I recently sailed on the Carnival Jubilee's 7 night cruise to Roatan, Costa Maya, and Cozumel that departed Galveston on June 7, 2025. The Carnival Jubilee is the largest cruise ship I have sailed to do date and also was Carnival's flagship at the time of sailing. This vacation cruise blog is where I will share my experience on the Carnival Jubilee and do a mini-review of some of the experiences onboard. This was my 25th Carnival Cruise, but first time sailing on the Carnival Jubilee.
Click the photos below to make them larger throughout the review!
Click the photos below to make them larger throughout the review!
We arrived in Galveston very early in the morning shortly before 7am. One of my favorite pre-cruise stops is at the McDonalds along Galveston's Seawall close to Stewart Beach. This location has a good view of the water and is easy to get in & out of. Since we were too early to arrive at the cruise terminal, we also spent some time walking along Seawall Boulevard.
EZ Cruise Parking: For this cruise we parked at EZ Cruise Parking and did a Park & Walk special. This meant we saved a little bit of money for not utilizing the shuttle service at the parking lot. Our reservation was made in advance and I recommend you make a parking lot reservation ahead of time too for any parking lot as several lots are already booked on cruise day. The team at EZ Cruise Parking was friendly and got us checked in very fast. After parking and getting out luggage out we walked over to the cruise terminal.
Check-In: The Carnival Jubilee was docked at the Port of Galveston's Cruise Terminal 25 (former cruise terminal 1). The area outside the cruise terminal was organized into lines for Priority guests (Diamond, Platinum, Suites, and the Faster to the Fun) and general embarkation. There was an early and late line for the general embarkation line based on when guests arrived compared to their arrival appointment time. The check-in process was easy. We showed our boarding passes at the door and were directed to stations inside the terminal. The lady helping us scanned our passports and took our picture for our onboard Sail & Sign profile. After a very quick check-in, we went through security and were directed upstairs to the Captain's Lounge.
Embarkation: Boarding the ship started shortly before 11am. Wedding Party guests boarded first, followed by Diamond, Suite guests, Platinum, and then general embarkation by zone number. The cruise terminal was renovated prior to the Carnival Jubilee's Galveston arrival and the terminal's improvements made getting on the Carnival Jubilee easy. Two gangways were in use and staff members in the terminal directed people to the gangways to help keep the flow of people moving. We boarded the ship on Deck 6 in the Grand Central zone by Center Stage. The Carnival Jubilee had a DJ in the middle of Center Stage playing music and crew members were around to help direct everyone. My first stop onboard was the Lido Marketplace on Deck 16 and I walked up the middle stairs. Typically on other Carnival ships the middle elevator area is not usable due to luggage delivery, but on the Carnival Jubilee the elevators were able to be used by guests.
EZ Cruise Parking: For this cruise we parked at EZ Cruise Parking and did a Park & Walk special. This meant we saved a little bit of money for not utilizing the shuttle service at the parking lot. Our reservation was made in advance and I recommend you make a parking lot reservation ahead of time too for any parking lot as several lots are already booked on cruise day. The team at EZ Cruise Parking was friendly and got us checked in very fast. After parking and getting out luggage out we walked over to the cruise terminal.
Check-In: The Carnival Jubilee was docked at the Port of Galveston's Cruise Terminal 25 (former cruise terminal 1). The area outside the cruise terminal was organized into lines for Priority guests (Diamond, Platinum, Suites, and the Faster to the Fun) and general embarkation. There was an early and late line for the general embarkation line based on when guests arrived compared to their arrival appointment time. The check-in process was easy. We showed our boarding passes at the door and were directed to stations inside the terminal. The lady helping us scanned our passports and took our picture for our onboard Sail & Sign profile. After a very quick check-in, we went through security and were directed upstairs to the Captain's Lounge.
