10 Things to Do Before Your Next Carnival Cruise

By Brooke Franco

Tips for your next Carnival cruise! - *Photo by Carnival Cruise Line/Canva*

Are you going on a Carnival Cruise Line vacation soon? Whether it's your first cruise or your 100th, the following are the Top 10 things to do before you embark on a Carnival ‘Fun Ship’ cruise.

Carnival Cruise Line is known for being an excellent option for travelers of all types and ages. The larger vessels are packed with so many things to do that you may not experience it all on one cruise! To get the most out of your trip, we recommend spending time before your cruise planning your time onboard the ship and while in port. A little planning will ensure you get to do everything you want.

Over the past ten years of Cruiseline.com, we’ve received thousands of Carnival Cruise Line reviews from our members and learned a lot along the way. Below are the top ten tips for things to do before your next Carnival cruise.

1. Research Your Ship

This is one of the top tips we recommend to any cruiser. This is especially true for Carnival cruisers as most of the line’s ships are large and mega-sized vessels. Take time before your trip to familiarize yourself with the ship. Use deck maps to figure out where your cabin is, as well as locate dining venues and the onboard amenities and activities you want to check out.

A great resource is Cruiseline.com’s ship reviews. In these reviews, you will find feedback from fellow cruisers who have previously sailed on the ship and can provide recommendations you can use to plan your cruise. You can learn more about your Carnival ship’s dining venues, activities, and all the onboard spots and activities so you don’t miss a thing.

Explore Carnival Cruise Line ship reviews here and select ‘Carnival Cruise Line’ from the cruise reviews dropdown menu. You can select the ship you will sail on, get comfy, and explore all the helpful tips.

2. Download Shipmate

Shipmate, the #1 cruise app for cruisers, has all the tools you need to plan your perfect Carnival cruise! On Shipmate, you can add your exact voyage to the ‘My Cruises’ section to plan your cruise and save it forever in the app’s cruise history.

Once you’ve added the sailing, you can check out and share your Cruise Countdown, sign up for a Roll Call (we will explain later!), create a packing check-list, use the tools to explore the ship and ports of call, as well as view photos from fellow cruisers. You can also book shore excursions, find future cruises, and even write a cruise review from your vacation!

If you haven’t downloaded Shipmate, do it now! Download for iOS here and for Android here.

3. Decide What to Pack

The number one item on your packing list should be essential documents. Pack these first, and double-check that you have them before you leave the house - you could miss out on your trip and be denied boarding should you forget to have the required documents (such as passports, birth certificates, or other paperwork) at embarkation. Be sure all documents and passports are in your carry-on luggage. Never put essential documents in your checked baggage in case it’s lost in transit.

Next, make sure you have essentials like medications, sunscreen, swimsuits, rain protection, electronics chargers, and a non-surge power strip. Carnival ships usually have a spot onboard that will sell personal goods, however, prices are generally expensive, so we recommend being prepared.

When it comes to packing clothing make sure you have what you will need for the duration of your cruise and the type of climate you will be in. Carnival specifies the following on their FAQs when it comes to attire: “If you’re cruise packing for the first time, make sure to bring the proper attire for dinner. While you can come as you are at lunchtime, dinner on a cruise calls for more elegant attire. Think smart-casual dress for women and slacks and a collared shirt for men. If you enjoy extra glitz and glamour, you can dress up in cocktail dresses, gowns, suits, and ties or tuxedos on ‘formal night’.”

Looking for more tips on what to pack for your vacation? Consult these resources:

4. Learn About Cruise Ports & Sign-Up for Shore Excursions

It’s important to spend some time before your Carnival cruise to explore the ports you will visit and plan out what you want to do for those days.

We recommend using Cruiseline.com’s cruise port explore feature to find your sailing’s specific ports. Here you can read reviews from fellow community members on the destination, see photos, and read expert advice on the port. You can also find and book excursions (at great prices!) from our trusted partners.

Port research tools are also found on Shipmate. The app allows members to read and write port reviews, a member's photo section, chat about the destination with other users, book excursions, and more.

5. Make Dining Plans

As you do your pre-cruise research on the ship, check out the dining options. Most Carnival ships offer a number of included and specialty eateries.

