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My Cruise History With Carnival?????

By funat55 , January 23, 2012 in Carnival Cruise Lines

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Where can I go to find my cruise history with Carnival. I may already be Platinum for all I know and I want to make sure that all my previous cruises are registered. I have a cruise coming up and there is an icon to click if you want to add a cruise, but where do you go to check on your past cruise history??

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It should be under your profile on your carnival account

DaytonCruiser

If you are already logged in click on this link

https://secure.carnival.com/CruiseHistory.aspx

Log in and check your profile. i just did this for my wife and was pleasantly surprised that they had all of ther information.

Cruzin2paradise09

So glad you asked this ... I went in and checked my info and I found a MESS ... and I made it! So, tomorrow I will be calling to have someone hopefully fix my mess and make it all better! Whew! I had 3 different email accounts associated with my Carnival booking coming up, but only one had the past guest numbers and cruises! Sometimes, I'm just overly dumb.

Good luck to you!

I think I might know what the problem is. I changed email addresses and I think the history is in the old file because when I try to update my profile I keep getting a message that says the information I a trying to submit is already associated with another user. Guess I'll have to call Carnival on Monday and straigten it out.

So glad you asked this ... I went in and checked my info and I found a MESS ... and I made it! So, tomorrow I will be calling to have someone hopefully fix my mess and make it all better! Whew! I had 3 different email accounts associated with my Carnival booking coming up, but only one had the past guest numbers and cruises! Sometimes, I'm just overly dumb.   Good luck to you!

I can totally relate. I've never really been overly concerned about whether I'm at a certain leval but what the heck, if I've earned a perk, I'm happy to have it. I am greatful to get to go on a cruise at all.

Colorado Kat

It is important to check cruise history, especially if you have twins or triplets. They have a computer glitch, and keep promising that it is being fixed, but it never is. My twins have had a dozen different past guest numbers between them.

Just checked our past history, our Dream trip isn't showing up on it! I'll have to call Carnival tonight to fix it, I don't want to be discreditted for future Platinum hopeful status! :)

EDIT: Seems that I was able to put my mum's past guest number through, but can't put it for the others in my family?

Just checked our past history, our Dream trip isn't showing up on it! I'll have to call Carnival tonight to fix it, I don't want to be discreditted for future Platinum hopeful status! :)   EDIT: Seems that I was able to put my mum's past guest number through, but can't put it for the others in my family?

I have been told by Carnival IT that you are only allowed one profile per email address. I really think this is something they need to fix. A family really needs to be able to see everyones cruise history in the family.

If anyone finds out how to do this please let me know.

I find Carnival's website to be less than friendly. Part of it is that I'm more used to going to Princess's and Holland America's websites, but part is that it's not that well designed.

I managed to do the online check-in for our cruise, but for some reason my booking doesn't come up in my personal info. When I tried to add it, I received a message that said there was a problem--and it locked up the screen.

My only Carnival cruise was on the Carnivale back in the 1980s. Our travel agent was able to book us with past passenger rates using our Princess Captain's Circle info. But I'd like to get credit for having sailed on Carnival so that we can attend the past passenger party.

Buffalofirsttimer4

Our travel agent was able to book us with past passenger rates using our Princess Captain's Circle info. But I'd like to get credit for having sailed on Carnival so that we can attend the past passenger party.

Does this mean I can book past guest if I have a Princess Captain's circle number? I have cruised with Princess before and would love to get past guest rate on Carnival?

Can anyone advise?

I find Carnival's website to be less than friendly. Part of it is that I'm more used to going to Princess's and Holland America's websites, but part is that it's not that well designed.   I managed to do the online check-in for our cruise, but for some reason my booking doesn't come up in my personal info. When I tried to add it, I received a message that said there was a problem--and it locked up the screen.   My only Carnival cruise was on the Carnivale back in the 1980s. Our travel agent was able to book us with past passenger rates using our Princess Captain's Circle info. But I'd like to get credit for having sailed on Carnival so that we can attend the past passenger party.

If you have any proof of being on the Carnivale you should call Carnival and fax it, like a picture of you boarding or your sail & sign card or the documents, Carnival may not have been keeping records for you that far back...

Does this mean I can book past guest if I have a Princess Captain's circle number? I have cruised with Princess before and would love to get past guest rate on Carnival?   Can anyone advise?

No, each cruiseline is separate. What they were referencing on past guest bookings was to book there Princess cruises, not there Carnival cruises. They only cruised on Carnival once which was back in 1980, so no other cruises for Carnival after...

They only have records back to 1990! I too sailed on the Carnivale as it was my first cruise with my parents. I had several other cruises with my parents from 1981 to 1989. I had to call Carnival to get my past cruises linked because I had a married name, a first marriage name, and a second marriage name all spanning over those years. They show me as 8 and I am looking for documentation for the 4 other cruises with my parents...but I can't find anything from back then because how many teenagers keep records? I am thinking about contacting the TA for those cruises to see if they have a file on my parents.....

When I clicked on mine there was nothing posted even though I was told last year that I had 6 previous cruises. Just did The Magic in October so that makes 7. Also, I was on The Mardi Gras but I know that the previous cruises number does not reflect that. I do have a picture of me and my three roommates on the gangplank with the Mardi Gras life preserver ring. Boy was I young!! Do you think they would let me use that picture so I can now be at number 8? We are booked on The Breeze for November so that makes 9 and I guess the magic number is 10.

When you head out on your 10th cruise, you get to be VIP.

Does this mean I can book past guest if I have a Princess Captain's circle number? I have cruised with Princess before and would love to get past guest rate on Carnival? Can anyone advise?

You should be able to get the past passenger rate as long as you have sailed on any of the Carnival Corp. brands.

• 2 years later...

I'm looking for something similar. I took a 7 day cruise in June of 1989 on a Carnival ship out of Miami. We went to Cozumel, Ocho Rios Jamaica, and ST. Thomas. But I don't remember what ship we sailed on. It was near the end of June.

Are there lists of all the cruises that happened in a particular month and year? I'm sure I could figure it out if there were a comprehensive list. This was long before I had an email account, so I doubt I'll have any record with Carnival.

• 5 years later...

You can download the ShipMate app.   It has a full list of cruises and itineraries.  

Folks, this thread is OVER 8 years old! 

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Historic Database of All Past Cruise Ship Itineraries

Do you need a past cruise ship itinerary but can’t find any track on the net? Our extensive database includes cruising logs of all the major cruise lines dating back from 2013 to this day. If you like to keep track of your past cruises and go down the memory lane or need an itinerary in timetable format for the entire year, we got you covered. We can provide data of past cruise voyages in an excel file with complete information organized in the following format: cruise ship, date, ports, and arrival-departure times.

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How Do I Find My Carnival Cruise History?

By Robert Palmer

If you have ever been on a Carnival cruise, you might want to revisit your memories and relive the fun times. Fortunately, Carnival offers an online platform where you can access your cruise history and relive those memories anytime you want. In this article, we will guide you on how to find your Carnival cruise history in simple steps.

Step 1: Go to the Carnival Website

The first step is to visit the official website of Carnival Cruise Line at https://www.carnival.com/. Once you are on the homepage, navigate to the top right corner of the page, and click on “Log In/Manage” option.

