Carnival Cruises
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AI reviews summary
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Onboard staff and specialty dining offer a positive experience, but these strengths are overshadowed by systemic issues with billing accuracy and inclusive food quality. Administrative failures, particularly regarding refunds and post-cruise communication, represent a significant source of frustration. For many, the high cost of medical care and additional fees for activities diminish the overall value of the holiday.
Rooms were good but 90% of the food was either old or overcooked. The wait staff were hopeless at managing a food allergie All the deck chairs were locked up Vertically impossible to get a seat outside in the shade . The buffet seating is falling apart and is a decade overdue for renovations It was a rock the boat cruise We normally cruise with Royal which I can definitely recommend.
The worst Cruise the most disgusting and Thieving cruise line out there. They stole 1000 from my account no explanation, while also taken 300 from cash deposit, no response, no ability to get it fixed. The Guest service onsite are bully and aggressive and make you feel really unsafe, they yell at you from there mistake. The food give syou complete… Read more
food poisoning so unless you want to crap your pants I wouldn't eat on board, the reality is this line will make you wish you never went on board. From terrible service to stealing your money. Don ever book with them.
Food was disgusting, service ordinary, ship itself - tacky, outdated, damaged, dirty etc. The worst of all though was that we have been charged for products we never received. We noticed the charges while we were on the ship (I'd been warned to keep a close eye on the statements in the hub). We went to guest services to question an extra $185… Read more
charge to our account when we had only had one drink each! The charge was for merch that we never received. Guest services in all of their cluelessness reversed the charge which showed as reversed on our statement. Ok cool fine. We got off the ship Sunday. Today, 3 days late they have charged us what we spent plus the $185 charge that should have been reversed. I try to call, no response. I try log into my account on the hub, kicked out because we have already sailed. I try log into my statement online, tell me page can't load due to site owner error. TRULY RIDICULOUS! Do better Carnival. This trip was not cheap.
Reviews with attachments
Our cruise, my sister-in-law and myself. May, 2026. Our Stateroom was comfortable - bed and pillows great. Water in the showet was consistently 'just off Cold'. NOT pleasant. The Steward we noticed he took shortcuts, compared to our previous cruise on the Encounter earlier this year with steward [Name Removed] who was great . FOOD, - the… Read more
Psntry - forget it! I couldn't find anything, apart from salad that was palatable. The roast pork looked divine, but one taste was too much. I don't know how or what they cook it with but I most certainly couldn"t eat it. The chips were a possibility but barely warm and the other dishes were not in any way appealing. Even the bread rolls which are usually so tasty were mostly stale and not at all nice. Occasionally there is a tasty dessert piece, but seldom found. Coffee is horrid and hot water is never hot and often not available. At lunch in the restaurants, there are no bread rolls available even though you may ask for one, though the bread & butter plates are on the table. Many of the meals in the restaurants are good quality however they're often luke warm which is disappointing & at times very basic. Having to check in prior to going to dinner at the Waterfront & Angelos is frustrating and really bothersome for the older generation, to which we belong. Looking at the menu by scanning with one's phone is another annoyance. We have to say though that the staff in these Restaurants are most accommodating, friendly, charming & obliging. NO complaints or concerns in that area at all. In fact, one waiter who came to our attention on several occasions was one named "[Name Removed]'.who stood out from the rest of these hard working staff members. We had no issues or problems with any staff who were All Great. THE ENCOUNTER HOTEL - where we spent a lot of time. On two occasions, they ran out of straws and nobody rectified this situation by going to another bar or storage area to top up the supply. Lemon was not included in a Margarita. Nor any trimmings on any of the very expensive cocktails etc. ENTERTAINMENT - generally no live music entertainers before each evening. No complaints with the quality of the musicians, though it was disappoing to find Francis Meria missing in the Piano Bar. Also, although the HOTSHOTS and, David & Stephanie were wonderful, And The Polaris Violin Trio, superb, what is sadly lacking is a Dio or group proficient in Jazz & Blues and Latin. How much MORE enjoyable a cruise would be if this genre of music was to be included.!! The Voice of the Ocean was enjoyable and well appreciated by the huge audience, however, it had no sooner started and then it was over. Coaches didn"t have the opportumity to coach either, they were simply judges. A short event which was nevertheless entertaining. Our views.
