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When I select a sailing, I book through Carnival Cruise Line’s reservation number to see if I can snag an exclusive deal not listed online. Carnival's free-to-join loyalty program, the Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) Club, offers deals like reduced deposits, onboard credit, and room upgrades. The more you book with the cruise line, the better your deals will be. Cruises to Southern Caribbean islands are the stuff vivid tropical daydreams are made of.
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Norwegian Viva is much smaller than both of these floating cities, measuring a little more than half the size of Icon of the Seas. Built to be 142,500 gross tons, the newest ship from Norwegian Cruise Line has 20 decks of unparalleled experiences and amenities. Its ships can be found in other international destinations, such as Australia, New Zealand, China and Singapore.
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Initially built in 2019 for Costa Cruises, this ship joined the Carnival fleet in 2023. Carnival Venezia is ideal if you’re looking for a ship that celebrates one of Italy’s most iconic cities. Venice is the inspiration behind the indoor and outdoor areas, including the atrium, modeled after Piazza San Marco, and the Carnevale Lounge, inspired by Venetian masquerades. Don't miss the Venetian Toast, where the ship’s captain greets guests and crew don Venetian masks. Here, find guidance on every Carnival cruise ship, from the newest to the oldest.
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There are also Royal Babies and Royal Tots options for those travelers with infants and toddlers, and cool hangouts for tweens and teens. Royal Caribbean's largest classes — Oasis Class and Icon Class — are so big they are divided into neighborhoods. Oasis Class ships feature a Central Park with real trees and a Boardwalk area with a carousel, slides that drop multiple decks and a special theater for high-diving shows. Earn 20,000 FunPoints after your first purchase or balance transfer, which is worth a $200 statement credit towards your next cruise.
A few weeks before, Celebrity Cruises released its newest and most innovative cruise ship, Celebrity Ascent. As the fourth ship in the Edge Class, Celebrity Ascent features a sophisticated, modern approach to cruising. Although not considered a mainstream cruise line, Celebrity Cruises is classified as a premium cruise line with fairly reasonable prices. Carnival's focus is affordable contemporary cruising for everyone, with an emphasis on fun. Its "Fun Ships" provide a casual and carefree experience; the crowd consists mostly of American, young and young-at-heart adults and their families.
Finally, Celebrity Ascent is nearly identical in size to Norwegian Viva, measuring around 140,000 gross tons. The sleek, ultramodern cruise ship from Celebrity Cruises holds 3,260 passengers at maximum capacity. While technically smaller than Norwegian Viva, Celebrity Ascent can hold more passengers at maximum capacity. When it comes to size, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas cannot be beaten - literally. The 250,800 gross-ton vessel is the biggest cruise ship in the world. Measuring 1,200 feet long with 20 decks towering above the sea, Icon of the Seas is large and in charge.
WE SAIL ALL OVER THE PLACE.
Popular areas onboard, such as theatre shows, the pool deck, and the buffet, struggled to accommodate the passenger flow. If you’re someone who loves to cruise on the bigger mega ships that rival floating cities, you’ll want to choose Icon of the Seas or Carnival Jubilee. Both of these massive cruise ships have everything you could want on a cruise ship; however, be prepared to fight crowds during popular events. Before Icon of the Seas hit the ocean, Carnival Cruise Line welcomed the newest Excel Class ship to its fleet, Carnival Jubilee, in December 2023. The Texas-styled cruise ship is full of family fun from stern to bow, which perfectly aligns with Carnival’s goal of having the most fun ships at sea. Both cruise lines have well-established programs to keep your kids happy, so you can get some downtime to relax and do grown-up things.
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Plus, our experienced travel consultants have access to exclusive vacation deals to make sure you get the best value for your time and money. For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. Instead, you can enjoy the engineering marvel of the Magic Carpet, which is a cantilevered platform that serves as a top-deck bar in the evening and tender launch during the day.
The camp-like programs include age-appropriate activities like arts and crafts, movies and sports and cool clubs for tweens and teens. No matter the size, all the ships of both lines qualify as floating resorts, with onboard casinos, pools, live entertainment, elaborate spas, lively dance clubs, lots of bars — and crowds. With few exceptions, Carnival sails exclusively from North American homeports and offers some of the lowest pricing in the industry, particularly on short three- and four-night Carnival Caribbean cruises.
Carnival Breeze is ideal for a short cruise out of Galveston, Texas. The ship has plenty of activities throughout the day, including bingo, trivia, and live performances in the comedy club. Thanks to the new Center Stage venue, the cruise line has created higher-quality production shows with more extravagant costumes and performers.
If you like Indian cuisine, you are in for a treat with delicious vegetarian dishes on the main dining room menu each night. On select ships, Carnival has its own New Orleans bistros by Emeril Lagasse and breweries where the drink is accompanied by Fieri's barbecue (for a fee). Carnival fans will tell you the food on board is great, and most travel writers will agree the line shines in this area — including extra-fee options, such as impressive steakhouses and JiJi for Asian cuisine.
Finally, Norwegian Cruise Line debuted Norwegian Viva as the second ship in its groundbreaking Prima Class in August 2023. The beautifully designed, midsize cruise ship has received higher guest satisfaction scores than any other new build, according to the cruise line. Norwegian Viva's size allows the ship to sail to unique destinations around the world.
Eastern Caribbean cruises will bring you to St. Thomas, where you can take in stunning panoramic views of the island at Government Hill or to St. Maarten, where you can dine on some of the region's best cuisine. Carnival ships mostly cruise in North America, with voyages in the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Alaska, Canada/New England and the Mexican Riviera (from California). Royal Caribbean produces real Broadway shows (albeit shortened versions), such as "Grease," "Hairspray" and "Cats" on its biggest ships. Select ships feature innovative performance spaces; you'll find outdoor shows starring acrobats and high-divers at the line's AquaTheaters and ice skating shows at its ice skating rinks. For cruises longer than 15 days, depending on the destination, guests may be required to provide proof of vaccination and/or a negative test prior to embarkation. To get connected, you’ll have to purchase a Wi-Fi package, which you can do in advance of your trip or on board, which may cost more.
