy’s Burger Joint, the fantastic Playlist Productions theatre and the well-loved WaterWorks water park.
• Carnival Horizon - Carnival Horizon is a real land of fun. Whether you’re eight or forty-eight you’ll love the range of onboard activities, from the incredible SkyRide and the whimsical Dr Seuss Waterworks water park to the hilarious Lip Sync Battle game.
• Carnival Breeze - this ship is about eclecticism and good times, featuring cuisine from all over the world such as Mexican at BlueIguana Cantina, Japanese at Bonsai Sushi, the Mongolian Wok, and of course North American classics at Guy’s Burger Joint.
• Carnival Magic - Carnival Magic has an exciting charm that'll put a smile on anybody’s face. With more than 10 dining venues to choose from, and activities ranging from the gorgeous Cloud 9 Spa and Serenity Adults Only Retreat, to the laughter-filled Hasbro Game Show, no cruiser will spend a minute bored.
• Carnival Mardi Gras - named after the original 1972 Carnival cruise ship, Mardi Gras is both classic and innovative. Made up of six zones, this huge ship offers thrills and variety all over from the first roller coaster at sea, BOLT, to the ropes course and games at SportsSquare.

Dress Code

The dining dress code onboard all Carnival ships is 'Cruise Casual', which means no shorts or swimwear, but jeans and t-shirts etc are fine. There will also be one or two optional Carnival Cruise formal nights known as 'Cruise Elegant' evenings during your sailing, on which you are invited to don more formal attire such as a ball gown, cocktail dress, or suit.

Carnival's VIFP Loyalty Club

See here for more information on our blog - A Quick Guide to Carnival Cruise Line’s VIFP Club.

Carnival Cruise Line Sustainability Measures

Carnival Cruise Line have set into place three year sustainability and financial targets. Called SEA Change, the 'S' within it stands for sustainability. Planning to reduce the carbon intensity of their fleet by more than 20%, they support the adaptation of alternative fuels, and want to include more environmentally-friendly technologies within their ships, including advanced air quality systems and shore power. They also want to promote sustainable tourism on each of their sailings.