Carnival Cruises. Reviews 30

Carnival referred me to their travel insurance at checkout. Turns out its run by a company called AON. These guys are the worst with reviews of 1.2 Stars. Carnival won't lift a finger to help on a claim. They never tell the name of the company until you need to make a claim. Once I got their name I saw nothing but bad reviews, I believe Carnival is getting a kick back from AON with this money grab. AON has you running around with all these requests for more info until your ready to give up. Shame on you Carnival for been a part of this scam.

Subject: Consumer Review – Carnival Cruise Line

I am posting this review to document my experience with Carnival Cruise Line following unresolved service issues.

I purchased cruise services from Carnival and experienced material problems related to services that were not delivered as represented. I made multiple good-faith attempts to resolve these concerns directly with Carnival through customer service and escalation channels.

After reviewing my complaint, Carnival confirmed in writing that no further internal review or resolution would be offered.

As a result, I have pursued formal complaints through consumer protection and regulatory channels and initiated a dispute with my payment provider. This review is intended to document my experience and Carnival’s handling of the matter so that other consumers can make informed decisions.

This statement reflects my personal experience and is supported by written correspondence and transaction records.

My fiancee tried to buy a$200 egiftcard on December 15th I believe he went to their gift card website which is carnival gift card site he entered his debit card and it said transaction did not go through your card will not be charged we said tru another card we did that and it said the same thing your card will not be charged we said let's check he checked his accounts And both have a.$200 charge on both cards a total of $400 that is crazy we right away called carnival they gave us the gift card number we called and told them what happened they said without a confirmation number or gift card number we cannot look it up I was upset by. Now we called the banks and started an investigation it has been over a month still nothing has got refunded soen where carnival has my $400 sitting in their account and I got nothing .for it no gift card no email no text no confirmation number nothing I got nothing I have been dealing with my banks who really is not trying hard enough I wa told it is really not fraud you true to buy something from them I said I was crazy by now I said what do you mean it is fraud it was declined I was told your card will not be charged and they charged me and took my money without giving me anything in return the. Carnival is a fraud seems that they do not kind defrauding somebjbe of $400 they have not tried to solve things all they have to do is find it in one of their accounts and give it back I have tried contacting corporate I got one response say something like I think you have the wrong Idea of our company I was like what this is reality you took my money and have not given it back this really happened I do not have the wrong idea I have the right information about your company then give me my onyenyou took if that is the case anyways sorry so long please be aware of carnival do not trust them beware of how they take your money please go to another cruise line they are not even on the top 10 cruises in the world they are terrible and a fraud

I was suppose to leave on a ship Jan 10 2026 and was denied access because I did not have my birth certificate which was fine but you took my luggage without my birth certificate and when I tried to get my luggage I was told to sit down they would get it I was assured they would get it to me then all of the sudden after stalling me out for 2 hours I might not get my luggage until the ship get back Jan 16 then the dodge game began I filled out paperwork did all I was told to do it sounds like theft by deception to me I just want my luggage they saw me wearing nice stuff and saw opportunity

It’s a shame when your company cancels my booking because I don’t get the emails to make the final payment then I have to change my dates because the balcony my wife was set on is gone when we proactively booked this in Sept. I was told if I paid the new week in full my original payment would transfer only to be told after I paid that it wouldn’t though if I went to a crappier room on the same week it would but I’d be paying premier rates now. You don’t care about your customers or your brand!!! I will tell my horror story over and over again since you are to big of a company to do what’s right!!!!

Our family's six-day Christmas cruise aboard Carnival Firenze in adjoining staterooms 8271 and 8267 turned into a serious health and safety nightmare with confirmed bedbug activity and poor handling afterward from Carnival.

A live bedbug was found and confirmed in stateroom 8271 on December 25 after returning to our stateroom from dinner. We attempted to reach Guest Services and received no response. We called Housekeeping who thankfully came to the room, confirmed the issue, captured the bedbug, and helped coordinate the inspection. A dead bedbug was also found during inspection. The room was treated with chemicals as a result. We were displaced from our cabin and forced to relocate.

