On your Carnival Cruise vacation you will most likely encounter opportunities to enter raffles, win prizes, or get a freebie. Sometimes crew members will be standing at tables advertising giveaways or raffles while other times the Carnival Hub App or FunTimes Newsletter will share information about special giveaways or opportunities to win something.  In this post I share some of the common ways guests will get freebies, win things through raffles, or win prizes for attending certain events. 

1. The Art Gallery
Many Carnival ships have an onboard art gallery and throughout the cruise art shows or auctions happen. Sometimes the art gallery will give champagne for attendees or have raffles for guests to enter. I've been on a few cruises where a contest was held to guess the value of art and guests were able to enter. If you are looking to potentially win something I recommend checking out the art gallery's auctions or shows. 

2. Fun Ashore Fun Aboard Presentation
The main point of Carnival's Fun Ashore Fun Aboard presentation is to give information about shore excursions available for purchase and share information about ports of call. Typically this presentation is hosted by the ship's cruise director and most of the time there is usually a raffle held to give something away. On most cruises the Fun Shore Fun Aboard presentation lasts about 45 minutes on average.

3. SEA Shopping Presentation
​The onboard shopping presentation usually has prizes or giveaways depending on how the onboard shopping expert wants to run their show. On some of my past cruises I have seen rum cakes, tote bags, shirts, photographs, and some jewelry raffled off to guests that are in attendance. The shopping presentation is also a great place to get coupons for ports of call. Sometimes coupons are good for items that require no purchase while other times the coupons get you a discount or a freebie with purchase. On most cruises the SEA Shopping Show lasts about 45 minutes.

4. Your VIFP Status Can Get You Benefits
Carnival's VIFP Club is a loyalty program that grants guests points based on days sailed with Carnival. The higher VIFP club levels usually come with some benefits for guests to use. Check your VIFP club level to see if you are eligible for any perks or freebies on your cruise vacation.

5. Fun Shops Raffles
Carnival's onboard Fun Shops are known for having raffles throughout the cruise. Sometimes entries to the raffles are completely free to enter just for stopping by the shops while other times the more you spend in the Fun Shops, the more entries you get into the raffle. 

6. Gangway Gifts
The Carnival Hub App or FunTimes newsletters will sometimes advertise gangway gifts. This usually is a time where crew members are handing out coupons at the gangway that can be used in the port of call. Typically, these coupons are the same as what is handed out during the shopping presentation.

7. SPA Raffles
The onboard SPA typically works hard to get guests to visit, especially in the early part of the cruise. I have seen the SPA sometimes raffle away treatments that guests can enter for touring the SPA. 

8. Play Games Onboard
The Carnival Fun Squad are around the ship hosting a variety of activities throughout the cruise. Most of the times these games give the winner or winning team a medal. Carnival also uses a ship trophy (also called a ship on a stick), but over the past year these trophies are usually reserved for larger games. 

9. Check The Carnival Hub App or FunTimes
The list above of chances to win a raffle or possibility to collect something free are based on my recent cruise experiences, but your cruise could have other chances or ways for you to win something or participate in a raffle. I recommend checking the Carnival Hub App or FunTimes for any events scheduled. 

Things To Keep In Mind Regarding Raffles On The Cruise:
Since raffles for prizes are a common way to win something on a Carnival Cruise, there are a few things you should keep in mind regarding a raffle: 
Most Raffles Onboard Require You To Be Present To Win
Most of the raffles held onboard require guests to be present at the time of drawing. If the guest is not present they will typically lose out and someone else will be drawn.

There may be other ways to win something or get something free on your Carnival Cruise. This list just contains some of the common ways people win things onboard Carnival ships. Any information contained within this post is subject to change at any time so please pay attention onboard for any changes!

      Carnival Cruise Line is introducing a new 2023 Lido Late Night Snacks menu that is expected to be offered on all ships. The Late Night Snack menu features a variety of dishes from soup to pizza to chicken tenders & more. 
          The open & close time of the Late Night Snacks will vary by ship and according to John Heald will vary based on factors such as peak periods and guest demographics. I recommend you check the FunTimes or your Carnival Hub App to see if Late Night Snacks is being offered on your cruise and for the time & location. 

