Each cruise line aims to differentiate themselves in the cruise industry by targeting different demographics; There is a cruise line for everyone, suitable for a variety of budgets and travel styles.
Cruise lines must add their own style to the sailing experience to create an unparalleled vacation for customers; This means that each cruise ship offers its own amenities, onboard excitement and specialty restaurants.
Carnival Cruise Line is one of the most popular cruise lines in the world, especially for families, youth and budget travelers. The cruise line is known for having “the most fun ships at sea” with plenty of activities to do especially for kids and families.
Quintessential Carnival experiences include dancing the night away at the disco, starting your cruise at the Sailing Party, and sipping cocktails poolside while listening to DJ music on the ship. If you’re considering a Carnival cruise, you’ll find that the cruise line does a lot of things well, but it really shines in a few areas compared to other cruise lines.
Let’s take a look at 10 things we think Carnival Cruise does well compared to other cruise lines.
1. A quick and casual dinner on board
Carnival Cruise Line arguably has the best fast food dining options in the cruise industry. Where Carnival shines above the rest is the cruise’s wide range of fast food options when you need a quick bite.
Aboard the Carnival ships, you’ll find the very popular Guy’s Burger Joint, which serves delicious burgers, meats, and cheeses. With the help of celebrity chef Guy Fieri, Guy’s Burger Joint sits naturally on the pool deck, making it the perfect snack anytime on your cruise.
Aboard her new ship, the carnival game Big Chicken appears with the help of famous basketball player Shaq. Serving up crispy and delicious chicken sandwiches, Big Chicken is an easy favorite for casual dining aboard the cruise line’s newest ship, Carnival Celebration.
Guy Fieri is also the creation of Pig & Anchor Smokehouse with smoked chicken, brisket and pulled pork with classic barbecue sides. Guests can also enjoy the nearby Flavortown Bar with craft beer on board.
Other fast food options include Cantina BlueIguana for tacos and burritos, The Carnival Deli for freshly prepared paninis and sandwiches, and The Pizza Parlor for stone-fired pizza.
Honestly, we wouldn’t judge you if you’ve never set foot in the main dining room at Carnival or the Lido Market Buffet, because the casual dining options are pretty awesome.
2. Affordable cruise rates
One of the reasons we love sailing is the value you will get from your vacation.
Compared to other cruise lines, Carnival is known for having cheap off-road cruise fares for most of its fleet. Carnival is probably the best cruise line if you are looking to travel on a budget or want an affordable vacation.
For those sailing as a family with children, these cheap rates are especially attractive because the whole family can enjoy a relatively economical vacation. These cheap prices also attract college students and vacationers looking for an inexpensive way to have fun.
Of course, you may find that the holidays and spring break are more expensive than other times of the year; But, most of the time you can find Carnival sailing itineraries on the weekends for as little as $50 per person per day. This includes all your food, accommodation, onboard activities, entertainment and port transfers.
3. Daily comedy shows
The first few times I sailed on the Carnival cruise line, I was amazed at the number of comedy shows that were put on. Every day you can expect to see a surf comedy show.
Thanks to the Carnival Punchliner Comedy Club, you can have a great night of laughter on board. On our recent cruise with Carnival Celebration, the comedians told the audience that the cruise line expects them to perform about 100 shows during their time on board.
Comedy shows are held inside the Punchliner Comedy Club, as well as other venues and theaters on board to meet demand.
Comedy shows aren’t just for adults – you can expect to find plenty of family-friendly shows on your carnival cruise. It is definitely an entertainment option that you will not want to miss, especially with your kids.
4. Festive atmosphere
There are no other cruise line parties like Carnival Cruise Line!
With onboard nightclubs, silent discos, dance parties, piano bars and more, the fun really doesn’t stop when you take your carnival cruise vacation.
Those who prefer a fast-paced environment will thrive on a Carnival cruise with all the onboard activities to keep you busy and entertained.
Evenings aboard Carnival cruises are lively and lively. Everyone is looking forward to having a good time with a drink in hand, so you can expect loud music and lots of partying! Shows and events are kept within 30 minutes, so you have a busy itinerary.
The entertainment on board the Carnival is specially designed for the little ones. So you can enjoy trending trivia topics and music from Billboard 100.
