Carnival Cruise Line Reviews 449

Important Passenger Alert – My Experience on Carnival Elation 🚨

My wife and I recently sailed on the Carnival Elation (8/28/25 – 9/1/25) and encountered a serious issue that all future passengers should be aware of. Upon entering our Junior Suite, we found what appeared to be bed bugs on the towels in our bathroom. Despite reporting it immediately and providing clear photos, the response from Carnival was slow, inadequate, and dismissive.

We waited over five hours to be moved to a new room and were denied proper compensation. Supervisors on board witnessed the situation, yet Carnival Corporate is now denying the problem and ignoring the fact that housekeeping did not follow proper safety protocols. When I requested a copy of the ship’s bed bug handling protocol from a customer service supervisor onboard, they refused to provide it.

For a company I’ve trusted for years, this experience was deeply disappointing and has shaken my confidence in their commitment to passenger safety and care.

I’m sharing these photos and my story to raise awareness and urge Carnival to prioritize transparency, respect, and swift action when such serious issues arise.

#CarnivalCruise #PassengerSafety #BedBugs #CruiseConcerns #TravelAlert #ConsumerRights

I am filing this complaint because Carnival Cruise Line has charged me for services I already prepaid, added unauthorized gratuities, and failed to provide transparent statements.

Details:
Cruise: Carnival Panorama, Sept 21–27, 2025
Booking #: DL58R1

Issues:
1. Duplicate Spa Charges – I prepaid for 2 Spa passes ($538.72 total, receipt attached). Despite this, Carnival billed me again for the same spa services.

2. Unauthorized Gratuities – Carnival added three separate gratuity charges of $96 each without my consent. We already tipped staff in cash directly.

3. Unexplained Charges – My card shows $240.72 and $298.00 Carnival charges with no explanation or itemized receipt.

4. Hidden Statements – Carnival does not automatically send customers a statement. Guests must request one ONLINE, which makes it hard to identify and dispute charges in time. If you call bililng, it's automated response directing yyou to go online - UNACCEPTABLE for this large corporation!

Attempts to Resolve:

I called Carnival’s customer service line multiple times but was never able to reach an agent. For a company this large, their lack of accessibility and transparency is unacceptable.

Requested Resolution:
1. Refund of duplicate Spa charges and unauthorized gratuities
2. Full explanation and correction of the $240.72 and $298.00 charges
3. A corrected, itemized statement sent directly to me

What Carnival is doing — charging customers without authorization and making billing information difficult to access — is unfair, deceptive, and feels intentional. I want a full investigation and resolution. BE CAREFUL, they FORCE you to enter CreditCard info BEFORE checking in (means you can't complete checkin unless you provide credit card details) - this should be ILLEGAL!

If I could give a -5 review I would.

Carnival cruises have no heart

We booked a cruise last year 2024 with P&O, 10 day cruise to Fiji.
Later it was announced that carnival had purchased P&O.
In Feb 2025 (4 months before we were due to sailing) my husband was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.
Immediately we informed P&O that on medical advice (with a doctors letter from the oncologist) we were cancelling the cruise (this was before the take over from Carnival).
A compassionate case for a refund was lodged with P&O, however when Carnival took over the case didn’t transfer and we had to lodge all over again.
It is now 5 months later and multiple unanswered emails later & still Carnival has not replied or acknowledged the hardship we have been through.
We have travelled on many cruises liners all over the world & Carnival cruises are the most unprofessional company with no real duty of care for its customers.
Last time we travelled with carnival the entire ship came down with gastro, so when the oncologist advised us it would be life threatening for him to go it made perfect sense.
For those that want to judge us for not having purchased travel insurance yet (which we always do prior to leaving Australia) it will make you as heartless as this company.
The company was given ample time to on sell the room & I’m sure they did but now are taking the stance that we were a no show.
We have all the evidence & all the while my husband was having chemotherapy this heartless company added to his suffering by ignoring his pleas for a reply.
Our next steps are to go through a lengthy battle through the complaints tribunal.
Thanks for making my husband’s time left so stressful & sad, as he blames himself for getting sick and having to cancel our holiday.

I’M ON THE CARNIVAL FIRENZE CURRENTLY FIRST TIME ON A CRUISE IT WILL DEFINITELY BE MY LAST ON CARNIVAL!!! THE WIFI SHOULD BE WAY BETTER FOR THE PRICE THEY CHARGEQ, FOOD BASIC, ENTERTAINMENT BLAH, THEY CHARGE TOO MUCH FOR BASIC THINGS. I DID MEET SOME NICE PEOPLE THATS THE ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT THIS TRIP. IM SO READY TO GO HOME I WILL NEVER BOOK THIS CRUISE AGAIN. IM MAD I HAD TO GIVE IT ONE STAR!