The Late Night Snack Menu is much welcomed addition to Carnival Cruise ships!

        Carnival Cruise Line announced some ships have received upgraded Wi-Fi internet systems this year. Earlier this year Carnival Corporation announced an agreement with Starlink that is expected to bring faster internet systems to ships across the Carnival Corporation brand, including Carnival Cruise Line. Although these internet upgrades made to Carnival Cruise Line ships have been made this year, it is not yet clear if this upgrade is via Starlink or another system. 
           John Heald, Carnival's brand ambassador, posted on Facebook a listing of the ships that have currently received upgraded internet systems. These ships with upgraded internet systems (either Starlink or another internet system) are as follows:

• Carnival Panorama
• Carnival Elation
• Carnival Sunrise
• Carnival Valor
• Carnival Venezia
• Carnival Pride
• Carnival Magic
• Carnival Sunshine
• Carnival Vista
  

This list was posted by John Heald on Facebook on July 10, 2023. 

             It is worth emphasizing that ships with upgraded internet do not necessarily have Starlink. Carnival is not disclosing which ships are getting Starlink versus another internet option. According to John Heald, more ships will likely receive upgraded internet systems when the ships are in dry-dock. If you are curious to know when your Carnival ship goes to dry-dock and might get an internet upgrade please click here. Please note, just because a ship goes to dry-dock does not mean it will automatically receive the upgraded Wi-Fi internet. Carnival could install a new internet system at any time and may not want to upgrade internet on a ship for whatever reason.

                 If you are curious to learn more about Carnival Corporation's Starlink agreement please click here to check out my post from January 2023. Carnival Corporation's original press release mentioned that the Starlink rollout started in December 2022 and Carnival Cruise Line ships were listed as being one of the first Carnival Corporation lines to start getting Starlink. This leads me to believe these ships' internet upgrades could be Starlink, but this is just my opinion. 

If you sail on one of the ships with upgraded internet systems hopefully it goes well. Remember that internet could have a problem for any reason regardless of what service provider Carnival is using - just like on land things can happen and the internet can go down! Please feel free to share your experience with me as I am curious to hear from guests how it goes!

       Two years ago today, July 3, 2021, marked an operational milestone for Carnival Cruise Line. After shutting down all cruise operations in March 2020, Carnival was able to begin a gradual restart that began with the Carnival Vista out of Galveston. 
          The Carnival Vista's first cruise sailing with guests departed Galveston on Saturday, July 3, 2021. Carnival held a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the occasion Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy was in attendance for the event. 
          Carnival's restart was a gradual process and ships began resuming operations throughout 2021 and into March 2022 before all Carnival ships were back to sailing. The Carnival Horizon began operations out of Miami one day later, July 4, 2021 and the Carnival Breeze began operations from Galveston on July 15th. Carnival Miracle began sailings from Seattle on July 27, 2021. Protocols and procedures were adjusted throughout this time period based on the CDC guidelines and the regulations Carnival had to follow in the various ports of call. ​

The Initial Shutdown:
               Cruise Lines International Association announced a voluntary 30 day suspension of North American operations for member cruise lines on Friday, March 13, 2020 that was taking effect on Saturday, March 14, 2020. This included Carnival Cruise Line's operations. Cruises that were in progress were able to continue and the ships' guest operations would cease upon the ending of the cruise. I traveled down to Galveston on Saturday, March 14, 2020 to see the ships on their first day in shutdown. The Carnival Vista and Carnival Freedom were both docked on this particular morning. Guests were busy debarking, but the terminal was not near as crowded as normal due to no embarking guests arriving.
Click Here For My Post From March 2020 Showing Pictures

During Shutdown - Ships With "We Will Be Back" Messages:
              During the initial phase of the shutdown, most Carnival ships were hanging out in their homeport or in the waters outside their homeport. The Port of Galveston had the Carnival Vista, Carnival Dream, and Carnival Freedom at the time and these ships were rotating coming in and out of Galveston. At night, the ships had balcony lights on with different messages. I traveled to Galveston in the evening one Saturday night and took pictures of the Carnival Dream with its balcony lights saying "We Will Be Back".  This visit to Galveston was strange because traffic was light and at the Galveston Strand all the businesses were closed to comply with the shutdown orders. A few weeks later the three Carnival ships out of Galveston sailed closer to Florida to begin the crew repatriation efforts. 

