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2Carnival Cruises

Carnival Cruises

 Verified
2Carnival Cruises
2.2

534 reviews

Positive vs Negative
26%9%65%
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Trip Length6.9 days
Booked Through ?
  • Cruise Line
  •  · 
  • Third Party
Transparency ?
2.2
Value for Money
2.3
Entertainment
2.7
Rooms
3.1
Food
2.5
Staff
3.3

 AI reviews summary 

Overall sentiment for Carnival Cruises is significantly negative, with a clear divide between high praise for frontline service staff and severe criticism regarding corporate policies and food quality. While many guests enjoyed the hard work of stateroom attendants and dining servers, these positives were frequently overshadowed by reports of poor food temperatures, aggressive upselling, and a perceived "money-grabbing" corporate culture. A major recurring theme involves extreme frustration with the company’s refusal to provide refunds or credits for medical emergencies, even when documentation is provided months in advance.

Pros
  • Exceptional Frontline Staff: Stateroom attendants and restaurant servers are consistently described as friendly, hard-working, and attentive, often being cited as the only redeeming feature of the trip.
  • Efficient Housekeeping: Multiple guests noted that cabins were kept immaculately clean, with specific praise for the creativity of towel animals and the speed of room service.
  • Smooth Embarkation/Disembarkation: Several reviewers highlighted that the check-in and departure processes were faster and better organised than competing cruise lines.
  • Diverse Entertainment: The quality of live performances, including theatre shows, musicians, and "The Playlist" cast, received positive mentions for energy and talent.
Cons
  • Substandard Food Quality: A significant number of guests reported that food in the buffet and main dining rooms was tasteless, repetitive, and frequently served cold or lukewarm.
  • Inflexible Refund/Cancellation Policies: There is widespread outrage regarding the company’s refusal to offer refunds or credits for cancellations due to documented medical emergencies or hospitalisations.
  • Hidden Costs and Upselling: Frequent complaints focus on the transition to a "user-pays" model, where previously inclusive items like shows, specific foods, and activities now incur additional high fees.
  • Poor Post-Cruise Customer Support: Guests reported significant difficulty resolving billing discrepancies, double charges, and missing refunds, with many citing ignored emails and unhelpful offshore call centres.
Verdict

Carnival Cruises appears best suited for budget-conscious travellers who prioritse friendly service and entertainment over culinary quality and luxury. However, potential passengers should be wary of the strict "no-refund" policies and should consider comprehensive travel insurance, as the company shows little to no flexibility for medical emergencies or itinerary changes.

1 Angshuman Deka  · Worst service and the staffs are very rude and arrogant. The dining restaurant is good but other than that all other service is so bad.
5 Yvette C.  · Room 8549 Great stateroom large verandah. Nyoman stateroom attendant was wonderful.
1 Elizabeth S.  · Financial scam - take extra money from your account. Chart more than 4x normal price’s. Dirty rooms - outdated bathrooms.
1 Allana  · First and last cruise we will do. Crowded, smelly, old, pool ice cold and tiny, buffet disgusting
1 Lea  · The food is very poor quality. The rooms are old, outdated and rusty. Save your extra pennies and do a Royal Caribbean cruise. Better food and facilities.
2 Reginald C.  · Never again with this cruise line unfortunately after two disappointing cruises. Splender was slightly better than Encounter.
Amrit
AmritVIC5 posts
  Splendor

This company should be avoided at all costs. We just went on 8 nights carnival splendor cruise from Sydney and they put every effort to ensure we do not book them again in the future. Staff at Casino are rude and are racist especially [Name Removed] and [Name Removed]. I went second day at the poker table and the female dealer couldn’t be bothered… Read more

and actually said she is over it .Bar staff make their own rules person to person. I had full alcohol package and to get bottle of water after a drink you have to wait ten minutes. Doesn’t make sense. Bar usually runs out of salt or other ingredients to make cocktails and mocktails . The whole trip was under staffed , people on duty were grumpy and just couldn’t be bothered to provide any sort of customer service. Even the guy with mop at the pools yell at you if you walk to get your towels . Two days at the end weather was bad so they had to close pools and other outdoor activities for safety reasons but no alternative entertainment was provided so people were just stuck in cabins . In the buffet area there is may be 2 staff looking after more than 500 people. The only one good thing we found on this cruise was staff at the gold pearl Restaurant table 533. team leaders name was [Name Removed] I think . The food and service at this one restaurant was exceptional and the house keeping guys are awesome. Our kids loved the towels animal made everyday by house keeping dude . We went on Royal Caribbean cruise two years ago and carnival is at 25% of that at every aspect whether it’s staff, service or entertainment. Royal Caribbeans motto is PLEASE BOOK US AGAIN and Carnival motto is DO NOT BOOK US AGAIN so we are a group of 35 friends and will be booking Royal Caribbean next year. There is nothing to do for kids apart from a small water park. I mean nothing unless you want to drop them at onboard child care system even there if kids age gap is more than 3 years they can’t be in one area. Staff and food at Masala Tiger is also awesome. The after dinner parties at the pool area are fantastic. DJ guys are awesome. What frustrates me that the cruise itself has all the infrastructure available just the behaviour of staff / couldn’t be bothered attitude kills the vibe . It is just not planned properly.

