Carnival Cruise Line Deals: Updated Lowest Fares + Best Prices

Table Of Content

• Learn About Reward Programs
• Card Issuer
• Book your drinks package before you sail
• What’s the Best Length of Time for a Cruise?
• Revealed: The Most Expensive Carnival Cruise You Can Buy (And Cheapest, Too!)
• WE SAIL ALL OVER THE PLACE.
• Book the Bolt roller coaster soon as you board
• Dramatic: Carnival Ship Suffers Fire at Sea (See the Video)

Carnival ships have many overlooked breakfast spots that can make dining a pleasure when the buffet is packed. However, don't forget about sit-down options, many of which are free. Offer complimentary lunches, or you can enjoy Emeril's New Orleans fare or sushi for an extra charge. When you fly or even drive to your cruise port on the day of your sailing, you're taking a risk that flight delays or traffic will cause you to miss your ship's departure. If you have pre-existing medical conditions, you'll need to sign up for a plan within a few weeks of booking your cruise. Carnival ships embark passengers from more U.S. ports than any other major cruise line.

Learn About Reward Programs

We've done the math and spent hours sifting through Carnival cruise deals looking for the nuggets -- including calculating what kinds of things can make or break your deal. Shopping for Carnival cruise deals is (as it should be) fun, so let's get started. Like the Super Saver rates, you get to pick the type of room, however, Carnival will select the actual stateroom on the ship. If you find it priced lower later on, then you aren’t eligible for a refund. Unlike the Early Saver rate, there is no mention that you even receive the deposit in the form of cruise credit should you cancel. In other words, if there is even a hint that you might not be able to make a cruise, you likely want a different fare.

Card Issuer

If you're in the market for a new card, apply for one before you book your vacation at sea and apply the cost of your cruise toward your minimum spend to earn the signup bonus. Enjoy all the fun a Carnival cruise has to offer at the lowest rates. You can usually find these rates using this calendar, which highlights Super Saver deals. To find Carnival Cruise Line deals, all you need to do is click on the lowest price.

Book your drinks package before you sail

If, for instance, Carnival includes lunch, and you find the same tour cheaper without lunch, that doesn't count. To dissuade any fears cruisers might have about overpaying for shore excursions, Carnival has a Best Price Guarantee. Rather than choosing a specific cabin, you are choosing a low cruise rate without knowing exactly what level of cabin you will get. Carnival Cruise Line has 14 homeports in the U.S., including 10 year-round ones, which is the most of any cruise line. Carnival puts special emphasis on live music, and you can often find a solo artist or small ensemble performing in the atrium, casino, bar areas or by the pool. If you like pop songs by piano, the piano bar always attracts an enthusiastic crowd.

Also skip the fee-based snacks at the coffee shops; there are free treats at the Carnival buffet. The way to save on photos is to take your own onboard, but if you know you won't be able to resist the posed shots by Carnival's photographers, consider purchasing a photo package. Before you book your Carnival cruise, it's worth comparing prices with third-party companies such as Viator. This only applies to pre-booked excursions, and if you are claiming you found a lower price (and thus asking for reimbursement) it has to be for the same tour.

Valentine's Day Cruise Deals and Promotions - Cruise Critic

Valentine's Day Cruise Deals and Promotions.

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If you can, make restaurant reservations online as soon as you can after booking your cruise. If not, get on the ship as early as possible and reserve your table as soon as you get on board. Carnival offers amazing free food, but its specialty restaurants are also worth the splurge if you're looking for variety or a date night out.

WE SAIL ALL OVER THE PLACE.

For this reason, they are best for those who want to get the best Carnival cruise deal and really don't care where they sleep. You can save by picking a port near you and driving to catch your ship -- whether you are embarking from a port in Florida, Long Beach, Galveston, New Orleans, New York, Mobile or elsewhere. Carnival Cruise Line is proof that cruising can be both affordable and enjoyable.

Book the Bolt roller coaster soon as you board

While you won't be turned away if you turn up late (unless you're so late that embarkation has ended), you won't be allowed in the terminal if you show up early. You won't save any money by booking your shore excursions pre-cruise, but you will be able to lock in a spot on the tours you most want to take. Carnival Cruise Line rewards servicemen and women with a military appreciation gathering on every sailing, a Heroes Tribute Lounge on select ships and military discounts on every cruise. In general, booking cruises early is a good idea to lock in the best rates, as well as the best cabin availability. It depends on the destination, but in The Bahamas, Caribbean, and Mexico, the hottest deals are typically for cruises in January, February, September, and October. In Alaska, look for deals on cruises sailing in May and September.

If you’re wanting a deal on a vacation this year, then check out this 7-day cruise from Los Angeles (technically Carnival sails from Long Beach). The cruise aboard Carnival Panorama is for seven nights and takes you to all the hotspots on the Pacific side of Mexico. We found this deal, however, that represents the least expensive Alaska cruise of 2024. Starting at $699 per person for an interior cabin, the cruise takes you from Seattle to Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Victoria (Canada) before returning home. That’s a line-up of classic ports in this part of the country that shouldn’t be missed.

For casino lovers, the deals are abundant, and come from several sources. Taxes and port fees are not included, and upgrade fees will apply if you want anything other than an interior room. Carnival also directly offers casino players discounted and comped cruise fares, often with bonus free play and free drinks for the player and a guest. These offers are made available to those who have recently played onboard a Carnival ship, as well as through the Players Club Fun Match program, and include a wide range of cabin categories. When it comes to cheap cruise fares, we think that Carnival leads the pack. With tons of ships operating from ports all around the country, Carnival offers up all sorts of cruises — from short three-night trips to longer journeys that are gone for 10 days or more.

One of Carnival's best-included meals is the sea day brunch, offered all morning long on days with no port stops. Most cruisers hand their larger suitcases over to the porters at the cruise terminal, and the suitcases are delivered to their cabins later in the afternoon. Be smart about what goes in the bag you'll carry on board, so you can make the most of your first day on the ship. If you want to make the most of your time on board, choose an early arrival time by checking into your cruise as soon as possible. That way, you can be one of the first people on board and have extra time to make reservations, eat lunch before the crowds come and enjoy top-deck attractions before everyone else discovers them. Like many cruise lines these days, Carnival attempts to make the boarding process less chaotic and crowded by assigning cruisers boarding time slots – usually half-hour windows.

Alternatively, travelers can book their cruise and pay using Financing Powered by Uplift. It's essentially a loan that you can pay back over up to 18 months. Various cruise payment plans are available for Carnival cruisers who need them.

Carnival's Early Saver fares offer some of the lowest base prices for cruises outside of special promotions. They also come with price protection should the rate drop on your sailing after you've booked. Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Rates are in USD and valid for US and Canadian residents only.

Caribbean cruises in November before the holidays will be more affordable than the same itineraries during winter or spring break weeks. The advice we have would be to buy the package pre-cruise at a 10% discount. Carnival also offers a 15% discount for pre-purchasing Wi-Fi, making that a definite deal if you plan to be online during your cruise. For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices.

In addition to alcohol, the Cheers plan includes specialty coffee, bottled water, soda and non-alcoholic frozen cocktails. Post-boarding Carnival Cruise promotions for booze are rare. Lanyards are ideal, especially for little kids, to keep your cruise card close when your clothes don't have pockets. Pack towel clips to keep your pool towel from blowing off your lounge chair. Pick fun designs to readily identify your chair in the sea of sunbathers. The most popular tours often sell out, especially ones with limited space (such as snorkel trips on small boats).