After inspection, an unused personal hygiene item not belonging to us was left in the room, raising serious sanitation concerns. Paid specialty dining leftovers from Christmas dinner less than 2 hours prior was ruined due to chemical treatment exposure.

Carnival assured us our clothing would be washed and heat-dried. Instead, our belongings were returned unwashed, damp, mixed together, and foul-smelling, which is not appropriate bedbug protocol.

Most concerning, we later learned another family was placed in the same stateroom on December 27 without disclosure. Carnival has minimized this as a minor issue and offered inadequate compensation. This experience completely undermined our trust in Carnival overall.

After checking the rates on vacationstogo.com we realized that Carnival charged us $274 more for our Jan 18th cruise. We assume that the price would be the same or lower through Carnival. We cannot get the price reduction because it was less than 60 days when we booked. And this was a special casino rate. It was special for Carnival but not for us. Next time we will book through Vacationstogo.com

Customer service is top notch! From planning the cruise with our Carnival Cruise planner, Starla Garraway, to the staff on board...our cruises are always fun, adventurous, and relaxing! If we forgot something, the cruise team helps with accessing or locating items on board for purchase. If you have questions about anything, a team member on board can help! Super great with communications when there is a glitch in the schedule. Never disappointed with a Carnival cruise!

Last year on my wife's birthday July 5 we booked a cruise with carnival after going on our first cruise with virgen. First I made an arrangement for the crew to sing happy birthday after our dinner they forgot and we were sitting there a long time and it was unpleasant because it was supposed to be a surprise. We also were late for the show afterwards. The food was barely edible and the eggs had a strange taste not sure what thar was about?. They served bacon once during breakfast and at the departure they ran out of coffee and I was forced to buy 5$ cold coffees. I tried nearly every thing to have carnival compensate me or comp me towards another cruise to no avail what's worse they're responses were all in email we became sick on the last day and it felt like a stomach virus in one of the emails the admitted several people became ill during and after the cruise. Beware this cruise!

Carnival adventure was a real disapointing experince to say the least, we booked a state room with uncomfortable beds and pillow are a night- mare to sleep on. Food was sub standard with better food options provided for extra charges. coffee and tea are sub standard but of course you can buy better coffee at bars, what a shame, the whole cuise is a very big up sell while you are on board, they will try to extract your last dollar. No extra inclusions for booking a state room, no movies shown in the indoor theatre. Be warned that booking a cruise on the Carnival will result in facing a barage of up selling wher ever you go on the ship not the employees fault but the company itself. MY FIRST EVER CRUIE AND IT WAS AN UTTER DISGRACE.

I've travelled the world (every continent except Antartica) but until last week never experienced a cruise.
Never again with Carnival.
Apart from them offering upsells to scrape every penny from the willing, and premium pricing for ordinary value, the best thing I can say is the whole experience is like visiting an RSL club on the sea.
Queues, overcharging and service with a snarl was common place.
Apart from occasional effort from the overworked and undertrained Filipino crew, employee engagement from all other staff was at a bare minimum - you can almost see all the workers rolling their eyes in unenthusiastic sufferance of customers.
The bathroom in my cabin stank of urine. The light didn't even work in it on Day 1. And the whole cruise we went without bedside lights ever working.
The app clearly has never been appraised by a customer experience expert, nor has the reluctant admission of an activity schedule requiring overt effort to interpret plan and attend, so poorly scheduled.
Upmarket restaurant food was surprisingly fine, but training of waiting staff and consequent attention was also poor.
Price of soft drinks and beer ($12-14 for a can of VB) was ridiculously high.
Coffee (machine supplied instant) was dreadfull!
They provide two bottles of drinking water to each room at $6.50 a bottle!

Misleading Booking Information and Dining Disappointment – P&O Azura July 2025

I travelled aboard the Azura with P&O Cruises in July 2025 as part of a family group of ten. Prior to booking, we were assured by P&O’s sales team that evening dining together would be arranged without issue. This assurance was a key factor in our decision to proceed.