My husband, myself, daughter and son inlaw travelled on the Carnival Luminosa for my daughter’s birthday, 19/03/26, 3 night, 4 day. Honestly, there is not enough space to write about how awesome the entire experience was. Our cabins were inside cabins, deck 6, but we never noticed not having a window. The space was definitely adequate, and… Read more
refreshed each day by our lovely attendant, Cherry. We absolutely appreciated everything she did for us to make our stay as enjoyable, memorable and seamless as possible. Thank you Cherry. We could not fault the meals we had in the Vela Restaurant. Something we looked forward to each morning and evening. The service, the meals, the staff were all exceptional and we were treated to some much welcomed entertainment from the waiting staff. A huge thank you to Ramoncito(Team Lead Server), Romeo(Team Server), Mary(Assistant Server). They were so attentive to our needs, explaining the menu to us and providing to us the best service throughout. Mealtimes at the the Vela was a major highlight of the entire trip. Although we did not have every meal in the Vela Restaurant, there were so many other options on board made available that were mind boggling. So much to try, even though some food wasn’t to my liking, but that was my own personal taste, and I still did not get to try everything. Out fantastic Entertainment coordinator, Keegan(sorry I forgot your title), OMG..you had everyone captured by your voice, energy, and fun loving spirit..each and every day. From the awesome DJ, to the fantastic show, unfortunately I missed the comedy show but my daughter says it was so good. The birthday dinner we had at Fahrenheit 555 was divine. The service was second to none and the food was to die for. I thank you all for an experience of a lifetime and we look forward to doing it all over again asap. Richelle, Tari, Sam & Tai
Thank you Min Aung, stateroom attendant. The BEST The Cruise was as planned, a relaxed time away from my busy business Hunter Valley Tours www.hvtours.com.au ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Show details
- +2
Our family's six-day Christmas cruise aboard Carnival Firenze turned into a serious health and safety nightmare with confirmed bedbug activity and unacceptable guest care from Carnival. On December 25, after returning to our stateroom from dinner, we discovered a live adult bedbug on the bed. We attempted to reach Guest Services and received no… Read more
response. Housekeeping came to the room, confirmed the issue, captured the bedbug, and initiated chemical treatment. A dead bedbug was also found during inspection. We were displaced from our cabin and forced to relocate.
After the inspection, an unused panty liner that did not belong to anyone in our party was found in the room, raising major concerns about sanitation and housekeeping. Paid specialty dining food that we had ordered to enjoy in the cabin that evening had to be discarded due to chemical exposure.
Guest Services explicitly assured us that our clothing would be washed and heat-dried as part of proper remediation. We followed instructions and bagged our belongings. Instead, our clothes were returned unwashed, mixed together in paper bags, damp, foul-smelling, and smelling of mildew. This is not proper bedbug mitigation and left us without any real way to resolve the problem onboard.
What is most disturbing is that we later learned another family was placed in the same stateroom just two days later without any warning, and that there were additional reports of bedbug activity on the same deck from a prior sailing.
Despite the seriousness of a confirmed health hazard, chemical exposure, mishandled personal property, sanitation failures, and the complete disruption of our family's Christmas vacation. Carnival has attempted to minimize the situation and offered only minimal compensation.
This experience has permanently destroyed our trust in Carnival's safety and hygiene practices. Families deserve far better, especially during a holiday cruise.
- +1
Carnival luminosa – Really enjoyed travelling the seas on the luminosa great ship very comfortable. Staff work very hard and always greet you with a smile, Gedde our room attendant 10/10 princess our dinning supervisor 10/10 and wanpan the best coffee maker on the ship 10/10 thanks guys and girls. Thankyou to all the other staff as well who played their part in making it a great cruise as well. Show details
A Wonderful 3-Night Cruise on Carnival Encounter – 10–13 October 2026 We recently returned from a fantastic three-night cruise aboard Carnival Encounter, departing Brisbane on Saturday, 10 October and returning Tuesday, 13 October 2026. Overall, we had a wonderful experience, with some truly memorable entertainment, beautiful dining experiences… Read more
and fantastic staff!