Be prepared ahead of time and budget accordingly if you plan to spend extra to dine in certain venues. We also recommend making reservations in advance for eateries that require them, that way you know you have a guaranteed spot at the restaurant and can get a table at your desired time.

We also recommend using Cruiseline.com’s ship pages to research the dining venues of your Carnival ship. You can read the reviews and recommendations from fellow travelers who previously tried the eateries and get a good idea of all the delicious food and beverages you will want to try on your own cruise.

6. Join a Roll Call

Roll Calls are forums (aka message boards) where passengers sailing on the same cruise can chat with one another. They are a great place to ask questions and get tips or meet with others on your voyage who share your same interests. Want to organize a meet-up at the comedy club or a zipline excursion? Just sign up for the Roll Call of your Carnival cruise sail date, make a post, and get to know your fellow sailors!

Read More: What is a Roll Call

7. Download the Carnival HUB App

Another must-have app to download before your Carnival sailing is the Carnival HUB app, developed for guests by Carnival. Download this before you get onboard to start making plans for your sailing and to have it ready to use during your cruise.

Carnival HUB can be used before your cruise to purchase gifts, wifi, spa services, shore excursions, and other onboard offerings. It can also be used to make dinner reservations, as well as complete your online check-in prior to embarkation.

While onboard the cruise, Carnival HUB can be used to chat with fellow cruisers, access ship maps, look up eateries, account management, as well as access kids and teens program information. It is also your up-to-date home for the day’s schedule of all the fun activities and events going on onboard the ship.

8. Research and Pre-Book Beverage Packages

Carnival Cruise Line offers several beverage packages. If you plan on enjoying any drinks beyond (non-bottled) water, you will incur extra fees. We recommend researching beverage package options before sailing to take advantage of any pre-cruise savings, as well as have a good idea of what beverages will cost you during the cruise should you choose not to purchase a package.

One package offered by Carnival is ‘Bottomless Bubbles’. This package (offered to cruisers of all ages) allows for all-you-can-drink sodas and juice for the full length of your cruise. Another package (offered for cruisers 21+) is ‘CHEERS’, which offers one flat price for spirited beverages over the entire length of your cruise. This package includes all spirits, beer, and wine by the glass ($20 or lower), sodas, zero-proof frozen cocktails, energy drinks, specialty coffee, hot tea, 500ml bottled water, and other non-alcoholic bottled beverages.

Note, that beverage packages from Carnival are non-transferable and cannot be shared with other guests, including sharing with other members of your party/others in your stateroom. One beverage can be served per person at a time, and beverage packages are not applicable for room service charges.

Learn more about Carnival Cruise Lines’ beverage package offerings, costs, and exclusions here.

9. Research Onboard Activities & Entertainment

Use the Carnival HUB as well as Carnival’s website section for booked guests, to learn all about the activities and entertainment that will be coming up on your cruise. There will be a number of offerings that you can pre-book ahead of the cruise so you know you will get a spot during the event.

Most Carnival activities are free and open to all, however, there are some that have an extra cost. We recommend exploring what will be offered on your cruise before you leave so you have a good idea of what you will want to check out when onboard and know if you will have to spend extra.

You can also use Cruiseline.com’s Ship Reviews to read fellow community members’ reviews of the activities and entertainment on your ship.

10. Ask Questions!

Cruiseline.com and Shipmate are great resources to use to ask your most pressing cruise questions with our Q&A features. Our community of thousands of seasoned sailors can make recommendations on what to do (and what not to do) on your Carnival ship. When you submit any ship or port-related questions, our community is there with the answers.

Here are some resources on the Q&A features offered by Cruiseline.com and Shipmate:
Got Cruise Questions? Try the Ship and Destination Q&A Feature

New Q&A Feature Comes to Shipmate

Port Q&A Comes to Shipmate

Bon Voyage!

We hope you have a great Carnival cruise and have found these tips helpful! If you are looking for even MORE resources on Carnival Cruise Line check out:

10 Carnival Cruise Hacks

Quiz: How much do you really know about Carnival?

Top Carnival Cruise Line Ships for 2023

Carnival Cruise Dining: Restaurants and Food You Must Try

Don’t forget to come back and write a review of your Carnival sailing when you return and share your experience with other community members!