Carnival Jubilee ship review: A complete cruise guide

Table Of Content

• FEATURED Fun
• Drinking age
• Jubilee Bar Crawl Shirt It's a Good Day to Drink on the Jubilee Cruise Shirt Vacation Shirt Bubble Cocktail Retro
• What to Wear on a Cruise
• Sunrise Bar Crawl Shirt It's a Good Day to Drink on the Sunrise Beer Mug Cruise Shirt Vacation Shirt Retro
• Carnival Jubilee itineraries and pricing

Smoking (including electronic cigarettes) is allowed but only in designated outdoor areas on Deck 8 mid-ship on the starboard side. Smoking is also allowed on the starboard side of the casino, but it's for cigarettes only. All types of smoking are forbidden in cabins and on cabin balconies. Activities here are less structured, and participants can come and go as they please. This nautically themed outpost is next to a popular access point to the outer decks, so the only downside is that you might be blasted with hot air while your drink is being made. If you're seeking a between-meal snack or light bite, try the JavaBlue Cafe on Deck 6 in Grand Central.

FEATURED Fun

The only time you might want to have some bills handy is for tipping your room steward, bartenders, room service delivery people, luggage porters or shore excursion guides. The second new show is the "Lone Star Tailgate." Drawing on Texas' love for all things football, Carnival has created four indoor/outdoor "quarters" of fun to mimic the four quarters of a football game. When I sailed, the first quarter, which is all about pool deck games for kids, was held on one sea day, and the other three were held on another sea day. Go one deck farther, and you can choose between the Havana Bar, which serves Latin-themed cocktails, and the Heroes Tribute Lounge, which has a special menu of drinks dedicated to military members. My favorite bar on Carnival Jubilee is the Marina Bar in The Shores zone on Deck 8.

Drinking age

Other venues in the area include the Marina Bar for cocktails and coffee, complimentary Italian restaurant Cucina del Capitano and for-fee seafood eatery Rudi's Seagrill, created by food pop artist chef Rudi Sodamin. Come home from your Carnival cruise looking as refreshed as you feel. The Fun Shops™, located conveniently aboard the ship, let you wear your love for cruising — plus your taste for high fashion — on your sleeve. Live the cruise life with exclusive Carnival logo-wear… or the runway life with a great selection of authentic designer fashion, including the latest and hottest trends from some of the top names in fashion. Every fashionista’s dream includes tax-free and duty-free pricing, so that’s exactly what you’ll find on great looks for the entire family, right aboard your ship. During "halftime," the ship's theater singers and dancers put on a show on the pool deck, dressed in team colors to support the fictional Carnival University — the team cruisers are supposedly cheering on during the festivities.

Jubilee Bar Crawl Shirt It's a Good Day to Drink on the Jubilee Cruise Shirt Vacation Shirt Bubble Cocktail Retro

Prices vary by sailing, but on my voyage, they were $500 per day from 8 a.m. Pool lifts accommodating up to 300 pounds are available for passengers with limited mobility. Unique to Carnival Jubilee are two new bars in the Deck 6 Currents zone. The first one opened late, and despite my order being the first one of the day, it still took more than 20 minutes to be served.

What to Wear on a Cruise

Make your way up a deck, and you'll find the Limelight Lounge, which serves as a secondary performance space and trivia outpost. Room service, which comes with a la carte fees (except for free Continental breakfast), set me back almost $20 for a chicken quesadilla, chicken fingers with curly fries and a chocolate chip cookie, which I ordered sometime around 2 a.m. My two most disappointing extra-fee food encounters on Carnival Jubilee were Seafood Shack (Deck 16, in the Lido zone, near the pool) and room service. Shaq's Big Chicken, a restaurant backed by basketball great Shaquille O'Neal (who is also Carnival's CFO, chief fun officer), is perfect if you have a hankering for some fried chicken. In addition to chicken strips, sandwiches and fries, the counter-service venue also serves breakfast.