The absolute highlight of our cruise was Blanc de Blanc. Without a doubt, one of the best cabaret shows we've ever seen! The performances were outstanding, and it was worth every cent of the additional ticket price. We cannot recommend this show highly enough. If you're cruising on the Encounter, don't miss it!
Another standout was Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse. What a beautiful dining experience! The food was absolutely amazing, the atmosphere was lovely, and the service was exceptional. A special mention to our waiter, Franklin, who was fabulous and really helped make our evening memorable. We would highly recommend treating yourself to dinner here.
The Cruise Director also deserves special recognition. His energy and enthusiasm at the sail-away party were fantastic, and he really knew how to get the crowd involved. We were also incredibly impressed with the Green Eggs and Ham story time. We initially expected a fairly ordinary children's storytelling session, but it turned out to be a fantastic little production! It was entertaining, engaging and brilliantly presented. A real credit to the Cruise Director and everyone involved.
We also thoroughly enjoyed the bingo sessions. The gentleman hosting them was fantastic and made the experience so much fun!
The food throughout the ship was also very enjoyable. Even the complimentary dining options offered good-quality meals and excellent value. While naturally not at the same level as Fahrenheit 555, we were still very happy with the food overall. The cocktails were lovely too!
There were, however, a couple of disappointments.
One of the main frustrations was the availability of the water facilities. On one of the days, the waterslide was closed for almost the entire day, and one of the swimming pools was also unavailable. In addition, various spas were frequently closed at different times throughout the cruise, which resulted in the remaining open spas becoming overcrowded. This was disappointing, as it made it difficult to relax and enjoy these facilities. On a longer cruise, this might not have been such an issue, but when you're only onboard for three nights, these closures have a much greater impact on the overall experience.
Our other disappointment was Camp Ocean, the children's club. Our nine-year-old son found it quite boring, and after speaking with several other parents, it seemed their children felt similarly. The video games appeared outdated, and some weren't functioning particularly well. Unfortunately, this meant our son didn't want to return to the club.
We would strongly encourage Carnival to consider upgrading the gaming consoles, introducing newer PlayStation games and providing more engaging technology-based entertainment for children who aren't particularly interested in dancing or organised group activities. This would be especially beneficial later in the evenings when there are fewer children attending and fewer activities taking place. Having modern gaming options could make a huge difference to the children's experience.
Despite these few disappointments, we genuinely had a fantastic time! The entertainment, dining, atmosphere and wonderful staff made it a very memorable getaway.
We would absolutely cruise with Carnival again and would happily recommend the Encounter to others. With a few improvements to the children's facilities and better availability of the pools, spas and waterslides, the experience could be even better.
Thank you, Carnival Encounter, for a wonderful little holiday. We look forward to our next cruise!
Booked the South Pacific Cruise for four, 7 months in advance for a sailing date of 8 September 2026. My wife suffers from Parkinsons Dementia so as soon as the deposit was paid, I commenced communications with them requesting that the rooms be situated next to each other as I could have done with help from her sister. I also requested wheelchair… Read more
assistance. In April I received a confirmation email of the room numbers, which were 11306 and 11308 Balcony. On the day of the cruise we received great service and wheelchair assistance. It was only when we went to our room that we discovered that my sister-in-law got her originally allocated room near the lift, while we were moved to 11205 to the very front of the ship which was prone to more turbulence, considering my wife was already unstable on her feet, this was not enjoyable. Complained to the service desk and all they could do was hide behind their terms and clauses. Since returning from the cruise, I have again send an email of complaint, along with all the previous emails and recevied a six paragraph reply of artful (not to be mistaken for heartful) apologies and no resolution. I think that there are a few more cruises left for my wife, but not with this mob under these conditions. Just for the record, there was no compensation or freebee offered or accepted.
My First Cruise been on Cruise Experience – Carnival Adventure 3-Day Cruise This was my first time going on a cruise, and I travelled on Carnival Adventure for a 3-day cruise. Overall, there were some things I really enjoyed. When boarding, passengers were directed through the casino, which I found a little unusual. The layout of the pools,… Read more
restaurants and general hangout areas was nice. Our Byron Bay Suite, which was an upgrade as we were already booked in a suite, was comfortable and spacious.
The buffet food was very hit and miss. Some days the food was good, while on other days it was fairly ordinary(maybe water down food), with limited selection. One mistake my family made was not booking the 2 inclusive restaurants early enough. Because we didn’t organise this beforehand, we ended up relying on the buffet most days.