5. Slippery tips
I’ve sailed on many different cruise lines – and it’s hard to beat the rave party on the Carnival ships.
Once you board your cruise ship, it is common for most ships to throw a party that kicks off your vacation with music, drinks, and dancing. Everyone gathers around the pool to celebrate the start of their cruise with the cruise director, entertainment team, and DJ.
Carnival sailing parties like no other. The energy is high, the music is loud, and the drinks are flowing. During our Carnival party from Miami it was hard to get a drink at the bar with so many people eager to join the sailing party – it reminded me of my college days in a crowded bar trying to get away from it all. Pina colada.
If you’re sailing on the Carnival cruise ship, you don’t want to miss the sailing party! It’s the craziest sailing party in the cruise industry – and the best way to start your vacation!
6. Sea day brunch
When you’re up late to party on a Carnival cruise, there’s no doubt that you’ll need some sleep on those cruise days. Fortunately, the SeaDay Brunch on Carnival is served in the late afternoon to accommodate those sleepers out after partying late into the night.
The famous Carnival Sea Day Brunch is served every marine day with a variety of breakfast and lunch options to choose from. Some of the crowd pleasers include peach-soaked 12-hour French toast and fluffy skillet pancakes, as well as brunch burgers and huevos rancheros.
We especially loved the French Toast at 12, which was baked to perfection with caramelized crunch and grilled peaches on top. It was probably the best French toast I’ve ever had!
Compared to other cruise lines, it’s worth noting that Carnival offers this brunch option. Most cruise lines finish the sit-down breakfast option around 9am, leaving you with just the breakfast buffet. For example, the Royal Caribbean breakfast buffet ends at 11:30 am.
7. Premium class entertainment
While sailing to celebrate Carnival, we felt amazing entertainment on board the brand new ship.
In my experience, the older Carnival ships always had mediocre shows. It looked like low-budget high school student products. From the moment we set sail on the new Excel class ships, it was evident that Carnival has invested heavily in improving our onboard entertainment.
At Celebration Central, we’ve been able to catch some great entertainment like Circus’s Finest, We Are One, and Celestial Strings. This included singing, dancing, and impressive acrobatics. All of the shows on Center Stage also used LED screens to create a stunning show.
8. Weekend trips
Carnival Cruise Line was one of the first cruise lines to enter the weekend cruise market; With so many short cruises available, you could say Carnival Cruise Line does weekend cruises well.
With the onboard experience so focused on fun, it’s no surprise that Carnival has some great weekend cruise options. Late night karaoke and singing at the piano bar with a party atmosphere aboard the “Funny Ship at Sea” carnival.
From now on, you won’t be sailing on Carnival’s latest and greatest ships. Their weekend cruises usually sail on the older and smaller ships in the cruise line’s fleet, rather than the newer Excel-class ships (where you’ll likely only find 7-night sails).
But if you are looking for a weekend getaway with cocktails, parties, and relaxation, then the Carnival Weekend Cruise is perfect for you.
9. Easy access to the ports of departure
Although not quite as exciting as fried chicken sandwiches and cocktails by the pool, Carnival Cruise Line already has a strong presence across the United States; Specifically, Carnival serves some rural ports where other cruise lines choose not to be.
For example, Carnival offers cruises out of Mobile, Alabama, and remains the only cruise line to serve that market. Other lesser-known ports served by Carnival include Norfolk (Virginia), Charleston (South Carolina), and Jacksonville (Florida).
With more obscure ports, Carnival’s cruise ships and sails are more accessible than other cruise lines.
10. Self serve ice cream
No cruise is complete if you don’t splurge on the cruise ship’s self-serve ice cream machine. Nothing tastes better than a cold cone of ice cream on a hot cruise day.
Arguably, we think Carnival Cruise Line has the best ice cream in the cruise industry! Whether creamy or soft, ice cream always has its place when you’re on the Carnival cruise ship. Whether you like strawberry, chocolate or vanilla, you are sure to love this ice cream as much as we do.
Recently, Carnival implemented that its self-serve ice cream machines will not be open 24 hours a day to reduce waste late at night and early in the morning. Either way, you’ll find plenty of self-serve ice cream stations on your Carnival cruise and we highly recommend trying them.