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Sunrise Bar Crawl Shirt It's a Good Day to Drink on the Sunrise Beer Mug Cruise Shirt Vacation Shirt Retro

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Carnival Jubilee has standard North American 110-volt outlets in its cabins, as well as plenty of USB ports. In my balcony room, I had three standard outlets and four USB lightning ports by the vanity. There was also a USB port (non-lightning) on either side of the bed, just below the reading lamp. The third and fourth quarters occur in the Summer Landing zone; passengers can rope hay bales, participate in a hot wing-eating contest at Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse Brewhouse and follow it up with music from a live band. Another excellent show is "Rio Carnival," which occurs at Center Stage in the Grand Central zone instead of the main theater. Although the first half felt a bit shaky and slightly boring to me, the second half redeemed it all, featuring a parade of dancers and aerialists dressed in flamboyant costumes synonymous with Rio de Janeiro's Carnival.

If you’re cruising to a destination with a cold climate, such as Alaska or parts of Europe, it’s important to pack clothing that will keep you warm on the ship as well as on shore. Even if you’re cruising to Alaska in the middle of summer, expect temperatures to range from the mid-50s to mid-60s (degrees Fahrenheit) during the day. Some excursions in warm-weather destinations require extra items in your suitcase. Sturdy, comfortable hiking or athletic shoes are obviously needed for hiking excursions, such as the Scenic Coastal Hike in St. Maarten or the Hop-on, Hop-off trolley tour in Key West. Also know that closed-toe shoes are mandatory for zip-lining and most horseback riding, ATV and bike tours.

Carnival Jubilee restaurants and bars

My pick from Guy's is the Chilius Maximus — an 80/20 ground chuck patty with cheese, chili, onion rings and barbecue sauce. The former bakes several different types of pies nearly around the clock, and they're scrumptious. (I was pleasantly surprised by the grilled ham and cheese.) Lines for both counters are often long, but I promise it's worth the wait. Oddly, there were some discrepancies on board that I was surprised to see on a ship that's been sailing for several months.

You must be at least 21 years old to drink alcohol on Carnival Jubilee. Note that it is important that the name on your reservation be exactly as it is stated on your passport or other official proof of nationality. All this said, we recommend checking Carnival's website before sailing for up-to-date requirements. Entertainment on Carnival Jubilee is a combination of passenger favorites from other ships and new shows that you'll only find on this vessel. Cabanas are available for rent on a first-come, first-served basis.

On Carnival Jubilee, it's adorned in neutral tans, dark browns and red tones. I wasn't overly hungry when I sat down, but the $49 cover charge ($15 for kids) would also have included a soup or salad and a dessert if I had wanted them. The food item I most recommend you try when sailing on Carnival Jubilee is an order of beignets at Emeril's. Pillows of soft fried dough coated in powdered sugar with chocolate and strawberry sauces for dipping are $5 for an order of six. Carnival Jubilee has so many places to eat that I ran out of time to try them all on my weeklong sailing.

At any restaurant and any time of day, you at least need to cover up your swimsuit and wear water shoes . I also missed out on the RedFrog Tiki Bar, a two-deck (decks 16 and 17), hut-style setup that replaces the RedFrog Rum Bar found on many other Carnival ships' pool decks. It's where you'll find the most quintessentially tropical menu of mixed drinks on board. It's so common for JavaBlue to be backed up throughout the day that an easy-to-miss sign directs passengers to other locations where they can grab a cup of coffee. Meanwhile, lines at the onboard deli and pizzeria counters frequently snake so far down Deck 8 that they block the entrance to seafood restaurant Rudi's Seagrill.

It came alongside several sauces and sides of broccoli and crinkle-cut fries for $49 ($15 for kids). Both serve the same menu for dinner, but only the larger Pacific Restaurant is open for Sea Day Brunch on sea days and breakfast (but not lunch) on port days. One of the best ways Carnival provides value to its customers is through its food offerings. Complimentary dining abounds on Carnival Jubilee, and the variety of cuisines is impressive. You'll find more free options on Carnival ships than on just about any other fleet's vessels, and they're actually tasty. It's entirely possible to eat only food that's included in the cruise fare and not feel like you're missing out.