I also felt there were too many opportunities to spend extra money $$$$ onboard. There appeared to be around five restaurants that required additional payment, compared with only two included dining options plus the buffet. Some entertainment and concerts also appeared to involve additional $$$charges. It sometimes felt like there were constant upsells throughout the cruise.Heard by other passengers when was P&O had was more free inclusive options.
The staff were generally friendly, but they appeared quite burnt out. From what I understand, some cruise staff can work for around seven months straight, which may explain why there wasn’t the same level of energy and enthusiasm that I’ve seen in videos of other cruise ships.
Casino experience
The biggest concern for me was the casino.
I would strongly recommend avoid CASINO if you choose to use the slot machines. During my experience, some machines appeared to jitter or freeze while spinning, which made me uncomfortable.
I used my own cash and transferred funds between machines using my Sail & Sign card. However, after getting off the ship at the end of the cruise, I discovered that approximately $200 had been charged to my credit card.
I believe there should be a much clearer system around casino transactions. For example, if a patron’s credit card is going to be charged after using their Sail & Sign card, there should be clear confirmation of the amount, with the patron required to acknowledge or sign for the transaction in front staff member before it is processed.
I was particularly concerned because I had understood that I was playing with the funds I had personally put into the machines. Finding an additional $200 charge after leaving the ship was a very unpleasant surprise.
I can’t personally establish why the machines behaved the way they did, or whether any gambling system was deliberately manipulated, but the experience left me feeling uncomfortable and questioning the transparency of the casino system.
I have also heard about serious gambling-related incidents of death involving cruise passengers, which makes me think cruise operators need to take responsible gambling and transaction transparency very seriously.
Overall
As my first cruise experience, Carnival Adventure had some enjoyable aspects. The ship itself was comfortable, the layout was good and the suite was a highlight.
However, the inconsistent buffet, numerous additional charges$$$, lack of clarity around some expenses and particularly my casino experience have made me question whether I would choose to sail Carnival again.
This is our third cruise with Carnival and we have been so well looked after. The cruise is well organised, with something for everyone in terms of food and entertainment. The staff in particular are amazing. They are courteous and patient and nothing is too much trouble. We are already looking forward to our next one. Show details
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Carnival handed over all our passport details to cyber criminals and have refused to offer any support to Australian customers. They won't answer any questions or provide any information. They sat on the knowledge of the data breach for weeks before informing customers. Your sensitive personal information is not safe with carnival Don't trust carnival. Your will have significant out of pocket expenses dealing with the theft of your information Show details
I did love our cruise. It was comfortable and pretty clean all the time. My only beef is the cruise director Keiran would make announcements and sign off with "See you when you're older." For some reason this really grated on me. I would dread his announcements and could only hold my breath for the annoying slogan about the state of my age when he… Read more
speaks next. Ugh!! Seriously mate get another one.. " See you having fun" "See you in the restaurant" See you wasting your money in the casino". See you throwing up in a corner after too many drinks that werent even on the drinks package." No seriously it was a great time except for OLD Kieran.
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the incredible service team at Waterfront, Angelos, Dragon Lady, and The Pantry. This was our first cruise, and they made our stay truly wonderful and unforgettable. First of all, special kudos to Lionel, who took excellent care of our room on Deck 11 throughout our entire stay. His attention to… Read more
detail and consistency did not go unnoticed.
We would also like to recognise the many Filipino staff members who contributed to our amazing experience, there are too many to name, but a few truly stood out. Thank you to Jeressa and Walter for their outstanding service at Waterfront. Jeressa, in particular, is one of your best team members and truly deserves future recognition and promotion.
Our sincere thanks as well to Richard and Gladys for the fantastic service we received during dinner at Dragon Lady, and to Michael for always being attentive and responsive to our requests.
We can’t thank them enough. These staff members are truly exceptional. Please take good care of them, they are a huge asset to your team. We hope to see them again on our next cruise.