Booked a Cruise to Alaska through Carnival cruise line , a dream of my husbands to visit Alaska . Weeks before departure, the Fjord was changed to another day , no big deal . However the day before we were supposed to go to the Tracy Fjord , it was announced that we couldn’t visit due to large chunks of ice , we would go to a different Fjord . The day of the new Fjord adventure , the guests were told there was too much boat traffic , take a good look while the boat was turning around , didn’t even get close ! People who PAID $230+ each went on a smaller boat to the Fjord. The High light of the cruise and didn’t see it !
We paid for an excursion of all you can eat salmon and trip to a suspension bridge . People were lucky if they got two peices of Salmon ( $135.00 each ) and lucky if it was cooked all the way . The bridge was cool but from the time you got off the bus , you had 1 hour to get across to the other side and back . our dining experience.
We had scheduled dinner at our assigned restaurant for around 6:00 PM. Although the notice stated a 10–20 minute wait, we ended up waiting nearly an hour to be seated.
Once seated, the dining room felt chaotic. Orders were forgotten, and service was inattentive — at one point, our server stood behind us talking with someone else for about 20 minutes.
I even found myself stepping in to help clarify things at the table.
By dessert, everyone received the wrong dish, despite the fact that we had all ordered the same one. We then had to wait again for corrections.
In total, dinner lasted nearly two plus hours — from our reservation to the rushed conclusion — and this was the same evening we were supposed to debark for British Columbia. Instead of being a relaxing meal, the experience felt stressful and disorganized.
No one said that once we did get off th ship we would need to buy bus passes to get into the city ($15 each ) If i hadn’t looked a couple hours prior , we would have gotten off the ship and would have been standing there . Once we did get on the bus into the city , stores were closing or were already closed since it was night when we arrived .
The casino had smokers , the smell was over powering. I don’t go to the casino , but some how managed to get a sinus infection, so did my son .
Would I recommend a Carnival Cruise Vacation to Alaska - NO !
I have reached out to the customer care multiple times , to finally get a phone call to say they were sorry , they sent my complaint to a higher level. I asked if I would be contacted by anyone else , they said no this is the final contact . Final ? I had one contact in a month ! I asked if i would be compensated on anything . NO!
So now Carnival has lost a customer - a gold member . My family and I will seek another cruise line in the future !

Our Carnival cruise on the Sunshine was unsafe and disappointing. From day one, my family was exposed to mold and filthy cabin conditions. My daughter, who has asthma, developed severe coughing and breathing issues inside the cabin, which stopped when she left. My husband also had respiratory problems.

Three days in, a hidden leak under the sink spilled moldy water all over the bathroom floor. Maintenance tried to cover it up with tissue boxes. The AC filter was filthy and long neglected. Even after replacement, maintenance dirtied our beds and carpet. We have photos of the mold, the leak, and staff removing hazardous material bags.

Carnival first denied any mold, then offered $300 onboard credit, a $50 gift card, and later 15% off a future cruise after I contacted the BBB. We also filed a complaint with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Food and entertainment were nothing special, and while the ports were enjoyable (San Juan was our favorite), the unsafe cabin ruined our experience. Carnival refuses to take full responsibility.

This cruise put my family’s health at risk. The weak compensation is unacceptable. We will never sail with Carnival again, and I urge families with asthma, allergies, or respiratory concerns to avoid them.

Just did what could be my last cruise with Carnival this was my wives first cruise so I was more excited for her. First there was hair in her food on day two then we both noticed a worker pushing carts and wiping up messy tables but then without washing her hands touching utensils where food is. Third the day at sea coming back to port (Galveston) early morning my wife had just got out the shower and was laying on the bed naked we had the balcony curtain pulled to get some sunlight in the room and then all of a sudden a carnival worker walks across our balcony. They said they gave notice on the doors but I didn’t have one but not only that we hadn’t even been out the room yet so how would we know it was a notice. They do pretty much all announcements over the PA system so why not announce that you are going to be cleaning balconies. Better yet why not clean them once you port cause the boat is there from 7am til 3pm I was told by Ron who was the supervisor on Carnival Breeze he’d get back to me and I’ve heard nothing. I can see they have 1.3 star reviews so this may not do any thing to keep ppl aware. But I do not recommend them anymore over the years the food has gotten worse and as well as the customer service