Step 2: Log In to Your Account

After clicking on the “Log In/Manage” option, you will be directed to a new page where you will need to enter your login credentials. If you have already created an account in the past, simply enter your email address and password in the respective fields. If not, click on “Create a Profile” option and follow the prompts to create an account.

Step 3: Access Your Cruise History

Once you are logged in successfully, navigate to “My Account” section located at the top right corner of the page. Under this section, click on “Cruise History” option from the dropdown menu.

Step 4: View Your Cruise History

After clicking on “Cruise History” option, you will be redirected to a new page where you can view all your past cruises with Carnival. You can see details like ship name, sailing date, itinerary and booking number for each cruise.

If you don’t see any cruises listed under your account or if there are discrepancies in your booking information or history contact Carnival’s guest care department for assistance.

Finding your Carnival cruise history is a simple process that can be completed in just a few clicks. By following these steps, you can access your cruise history and relive those unforgettable moments again and again.

10 Related Question Answers Found

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• Cruise History

13 Former Carnival Ships – Where Are They Now?

Sarah Bretz, Contributor

• November 17, 2020
• 2.8K shares

Carnival Cruise Line, formed in 1972, is known today as the most popular cruise line in the world.

Since its conception, the cruise line has had eleven ships that are no longer sailing with them, five of them added to the list after the cruise industry shut down in 2020.

Some have been scrapped, and some continue to sail under other cruise lines today.

Check out a bit of history behind the twelve former ships and see where they are now.

1. Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras was sold to Carnival from Canadian Pacific in 1972 and was just over 18,000 gross registered tons. She sailed under the Carnival flag until 1993 and was then sold to Epirotiki.

Many names and a few cruise lines later, the ship was laid up and ultimately sold for scrap in 2003. She was in service for a total of 42 years.

In 2021, Carnival will debut the new Mardi Gras , the largest ship in the fleet. It will feature BOLT, the first roller coaster at sea, as well as a variety of new dining and bar venues.

2. Carnivale

Before being sold to Carnival in 1976, Carnivale was called Queen Ann Maria for the operator Greek Line. In 1993, Carnival transferred her over to a subsidiary cruise line, Fiesta Marina Cruises.

After a few other cruise lines and the ultimate name of Topaz sailing under the Peace Boat Organization, she was retired and laid up in April 2008.

The ship was beached in India to be scrapped that summer, and the process was completed in 2009.

3. Festivale

Carnival acquired Festivale in 1977 from the South African Marine Corporation. She was originally a mail service ocean liner, but when Carnival bought her, they refit her into a cruise ship in Japan for $30 million.

A few cruise lines later, she ended up with Premier Cruise Line, sailing under the name Big Red Boat III . When Premier went bankrupt in 2000, the ship was seized, and Big Red Boat III was ultimately scrapped in 2003.

4. Tropicale

Tropicale was a monumental ship for Carnival, as she was their very first new build. She began sailing in 1982, mainly in the Caribbean.

The ship was then transferred to Costa as Costa Tropicale , then to P&O Australia as the Pacific Star.

After that, she was sold to Pullmantur Cruises, refurbished, and sailed as Ocean Dream . As of 2012, Ocean Dream left Pullmantur and was chartered to Peace Boat.

In January 2021, the ship was scrapped.

Holiday was Carnival’s second purpose-built cruise ship. Constructed in Denmark, Holiday entered service in 1985. In 2003, she was refurbished, and in 2005, during Hurricane Katrina, she was used as temporary housing for victims of the storm.

She sailed from Alabama to the western Caribbean until 2009, when she was transferred to the fleet of Iberocruceros, another cruise line owned by Carnival Corp. and renamed Grand Holiday .

After that, she was transferred to the Ibero Cruises fleet and was transformed into a floating hotel for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. In 2014, she was sold to the British cruise line Cruise & Maritime Voyages and sailed for them under the name Magellan .

After CMV ceased operations and filed for bankruptcy in July 2020, Greek ferry operator SeaJets purchased Magellan at auction in October 2020 for $3.4 million.

Seajets is planning to turn the ship into a floating hotel in Liverpool for the 2021 Grand National, but she was resold for scrap due to high operating costs. She was renamed Mages and sailed to Alang, India, for scrapping in January 2021.

6. Celebration

Celebration was built for Carnival in 1986 in Sweden. She sailed for them until 2008, when she underwent a refurbishment and began sailing for Iberocruceros as the Grand Celebration .

In May 2014, she was transferred to Costa, and after a very short-lived run (she was actually sold the day before her first Costa cruise), she was acquired by the newly formed Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line to begin sailing in February 2015.

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line sold the ship in November 2020 , and she was beached in Alang, Turkey, on January 14, 2021, for scrapping.

Jubilee was built in Sweden in 1986 for Carnival Cruise Line, and Celebration and Holiday were her near-sister ships. In 2004, she was transferred to P&O Cruises Australia and renamed Pacific Sun .

In 2012, Pacific Sun left P&O and was sold to HNA Cruises, who named her Henna . She sailed for them until November 2015, when HNA shut down operations after three years of losing money.

The ship was sold and scrapped at the Alang, India yard in 2017.

Read More: Former Carnival Cruise Ship Getting Scrapped

8. Carnival Fantasy

Fantasy was the first ship in Carnival’s new Fantasy class when she entered service in March 1990. Built at Kavaerner Masa-Yards in Helsinki, Finland, the ship initially sailed Caribbean cruises from Miami.

In 2007, the ship was re-christened Carnival Fantasy and refurbished in 2008, 2016, and 2019. She sailed for Carnival for 30 years until the cruise industry shutdown in March 2020.

In July 2020, Carnival sold the ship, and it was scrapped in Aliaga, Turkey.

LAST LOOK: Remembering Carnival Fantasy [PHOTOS]

9. Carnival Ecstasy

Carnival Ecstasy debuted in 1991, and it is the second ship in the Fantasy Class.

As one of the most versatile and popular vessels in the “Fun Ship” fleet, her over-the-top Joe Farcus-designed interiors became a fan-favorite, including the iconic 1934 Rolls-Royce Saloon, which was later relocated to the Gateway on Carnival Celebration.

In February 2022, Carnival announced the retirement of Carnival Ecstasy and Carnival Sensation from the fleet. Unlike Sensation, Ecstasy resumed its regular service in Mobile, Alabama, from March to October 2022.

It is the only ship out of the six other retired Fantasy-class ships that offered a farewell cruise season to its guests.

The last voyage happened from October 10 to 15, 2022. In November 2022, the ship arrived at the Aliağa scrapyards in Turkey for scrapping.

10. Carnival Sensation

Launched in 1993, the Carnival Sensation was one of the early stars of Carnival Cruise Line’s Fantasy-class ships. Built in Finland, she joined her sisters Fantasy, Ecstasy, and Imagination in bringing a more casual and fun-focused approach to cruising.

Back then, she was considered quite the modern marvel, boasting features like the seven-deck-high neon-splashed atrium, a tiered lido deck, and even a 24-hour pizzeria. Her inaugural season saw her setting sail from Miami, whisking passengers away to the Bahamas and the Caribbean on sunny escapes.

Over the years, the Sensation saw several renovations and updates, adding balconies to cabins and sprucing up public spaces. She also switched home ports a few times, spending stints in Tampa and Port Canaveral before returning to Miami.

In 2022, the Sensation’s time came to an end. After nearly 30 years of service, she was sold for scrap.