Suites in all three of these special accommodation types also give passengers the suite perks mentioned above. This meant it wasn't at capacity, but it still felt loud and crowded, and often was fraught with lines. However, the service was generally excellent, with an exceedingly friendly crew. Shipping policies vary, but many of our sellers offer free shipping when you purchase from them.

The sizes of the performance venues are generally way too small for the number of passengers wishing to watch the shows. On the wall above Dr. Inks, window-shaped screens provide a show for anyone passing through the length of the Currents promenade area. Programming rotates between underwater adventures, nature scenes and even artwork produced by passengers and kids from St. Jude's Children's Hospital. If you want to attend a “cruise elegant” evening, bring a fancier, more formal outfit. Men can wear suits or dress slacks with a sport coat and dress shirt. For women, cocktail dresses, pantsuits or elegant skirts and blouses are appropriate.

What to Wear on a Cruise

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• Carnival Jubilee ship review: A guide to Carnival's third Excel Class cruise ship
• Carnival Jubilee cabins and suites
• Carnival Jubilee zones
• Carnival Jubilee activities

However, the old ingredients were listed on the menu, meaning passengers weren't getting what they thought they ordered. My cabin had some of the best soundproofing I've experienced on a new ship in a long time — I had balcony accommodations near an elevator bank and heard nothing when I was in my room. However, a couple of passengers told me they could hear noise from Bolt in their balcony cabin on Deck 15. I arrived 15 minutes early for a magic show at the Punchliner Comedy Club, and I couldn't find a single available seat in the entire place. On another night, I showed up on time for Family Feud Live in the ship's theater, and it was a standing-room-only situation.

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Of course it’s colder at night, and during the earlier and later times in the cruise season. Passengers can carry on one bottle of wine or Champagne per person (21 years and older); this will incur a $15 corkage fee for consumption in public areas. Each person can also bring up to 12 standard cans or cartons of nonalcoholic beverages like juice or soda. At the time of publication, prices started from $709 per person ($101 per person per night) for an inside cabin or $919 per person ($131 per person per night) for balcony accommodations. There's also a hot tub at Loft 19 on Deck 19, which charges a fee for access.

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The cafe offers a sizable menu of specialty coffee beverages and tea, as well as free and for-fee snacks. Excellent added-fee options include steak, seafood and teppanyaki, which might be worth trying if you're celebrating a special occasion or feeling like a splurge. Done up in bright, tropical colors, these rooms offer extended outdoor lounge space and private access to the Havana Pool and Bar area. Combining noise with the annoyance of hawking alcohol, the roving waiters visited every table at Chibang! — the ship's hybrid Mexican-Asian restaurant — one night while I was having dinner there.

Carnival Jubilee ship review: A guide to Carnival's third Excel Class cruise ship

One night, as I was dining at Rudi's with some of my travel companions, we joked that the lines were dangerously close to melding with the line for the nearby guest services desk. The ship is divided into six zones, where passengers can find a mix of bars, restaurants, live performances, water-filled fun and exhilarating activities like a ropes course, minigolf and, of course, the Bolt roller coaster. Most nights are designated "cruise casual," which means just that — khakis or jeans, polo shirts, sundresses and the like. Super casual items such as cutoff jeans, men's sleeveless shirts, T-shirts and gym shorts are supposedly not permitted, but I saw plenty of them in the dining rooms during dinnertime on Carnival Jubilee.

Carnival Jubilee does not have a specific daytime dress code, and people dress casually. If it's a sea day in a warm-weather destination, and you're bound for the top deck, T-shirts, shorts and bathing suits (with a cover-up to go inside) are just fine. Through at least April 2026, Carnival Jubilee offers two seven-night Western Caribbean itineraries out of its Galveston home port on a regular rotation. Both types of sailings begin and end in Galveston and visit Mahogany Bay in Roatan and Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico with three sea days mixed in. The only difference between the two itineraries is the order in which the port calls and sea days occur. The ship shares Carnival's "zone" concept with its two older sisters, meaning it has dedicated areas for dining, drinking, entertainment and outdoor fun, including Bolt, a top-deck roller coaster.

