Table Of Content
Note that even after the makeovers, the ships still don't have all the bells and whistles of Carnival's truly new ships, such as Carnival Panorama. As noted above, Carnival's newest ships are bigger than its older ships, allowing for more attractions, restaurants and lounges. Two of the three ships — Carnival Breeze and Carnival Dream — also have sushi eateries, while Carnival Breeze and Carnival Magic have Carnival's Caribbean-inspired watering hole, RedFrog Pub. Carnival Horizon, Carnival Panorama and Carnival Venezia also have teppanyaki restaurants, and all four ships have dedicated chef's tables located within their galleys. On Carnival Panorama and Carnival Horizon, Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse | Brewhouse offers beer brewed on-site along with barbecue dishes designed by the Food Network's Guy Fieri. On Carnival Vista, there's a stand-alone brewery and a separate barbecue venue.
Unique Theme Nights You Shouldn’t Miss When on a Cruise Ship
The new-look vessel is part of the Sunshine class and from December 13, 2021, is sailing from the Long Beach Cruise Terminal in California. She’s the newest addition to the Carnival fleet and becomes the 27th ship. As of December 4, 2023, the newest new-build ship in the fleet is the Carnival Jubilee, the third Excel-class vessel in the fleet. The vessel took over from sister ship Carnival Celebration, which joined the fleet at the end of 2022. Carnival Firenze is also a recent addition to the fleet, but not completely new, as she was transferred from Costa Cruises in 2024.
Carnival Celebration – 2022
Seven of the line's 25 vessels measure less than 100,000 tons, which makes them almost midsize by today's cruise ship standards. On Carnival Magic, Deluxe Ocean View staterooms are a great choice for families who want to let the sun shine in as they sail. Rooms in this category feature great views, a full bathroom — plus a separate washroom — and while stateroom configurations vary, certain Deluxe Ocean View rooms have space to sleep up to five cruisers.
Havana Staterooms & Suites
They also have a far broader array of suites than earlier Carnival vessels. Six of the 27 vessels Carnival will operate by the summer of 2024 measure less than 100,000 tons, which makes them almost mid-size by today's cruise ship standards. In 2019, Carnival Cruise Line gave the cruise ship a massive $200 million renovation and a name change to Carnival Sunrise. The vessel originally debuted in 1999 and was the second Destiny class ship.
Carnival once had a full complement of eight Fantasy Class ships before scrapping many due to cost-saving measures. Carnival Pride is second ship the popular Spirit Class and sister to Carnival Spirit, Carnival Legend and Carnival Miracle. Carnival Radiance is 101,509 GRTs and carries 2,984 passengers (based on two per cabin).
Other popular venues found on some Carnival ships include RedFrog Pub, which serves up Carnival's tasty housemade beers on tap, as well as plenty of other choices. Every Carnival ship has a casino, usually smack in the middle of the main entertainment deck. Carnival also uses its big theaters for lots of interactive shows that involve you, the passenger, getting a little silly. They include Lip Sync Battle Carnival — a shipboard adaptation of the Paramount Network TV series — and Hasbro, the Game Show. In general, the production shows aren't nearly as sophisticated — or as long — as what you'll find on Royal Caribbean or Norwegian ships.
Who sails Carnival Cruise Line
This caused competitors to call the vessel “Mardi Gras On The Rocks”. However, Founder Ted Arison and the Carnival Cruise Line brand he created has had the last laugh. The Carnival Cruise Line brand continued to grow and become what it is part of today in Carnival Corporation & plc. Carnival Corporation & plc is currently the largest cruise vacation company and operates over 87 cruise ships sailing under nine different brands.
I tried the newest ships from Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Norwegian. Here's how they compare - Cruise Blog
I tried the newest ships from Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Norwegian. Here's how they compare.
Posted: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 12:57:15 GMT [source]
Each group has its own age-appropriate activities ranging from face painting to pirate adventures. On many ships there are extensive dedicated spaces for the different groups. 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). Also, there are always several music venues where you'll find live performers in the afternoons and evenings, including — on some ships — the Atrium Bar and a secondary hub area called Ocean Plaza. There's almost always a piano bar that's home to lively singalongs. When it comes to raucous, though, nothing on Carnival ships quite compares to the frequent karaoke nights on board.
The ships have relatively fewer amenities and venues than the newer and bigger Carnival ships. You won't find giant water parks on these vessels as you would on newer Carnival ships. You will find multiple slides and a spray park for the kids, though. In some recent years, Carnival has also deployed one of its Spirit-class ships across the Pacific to Australia — the most far-flung destination that it offers on its schedule. Still, you'll find a lot of the classic Carnival "fun ship" attractions on these vessels including water play areas with waterslides, miniature golf courses and adults-only Serenity deck-top retreat areas.
Carnival’s fan-favorite dining options and amenities, like Guy’s Burger Joint and WaterWorks, will be on board. Other upgraded amenities for Excel suite passengers include complimentary Bottomless Bubbles soda packages, room service and laundry service, sparkling wine upon arrival and upgraded bathroom toiletries. Each of the vessels in Carnival's recent Vista-class series, for instance, offer fewer than 75 suites.
These ships also have a lot of new features and amenities (including the first-ever roller coaster on a cruise ship — and, no, we're not making that up). Carnival Cruise Line currently has two more Excel class cruise ship on order. The ships will be 180,000 gross tons in size, the largest ever built by Carnival.
The biggest Carnival ships are Carnival Celebration (2022) and Carnival Jubilee, which will set sail for the line in late 2023. They're tied in terms of size, each coming in at 183,521 gross tons and carrying 5,374 passengers at capacity. Aside from the main pool, which is the hub of much of the line's fun activities, almost every Carnival cruise ship also has at least one waterslide, with several having multi-slide water parks. Additionally, several have a top-deck SportSquare that features a colorful collection of outdoor amusements, including Ping-Pong, billiards, foosball, mini-golf, Twister and a SkyCourse ropes course.
I've sailed the most on Carnival Elation since the ship sails from my hometown of Jacksonville. And because the ship is so small, it's easy to navigate, and I always end up making friends with the delightful crew onboard. Carnival Jubilee is the newest Excel-class ship in the fleet, sailing from Galveston, Texas. Adults also have their own space at the Serenity Adult-Only Retreat with swaying hammocks and a bar.