11. Carnival Fascination

Fascination entered service in 1994 as the fourth member of Carnival Cruise Line’s Fantasy class. The ship was built, like her sisters, in the Kavaerner Masa-Yards in Helsinki, Finland. She was re-christened Carnival Fascination in 2007.

In her 26 years of operating for Carnival, she received refurbishments and upgrades in 2006, 2010, and 2013. Fascination cruised from New York, San Juan, and Jacksonville.

In July 2020, Fascination entered long-term layup status and was sold to a disclosed buyer, later revealed to be an Asian company, for use as a floating hotel. In November, she underwent a name change from Carnival Fascination to Century Harmony .

However, due to strict Chinese policy, the ship wasn’t able to sail. In October 2021, she was sold for scrap and arrived at Gadani, Pakistan, in February 2022 as Y Harmony .

12. Carnival Imagination

Like her Fantasy-class sisters, Imagination was built at Kavaerner Masa-Yards in Helsinki, Finland. The ship entered service in 1995 and most recently sailed Mexican Riviera itineraries from Long Beach, California.

The ship was renamed Carnival Imagination in 2007 and was refurbished most recently in 2016.

The vessel entered long-term layup status in July 2020; Carnival announced the ship had been sold for scrap in August 2020 and was sent to the scrapyard in Aliaga, Turkey.

Last Look: Remembering Carnival Imagination [PHOTOS]

13. Carnival Inspiration

Built in 1996 at the Kvaerner Masa-Yards in Helsinki, Finland, Inspiration was the fifth entry in the Fantasy class. Renamed Carnival Inspiration in 2007, the ship was most recently refurbished in 2010.

The ship sailed Mexican Riviera cruises from Long Beach, California. After the cruise industry shut down in March 2020, Carnival announced in July that the ship and Carnival Fantasy had been sold for scrap and sent to the shipbreakers in Aliaga, Turkey.

Last Look: Remembering Carnival Inspiration [PHOTOS]

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A cruise turned into a nightmare for people aboard Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas when a young man jumped overboard shortly after 4 a.m. Thursday.

The 18-story ship was sailing between Cuba and the Bahamas’ Grand Inagua Island when the as-yet-unidentified man jumped off one of the decks.

According to onlookers, his father and brother watched helplessly as he leaped over the side.

Some passengers said it appeared to be an impulsive, spur-of-the-moment decision. 

“I had hung out with him and his brother in the hot tub until 3:30,” passenger Bryan Sims tells The Post. ” It was standing room only. He sat right beside me the whole time.”

“He was pretty drunk,” Sims continues.

“As we were walking from the hot tub back to the elevators, his dad and brother were walking towards us. His dad was fussing at him for being drunk, I guess.” “When we got to them, he said to his dad, ‘I’ll fix this right now.’ And he jumped out the window in front of us all.” 

“There was a lot of yelling, and the crew was alerted immediately,” another passenger,  Deborah Morrison, told The Post.

“His family was horrified. Just beside themselves. I can’t even begin to imagine what they’re going through.”

“It was insane,” says Sims. “It was just surreal.” 

In a statement to The Post, Royal Caribbean said its crew immediately sprang into action following the incident.

“The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort alongside the US Coast Guard, who has taken over the search,” the statement reads.

“Our Care Team is providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time. For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share.”

News of the apparent suicide attempt quickly spread among the guests — and many of them tried to help in any way they could.

“The early morning was definitely somber as so many people came out of their cabins to stare at the sea, hoping to be able to aid in finding the person,” said Amy Phelps Fouse, a passenger on the ship.

“Royal Caribbean has been excellent at communicating updates throughout the day,” Fouse continued. “They have asked that people act with compassion in light of the tragic situation.”

Overboard incidents on cruise ships are rare.

According to the Washington Post , about 386 people were reported to have gone overboard on the major cruise lines between 2000 to 2020.

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The incidents, whether accidental or intentional, are often deadly.

In the past few years, most cruise lines have enacted onboard safety measures and surveillance systems to help reduce the risk of overboard deaths.

The Coast Guard confirmed to The Post it is still conducting a search and rescue operation in the waters off Cuba. The man has not yet been found.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to  SuicidePreventionLifeline.org .

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Royal Caribbean Shares Sink Over 5% On Troubling Week

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Shares of Royal Caribbean sunk to a one-month low Tuesday morning, dropping more than 5% on the day following a string of troubling incidents, a setback for the world’s biggest cruise line as it looks to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shares of Royal Caribbean fell to a one-month low, though the cruise line’s performance on Wall ... [+] Street remains positive on the year.

Royal Caribbean’s shares dropped to just over $130 Tuesday morning, the company’s lowest point on Wall Street since mid-March, though its shares have rebounded tremendously from its 2020 low of $23.

Despite the setback, the Miami-based company’s shares have climbed nearly 9% on the year.

Royal Caribbean’s disappointing morning on Wall Street coincides with a string of incidents aboard some of its vessels in recent weeks, including an incident in the Mediterranean Sea where a 20-year-old passenger jumped overboard from the line’s Liberty of the Seas during a vacation with his family, prompting a search operation by the U.S. Coast Guard.

That passenger, whose name has not been released, remains missing, while another passenger on a separate Royal Caribbean cruise also remains missing after disembarking during a stop in Cozumel, Mexico.

Last week, the cruise line said it would pay nearly $1.3 million in refunds to passengers who booked trips on the company’s Capital Jazz cruises, as part of a settlement with the Maryland Attorney General’s Office stemming from canceled cruises due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Shares of Royal Caribbean’s biggest competitors also tanked Tuesday morning, with shares of Norwegian Cruise Line falling more than 3% to just below $19 per share, and Carnival Corp.’s stock falling nearly 3% to just above $15.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has suffered a tumultuous spring, hitting a peak at nearly 40,000 points before tanking over the past two weeks, at one point dropping nearly 400 points on a single day—a 1% drop, amid a decline in a group of asset classes. Despite its successful first quarter, the Dow has since dropped to just over 38,625 points.

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The ultimate guide to Carnival Cruise Line ships and itineraries

If the United States has a national cruise line, it's Carnival .

The self-described "fun ship" line is the king of short, affordable, fun-focused cruises from U.S. ports to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Mexico and other nearby destinations. No matter where you live in the U.S., you're probably within a few hours of a Carnival ship.

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.

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

Indeed, if you're going on a Carnival cruise , the odds are you're driving to the ship, not flying, and you're probably not paying much more than you would for a trip to a local beach town.

You're also not going for anything too highbrow. Carnival ships are all about fun in a very laid-back, unpretentious, nothing-too-fancy sort of way.

Entertainment, at times, is as lowbrow as the line is low-cost. 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.

The fun comes in many ways, though. While Carnival's ships for the most part aren't quite as big as the giant ships operated by Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, they're packed with a wide range of fun features, from waterparks with multiple waterslides to cooking classrooms where you can learn how to make the line's signature chocolate melting cake.

Related: A beginner's guide to picking a cruise line

3 things TPG loves about Carnival

• The "fun" focus that oozes into everything.
• The food (really — see below).
• The kids' programs.

What we could do without

• The smoke in the casino.

The Carnival Cruise Line fleet

Carnival is one of the world's biggest cruise lines by passenger capacity, with 25 ships that together offer nearly 80,000 berths.

In general, these are big ships. However, with two exceptions, they're not giants by today's standards.