Carnival Jubilee zones

It's an added-fee experience during which passengers (one to two people per ride) zoom twice around the track on a motorcycle-style vehicle that allows you to throttle up or down to a speed that suits you. Outside, the area continues with The Patio, which features a pool and hot tubs, and neighboring The Watering Hole, a bar that serves the space. Surrounding the stage are tons of seating options, as well as JavaBlue Cafe, which serves coffee and snacks; Cherry on Top candy shop; the Center Stage and Grand View Bars; and Bonsai Sushi and Teppanyaki. It also serves as an access point for the onboard shops, Piano Bar 88, The Punchliner Comedy Club and the Jubilee Casino.

Carnival Jubilee activities

In terms of food and drinks, I had a strange experience at Chibang! Usually, they don't have meat in them, nor was meat listed as an ingredient on the menu. One example is the Dr. Seuss-themed Seuss-a-palooza Parade that makes its way through the Currents zone once per sailing. I happened to be sitting at a table in the area when the festivities kicked off.

FEATURED Fun

Camp Ocean also has an interactive space wall, where astronauts lead kids on virtual expeditions, complete with a ceiling that lights up like the night sky to show the constellations. Fun pursuits on the daily schedule might include arts and crafts, themed parties, science experiments, games and story time, depending on the age group. On Deck 18, you'll find Waterworks, which offers waterslides and a splash area for kids.

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Avoid having to go back to your stateroom to change between pool and restaurant by bringing along cover-ups like sundresses or shorts and T-shirts. Double up on the warm layers and include a heavier jacket or coat if you’re planning an excursion out on the water, such as the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour or the Tracy Arm Fjord and Glacier Explorer. These items are essential as well for glacier excursions like Dog Sledding on Mendenhall Glacier via Helicopter.

The former features a bit of a retro vibe, and the latter is backed by a giant light-up wall that looks like wave. In addition to a fun selection of cocktails — some of which involve candy — the bar's theme is tied to an animated octopus named Dr. Inks. She has a Ph.D., pet butterflies and extensive collections of both books and fashionable eyewear. Every so often, she'll appear on the screens above the area to chat. During my visit, I ordered a pound of stone crab claws in garlic butter (market price) with red beans and rice ($3) and a brie bowl ($6). My only complaint is that, apart from a claw cracker, there were no other tools available to get to the crab meat.

On the upper deck is the popular Guy's Burger Joint, which is oddly set a bit farther away from the action on Excel Class ships. Farther afield on Deck 16, passengers can check out Shaquille O'Neal's Big Chicken restaurant or venture to Lido Marketplace, the ship's complimentary buffet. Carnival Jubilee's demographics run the gamut from families with young kids or extended family groups to groups of friends, couples and even solo cruisers (even though it doesn't have any cabins for singles). The vessel offers weeklong Caribbean voyages on a regular rotation from its home port in Galveston, Texas, meaning you'll find a healthy dose of Texas-style fun on board (more on that later). In fact, Carnival is so dedicated to keeping the ship in the Lone Star State that it had a Texas star painted on the ship's hull.

The biggest differences on the newest iteration are in two reinvented zones, Currents and The Shores; respectively, they take the place of The French Quarter and La Piazza on Mardi Gras, and The Gateway and 820 Biscayne on Carnival Celebration. Each weeklong cruise will schedule two formal nights — known as "elegant nights." If you're bound for the dining rooms, men are expected to turn up in dress slacks and a dress shirt, preferably with a sports coat or even a suit. The suggested attire for women on such nights is cocktail dresses, pantsuits, elegant skirts and blouses. Passengers who wish to avoid dressing up can enjoy dinner in any of the casual eateries aboard. Passengers link credit cards to their onboard accounts or put up a set amount of cash to charge against, using their keycards as a means of making purchases.