Ross G.
Ross G.VIC4 posts
  Luminosa

Fantastic Staff all around and performances were the best I've seen. The food absoulty terrible, I felt sorry for the lovely dining room staff having to dish up poor quality food. Carnival want you to pay extra for the speacial meal of the night they try to sell you. The menu offered no side serves. I Didnt see any vegatables on that cruise.The… Read more

buffet was not much better breakfast through to Dinner. I stayed on the 7th floor balcony suite at the rear of the ship. Near the lifts there was a terrible stench and smelt like leaky sewage pipes. Everyone on that floor were not happy. No wonder why Carnival didn't ask me for a Review and probably any one else staying on that floor. This was my 10th Cruise from P &O through to Royal Caribbean.

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deckstar001
deckstar001NSW31 posts
  Legend

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

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Lynette M
Lynette MQLD
  Encounter

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.

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Richelle Awhina
Richelle AwhinaQLD
  Verified Luminosa

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

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Julz665
Julz6652 posts
  Verified Splendor

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

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Crews C.
Crews C.
  Verified Firenze

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.

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Wirenan
WirenanQLD3 posts
  Luminosa

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

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Rae
RaeQLD7 posts
  Encounter

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.

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James Buensuceso
James BuensucesoACT
  Adventure

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.

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Lilly
Lilly8 posts
  Verified Luminosa

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.

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Kelly
KellyQLD4 posts
  Luminosa

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.

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PetinaT
PetinaT2 posts
  Luminosa

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.

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Mick
MickACT
  Verified Adventure

As a long time cruiser I find carnival very money hungry and lousy value for money, by the time you spend $29 to climb a rope , you pay for the onboard evening shows, kids club, rock climbing ect ect you end up paying more than a Royal Carrabean cruise where everything is provided. The last Carnival cruise for me. Edit: After getting home I got… Read more

more drunk on 3 mid strength schooner beers than I did drinking many full strength pints on the cruise, drink sealed cans only!!!

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Gug
GugNSW3 posts
  Verified Splendor

Went on the 0ctober NZ 2025 from Sydney cruise for 10 days was wonderful especially due to great weather.Although boat was full it didn’t seem that busy everywhere.Would thoroughly recommend seeing New Zealand ports and the magical Fiordland park.Looking forward to next cruise on the adventure.Ocean view cabin was spacious and service as always excellent. Show details

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Philip Mitchell
Philip MitchellACT3 posts
  Verified Adventure

Well it was OK, … just. There were lots of activities, the casino was modern, and the comedy shows were hilarious. But that’s about it in terms of compliments. Carnival comes a very LONG last (in my books) in overall cruise line quality and customer satisfaction. It was our first and LAST sail with Carnival. We won’t be back; not even if the… Read more

Cabin (price) is FREE; because (almost) everything (other than sleeping) that you eat, drink, or do, attracts a charge. Even (some of) the shows, which are almost universally inclusive (for other cruise lines) as part of your cruise ‘fare’. We were charged $120 (for 4) to attend one of the shows : Blanc de Blanc.

Fortunately you can use the public toilets without paying extra, … But bizarrely Carnival have a CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE FEE ( whatever that means ! ) which gets bigger and bigger and BIGGER throughout the course of the cruise. Presumably calculated and added after each cruise card transaction!

Significantly it also appears as though cross crew communication is not a high priority. We had two adjoining cabins and requested that the balcony partition be opened. They eventually did this on day two, but then someone else promptly locked it again the next day. After a repeat of the open/close debacle the NEXT day, we gave up !

I suspect that the staff/passenger ratio was not quite right. Too many passengers and not enough waiters/servers. Although our cabins WERE very well maintained

Some of the crew were friendly (on the FUN ship), but others were downright unfriendly. When requesting a window seat (in a restaurant) for dinner I attracted a huge grunt of distain and shake of the head by the concierge. At least she didn’t make eye contact with me ! … I genuinely felt guilty for asking the question.