I booked a 3 day cruise for my 10 year old son and I to join some of his friends but I receieved notice 4 weeks before the cruise that I required knee replacement surgery. I informed Carnival and they gave me only 50% refund. When I requedsted the remaining funds(being a 61 year old single dad) I was told flat out no as per industry standards.
My request
Good morning.
I hope you can help me. I just got off the phone with Carnival Australia who have informed me that I have been sending an email request to the wrong email address that was provided even though your records show otherwise.
This concerns a cancellation of a booking #FL15X7 on the ship CArnival Adventure departing Sydney August 29, 2025.
Below is my original email request. from July 20, 2025
Dear Customer Service,

I am writing to formally request a full refund for our upcoming 3-day cruise, scheduled for the end of August. Last week, I contacted Carnival to cancel this trip due to an unforeseen and urgent medical reason: I received last-minute notification for knee replacement surgery on August 19th(see attached letter).

This surgery is being performed through the public medical system in Australia, and I have been on a waiting list for nearly three years. Due to the nature of public healthcare, it was not possible to postpone this appointment. While I had initially been advised about a year ago that the surgery would take place in late September, early October—which is why I felt comfortable booking the cruise for late August—the date was moved up unexpectedly.

When I spoke with a Carnival customer service representative to explain the situation and request a cancellation due to this emergency surgery, I was informed that I would only receive a partial refund. I believe this is unfair, given that these circumstances are entirely beyond my control. I am requesting your compassion and understanding in this matter and kindly ask for a full refund of the cruise fare.

Thank you for your time and consideration
Carnivals response
We’re very sorry to hear you and Sam Wubben are unable to sail with us. We know you were looking forward to your cruise and we empathize with your disappointment over having to miss your vacation plans.


We have reviewed your request for special consideration and regret that we’re unable to honor your request for compensation. We trust you understand that cancellation charges are a standard industry practice. For this reason we recommend to purchase vacation protection to safeguard from financial losses of this nature.

Thank you for your understanding. We hope you will once again consider Carnival when making future vacation plans.

They are a company that is money grubbing with no empathy.
I never been on a cruise, this was to be the first. It is now the last. I will never go on one nor will I recommend anyone to go one.

Carnival FIRENZE is the worst. Foods are very limited and Casino never pays.
I lost the most money than any casino in my whole entire life. Lately Carnival Casino doesn’t pays.
I would not recommend friends and families and would limit myself cruising CARNIVAL again.

Avoid at all costs. Found glass in food, had food poisoning due to food the first couple of days, extremely poor engagement (if any from staff). Cabin of poor quality.
Carnival UK more interested in getting money from appalingly high prices, excursions etc.
There are far better cruise companies out there, avoid at all costs!

The carnival encounter is truely disgusting do NOT BOOK THE CARNIVAL ENCOUNTER

Avoid at all costs if you want to experience genuine customer service. Broken glass found in food, and I have green hair from poor quality pool water, after just one session. Too scared to use pools for rest of trip after that. The actual hair incident hasn’t been as bad as the way this has been handled. Lots of follow up and butt covering re the glass, but they couldn’t care less about the distress caused by permanent issue with my hair.

It is crowded, lack of engagement from staff members for activities. But biggest disappointment of all is the nickel and diming for everything. Price of admission seems like a good deal but then afterwards (be sure to read the fine print, and there are so many) there are mandatory gratuities, exorbitant fees for just WiFi (with several different tiers), and certain foods/coffee costs extra, with extra cost for water to the room. I don’t know if they put MSG or something, but everything is salty and fills me up fast, and not to mention I felt constipated the entire trip. Don’t bother with the excursion/tours, as many have mentioned. Look for a cruise that will truly give you an experience, instead of a money sucking hull.

Carnival New Loyalty Program has made it much easier for me to move to another cruise line. After years of dedicated service for me and my entire family cruising with Carnival, they showed me today, after all the money I spend my loyalty means nothing to them. It all about corporate greed. My final cruise with Carnival will be August 2025, and after reading social media it’s going to be a lot more cruisers leaving Carnival. I have worked too hard to pay for cruises to reach Platinum status only to be taken away from me because of their greed. At this point I don’t want anymore offers or email from Carnival, at this point any communication from this is harassment.

The ship is very tired and in need of modernisation.

The food was average at best and very small portions with no choice of vegetables apart from one sprig of broccoli

There was no choice of teas available, only breakfast tea and Green tea and the coffee was too strong and bitter (I have been on 30 cruises and this is the first time that there has been no choice of teas). When you sell these cruises to British Travel agents you need to cater for the British customers too.

4. There was only bacon available every second day and we weren't allowed to help ourselves to it.

5. There is no 'proper' theatre and although the ship's entertainment crew did their best, it wasn't good enough and you need to get outside acts in like you did before covid (surely you have clawed back the millions you lost by now).