Back In Galveston! 
             On May 2, 2021 the Carnival Vista and Carnival Breeze came back to Galveston in preparation of the cruise restart. I traveled to Galveston to see the ships arrive in Galveston. The Carnival Breeze came in first and the Carnival Vista followed behind very shortly.
Click Here For My Post From This Day

Two years after the initial restart have gone by fast! 

         Carnival Cruise Line's newer ships have a variety of stateroom categories for guests to choose from. One stateroom option for guests on select Carnival ships is a cove balcony. A cove balcony is a stateroom that has a balcony that is very close to the ship's waterline. 

Which ships have cove balconies?
               The Carnival Dream was the first Carnival cruise ship to debut with a cove balcony. Dream class ships with cove balconies are the Carnival Magic and Carnival Breeze. Each of these ships have cove balconies on Deck 2. 
              The Vista class ships have cove balconies on Deck 2. Carnival's Vista class ships consist of the Carnival Vista, Carnival Horizon, and Carnival Panorama. In 2023, the Carnival Venezia joined Carnival's fleet and in 2024 the Carnival Firenze is joining Carnival's fleet as part of the Fun Italian Style program. Both of ships are similar to Vista class ships have have cove balconies on Deck 2. 
                  The Excel class ships have cove balconies on Deck 5. The Excel class ships consist of the Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee (debut scheduled for late 2023). 

Being Close To The Waterline - Pros and Cons:
                  Carnival's cove balconies are very close to the water. This is great for guests that wish to have an up close view of the water and are trying to spot sea animals. The cove balcony comes with two chairs and a very small table, which makes the balcony a great place for looking out. One of the downsides of a cove balcony is due to being close to the waterline some moisture can keep the balcony floor wet (the amount of wetness can vary based on conditions). 

What if there is bad weather or rough seas? 
​                        The divider in between balconies serves as a privacy partition between balconies, but in the event of bad weather or rough seas this divider can be closed by a crew member. In theory, this is supposed to keep the balcony door from being able to be opened during rough seas. During my Carnival Vista cruise in 2019 and Carnival Breeze cruise in 2022, this divider door was never closed because my cruise had very good weather. I am not sure how effective or what the door being closed looks like. Also, I am not sure how bad the weather or seas must get before this door is closed. This common question is one that I do not have a clear answer for. ​

                        On the Dream, Vista, and Excel class ships the cove balconies could have lifeboats hanging above. Depending on the room's exact location this could cause a bit of an obstruction if a cruiser wants to look up and at times could cast a shadow. In my experience on the Carnival Vista, my stateroom did have a shadow cast at times, but this varied depending on the ship's location and the location of the sun. 

Are cove balconies more expensive than regular balconies?
                            The exact answer to this question can vary. I have done mock bookings and have found sometimes the cove balcony is more expensive than a regular balcony, but on different voyages on the same ship the cove balcony is less expensive. I think this depends on the supply & demand for cove balconies and regular balconies on each particular cruise. If price is a factor that is influencing your decision in choosing a balcony, the cheaper option will vary by cruise.

Can solo travelers book a cove balcony stateroom? 
                        Yes, solo cruisers can book cove balcony staterooms. I did a few mock bookings to check this out and found cruisers traveling alone can book the cove balcony stateroom. In typical cases guests sailing alone will be charged double occupancy meaning they will pay the equivalent of two people unless Carnival is running a special that reduces the charge.

The exact specifics for cove balconies vary by ship and in some cases even the exact stateroom on the ship. If you are researching a cove balcony, I recommend you look at your specific ship's deck plans on Carnival's website and use the interactive deck plan to gather more information about your stateroom before booking. ​