It was my first time going on Carnival Luminosa, well actually first time going on a cruise ship. Everyone was so nice and welcoming and not only that, There were people who helped me find my way and let me hang out with them since I was by myself. It made the holiday even better. Loved the Stateroom Attendant, always nice and always asks how you… Read more
are going. When I did go to Port Douglas, I could not believe the line, it was huge, it did get to the point I had to sit on the floor because of my foot, it is hard to stand for a long period of time but I know it was out of their control due to I think it was low tides so they could not bring the shuttle boat in. I think it would have been nice to have seats around at least especially for those who cannot stand for a long time. Also I really did enjoy the buffet on Carnival Luminosa but I think there should be more variety of drinks and food. It would also be nice to have some snacks during the day where you get a little peckish like some fruit, finger foods etc. The food was enjoyable. I did not like the lemonade but I did enjoy the iced tea. I still think for my first time, the experience was wonderful and will go on Carnival Luminosa again.
Just got off this lovely boat today, cabin staff were amazing to deal with, entertainment was okay but thats where the positives end unfortunately. The first night we were booked into the restaurant onboard, the free food on the menu wasn't the best, I don't think any of us actually finished our meal... Buffet on level 9 is no better, cold… Read more
tasteless food. I'm not sure if thats why I'm sick after returning home... I believe health regulations state that food must be above 60 degrees when serving? (Especially protein elements). A member of my family was over charged for a couple of items. Adults only pool closes so early, so you have to use the over crowded small one on deck 9. This was my third cruise, first with carnival and it will be the last. Thanks to all the amazing staff, who were incredibly kind to my family while we were on board.
We just came off the Brisbane to cairns cruise 7nights. We had an amazing time and found the staff amazing and so helpful & friendly. The ship was kept clean all the time. The staff were amazing from Michelle the cruise director was great Our cabin crew Aldrin our cabin crew was amazing with his assistance & helpfulness Rosalie & Kristine… Read more
checking us into the Vella Restaurant. The waiter staff Noel Sarah, Lawrence, Aiyan so many of them remember our names even when passing on the ship they make the cruise so much fun and cleaning crew especially Baby Jane who was so friendly & fun while constantly cleaning. The fun club Paris, Raffi & especially Rueben who my grandson loved. I used carnival to book everything through & it was all perfect from check in to saying good bye. We ate breakfast & dinner in the restaurant most of the time and sometimes from buffet we loved the trivia & relaxation. Shore excursions ran fairly smoothly given amount of people to be moved about. We did the anytime dining & just clicked on the app when we were ready for dinner & usually about 10 minute wait. Plenty of water, ice, tea & coffee available free & free ice cream from 11am. I did hurt myself at one point & had to use medical but once again could not fault service or price.
Latest follow-ups
Attempted to Log into my Carnival Australia Cruise Manager to pay the balance of my planned cruise. Saved login doesen't work. Tried my wife's login, not working either. Phoned Carnival on 1800 764 7419 and spoke with an person who wanted me to… Read more
pay over the phone by credit card with an additional $100 for bank fees and taxes. No thanks, assistant then advises the website is down for maintenance for 24 hours, but no message when attempting to login.
Come on Carnival, I understand these things require maintenance from time-to-time, but at least flash a message confirming the activity. And, please have a look at the bank fees and taxes that you're trying to charge. Not happy Jan!
Follow-up · I persisted with website payment and was eventually able to pay with PayPal from my Visa card. I noticed that although I used a credit card, there were no additional fees or taxes. So, I'll be using PayPal to make the balance payment from here on. Absolutly no reply or feedback from Carnival regarding my concerns, and I don't ever recall… Read more
Carnival taking over P&O is in my opinion a tragedy. I have cruise P&O Explorer twice and Encounter once and thought ex P&O Adventure would be as good while transitioning to Carnival; but am I wrong. Whilst embarkation and diembarkation were… Read more
fantastic, every other category of Carnival Adventure has deteriorated since being absorbed. Carnival Adventure was my 32nd cruise. Other brand I have sailed on are RCCL, Princess, Holland America, P&O Oriana, P&O Australia - Explorer and Encounter, Dream Explorer.
I place Carnival Legend 30th and Splendour 31st on my list of least favourite.