In summary, the ship was old, the pillows were REALLY uncomfortable, the (free) food was very bland and ordinary, the priced stuff was WAY overpriced, and we couldn’t even get cabin (food) delivery .. I think that was either completely UNavailable (on our 3 day cruise) or only between 12 midnight - 4am.

….. And there were very distinct odours of sewage wafting around (most of the time). particularly on one or two of the outside decks.

Bye Bye Carnival, I’ll be sailing with other lines from now on.

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Brisbane Builder
Brisbane BuilderQLD2 posts
  Luminosa

Worst cruise ship I’ve ever travelled on. Food was no good / no shows / very little entertainment we stayed in a suite but there was no benefits Show details

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Michael H.
Michael H.QLD
  Verified Encounter

Wow such a fun and exciting cruise holiday. Only four nights but had an amazing time and met new fun friends. The boat was well maintained and really friendly staff. The other passengers were all so kind and accepting of each other. Not once did i see entitled people being rude to people just having fun. Show details

Latest follow-ups

Adele L.
Adele L.
  Adventure

Food was tasteless and sloppy.Friendly welcoming staff.Great if you want to do zero activity on your vacation.Not a lot for adults to do beside drink at the bars.Dissappointing ... Show details

 Follow-up  · Occasionally some activities were very full so there was no room for others to join.Bar service was great.Staff walked around consistently asking if you were ok for drinks.The cabins were great.I had a balcony so it was awesome looking out onto the ocean every morning.Always cleaned during the day and the cleaning staff are the just the greatest

Trish81
Trish81NSW108 posts
  Splendor
Entertainment
Rooms
Staff

Currently on an eight night cruise. Where do I start? Staff are very helpful and friendly. Food in anytime dining is awful. Food Luke warm. Poor quality too - steaks full of fat. Limited choices for B L & D. Most didn’t dress smart casual eg thongs,… Read more

short, singlet tops. Kids all ages roudy and loud. Dinner in Buffet limited to basically roast meat (again fatty) and vegetables that could bounce off the floor. Other limited options with long queues for dinner. Free pizzas and burgers - very very ordinary. Kids of anll ages running about and yelling with no parent control - fining areas and around the ship. I’m a first time Carnival cruiser (previous five cruises with P&O, Princess and Royal Carribean) and have never experienced such unruly behaviour. No area was quiet - even the small Library with groups of adults or kids loudly played games with teenagers generally acting stupidly.. Entertainment in different areas were good but no quality shows. First and last Carnival cruise. $1500 wasted.

 Follow-up  · Short excursions were great. Poor area was awful – kids in the adult pool kids running around. Drunk and behaviour. Had a balcony cabin was lovely.

Greg V.
Greg V.NSW4 posts
  Verified Splendor

We took our two grandchildren on a 4 day cruise out of Sydney. It is fair to say that a cruise spent mostly at sea with another 3800 passengers is not one we would normally select, but our grandchildren wanted teen clubs and waterslides so we headed… Read more

from Sydney to Moreton Island and back. We had balcony suites on deck 10 which were relatively spacious although the decor was tired and worn and there was considerable noise from our neighbours and from the corridors. Priority boarding and disembarkation was a real godsend and the meals in the dining room were good but not great. The staff were efficient and very accommodating. The focus for many in board was drinking and gambling but that had little impact on us. One incident however really spoiled the cruise for us. Whilst my wife was in the Spa she handed in her cabin folio card at Reception was is required and it was then used by someone to purchase a $535 Seiko watch. It took nearly an hour to settle the dispute ant disembarkation even though the ships cameras could have proven it was not my wife who made the purchase. No apology was received and it took four days for the charge to be reversed.

 Follow-up  · The weather during the cruise was not very hot, so our grandchildren used the water slides sparingly and the lines to use them were quite long. The teen clubs for our 13 and 15 year old grandchildren were really good, after they overcame their initial shyness. They made lots of new friends and their activities during the day and night centred… Read more

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Positive reviews

Jazelle I.
Jazelle I.NSW
  Splendor

Impressed with how the employees stood out to be of service with their guests. Room service were all excellent, good job to James and all who service our family rooms ( 23/04 - 2430, 2038, 2392). Restaurant was at its finest bec of Alit, Wayan and Gelyn! Kudos everyone!  Show details

David
DavidNSW14 posts
  Splendor

I enjoyed the professionalism of the staff and my children liked the children's programs. We had a great time wondering around the ship, including the shows and spas. It was a great family holiday and I would do it again. Life is cruising. Leave the negative attitudes behind on the dock. You will love life. Show details

Greyone58
Greyone58NSW6 posts
  Verified Adventure
Value for Money
Cruise Experience

The Australia Open cruise from Sydney to Melbourne This was my first time sailing with Carnival, having already sailed with P&O (now Carnival), NCL and Princess. As Carnival are considered as the 'budget' cruise line, I was wondering just how it would compare with those other cruise lines. I had heard of mixed options. First off, check-in was… Read more

the easiest and fastest experienced - no long queues or tedious check-in requirements. Both NCL and Princess check-ins involved long and slow-moving lines.