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 . However, the line's next-biggest vessel, the 4,090-passenger Carnival Venezia , measures just 135,225 tons. That's about 40% smaller than the biggest ships operated by Royal Caribbean .

Seven of the line's 25 vessels measure less than 100,000 tons, which makes them almost midsize by today's cruise ship standards.

Related: Every Carnival ship ranked from biggest to smallest

This is a notable change for the brand from just a couple of decades ago. There was a time when Carnival operated some of the biggest cruise ships in the world.

However, for many years it chose not to follow rivals such as Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises in building ever-bigger ships . Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration are now the only Carnival ship on the list of the 50 biggest cruise ships.

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. They are roughly 35% bigger than the line's next-biggest ship. One more ship in the series — Carnival Jubilee — will arrive in December 2023.

The 25 Carnival ships currently in operation can be broken down into eight classes: Fantasy, Spirit, Conquest, Splendor, Dream, Sunshine, Vista/Venezia and Excel. Many of those classes have a lot in common. Unlike Royal Caribbean, Carnival doesn't always drastically change the design of its ships from class to class.

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.

In addition, the line in 2024 will begin operating a ship in the fleet of its sister line Costa Cruises : Costa Firenze. It'll sail from Los Angeles.

Related: The 8 classes of Carnival ships, explained

Destinations and itineraries

Carnival is all about cruises from U.S. ports. You'll find at least one of its ships sailing out of pretty much every major port city around the country. It's rare to find them based anywhere else.

Carnival's biggest operations are out of PortMiami and Port Canaveral in Florida; Galveston, Texas; Long Beach, California; and New Orleans — all major cruise hubs. You'll also find Carnival ships in such secondary cruise ship ports as Baltimore; Charleston, South Carolina; Mobile, Alabama; and Jacksonville, Florida.

The overarching idea for Carnival's ship deployments is that a large percentage of the U.S. population can reach one of the line's ships by car, saving the cost of flights.

For the most part, Carnival ships sail relatively short voyages of three to eight nights.

Carnival vessels based on the East Coast and along the Gulf of Mexico mostly sail to the Caribbean and Bahamas. Some East Coast ships also head to Bermuda, New England and Canada. On the West Coast, sailings to Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska are the norm.

Carnival also offers some Panama Canal voyages.

Occasionally, Carnival will deploy a ship to Europe for a few weeks or months. This often takes place when a vessel needs to go to a European shipyard for an overhaul.

In recent years, Carnival also has deployed two of its vessels to Australia to operate voyages from Sydney and Brisbane. In a departure from Carnival's American-focused business model, the Australia sailings are aimed mostly at the local Australian market, though they are open to American travelers.

Related: The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Carnival cruise

Who sails Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival is the undisputed leader among North America-based cruise brands when it comes to affordability, which makes it popular with vacationers on a budget.

It's also popular with a fun-seeking crowd. Carnival trips are all about letting loose and having a good time. Maybe you'll drink a little too much, eat a little too much, play a little too much — but in the end, you'll say it was your best trip ever.

At one level, Carnival can best be described as a working man's or working woman's vacation. The typical Carnival customer is a teacher, a nurse, a firefighter, a contractor or the like, either still working or retired. This isn't a line for Wall Street bankers or white-shoe lawyers.

Carnival also is huge with families. The "fun" is for all ages, from 2-year-olds to retirees.

Still, it's just as much psychographics as demographics that define the typical Carnival customer. Carnival executives have often used the word "spirited" to describe the people who are drawn to the line, and that's as good a word as any.

Carnival draws a lively, outgoing crowd looking to be part of the action. The typical Carnival customer is the sort of person who shoots up a hand when an entertainer asks for a volunteer to come on stage or jumps up to dance during midmeal music shows in the dining room starring the waiters (yes, on Carnival, this is a thing).

Cabins and suites

Unlike some of its biggest competitors, Carnival isn't known for a huge range of cabin categories on its vessels. The vast majority of the accommodations on Carnival ships fall into one of three broad buckets: windowless inside cabins, oceanview cabins and balcony cabins.

You'll find relatively few suites on Carnival ships. Each of the vessels in Carnival's recent Vista Class series, for instance, offers fewer than 75 suites. Each of the line's earlier Conquest Class ships has around 50 suites. The oldest Fantasy Class vessels have 28 suites and 26 junior suites.

This is in part due to Carnival's focus on affordability. The typical Carnival customer isn't in the market for a super fancy, high-priced suite.

That said, Carnival has seen the success that some of its competitors have had with a bigger range of upscale accommodations, and it's eyeing more suites for future vessels. The new Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration each have 180 suites — more than twice the number of Carnival's other recent ships.

Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration have 11 different categories of suites in all, four of which are part of a new premium Excel category of suites that come with extra amenities and access to a new-for-the-line, resort-style enclave at the top of the ship called Loft 19.

Design-wise, Carnival's cabins and suites are fairly basic and comfortable, if not super stylish. Cabins on recently unveiled or overhauled vessels have a soothing palette of creams and blues. Cabinetry in these rooms is a crisp and clean faux wood, and cabin bathrooms are neutral.

Note that Carnival's two oldest ships — those that are part of the 1990s-built Fantasy Class — have relatively few balcony cabins by today's standards. (After retrofitting, several have around 150 balcony cabins, out of a total of more than 1,000 cabins in all.) In part because of this, Carnival has been phasing these ships out of its fleet in recent years.

Related: Everything you want to know about cabins and suites on Carnival ships

Restaurants and dining

Like other big-ship operators, Carnival packs a lot of dining options onto its vessels — some included in the price, some at an extra charge.

Every vessel has two main dining rooms and a casual buffet eatery where meals are included in the fare. The buffet is called the Lido. 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).

Other included-in-the-fare options found on most ships include what may be the two best quick-serve poolside dining venues at sea: BlueIguana Cantina and Guy's Burger Joint.

Related: 7 secret Carnival cruise breakfast spots that let you skip the buffet crowds

BlueIguana is a Chipotle-style restaurant, with yummy made-to-order burritos and tacos. Created in partnership with Food Network's Guy Fieri, Guy's Burger Joint offers burgers that beat anything you'll find around the pool on other mass-market ships and even most luxury vessels.

In addition, every ship has at least one — and usually several — extra-charge eateries. The most common ones found across the fleet are Fahrenheit 555, the line's signature steakhouse, and Italian cuisine-serving Cucina del Capitano (if you're a Carnival fan, you know this as the place where waiters sing and dance between courses). The two venues have flat fees of $49 and $24 per person, respectively.

Other extra-charge eateries often found on Carnival vessels include Bonsai, an a la carte sushi restaurant (now on 14 ships), and JiJi Asian Kitchen, which costs $24 per person (now on four ships).

Six of Carnival's newest ships — Carnival Jubilee, Carnival Celebration, Mardi Gras, Carnival Venezia, Carnival Panorama and Carnival Horizon — also have teppanyaki eateries called Bonsai Teppanyaki (priced at a flat $42 per person for dinner; $38 at lunchtime). 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.

The latter venue was created in partnership with Food Network's Guy Fieri and serves a free lunch on embarkation and sea days, with all items smoked on board.

Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse Brewhouse, notably, has its very own in-house brewery you can see behind glass walls — something still relatively rare on cruise ships. It makes house beers including Parched Pig West Coast IPA and Parched Pig Toasted Amber which you'll find on many Carnival vessels in kegs and cans. Carnival is the only cruise line to keg and can its own beer.

The quality of the food (and drink) on Carnival ships always surprises us, given the budget pricing of the brand. Despite being one of the industry's lowest-cost operators, Carnival manages to pull off one of the best steakhouses at sea in Fahrenheit 555, and even the no-extra-charge main restaurants get the basics right.

In general, the food isn't gourmet. For the price point of the line, it's quite impressive.

Related: The best meals you can have at sea

Entertainment and activities

For the most part, Carnival ships don't have quite as many features on board as Royal Caribbean or Norwegian vessels, in part because they're not as big. They're still packed with a variety of attractions, including multiple entertainment venues, casinos, spas and lots of deck-top fun zones such as water parks and ropes courses.

Theaters and shows

There's seemingly always something playing on a Carnival ship, whether it be a glitzy singing-and-dancing production in the main theater, a comedy show in a secondary lounge, a magical act or a call-you-up-on-stage interactive game show.

Every Carnival ship has one big theater where you'll often find flashy, fast-paced production shows that string together a medley of loosely related tunes. Designed to be quick and digestible, they typically last around 30 minutes and have relatively small casts (just eight on some ships).

In general, the production shows aren't nearly as sophisticated — or as long — as what you'll find on Royal Caribbean or Norwegian ships. But they're lively.

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.

With the latter, you can team up with your friends and family to play giant versions of Connect 4 Basketball or Simon Flash in front of a live audience.

Carnival is also well known for the Punchliner Comedy Clubs on its ships, which draw quality comedians and can get a little raucous late at night with adult-only performances.

When it comes to raucous, though, nothing on Carnival ships quite compares to the frequent karaoke nights on board. On Carnival, it's a thing. Sometimes held in a secondary lounge or a shipboard pub, karaoke on Carnival draws a big crowd. Passengers come prepared with rehearsed songs and sometimes even their own guitars.

Insider tip: Get to the comedy shows early to snag a good seat — or any seat at all. These shows on Carnival ships are hugely popular.

Other interior attractions and activities

In addition to entertainment spaces, the interiors of Carnival ships are loaded with other venues where passengers can kick back and let loose day and night, including a wide range of bars, lounges and nightspots.

Every Carnival ship has a casino, usually smack in the middle of the main entertainment deck.

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.

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.

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.

Carnival Panorama also houses Carnival's first cooking classroom. Dubbed Carnival Kitchen, it's located near the ship's main restaurants and is a seriously tricked-out venue complete with nine state-of-the-art, marbled granite cooking stations for two and a dedicated dining area.

Passengers can learn to cook everything from Carnival's classic warm chocolate melting cake to its popular saffron risotto during one- to two-hour classes that cost $30 to $59 per person.

One other new-for-Carnival attraction on Carnival Panorama is the first Sky Zone trampoline park at sea.

Near the ship's tween and teen clubrooms, it has two padded trampoline areas where you can jump around and take part in games like jousting on a balance beam or shooting baskets while bouncing. There's even trampoline dodgeball and, at one end of the room, a climbing wall augmented with interactive game elements.

Deck-top attractions

The top decks of Carnival vessels are covered in family-focused attractions – pools, waterslide areas and bustling fun zones with such draws as ropes courses and miniature golf.

Waterslides, in particular, are a big thing. In fact, when it comes to waterslides on ships, Carnival is the cruise world's king. The line began adding them to vessels way back in 1978. There's now at least one waterslide on all but one ship in the Carnival fleet (Carnival Luminosa) — something no other line can say.

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 some Carnival ships, there's also a SportSquare area with such gee-whiz attractions as the high-flying, pedal-powered SkyRide (something that first debuted in 2016 on Carnival Vista and is now on four ships), a suspended-in-the-air ropes course, a basketball court, miniature golf, miniature bowling, ping-pong tables and other outdoor games.

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 . Really. We're not making that up. At 800 feet in length, these aren't the biggest roller coasters ever. However, they're real ones — the first ever on a cruise ship.

Meanwhile, for passengers hoping for quiet time away from the kids, many Carnival ships also have an adults-only Serenity retreat area on their top decks with padded loungers, daybeds, hot tubs and often a bar.

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).

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.

Related: The 12 cruise ships with the most spectacular attractions at sea

Children's programs

Carnival claims to draw more children than any other cruise line. 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.

The heart of the program, called Camp Ocean, brings free, supervised activities daily for children aged 2 to 11. The line splits children here into three age groups — Penguins (aged 2-5 years), Stingrays (aged 6-8 years) and Sharks (aged 9-11 years).

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.

While the free programming ends at 10 p.m., you can pay extra to leave your kids at Camp Ocean until 1 a.m. During those hours, Camp Ocean transforms into a supervised slumber party-type environment with games, movies, crafts and snacks, along with late-night parties called Night Owls.

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.

Older kids (aged 15-17) are grouped into what's known as Club O2 and have their own lounge for meeting up, listening to music, dancing, singing karaoke and other activities.

What to know before you go

Required documents.

If you're a U.S. citizen on a cruise that starts and ends in a U.S. port, you'll need a current passport or an official copy of your birth certificate and a driver's license or other government-issued photo identification to sail. A few other forms of identification, such as a passport card, also are acceptable.

Passports must be valid for at least six more months. For cruises from international ports, you'll need a passport. Note that it is important that the name on your reservation be exactly as it is stated on your passport or other official proof of nationality. All this said, we recommend checking Carnival's website before sailing for the very latest on requirements.

Carnival adds an automatic service gratuity of $16 to $18 per person, per day to final bills, depending on the cabin category (children under the age of 2 are exempt). If you are unhappy with the service you receive, you can adjust this amount at the Guest Services desk before disembarking. Also, an 18% gratuity is added to bar bills and the cover charge of the Chef's Table.

Related: Everything you need to know about tipping on cruise ships

Carnival has been rolling out faster Wi-Fi systems across its fleet in the last couple of years, such that you can now stream video on some ships. Pricing changes over time, but the fastest "premium" service on Carnival vessels was recently priced at $21.25 per day when bought in advance ($25 per day when bought onboard).

Carnival also offers a less expensive "social" plan that only allows access to key social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) and messaging services such as WhatsApp for $15.30 a day when bought in advance. A slightly more expensive "value" plan, at $19.55 per day when bought in advance, adds access to email and most websites.

The social and value plans cost $18 and $23 per day, respectively, when bought onboard a ship.

Related: Wi-Fi on ships really is getting better

Carry-on drinks policy

Carnival allows you to bring one bottle of wine or Champagne per person onto ships at boarding plus up to a dozen standard cans or cartons of nonalcoholic drinks such as sodas.

Nonalcoholic drinks in glass or plastic bottles are not allowed. Note that you'll be charged a $15 corkage fee if you want to bring the wine or Champagne to an onboard restaurant or bar to drink. Drinks brought on board must be carried in your carry-on luggage.

Smoking policy

On most ships, smoking (including electronic cigarettes) is only allowed in designated outdoor areas and in casinos and nightclubs. It's forbidden in cabins and on cabin balconies. In casinos and nightclubs, only cigarette smoking is allowed. On Carnival ships in Australia, smoking is only allowed in designated outdoor areas.