Carnival Adventure definitely comes last. If you enjoy trivial, BINGO and comedy acts this is definitely the cruise ship for you. Life music entertainment was below par. Production shows just above average. Passengers activities involvement minimal. Restaurant menu repetitive, blend and having to pay extra for fries or protein with pasta dishes. The Pantry slight better than restaurants with more variety but same old same old. Restaurant booking apps frequently freezes or not working. Evening programs scanty and seats plentiful. Public spaces nearly empty by 09:30pm. No queues at liquor bars which is great for those that enjoy alcoholic beverages. No BUZZ or vivbe among passengers. Casino most popular venue. Both main pools and most hot tubs full of children.
I sailed P&O Encounter last year and expected same with Carnival Adventure but much worst. Definitely No More Carnival or me.
The 'CARNIVALisation of the old P&O fleet resulted in poorer service, extra charges and lesser enjoyment.
Furthermore had 2 QUICK power failure suspected due to 'overload' on deck 11 during the cruise maybe due to the ship being 24 years old?
I can see Carnival reducing the fleet sailing Australia and South Pacific
Follow-up · Carnival axes half of Australian cruise fleet https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/carnival-axes-half-australian-cruise-073655025.html
Cruise was great soured by handling on of owed funds! Everybody needs to know, first time sailing with carnival, trip was great, but settling funds was and still is Stressful & extremely frustrating. There payment systems are sitting on old payment… Read more
technology! Carnival owe's me $111.00 AUD. the plan was guest services were supposed to take it off the bill. Upon Disembarkment they advised this couldn’t be done??? As the bill had already been settled. Just apply it to my credit card please?? I was told this can’t be done!! They will have to send a cheque? Yes that’s right a Cheque!! Why? they just cant. Happy to take your money via an app, but they can’t reimburse you via the same app or give you a credit because we were at port. Even worse they hadn’t settled my bill until 4 days later. BTW i work in payments i know how the system works. They still haven’t sent my cheque for $111.00. These guys are happy to take your money but when they owe you, they avoid it. These guys are rude. They still have my money and its now, leaveing a bad taste in my mouth! Won’t be cruising with Carnival ever again after 23 emails and 6 phone calls, still they have my money!! Here is the latest transcript: Hi there, Thank you for following up with us. We placed your request on 8/14/2025 for Accounting to review. At this time, we are still waiting on our Accounting team to get back to us. We do not have a specified time that this check will be processed; however, please be assured that your request is in queue and will be processed in the order it was received. Due to the volume of our requests and backlog, there are delays in processing outstanding balance requests. We appreciate your continued patience. Please know, we follow up with Accounting regularly to ensure we receive the latest updates, which we will do our best to provide you once your check has been processed. Again, we appreciate your continued patience and apologize for the delay. Kind Regards, Michael Global Gaming Services | Carnival Corporation & PLC. www.oceanplayersclub.com Consult CDC's website for the latest CDC cruise travel advice, warnings, and recommendations.
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Follow-up · so year has gone by now and they have never refunded my money what ever way u look at it they stole over $100 of my money I I have never seen this ever happen before 122 emails following up still nothing disgraceful thieves
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Positive reviews
We were on the 3 night cruise to no where . Boarding was great , hassle free & a fairly quick process There were 34 of us travelling together . Our room steward was YUYUS who was great . Our room was cleaned very very well each day . YUYUS was so friendly & very helpful . We really enjoyed going to the restaurants Angelo's , Dragon lady & Water… Read more
front for dinner & breakfast . The food was lovely . Vinita & Akshay were a stand out looking after us . Thankyou so much . The only criticisim we had is when we booked for breakfast we had a separate booking from our friends & we were put on a 4 seat table & we asked could they sit with us , they were not aloud too which didn't make sense to us . They could have accommodated us easily . Getting off the boat was a 10/10 quick & easy & no queuing up . Such a fun few days
Having just returned from our cruise on the Encounter we give a rating 10 + for the entire time. Clean Cruising once again great with booking from the start. Carnival staff brilliant. Have booked again for next year.... Recommend Clean Cruising every time,stress free, great consultants, best in the business..