Once on board I was invited to eat lunch at the buffet. Food choices were aplenty and quality was okay. I generally choose to take my meals in the dining rooms/restaurants, and although the dishes were not of the highest standard, they were fine. Service was prompt and efficient.

I had chosen an inside cabin, and it was bright and airy enough. The bed was comfortable, and my request for a firmer pillow was quickly attended to. Housekeeping service was very good.

The ship was okay, with lots of space. Although the cruise was specifically to attend to Australia Open tennis, there were only two venues where matches could be viewed on TV - a bar and the large outside screen. Both were always crowded, particularly when the big-name players were playing. No matches were broadcast to the cabins. I can only think this was to make sure people used the drink service.

The entertainment was good. The two shows that I saw in the theatre were excellent, even if not to everyone's taste. Music around the ship was also very good.

Lots of activities are provided throughout the day and evening. However, being a trivia buff, there were too few trivia contests!

Shore excursions were provided, plus a regular shuttle service to and from the tennis centre. After some initial confusion (lack of clarity by Carnival) the service worked very well.

Disembarkation was just as easy as checking-in. Well done Carnival!

All in all, I enjoyed the cruise, and have no real complaints with the Carnival experience. In fact, I have booked another short cruise with them.

Negative reviews

Carol
CarolQLD6 posts
  Encounter
Rooms
Food
Staff

the karaoke was dreadful, i purchased an item from TimeToSpa after the salesperson said the item was ok to have with my usual medication, but when i got home i discovered the item was not okay to consume if you have high blood pressure, which i have and the salesperson was aware of that. I started the return process, sent the item back to Florida… Read more

10.3.26 provided confirmation of the australia post receipt and delivery but still no refund, i am waiting for $184 refund and i will not give up.

elsey.s
elsey.sNSW
  Adventure

I recently travelled with Carnival Cruise Line and had an extremely disappointing experience. Staff held my bag because it contained a speaker, even though nowhere prior to boarding was it clearly stated that speakers were not allowed. I was left without my belongings for hours and kept being given different times about when I would get my bag… Read more

back. I went to the service desk four separate times and still got no clear answers or help. The communication and customer service were extremely poor, and the whole situation caused unnecessary stress and frustration during my trip. Very dissatisfied with how this was handled and expected much better from a cruise company of this size.

sinead m.
sinead m.VIC
  Verified Splendor

We were due to sail to New Caledonia on 16/1/26. On the evening of 15/1/26, after travelling to Sydney for our cruise, we were informed that due to weather, the cruise to New Caledonia was cancelled - this weather system had been predicted for weeks. We were offered cruise credit, or a cruise to Queensland. We rejected both the cruise credit and… Read more

QLD cruise, and requested an immediate refund. Carnival said that under their terms and conditions, they were not required to refund our cruise. Carnival is still holding on to thousands of dollars of ours, and will now not respond to emails regarding the matter. I requested that Carnival confirm that they received our legal documents and they still have not responded. They have not issued a refund or cruise credit, stating that we rejected the credit. Carnival's conduct constituted a major failure in the supply of services under Australian Consumer Law.

Recent reviews

Charlie G.
Charlie G.
  Adventure
Entertainment
Rooms
Staff

I have been on many cruises with p&o since carnival took them over had to be the worst cruise I have been on smelly staff got man handled by the bouncer in the casino because I stumbled didn’t ask why just said to go to my room and sleep it of although I have a leg condition never again will I go with them Show details

Samira
Samira2 posts
  Adventure

Very disappointed with Carnival Cruise Line customer service. After multiple emails regarding an incorrect charge on my credit card from our March 13–16 cruise, I still have not received any response. Our final onboard bill was around $60, but my credit card was charged $105.65. I contacted customer service politely, provided all details, and… Read more

asked them to review the discrepancy and refund the overcharged amount. Despite following up several times, I have been completely ignored.

It’s frustrating that a company of this size cannot even acknowledge a customer concern, let alone resolve it. The cruise itself was enjoyable, but the lack of after-service support has left a very negative impression. I expected much better communication and professionalism.

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