Most Carnival ships have self-serve launderettes on cabin decks with washing machines, dryers, irons and ironing boards. There's a $3.25-per-load charge to use a washer or dryer. The launderettes also have vending machines that dispense small boxes of detergent and water softener at $1.50 per box.

In addition, vessels offer extra-charge laundry and, on select ships, dry cleaning services.

Note that three of the line's newest ships — Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Venezia — do not have launderettes. Carnival fans are quite peeved about this, and you should be, too. Write the line a letter.

Electrical outlets

Most vessels have standard North American-style, 110-volt outlets in rooms, as well as European-style, 220-volt outlets. A growing number of vessels also have USB ports in cabins.

The exceptions are the two Carnival ships that traditionally have sailed in Australia (Carnival Luminosa and Carnival Splendor), which are fitted with a standard Australian three-point plug or adapter providing 220/240 volt 60Hz. Adapters are available on these ships for purchase if needed.

The currency used on most Carnival ships is U.S. dollars. The exceptions are any Carnival ship based in Australia, where pricing is listed in Australian dollars.

All vessels operate on a "cashless system," with any onboard purchases you make posting automatically to your onboard account. You'll receive a Sail & Sign card that you can use to make charges. This same card also gets you into your cabin.

Drinking age

You must be 21 to consume alcohol on most Carnival ships. The drinking age on sailings on Carnival ships in Australia is 18.

During the day, there is no specific dress code, and people dress casually. If it's a sea day in a warm-weather destination, and you're bound for the top deck, that means looking like you're going to the beach — T-shirts, shorts and bathing suits (with a cover-up to go inside) are just fine.

During the evenings, there is an official dress code, but it's pretty laid-back. Most nights are designated "cruise casual," which means just that — khakis or jeans, polo shirts, sundresses, etc. Super casual items such as cutoff jeans, men's sleeveless shirts, T-shirts and gym shorts aren't permitted.

One or two nights a cruise, there will be a more formal "cruise elegant" night where men are expected to turn out in dress slacks and a dress shirt, preferably with a sports coat, or even in a suit. The suggested attire for women on such nights is cocktail dresses, pantsuits, elegant skirts and blouses.

Related: What to pack for your first cruise

Carnival Cruise Line loyalty program

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).

Members earn one point for every night they sail on one of the line's ships. To hit the second tier, Red, takes one cruise. Reaching the third tier, Gold, requires 25 points.

There is one twist to the earning structure, and it's in your favor: If you're going to hit a tier cutoff during a voyage, you will receive the benefits of that tier from the beginning of that cruise.

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.

As is typical with cruise line loyalty programs, lower tiers don't bring all that much in terms of truly valuable benefits.

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). Higher levels of the program are more enticing.

Related: Everything you need to know about Carnival's loyalty program

The second-to-highest tier, Platinum (75 points), brings such perks as priority check-in and boarding, priority debarkation, priority dinner reservations, priority spa reservations and priority water shuttle boarding. Platinums also get complimentary wash-and-fold laundry service (with a limit of two to five bags, depending on the length of the cruise).

The top Diamond level (200 points) brings such added perks as unlimited free wash-and-fold laundry service, a guaranteed seating time in the main restaurant, a dedicated toll-free number for sales and service and a one-time room upgrade.

Note that, in contrast to airline frequent flyer programs, cruise line loyalty programs do not require you to requalify for status every year. So, yes, the perks with lower tiers aren't great. However, it's not as difficult as it might at first seem to hit the more rewarding higher-level tiers in just a few years if you're cruising a lot.

A Carnival passenger taking seven-night cruises will hit the Platinum level during their 11th sailing. Sail a few longer voyages, like a transatlantic sailing, and you could reach it even sooner.

In case you're curious, VIFP stands for Very Important Fun Person.

Related: The TPG guide to cruise line loyalty programs

How much does a Carnival cruise cost?

In general, Carnival ships are among the most affordable at sea. It's not uncommon to find Carnival voyages to the Caribbean, Bahamas or Mexico starting well under $100 per person, per night including all taxes and fees — at least in the offseason.

As of this story's posting, six-night Eastern Caribbean sailings from Miami in 2024 were starting at $339 per person, not including taxes and fees of $170.19. That works out to just $85 per night, per person, with taxes and fees for a package that includes your lodging, transportation and meals.

As you might expect, pricing for ships will generally be lower during offseason periods such as September, October and parts of November.

The timing of when you book can also matter. Cruises book up much further in advance than airplanes or hotels, and many cruisers will tell you that the best pricing for any given sailing is often available when cruises first go on sale (which can be a good two years before a departure). Booking far in advance gives you the best chance of getting your preferred cabin type and location on a ship.

Once on board a Carnival ship, you'll pay extra for most drinks, extra-charge restaurants, spa services, shore excursions, internet service and a few other things — unless you've bought a package for some of these items in advance. Most onboard activities such as shows and deck-top attractions are included in the fare.

Related: 15 ways that first-time cruisers waste money on a cruise

How to book

If you're sure you know what sort of cabin you want, on which ship, on which itinerary — and about a dozen other things — you can head over to Carnival.com to book directly.

That said, given the complexity of booking a cruise — there are a lot of decisions to make during the booking process; trust us — we recommend you use a seasoned travel agent who specializes in cruises.

A good travel agent will quiz you about your particular interests, travel style and preferences, and steer you to the perfect cruise line, ship, itinerary and cabin for you. They can also help you if something goes wrong just before, during or after your voyage.

If you're sure Carnival is your line, look for a travel agent who specializes in trips with the brand. You want someone who understands all the little quirks that are unique to Carnival's cabin categories and, preferably, has done ship inspections to see the cabins firsthand.

Related: How to book a cruise with points and miles

Whether you use a travel agent or not, make sure to maximize your credit card points when paying for the cruise by using a credit card that offers extra points for travel purchases . This could be the Chase Sapphire Reserve , which offers 3 Ultimate Rewards points on travel and dining (excluding the annual $300 travel credit). There's also the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card , which brings 2 Ultimate Rewards points on travel and 3 Ultimate Rewards points on dining.

Bottom line

Carnival ships are all about fun, in a lively, let's-not-take-this-too-seriously sort of way. They're also incredibly affordable. Just don't expect anything too fancy or highbrow.

This is a budget vacation, not a luxury product, and one that is sometimes a bit over the top in its keep-the-party-going formula.

If the idea of crew members dancing during your meal in dining rooms or rowdy karaoke parties makes you cringe, this isn't the line for you. However, if you're ready to let loose and be a little goofy, it may be a perfect choice.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

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• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• 15 ways cruisers waste money
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• What to pack for your first cruise

7 - Day The Bahamas from Baltimore, MD

Cruise itinerary.

Day 1: Baltimore

Day 2 & 3: Fun Day at Sea

Day 4: half moon cay, day 5: nassau, day 6: celebration key.

Day 7: Fun Day at Sea

Day 8: baltimore.