This is the 1st time since Carnival had taken over P&O that we actually enjoyed our trip. Even the cruise director Franco was on his game, they had something on at the theatre about every night, the staff was great, worked very hard. The only complaint was that their theme nights are monotonous, always the same and if you cruise as much as we do,… Read more
it gets boring. P&O had the gatsby night and one never got bored as the cruise director was involved, it was always a happy fun occasion and they would bring in all the staff so we could clap out appreciation for all their hard work. It would be nice if they change their theme nights a bit more and maybe put on something more "Aussie" I'm sure everyone on board will love that. It is nice to sometimes have something American but not all the time. Otherwise thank you Carnival for an enjoyable ride. So you again in October. :-)
Negative reviews
The staff were great! I didn't have an issue with them but coming home and having my money taken from my bank account is disgusting, they double charge you and apparently you get the money back in 3 to 14 days. I was already charged from my card on the cruise and then again when i got home. Luckily my bank know about this so well they will give… Read more
it back to me early. But why do they do this? What a stupid system! Because of this I will never ever go on Carnival cruises again. They don't warn you about it either. The fact that the bank knows about it says it all, they must have people calling constantly. Carnival have a voice message telling you this after the fact. not before. TERRIBLE BUSINESS ITS CRIMINAL!!!
I am so upset and disappointed. This cruise line took my money and misled me and my friend and her kids to blow our money on a ship knowing that we wouldn't be stopping at moreton island. I have took time off work, organized pets to be fed and blown about one thousand Australian dollars to sit on a stupid ship and go out to see and come home… Read more
again. We were meant to go snorkeling today. We booked the snorkeling yesterday and they gave us strange looks and were really weird towards my friend and I when booking the shore excursion...it all made sense why today.
I will never ever go on a cruise again. Disgusting deceitful company. We got a 25 dollar room credit for the moreton island being cancelled..what a pathetic joke!
The staff at the desk are rude too and most don't speak proper English..direct you to call and overseas number
Oh and they stole from our room...sounds ridiculous but I had a leopard print nightie...searched the room top to bottom it's gone, my friend had a long green dress it's gone!
No happy hour for cocktails...at least 18 dollars each.. everything is expensive
I hate this cruise line and will be telling everyone not to waste their money because there is a good chance you will not get off the boat to see the destination you paid to go to..get a plane or drive instead
What I wrote to carnival who emailed asking for feedback. Sharing in case you want to use some of the text. Very long winded….. Dinner bookings for our group of 13 was a nightmare. Prior to the cruise my brother called saying our family group of 13 are on the cruise to celebrate our parents anniversary and that it’s really important we can dine… Read more
together. The person on the phone gave instructions as to how we can all be travel companions. But we were not aware we have to all book the same dining time. Once we realised we are all booked into different dining times a number of us called at various time to ask to dine together. We were told to arrange once we get on board. After we got on board, the adults met up at 2:30pm we lined up to ask at customer service desk, and was told they can’t help us. Instead we need to go to the restaurant between 5 to 5:15pm in person to check in.
Tip for improvement. There was quite a bit of unnecessary stress for months leading up to the cruise, and on the day of boarding until 5:15pm, before we could be assured that our group of 13 can dine together. 13 of us booked the cruise for the goal of being able to celebrate over dinner sitting together. We were given no assurance the whole time that this could be arranged.
On the first night we checked in at 5:15pm and had to wait around 30min the first night to get a table.
On the formal night, Checking in at 5:30pm resulted in an hour wait despite the app letting us a table would be ready in 20 min. On the last night we checked in as two separate group to see if it would help in getting a table sooner. The group of 8 checked in at 5:24pm and still had to wait close to an hour.
After our group of 13 (including grandparents in their 80s) had stood outside waiting an hour for a table, and after sitting down for 5-10min, as we have received no attention and not even given water, my brother merely put up his hand and patiently waited to get the attention of service staff. The manager (Caucasian man) came and told him to put his hands down. we said we have waited for quite a while and are hoping to get some service. He said there are over 300 people to feed and you need to be patient. In a not at all friendly tone. Given he walked away with no indication of when we would get any service, one of us went over to attempt to help ourselves to jugs of water. Then the service staff said to sit down and finally came to give us water. There was another night when we waited so long for service my 19 year old son again had to go get water for ourselves, and again that seemed to be the only action that would prompt the wait staff to give us water.
On another night my brother checked in for a dinner table for his family of 4. Once he got the message that his table is ready he proceeded to the staff outside the restaurant to be taken to his table. The staff looked at her system and said he had not checked in. My brother showed her his app showing message less than 10min ago saying his table was ready. Female staff insisted her system showed he was not checked in. No attempt to problem solve or recognise his point, until he got clearly agitated and asked to speak to a manager. Then a table was available for him.