Embarkation: Boarding the ship started shortly before 11am. Wedding Party guests boarded first, followed by Diamond, Suite guests, Platinum, and then general embarkation by zone number. The cruise terminal was renovated prior to the Carnival Jubilee's Galveston arrival and the terminal's improvements made getting on the Carnival Jubilee easy. Two gangways were in use and staff members in the terminal directed people to the gangways to help keep the flow of people moving. We boarded the ship on Deck 6 in the Grand Central zone by Center Stage. The Carnival Jubilee had a DJ in the middle of Center Stage playing music and crew members were around to help direct everyone. My first stop onboard was the Lido Marketplace on Deck 16 and I walked up the middle stairs. Typically on other Carnival ships the middle elevator area is not usable due to luggage delivery, but on the Carnival Jubilee the elevators were able to be used by guests.
 Boarding Carnival Jubilee |  Center Stage |  Main Pool on Deck 16 |
First Lunch Onboard at Big Chicken: My first stop for lunch was the Big Chicken. Carnival has the Big Chicken on a few ships and this was my first time ever eating at the Big Chicken. I got the M.D.E which stands for Most Dominant Ever. It is a chicken sandwich with a crispy piece of chicken, Shaq sauce, and pickles. It reminds me a bit of a Chick-fil-a chicken sandwich with some sauce. I liked the taste of the chicken as it was hot & crispy. Big Chicken is a counter service venue. We took our food into the Lido Marketplace buffet area.
 Big Chicken |  Big Chicken Toppings Bar |  Chicken Tenders |
 Buffet Menu | The Carnival Jubilee's Lido Marketplace was spacious and designed to have a comfortable feel. The seating areas had dividers between sections to make it feel smaller which was great and helped reduce noise. There are numerous stations in the Carnival Jubilee's Lido Marketplace. At lunch, the main buffet lines served a variety of food that varied by day. Carnival's design of the Carnival Jubilee's Lido Marketplace allowed for a flow of people to quickly get food. The main buffet lines were organized into islands and the salad bar was a completely separate line. Additionally, a dessert station and gelato station were available daily at lunch. Carnival also had a Sea Dogs and Sharma line in the buffet. For purchase there was also an Empanadas and Pie line that opened daily. |
Below are some pictures from the main buffet line and dessert station from today's lunch. Some of my favorite Lido Marketplace dishes from past cruises were available such as the Pecan Crusted Fish, Sliced Pepper Steak with Onions, Buttered Broccoli, and Oven Roasted Potatoes.
The Carnival Jubilee has a venue on Deck 16 called Street Eats. Street Eats is typically open around the lunch-time and part of the afternoon. There are 4 lines that are part of Street Eats: The Seafood Shack, Time Fries, Mad Sizzle, and Steam Dream. The Seafood Shack is extra and charges by the item, but Time Fries, Mad Sizzle, and Steam Dream are mostly free (there are a few items like wings that can be purchased). Below are the day's flavors of food available:
 Time Fries - Texas Chili Cheese Fries |  Mad Sizzle - Moroccan Beef Kebab |  Steam Dream - Char Siu Pork Dumplings |
 Time Fries |  Mad Sizzle |  Steam Dream |
First Afternoon Walk Onboard:
After lunch I walked up to Deck 18's front which is home to the Serenity Adults Only Retreat. Carnival designed the Serenity Adults Only Retreat for guests that are 21+ in age only. There were numerous deck chairs, places to sit, and clamshell chairs. There was a small pool in the middle of the Serenity Adults Only Retreat with a bar located close by. Carnival also has a dining venue called Fresh Creations in the Serenity Adults Only Retreat that is complimentary during lunch-time open hours and guests can build their own salad. This Fresh Creations venue was not open on the first day of the cruise.
After lunch I walked up to Deck 18's front which is home to the Serenity Adults Only Retreat. Carnival designed the Serenity Adults Only Retreat for guests that are 21+ in age only. There were numerous deck chairs, places to sit, and clamshell chairs. There was a small pool in the middle of the Serenity Adults Only Retreat with a bar located close by. Carnival also has a dining venue called Fresh Creations in the Serenity Adults Only Retreat that is complimentary during lunch-time open hours and guests can build their own salad. This Fresh Creations venue was not open on the first day of the cruise.