Get to Know Carnival Pride

Carnival Pride charms, alright — it's a treat for your eyes, your taste buds... and of course, your fun buds. Invite them all to come enjoy the vacation that this ship is proud to offer. Carnival Pride invites you to dine refined, from the zen-like simplicity of Bonsai Sushi ™ to the art deco ocean liner inspiration of the Normandie Restaurant, to the American-Traditional style of Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse. And of course there's real, delectable substance under all that style. But for something a little more casual, loosen your tie... or maybe just throw it away and grab a main course (and fries) from our main man Guy Fieri, at Guy's Burger Joint ™ . The Mexican heat's optional at BlueIguana Cantina ™ , but make your next stop Cherry on Top ™ — our candy-and-more store — where everything's sweet. And to raise a glass to important sacrifices of the past, Heroes Tribute Bar makes remembrance its primary objective. You'll find yourself with room to move at the Beauties Dance Club, and a hard time sitting still at Playlist Productions ™ . All around this cruise ship you'll discover even more ways to stay cool, like an adult-only pool at Serenity, a fun-only midship pool featuring a retractable roof, plus Carnival Pride's splashy onboard waterpark, Carnival WaterWorks ™ . And if all the waterslide action leaves you needing a little extra unwinding, we recommend you dry off and head to the Cloud 9 Spa ™ . Alongside the pool is the big-screen, big-fun Carnival Seaside Theater ™ , while Seuss at Sea ™ is a good time for kids who love a good rhyme too. (Like we do!) Camp Ocean ® , Circle "C" ® and Club O2 ® prove that we've got spots for cool kids of all ages.

Onboard Activities

Onboard Dining

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The 6 best cruise ship waterslides and watery fun zones

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Call it the Battle of the Waterslides.

In the last few years, the big boys of the cruise industry — Royal Caribbean , MSC Cruises , Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line — have been locked in a game of one-upmanship when it comes to waterslides and watery fun zones on vessels.

In addition to such over-the-top, new attractions as go-kart tracks and roller coasters , the brands behind the biggest megaresorts at sea have been packing the top decks of their vessels with even more over-the-top watery allures.

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Royal Caribbean, for instance, added an 800-foot-long “water coaster” to the back of its 3,386-passenger Navigator of the Seas just a few years ago. It’s one of more than two dozen giant waterslides the line has added to more than half a dozen ships in the last seven years.

Royal Caribbean also plans a record six waterslides on its next new ship, Icon of the Seas, which is scheduled to debut in January 2024.

But as recently as early 2016, Royal Caribbean didn’t have a single waterslide on any of its vessels.

MSC Cruises also has gone big with giant water parks in the past seven years, with as many as four waterslides on more than half a dozen of its newest vessels. Norwegian has loaded up its most recent ships with giant water parks, too — some have as many as five waterslides!

Not to be outdone, Carnival, an early adopter of waterslides on ships, has added sprawling water park areas with multiple waterslides to almost every vessel in its fleet.

A brief history of water attractions at sea

In the beginning, there was the pool. As watery cruise ship attractions go, it has long been the staple — something found on nearly every cruise vessel going back to the 1970s.

But as early as 1978, at least one line was spicing up its Lido decks with a little waterslide fun — little being the operative word. That’s the year Carnival added a single slide into the pool on its 728-passenger Festivale — a slide so small it’s now hilarious to think it was touted as an attraction.

Often cited as the first waterslide ever on a cruise vessel, the Festivale slide was of a sort that was found at backyard pools at the time. The cruise industry was still in its infancy, of course, and ships were orders of magnitude smaller than they are today. Festivale measured just 32,697 tons, about one-seventh the size of today’s biggest cruise vessels.

Carnival, the so-called Fun Ship line, would go on to become the early leader in waterslides at sea. The 2,056-passenger Carnival Fantasy, which debuted in 1990, was the first cruise ship with a significant waterslide. It measured 115 feet in length.

Related: A beginner’s guide to picking a cruise line

Just six years later, in 1996, Carnival would make news with the unveiling of a 214-foot-long corkscrew waterslide on what then was called Destiny. (The ship currently sails as the Carnival Sunshine after being rebuilt in 2013.) At the time, Destiny was the biggest cruise ship in the world.

In more recent years, Carnival has gone into waterslide-building overdrive. The line has added full-blown water park areas with waterslides, watery play zones and other features to all but four of its 25 ships. All but one of Carnival’s ships (Carnival Luminosa) now have at least one waterslide.

One of the Carnival water parks, on the line’s 5-year-old Carnival Horizon, even has Disney-style theming revolving around Dr. Seuss characters.

Norwegian, MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean only began going big with waterslides on ships in the past decade or so. Many of the newest vessels from the brands have massive water park areas. Some of the brands are retrofitting big waterslides onto older ships, too.

Additionally, family-focused Disney Cruise Line now has major water attractions on all its vessels.

Where you’ll find the biggest waterslides at sea

If your idea of the perfect cruise ship is one loaded to the gills with waterslides and watery fun zones (plus all sorts of other over-the-top attractions), you’ll want to stick to the biggest floating megaresorts operated by Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, MSC Cruises and Carnival.

At Royal Caribbean, that means the giant Oasis-class vessels , which include Wonder of the Seas — the world’s largest cruise ship. At Norwegian, you’ll find the biggest waterslides and water parks on the line’s relatively recently built Breakaway Plus-, Breakaway- and Epic-class ships. At MSC Cruises, the new Seaside-, Meraviglia-, Meraviglia Plus- and World-class vessels have the line’s big water parks.

Big lines that have steered clear of the water-park-at-sea trend include Princess Cruises, Holland America and Celebrity Cruises. Geared more toward couples than families and typically drawing an older demographic, all three of these lines have stuck to a more subdued feel for the outdoor areas of their ships. The top decks of vessels operated by Princess, Holland America and Celebrity still mostly revolve around traditional swimming areas with pools, hot tubs and lounge chairs.

Ready for a splashy, top-deck thrill? These are the most spectacular watery attractions at sea.

The Perfect Storm

Where you’ll find it: Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas.

This isn’t just one giant waterslide; it’s a whole complex of waterslides, each one among the most exciting you’ll find anywhere on the world’s oceans.

The Perfect Storm is found on four of Royal Caribbean’s massive Oasis-class vessels — Wonder of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas — as well as the smaller Liberty of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas. The complex includes two four-deck-high racer slides called Cyclone and Typhoon, where you can do side-by-side speed tests with your travel partner.

On the four Oasis-class ships, there’s also a third, Champagne bowl-style slide called Supercell. It’ll swirl you around a big basin before plummeting you “down the drain” into a plunge pool. On Liberty of the Seas, a third slide called The Tidal Wave sends you screaming down a steep hill on an inner tube to a nearly vertical incline. Zooming upward, topping out and dropping back, you’ll get a blissful moment of complete weightlessness.

Note that Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas also has a waterslide area called Perfect Storm — but it’s completely different. More on that in a moment.

The Blaster

Where you’ll find it: Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas.

The Blaster is the Big Daddy of waterslides at sea. At 800 feet, it’s the longest ever built on a cruise ship. Added to Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas in 2019, it’s a seemingly endless stretch of yellow and orange tubing that winds around the back deck of the vessel like a snake.

A true sight to behold, The Blaster is so long because it’s what’s known as a water coaster. It features water jets that propel you up, down and forward — extending the ride — as you careen around the ship’s basketball court and surfing simulator in an inner tube. At times, you go flying over the side of the ship, over open water (not that you have much time to take in the view).

Royal Caribbean has named the area on Navigator of the Seas where The Blaster is located the Perfect Storm — the same name used for waterslide areas on six other ships — but the area is completely different than what you’ll find on the other vessels. In addition to The Blaster, the Perfect Storm area on Navigator of the Seas includes a headfirst mat racer slide called Riptide — the first of its kind at sea.

