Carnival Cruise Ship Classes Compared

Table Of Content

• Princess Cruises, P&O, P&O Australia & AIDA
• Carnival Cruise Line Ships Ranked Biggest to Smallest
• Between all 9 brands, Carnival owns 91 ships
• Vista Class Carnival Ships
• Carnival Celebration
• Carnival Cruise Line loyalty program
• Learn About Credit Cards
• The ultimate guide to Carnival Cruise Line ships and itineraries

Most of the activities on these ships are centered around a hub on Decks 2 and 3, where the pools and lounges are located. Nightlife, including the remaining bars and restaurants, are on Decks 9, 10 and 11. Now more than two-dozen strong, Carnival’s fleet spans 25 years’ worth of ship hardware. While Carnival ships were once considered behemoth floating hotels, the past two decades of mega-ships from brands like Royal Caribbean or MSC Cruises tower in comparison. Many of Carnival’s ships would be considered mid-sized by today’s standards.

Princess Cruises, P&O, P&O Australia & AIDA

The ships are split into six distinctive zones, with a huge range of places to eat, relax and have fun in each. If you want to experience everything that Carnival has to offer and you don’t mind a busy ship, then sailing on an Excel-class ship is probably perfect. Carnival’s aptly-named Venice class ships are decked out with Italian flair. Which makes sense, since they both started life for the Italian cruise line, Costa Cruises in 2019. Carnival Vista introduced entirely new cabin categories in Havana Cabanas and Family Harbor. These keycard-accessed areas of the ship not only contain swanky new types of staterooms, but dedicated spaces for occupants.

Carnival Cruise Line Ships Ranked Biggest to Smallest

When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. Royal Caribbean International is owned and operated by the Royal Caribbean Group, which also includes Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises, among other brands. On board, try a fencing class, learn flower arranging, or enjoy a full-service afternoon tea with real clotted cream served by white-gloved waiters.

Between all 9 brands, Carnival owns 91 ships

Designed to take Carnival's "fun ship" shtick to a new level, the ships are so big that, as noted above, they have room for roller coasters on their top decks — a cruise industry first. They also have a far broader array of suites than earlier Carnival vessels. Instead, Carnival usually takes an incremental approach to design changes for its new classes of ships. You'll find a lot in common between the Vista class and Dream class, for instance. These two classes aren't all that different in feel from the earlier Splendor and Conquest classes of ships, though they are a bit bigger.

From 2024, it will also include Carnival Firenze, which also launched in 2019 for Costa. That’s why I’ve written this guide to take you through each of the Carnival ship classes in turn so you can see which one is best for your next Carnival cruise. The two recent acquisitions of Costa ships form the “Italian famiglia style” Venice Class. Rolling out over 2023 and 2024, Carnival Venezia and Carnival Firenze are retaining and celebrating their Italian roots with themed public spaces and restaurants, among other touches.

Carnival Celebration

Platinums also get complimentary wash-and-fold laundry service (with a limit of two to five bags, depending on the length of the cruise). Members earn one point for every night they sail on one of the line's ships. Most vessels have standard North American-style, 110-volt outlets in rooms, as well as European-style, 220-volt outlets. 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.

Guide to All 27 Carnival Cruise Ships - Travel + Leisure

Guide to All 27 Carnival Cruise Ships.

Posted: Thu, 21 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

On Carnival ships in Australia, smoking is only allowed in designated outdoor areas. A slightly more expensive "value" plan, at $19.55 per day when bought in advance, adds access to email and most websites. 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.

There's now at least one waterslide on all but one ship in the Carnival fleet (Carnival Luminosa) — something no other line can say. 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. 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.

In terms of passenger capacity, Carnival Mardi Gras, introduced in 2021, accommodates the most cruisers at a maximum of 6,465 guests (at 180,000 GRT). Following these newest ships, size drops drastically to 135,225 GRT and 135,156 GRT, which are the sizes of acquired ships Carnival Venezia and Carnival Firenze. After you do your research on the Carnival ships and destinations, work with a travel agent to book the cruise. 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.

P&O Australia was acquired by Carnival in 2003, and it remains the only cruise line in the world that caters entirely to Australian passengers who enjoy fun-in-the-sun cruises. The line currently relies heavily on its heritage to inform its current identity. On board, passengers will find excellent food, music and customer service, all of which tend to draw slightly older passengers and multigenerational family groups. Carnival Corp. took full ownership of Italian line Costa Cruises in 2000 after originally obtaining just 50% in 1997.

Eventually, in 2000, P&O would form P&O Princess Cruises, and then that would be what Carnival would merge with in 2003, forming Carnival Corporation & plc. If you’re asking yourself ‘who owns Carnival cruise line,’ then look no further, because the answer is right in front of you. Carnival may be synonymous with its cruise line by the same name, but Carnival is actually so much more than just its budget-friendly, fun-geared cruise line for families that it’s most well-known for. In 1993, Carnival began to get rid of their older second-hand tonnage, and sold their first ship, Mardi Gras, after 21 years of service with the line.

The water park area on Carnival Horizon is particularly alluring if you're a Dr. Seuss fan. Unique among the water parks in the Carnival fleet, it has a Dr. Seuss theme. The water park area on Carnival Venezia also is notable as it has one more water slide than the water parks on the Vista-class ships.

The Carnival fleet is scheduled to grow over the next year with two more new vessels. As noted above, the line has ordered a third Excel-class ship (Carnival Jubilee) that will be ready to sail in December 2023. However, Carnival's biggest ships also sail with more passengers, which can be a turnoff if you're the kind of traveler who likes a more intimate experience. Unlike Royal Caribbean and some other cruise lines, Carnival doesn't always drastically change the design of its ships from class to class.

The ships hold from 2,984 to 3,002 passengers, based on double occupancy. At around 102,000 tons, the Sunshine-class ships are more than 20% smaller than Carnival Panorama and more than 40% smaller than Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration. The Sunshine class (once known as the Destiny class) may be the most unusual class of ships in the Carnival fleet. On paper, the ships in this class are among the oldest vessels that Carnival operates. However, you also can make an argument that they are among the newest vessels in the line.