Picking the right stateroom for you and your family can be a tough job. Do you save some money and go with an indoor cabin with no view, or do you spend a little more to get a cozy balcony so you can wake up and say hi to a beautiful ocean right in front of your eyes? Cruises are just getting bigger and bigger, and this also means that there are more and more accommodation options inside these sea juggernauts.
Carnival Cruise Line offers four general stateroom categories, similar to those found on other cruise lines like Disney and Royal Caribbean. These range from traditional indoor cabins to balcony staterooms and suites, which come with various perks such as priority embarkation and disembarkation. Additionally, there are several sub-categories that vary by ship, including specific themed rooms on the newest vessels.
The mains four stateroom categories are:
- Interior
- Ocean View
- Balcony
- Suite
You also have the following special sub-categories:
- Family Harbor
- Cloud 9 Spa
- Havana
- Terraza
To be honest, there are far more subcategories than those listed above. If you book a balcony room on the Mardi Gras, you will need to choose between options like a Junior Balcony, Cove Balcony, Cloud 9 Spa Balcony, Extended Balcony, or Havana Cabana. Some aspects will change, such as room size and exclusive perks. For instance, the Havana Cabana offers exclusive access to the Havana Pool area.
However, the four subcategories listed above are unique to Carnival, so we have decided to focus on them and provide more details later.
Inside Cabins aboard Carnival Cruise Line
- Good for: those that want to save some money, small parties, if you don’t care about a view of the ocean, if you won’t be staying in your stateroom a lot, you want to save money and use it for cruise add-ons.
- Room for: 1-5 passengers
- Price: $
- Starting price per guest for a 7-Day Western Caribbean cruise on March 2025 aboard Mardi Gras: $1580
Inside cabins offer no view of the ocean and have no natural light. As the name implies, they are located on the inside of the ship and are considered the cheapest option on virtually every cruise line. Inside cabins are usually very simple. You have your Queen Bed, sofa, mini-fridge, a television, a small bathroom and that’s it. Honestly, that’s more than enough for a lot of passengers that will spend most of their time outside partying and just come back later on to their staterooms to sleep.
Some indoor cabins in the newest ships offer sub-categories with bigger rooms and more perks, like the Cloud 9 Spa Interior cabin and the Havana interior cabin aboard Mardi Gras.
Oceanview cabins aboard Carnival Cruise Line
- Good for: if you want a room a little bit bigger than usual, if you care a lot about natural light, if you don’t plan to stay in your room a lot.
- Room for: 1-5 passengers
- Price: $$
- Starting price per guest for a 7-Day Western Caribbean cruise on March 2025 aboard Mardi Gras: $1950
Oceanview cabins are a classic feature on older cruise ships. These rooms are slightly larger than inside cabins and offer a window with ocean views. For safety reasons, the windows cannot be opened. On newer Carnival ships, oceanview cabins have lost space to balcony cabins.
There are a few subcategories of oceanview rooms, but not as many as inside or balcony rooms, since oceanview cabins are becoming rarer. On the Mardi Gras, you can book a Cloud 9 Spa Ocean View cabin, which offers perks for spa enthusiasts and those who enjoy a good massage.
Balcony cabins aboard Carnival Cruise Line
- Good for: you want to enjoy the fresh ocean breeze, you want to pay a little more to have more space and luxury.
- Room for: 1-5 passengers
- Price: $$-$$$
- Starting price per guest for a 7-Day Western Caribbean cruise on March 2025 aboard Mardi Gras: $2300
Another classic room category on cruise ships, and probably the most popular option, is the Balcony room. These rooms are spacious and perfect for families of 4-5 guests. They come with their own balcony, ideal for enjoying a glass of wine or waking up early to the ocean breeze with a cup of coffee.
Balcony rooms, along with interior cabins, are the most popular room types on recent cruise ships. On the Mardi Gras alone, there are seven subcategories of balcony rooms. For the example we used above with the Western Caribbean cruise, the cheapest balcony room option costs $2300 per guest, while a Havana Extended Cabana room costs $3030. As you can see, you can upgrade your balcony room significantly to enjoy more perks and additional space.
Suites aboard Carnival Cruise Line
- Good for: you want nothing but luxury, you plan to stay inside and enjoy your cabin a lot, you like the perks offered.
- Room for: 1-5 passengers
- Price: $$$$-$$$$$
- Starting price per guest for a 7-Day Western Caribbean cruise on March 2025 aboard Mardi Gras: $3700
This is it: the best room category aboard Carnival Cruise Line. These are the largest rooms on the ship, featuring extra perks and a deluxe bathroom. However, the suites on Carnival Cruise Line ships usually aren’t as large as those on Disney Cruise Line or Royal Caribbean. Additionally, you don’t get access to a butler or a concierge lounge, as you do on some other cruise lines.
There aren’t many suites per ship, but you can find several subcategories. For example, on the 7-Day Western Caribbean Cruise, the cheapest suite costs $3700 per guest, while the most expensive, the Carnival Excel Aft Suite, costs $8200. Ouch, that’s a big difference, yeah.
Every suite comes with these perks:
- Priority check-in and boarding
- Priority Main Dining Room time assignment
- Priority debarkation at homeport, and ports of call requiring a water shuttle or with arrival times later than 9:30 Am
- Two large bottles of water
- Pillow-top mattress
- Bathrobes
If you want a full list of perks across all staterooms (especially inside the Mardi Gras, but applicable to most of their ships), you can follow this link.
As you can see, the perks are not that interesting. It would be nice if they included amenities like free Wi-Fi or access to a private lounge. Still, if you want a lot of space and money isn’t a concern, you could try one of those suites and party in style.