Unfortunately, this commitment was not upheld. Throughout the cruise, we faced repeated challenges securing group seating, despite making every effort to follow the correct procedures. On one occasion, we were directed to a table that had already been occupied by another party. This led to a visibly awkward and uncomfortable scene in front of other guests, with no immediate solution offered. It was an embarrassing moment that left our group feeling dismissed and undervalued.

P&O later admitted that incorrect information had been provided at the time of booking, but they declined to classify this as mis-selling. A goodwill gesture of £100 was offered onboard, but it did not adequately reflect the disruption and disappointment caused when we had paid c£30k

While the waiting staff were consistently courteous and professional, the overall experience was undermined by poor communication, broken promises, and a lack of accountability. I have escalated the matter to ABTA and hope P&O takes meaningful steps to prevent similar issues

Had to cancel due to family medical reasons, 8 months notice, I didn't sign up on any special promotion...no refund, & another charge of which I am yet to find out what for.
DON'T BOOK WITH CARNIVAL

This ship should be retired. Carnival Conquest is old, dirty, and falling apart. The rooms are outdated and poorly maintained. Cleanliness across the ship is awful — I didn’t even dare go near the pool, it looked gross. The kids’ club is way too small and overcrowded all the time.

The beds? Absolutely terrible. Thin, lumpy, and unsupportive. After one night, my neck, back, and whole body were aching like I’d slept on a pile of cardboard. Easily the worst sleep I’ve had anywhere.

What really shocked me was the constant smell of marijuana all over the ship. Hallways, elevators — it stank everywhere. It was disgusting, especially on a “family” cruise. Carnival staff seemed to ignore it completely.

Add to that the noise — people yelling and partying in the halls until 3 AM. Impossible to sleep. No enforcement, no control.

This wasn’t a vacation — it was a nightmare. Carnival Conquest is a joke. Never again.

To the crew of the carnival splendor I would like to say thank you for looking after my family when I had to leave the ship for medical reasons.To the crew at guest service I can’t say thank you enough for helping my family I don’t know which member it was that let my wife use his phone and office to call home and call me in the hospital THANK YOU To All of you THANK YOU looking forward to sailing with you again

I have nothing but Praise for the service I received from Jarrett a Carnival Cruise Planner. You are a credit to Carnival. You are so sweet and nothing is too much for you to do. Having had our Luminosa cruise cancelled by Carnival because of Cyclone Alfred, my family group of x5 are trying to re-book another x2 cabins for a similar cruise. Jarrett has been so accomodating with this for me, from checking on all available cruises and being transparent with ‘costs’ and placement of cabins. I could not have done this without his help. We have finally found a Cruise to suit all our requirements and have proceeded to work with Jarrett to lock this in.
Carnival, I hope that you realise how fortunate you are to have Personal Planners like Jarrett. Not only have I stayed with Carnival for another Cruise but I specifically chose Jarrett to be our Planner. Well done and Thank you J.
A footnote on this review……I was originally with another Travel Agent but needed to contact Carnival direct and had spoken to Jarrett. Even-though he knew I was with a competitor,his ‘service’ and ‘professionalism’ never wavered… When the original Cruise was cancelled, it was a ‘no brainer’ for me to book direct with Carnival and have Jarrett onboard. I’ll definitely spread the good word.

Had a great time on a Carnival cruise from Miami around the Carribean islands with my family and my parents! Good price, loads of activities, food is great. It's definitely not my last cruise with this company

scammers
they scammed me today
how to get my money back?

I have cruised over 26 times with Carnival and have had the best time with family and friends ! No wonder its called " The Fun Ship " I love the Spa and I always have a relaxing spa treatment planned on every sailing .

We have cancelled our intended P&O cruise out of Brisbane due to their total lack of client support (a misnomer if there ever was one)
Our sad saga is too long to detail here; suffice to say that we have spent the past three months trying to effect a very simple change in cabin configuration (we had booked two adjoining penthouse suites). Our efforts have involved two direct phone calls (each taking more than one hour), three emails, and multiple complaints forwarded via the commendable Ajust.com.au website.
Nevertheless...we received not one response from this company. Not a single one!
Therefore we have decided on principle to take our business elsewhere, and perhaps if enough others do likewise, this company will be forced to change its ways if it wishes to stay afloat.