6. The comedians in the Limelight and Liquid lounge were okay but after seeing a comedian for a couple of nights we were bored and wanted to see a good act.

7. Your policy states that on Gala night no shorts are to be worn in the main dining room, yet your dining room staff were letting them in and when I mentioned it to them I was told that they don't say anything anymore as the customers get upset. It wasn't nice going into the main dining room in our finery and being the odd ones out when in fact it should have been the other way round.

8. The stops in port were far too short.

9. The drinks were way too expensive and the drink package was also way too much money.

10. Our cabin had paint splashes all over the balcony floor which looked scruffy.

I recently booked had a cruise booked out of Galveston Texas on the 3-5-25, unfortunately my visa had expired 4 days previously and I wasn’t allowed to board . Carnival cruise had already taken $200 from my account 2 days before boarding. For gratuities .Even though they confirmed taken my money I still havnt received a refund some three weeks later . I’ve had terrible communication problems trying to speak to someone and now resorted to going back to the travel company to pursue it .
I blocked my account so they could not take any more money randomly without informing me so this is just to warn people when booking with carnival cruise line

On a Sailing with Carnival Magic. We got off ship in Couzmel . As we got off boat we tried to take pictures off people the were dressed in Costumes. A Carnival Cruise Member attempted to take my cell phone out of my hand. She said your not allowed to take pictures with out a charge. I explained how would we know if the Cruise members are sitting under a tent in the shade. We got back to the boat spoke with guest services . Guest services stated they would look into and never did. Don't waist your Money on Carnival Cruise Line. Go with a Cruise Line that Values Customer Service!

Group of friends for my 50th ready to leave first day. Why? Boarding took 2 hours, Cabin one single bed only for my husband & I. Drain clogged with hair, blood splatter on ceiling and brown water pouring out of shower and taps, luggage damaged. Their response? no available cabins to move which was a lie confirmed by room attendant who pointed out available rooms. Sheet was put on the couch for 2nd bed. Video footage showing brown water told dont worry just sediment its safe. I asked would you bathe and brush your teeth in it? So they moved us that night tv & fridge, hotwater didnt work, but 2 single bunk beds. Asked to get off the ship, they would have to speak to captain. They finally offered the room they said they didnt have and we were in a interior queen room which was fine. Stayed on the boat for our friends. The ship had just been dry docked windows were unclean, power points were hanging with exposed conductors, light fittings exposed terminals. Im an electrician I notice this stuff. Worst customer service, I spent 20 mins trying to convince the woman at the service desk it really only had 1 bed she insisted it was 2. Gave 2 beverage vouchers, one drink per voucher. Ive been on a lot of cruises but I would never cruise with them again. Logged feedback of all the things that happened, they told me they cared and feedback was important to them, somehow after our treatment I doubt that. Don't book with them.

A Nightmare at Sea – Assaulted, Victimised, and Then Banned by Carnival
I never imagined that booking a cruise with Carnival would result in one of the most traumatic experiences of my life. What was supposed to be a relaxing getaway turned into a nightmare when I was physically assaulted by another passenger—only to have Carnival punish me due to requesting police intervention.

From the moment the incident occurred, Carnival’s handling of the situation was nothing short of disgraceful. Rather than taking immediate action against the aggressor, their security team treated me with indifference and hostility due to their lack of presence in the area, making it clear that they were more concerned with covering their own reputation than ensuring the safety of their guests.

Despite being the victim of an unprovoked attack, I was met with dismissive and condescending responses when I reported the assault. Carnival staff refused to provide meaningful support, offered no real assistance, and seemed to have no interest in investigating properly. Their so-called "resolution" was to ban ME from future cruises—as if being assaulted wasn’t bad enough!

This is beyond negligence; it’s outright victim-blaming. Rather than removing the dangerous individual from the ship and taking appropriate action, Carnival took the easy way out, choosing to silence the victim rather than address the real problem. This is a company that prioritises profits over passenger safety and public image over accountability.

If you value your safety, do not sail with Carnival. Their failure to protect passengers, their complete disregard for victims of assault, and their appalling customer service make it clear that they do not deserve your business. I will be taking further action to ensure this company is held accountable for their actions.

Avoid Carnival at all costs.

Crooks
They were NO help when i called 3 times to book so i booked online and it said i had till jan 6th 2026
I called to cancel march 2025 and they said i couldnt get a refund
The last time my girl did a cruise was with her daughter and sister a few yrs ago and the waiter Rob asked my girl and her daughter to have sex with him