Carnival Cruise Line Room Sub-categories
As mentioned earlier, there are many subcategories of rooms on Carnival Cruise Line, but let’s focus on the four main ones that Carnival emphasizes: Family Harbor, Cloud 9 Spa, Havana, and Terraza. These room types are not exclusive to any specific category, so you can find, for example, a Havana room in both an interior cabin and a balcony cabin.
Family Harbor
Available on: Carnival Celebration, Carnival Horizon, Carnival Jubilee, Mardi Gras, Carnival Panorama and Carnival Vista.
Family Harbor rooms are larger accommodations designed for children and families, located near the exclusive Family Harbor Lounge, which offers breakfast, snacks, and plenty of games for kids. A significant perk of staying in these rooms is that your children can eat for free at most specialty restaurants where they would typically need to pay. Additionally, you receive one free evening of Night Owl’s babysitting service, allowing you to enjoy some alone time, perhaps for a romantic dinner with your partner.
Cloud 9 Spa
Available on: Carnival Breeze, Carnival Celebration, Carnival Dream, Carnival Horizon, Carnival Jubilee, Carnival Luminosa,Carnival Magic, Mardi Gras, Carnival Panorama, Carnival Radiance, Carnival Splendor, Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Sunshine and Carnival Vista.
The Cloud 9 Rooms are for those that want to relax. They are a good option for a romantic couple traveling together, or if you are in a group of adults that want to just relax during your trip. You get access to special bath products, a special robe and even special slippers. What’s a “special” slipper, you might ask? I have no idea.
You also get perks like priority spa reservations, free fitness classes, unlimited access to the thermal suites and exclusive discounts on treatments during port days.
Havana
Available on: Carnival Celebration, Carnival Horizon, Carnival Jubilee, Mardi Gras, Carnival Panorama and Carnival Vista.
Havana Rooms offer luxurious accommodations with an atmosphere heavily inspired by beach resorts. They also provide exclusive access to the Havana pool area where you can relax and soak up the sun. There are several types of Havana rooms available, with the Havana Cabana Suite being the largest. Please note that guests must be at least 12 years old to stay in a cabana suite.
Terrazza Staterooms
Available on: Carnival Firenze and Carnival Venezia.
The Terrazza Staterooms are quite rare, only found on the Italian-inspired ships launched in 2015 and 2018. These luxurious, spacious rooms offer a patio lounging area or balcony. Guests also enjoy exclusive access to a private deck with amenities such as all-day lounging, great drinks, entertainment, whirlpools, and more. Similar to Havana rooms, guests must be at least 12 years old to stay in this type of room.
Choosing your ideal Stateroom aboard Carnival Cruise Line
So, the question we all ask when booking a cruise is: what is the perfect room for me and my family? Yeah, I know, it can be tough with so many options available. You can always send us a message for help choosing one, by the way, but I’ll try to give you a few tips here as well.
I’d say the best rooms on Carnival Cruise Line are either the interior rooms or the balcony rooms. Interior rooms are perfect for young adults. For instance, if you've just finished college and want to party with your friends on a week-long cruise, consider saving money by staying in an interior room. Chances are, you and your friends will be enjoying the ship from 9 am all the way to... 9 am again, so you probably only need a place to sleep and not much else.
If you're traveling with your family, balcony rooms are always a good option. There's a reason why more than 50% of the rooms on the most recent ships are balcony staterooms - they're popular for their size and the welcoming verandahs that allow you to enjoy the fresh ocean breeze and have breakfast in style.
I honestly wouldn't recommend a suite aboard Carnival Cruise Line, especially not for your first trip with them. Carnival offers so much entertainment and activities that you likely won't spend much time in your cabin. Additionally, the perks offered with suites can be a bit disappointing. Come on, Carnival, give us more!
Families with children under 10 years old might want to consider the Family Harbor rooms. Many online reviews indicate they are a great option, offering more space and proximity to the children's play area, which minimizes the need for extensive movement. These rooms also feature charming nautical themes. However, older kids, aged 12 and up, may not find them as appealing.
Location
Just as important as choosing your cabin category, choosing the right location can also impact the quality of your cruise. Let’s see some of them.
Midship cabins
This is a safe and often considered the best option for many cruisers. Being in the middle of the ship means you're conveniently close to everything, especially the elevators. Another good perk? Cabins in the middle of the ship experience less motion, making them ideal for those prone to seasickness during a cruise.
Aft balcony
These are the rooms located at the aft (back) of the ship. Specifically, these rooms overlook the stern (back) of the ship rather than the sides. Aft rooms often have larger balconies and offer a serene view of the waves generated by your vessel. They are also generally quieter than rooms in the middle of the ship, making them a good choice for those seeking less noise. The main drawback is that they can be a bit farther from the elevators.
The Bow
The bow is also known as the front of the ship. Some cabins are actually cheaper in this location, and the reason is simple: this is the area that shakes the most. If you often feel seasick, avoid cabins located on the front of the ship at all costs. Cruise passengers prone to motion sickness should search for a room in the middle of the ship, and usually on higher levels.
Hump Balconies
These are the rooms located on the outward curves of the ship's outline. They feature larger balconies compared to standard balconies, often at the same price. Another advantage is that these rooms are typically situated in the middle of the ship, offering two good perks for a great deal.
Connecting cabins
Many rooms offer connecting cabins, which are especially common for interior cabins. Connecting cabins provide extra space, effectively doubling the size of the room and accommodating up to eight people in total. And guess what? You get an extra bathroom too!
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