Where you’ll find it: Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream.

Leave it to family-focused Disney Cruise Line to come up with the coolest watery family attraction at sea. AquaDuck is a water coaster, like The Blaster on Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas, and is found on Disney’s two Dream-class ships. But don’t expect anything too white-knuckle. The ride is relatively gentle by water park standards, mainly because it’s designed for kids of all ages (and their parents, who can ride along on inner tubes for two).

While AquaDuck is slightly shorter than The Blaster at 765 feet in length, it has a bigger presence, thanks to its prime location encircling the main pool area. If you’re lounging up top, it’s hard to miss the massive, clear acrylic tubing of the ride, which is held up by 46 giant white stilts.

In addition to AquaDuck, the two Disney ships with the attraction (Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream ) have a relatively small, kid-friendly waterslide next to the centrally located Mickey’s Pool. Dubbed Mickey’s Slide, it’s held up by a giant Mickey hand, which is delightful. Both ships also have a watery play zone for toddlers called Nemo’s Reef. Plus, Disney Fantasy has a watery fun zone with water jets, geysers and bubblers called AquaLab.

Note that Disney’s newest ship — Disney Wish — has a water coaster attraction similar to the AquaDuck called the AquaMouse. The big difference: Riders will see animated shorts while riding up the ramp at the start of the ride.

Carnival WaterWorks

Where you’ll find it: Nearly all Carnival ships.

When it comes to waterslides on ships, cruise giant Carnival is still the undisputed king. The Fun Ship line began adding them to vessels way back in 1978, and there’s now at least one waterslide on every ship in the Carnival fleet — something no other line can say.

Indeed, on all Carnival ships, there’s now not just a single waterslide but a whole water park area. Called WaterWorks, these areas vary in size and features from vessel to vessel, but they typically have one or two big waterslides, a watery play zone with interactive water features and a large continuously filling dump bucket that periodically soaks everybody within range.

You’ll typically find the biggest Carnival water park complexes on the newest Carnival ships, such as Mardi Gras , Celebration and Carnival Venezia . All three have three waterslides — one more than most Carnival ships.

Aqua Park (Norwegian Cruise Line)

Where you’ll find it: Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Joy, Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Encore.

Norwegian Cruise Line began going big with waterslides in 2010 when it debuted Norwegian Epic. And boy, did it go big! Norwegian Epic offers three monster waterslides, including the thrilling Epic Plunge — a 200-foot-long tube ride that ends in a swirling bowl. Epic Plunge is part of Norwegian Epic’s Aqua Park, the first water park on a Norwegian ship. Norwegian has since added Aqua Parks to six more new vessels, including its biggest ship, the 4-year-old Norwegian Encore .

Norwegian’s Aqua Parks vary in size and attractions from ship to ship, but some of them, such as the one on Norwegian Breakaway, have as many as five separate multistory waterslides. Yes, you read that right: Five waterslides on a single cruise ship!

On Norwegian Breakaway, the lineup includes twin free-fall slides that drop passengers nearly straight down several stories; two side-by-side twisting racer slides; and a family-friendly slide with a more modest drop. For sheer variety, the complex is hard to beat.

Aqua Park (MSC Cruises)

Where you’ll find it: MSC Seascape, MSC Seashore, MSC Seaview, MSC Seaside, MSC Meraviglia, MSC Bellissima, MSC Grandiosa, MSC Virtuosa, MSC Euribia, MSC World Europa.

Fast-growing MSC Cruises has joined the waterslide wars in the last few years — and in a massive way. Each of the 10 ships the line has unveiled since 2017 offers a full-blown water park on its top deck that’s packed with waterslides and other watery fun.

On North America-based MSC Seaside, the Aqua Park has four waterslides and a children’s play area with interactive water features. The waterslides include two massive, 525-foot-long dueling slides that extend over the sides of the ship. The top of the Aqua Park on MSC Seaside is also home to the liftoff point for a zip line that soars 344 feet across the top of the vessel.

Other MSC Cruises water parks at sea include the winter-themed Polar Aqua Park on MSC Meraviglia, which offers a suspended-in-the-sky ropes course in addition to four waterslides. There’s also the Aquaplay area for the little ones.

A handful of ships even have virtual reality waterslides that involve riders wearing virtual reality headsets as part of the experience.

In all, 14 of MSC Cruises’ 22 vessels now have at least one waterslide on their top decks.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• 15 ways cruisers waste money
• 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up
• What to pack for your first cruise

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And when you do spend on dining, you should use a credit card that will maximize your rewards and potentially even score special discounts. Thanks to temporary card bonuses and changes due to coronavirus, you may even be able to score a meal at your favorite restaurant for free. 

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Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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• Company News

What You Need To Know About Cruise Operator Viking’s IPO

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Key Takeaways

• Cruise operator Viking Holdings generated $4.7 billion in revenue last year, the company revealed in a Friday filing with the SEC, ahead of its planned debut on the New York Stock Exchange under the "VIK" ticker.
• While the cruise line has not disclosed the number of shares that will be offered or their pricing, Barron's estimated Viking's IPO could be valued at over $10 billion.
• Cruise stocks have started to rebound after reporting strong results amid a surge in demand as the industry works to recover from the billions in losses suffered during the pandemic.

Viking Holdings, the parent company of the Viking cruise line, filed an F-1 form Friday with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ahead of its planned initial public offering (IPO) that revealed the company made $4.7 billion in revenue in 2023.

Viking, which said Friday that it plans to debut on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "VIK," initially announced plans to pursue an IPO in February. While the cruise line has not disclosed the number of shares that will be offered or their pricing, Barron's estimated Viking's IPO could be valued at over $10 billion.

Viking's Business Metrics Show Growing Revenue

The cruise line generated $4.7 billion in revenue in fiscal 2023, compared to $3.18 billion in 2022, and $625.1 million in 2021. Viking posted a $1.86 billion loss last year, largely because of a refinancing program it undertook through private placement , a way to raise capital without undergoing an IPO.

Adjusting for those one-time losses, Viking said it reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of about $1.09 billion for 2023.

Viking's luxury cruise business is divided between 80 river vessels and nine ocean ships, along with two expedition ships and a chartered river ship that operates in the Mississippi river. The cruise line expects to receive 18 new river ships by 2028, and six new ocean cruise liners by 2026.

Cruise Stocks Climb on Surge in Demand

In what could be a promising sign for Viking's debut, some cruise stocks have started to reverse losses suffered during the pandemic, with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings ( NCLH ), Royal Caribbean Group ( RCL ), and Carnival Corp. ( CCL ) recently reporting record bookings.

As of Friday's close, Norwegian shares have gained 45% over the past 12 months, while Carnival shares have surged 55%, and Royal Caribbean shares more than doubled in value over the same period.

Securities and Exchange Commission. " FORM F-1 REGISTRATION STATEMENT ."

Viking Holdings. " VIKING FILES REGISTRATION STATEMENT WITH SEC FOR PROPOSED INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING ."

Viking Holdings. " VIKING ANNOUNCES CONFIDENTIAL SUBMISSION OF DRAFT REGISTRATION STATEMENT FOR A PROPOSED INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING ."

Barron's. " Cruise Operator Viking’s IPO Could Be Valued at Over $10 Billion ."

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