 Pool in Serenity |  Serenity Adults Only Retreat |  Serenity Adults Only Retreat |
Deck 18 is split into a front and back part. The back part of Deck 18 is home to the Carnival Jubilee's Ultimate Playground. This includes attractions like the mini golf course, Bolt rollercoaster, WaterWorks, jogging track, basketball court, and more. Since the weather was nice throughout our cruise, the Ultimate Playground was constantly being utilized during open hours. Guests of all ages were enjoying the amenities. Bolt rollercoaster was an extra charge per ride and required purchase of a time slot to ride on the Carnival Hub App.
 WaterWorks |  Mini Golf Course & Bolt Rollercoaster |  WaterWorks |
I walked back down to Deck 16. The back of Deck 16 is home to the Tides Pool. I was able to look out the back at the Carnival Breeze which was leaving on a 5 night cruise.
 Tides Pool |  Carnival Breeze |  Tides Pool |
Family Harbor Ocean View Stateroom:
Our stateroom for this cruise was ocean view in Carnival's Family Harbor section on Deck 4. Family Harbor is an area where guests staying in the room receive exclusive access to the Family Harbor Lounge. This lounge serves breakfast in the morning, afternoon snacks, and evening milk & cookies. There is also a beverage station in the lounge that has a juice dispenser (similar to the buffet), coffee machines, and a self-service soda machine. You do have to pay extra for the soda machine or can use it if you purchased the Cheers or Bottomless Bubbles packages. I'll have more on the Family Harbor Lounge later in the blog!! In the meantime please feel free to check out my YouTube video by clicking here (link will take you to YouTube).
The Ocean View stateroom was a good size and a little different than other classes of Carnival ships. They made some design changes to how the space with drawers and closets worked, but we found there was more than enough room for our stuff. The room décor was a nautical theme which is consistent with how Carnival decorates Family Harbor staterooms.
Our stateroom for this cruise was ocean view in Carnival's Family Harbor section on Deck 4. Family Harbor is an area where guests staying in the room receive exclusive access to the Family Harbor Lounge. This lounge serves breakfast in the morning, afternoon snacks, and evening milk & cookies. There is also a beverage station in the lounge that has a juice dispenser (similar to the buffet), coffee machines, and a self-service soda machine. You do have to pay extra for the soda machine or can use it if you purchased the Cheers or Bottomless Bubbles packages. I'll have more on the Family Harbor Lounge later in the blog!! In the meantime please feel free to check out my YouTube video by clicking here (link will take you to YouTube).
The Ocean View stateroom was a good size and a little different than other classes of Carnival ships. They made some design changes to how the space with drawers and closets worked, but we found there was more than enough room for our stuff. The room décor was a nautical theme which is consistent with how Carnival decorates Family Harbor staterooms.
 Family Harbor Ocean View Room |  Family Harbor Ocean View Room |  Family Harbor Ocean View Room |
The bathroom felt a little small, but the shower felt larger than other Carnival ships. Instead of flimsy curtain the shower had a real door. This was a nice enhancement from other Carnival ships!
 Bathroom |  Sink & Counter |  Shower |
Mandatory Safety Briefing:
Every guest onboard the Carnival Jubilee is required to attend a quick informational session at their assigned muster station. Our muster station was C6 in Grand Central near Center Stage & the Java Blue Cafe. We check-in with a crew member, received some instructions, and after a few minutes were on our way!
Every guest onboard the Carnival Jubilee is required to attend a quick informational session at their assigned muster station. Our muster station was C6 in Grand Central near Center Stage & the Java Blue Cafe. We check-in with a crew member, received some instructions, and after a few minutes were on our way!
Day 1 Part 2's review is now posted!
In the meantime please check out some of my Carnival Jubilee videos on YouTube:
Carnival Jubilee Ship Tour
Carnival Jubilee FREE Food & Dining Guide
Carnival Jubilee Early Morning Walk
In the meantime please check out some of my Carnival Jubilee videos on YouTube:
Carnival Jubilee Ship Tour
Carnival Jubilee FREE Food & Dining Guide
Carnival Jubilee Early Morning Walk