Room staff were great. We made sure they got a good tip.
On the shore day my sister’s 13 year old son was missing at around 4:50pm. We told the carnival staff who were standing at the front of the queue of people waiting to get onto shuttle. They called the ship to check and told us the boy has not been registered as having returned to the cruise. We continued to search onshore. By 5:15pm, 15 min before last shuttle, my sister was getting quite stressed. we gain told carnival staff the boy is still missing and asked what we should do. The carnival staff said go talk to local security. We said the police station is unmanned, where do we find local security. Carnival staff said in an unfriendly, agitated tone, “I don’t know. We’re carnival.” And words to the effect of “there’s nothing we can do”. The female staff next to him added insult to injury by saying “That’s why we say to keep an eye on your own children”. Given Carnival staff did not intend to help, we started to walk off, but then I turned back to ask, when it gets to 5:15pm, if the boy is still not found, will he be just left on shore? The female staff then answered, no, we won’t leave anyone onshore. This was really helpful to hear.
Tips for improvement: If only the staff was trained to offer that line to parents with missing children to relieve our stress without us specifically asking.
Around 5:15pm, one of the children in our family group asked Carnival staff to check if the missing boy has been registered to have boarded the cruise ship. After checking she was informed the boy is on the ship.
2nd Tips for improvement: It would be better if the Carnival staff who received our report of the missing child directly contacted the mother with the missing boy. Rather, it was left to a child in our family group who poorly relayed the message to adults that the boy is found, which still caused some stress before the adults were eventually able to ascertain the source of her info.
Third tip for improvement: now imagine if Carnival having been told the boy was missing, flagged on the system when the boy got back on the ship, and communicated to the boy to wait in his room or some specified location. This would avoid the many more minutes of stress as the adults tried to search for the missing boy once we got back on the ship.
4th tip for improvement: If only Carnival staff were trained to tell my sister at 4:50pm when the missing boy was first reported to Carnival staff as missing: we have checked and the boy has not returned to the ship, but we will check again in 15 min as he may be on the shuttle in the mena time. We will give you a call as soon as he is registered to have boarded the ship. Can I take down your name and details so that we can contact you? Don’t worry the ship is not going to leave without your son being found. That would be really helpful.
Recent reviews
Hello. To whom this may inform. I have just returned from a four day cruise from Sydney to Moreton island on the carnival adventure (8/10/26 - 12-10/26). I cannot express how disappointed I am with my experience on the ship. On the day we embarked, my check in baggage had not arrived, there was no electrical items in there only clothes. I spoke to… Read more
guest services around 8pm, and they had said there was no bags left in the baggage area. They had required me to filled a missing luggage form and had alerted the house keepers of this to keep an eye on the suitcase described the next morning. Four days passed, and nothing was found. All I received was a $300 compensation; which was definitely not enough considering I had much more valuable items in my luggage that costed more than that. Not to mention the cruise does not have any facilities that send under garments, they were only able to provide me carnival t shirts. Today we were getting ready to disembark, until our house keeper approached and begged us not to complain as he had find our luggage in someone else’s cabin. Well I don’t care, this ruined my entire holiday which was meant for my husbands birthday without being able to wear my own clothes, and the house keeper and guest services should have been more visual on others cabins when looking for my luggage. Not to mention, the people that had dropped off the luggage into the wrong room, also ridiculous. And for the guest who stole my bag but was unable to open it, shame on you. This is not acceptable at all. I will not recommend Carnival cruises to my family nor my friends.
So, Sydney to Morton, ship was Splendor. The first night we were onboard there was a loud banging that woke us up, it sounded like there was a rope loose on the side of the ship and it kept hitting the side. Called up customer services who came down to check it out, twice. Finally, they stopped it at 3AM. Friday night, all good. Satrurday night… Read more
rolls around and off it goes again, all bloody night. Couldn't be bothered sending anyone down this time. Sunday night, same thing. Monday we got off. Carnival offered us a total of $75USD credit on our next trip, NOT A REFUND, but that wont be happening. There is not enough credit in the world to get me aboard one of their ships again.
update stillno payment from these guys.. owed since July.