Carnival Cruise Price: Prices, Fees & Ways to Save

Carnival prices change daily. The cruise line shows a "from" fare for each sailing, and that number depends on the ship, the port, the cabin, and how close the sailing is. No single price fits every Carnival cruise, so the useful questions are what the base fare looks like and what the onboard costs add.

The fare figures here are snapshots from a price tracker, so they describe sailings departing in 2026 and will move. The onboard costs, such as gratuities and drink packages, are taken from Carnival's own pages and are more stable.

The tracker used here calculates an average of $149/person per night, which works out to about $1,043/person for a 7-night cruise across all cabin types. For two people sharing a cabin, the same average is about $2,086.

These are averages across inside, oceanview, balcony, and suite cabins over a recent 30 day window. A balcony or suite will cost more than the average, and an inside cabin on a quiet date can cost less. Holiday weeks and school breaks are usually the most expensive.

The fare does not cover everything. Carnival adds automatic gratuities for the crew, and many guests also buy drink packages or bundles.

Carnival's help page lists gratuities of $17/person per day for guests in standard staterooms and $19/person per day for guests in suites. Guests can prepay these charges, or they are posted to the onboard account during the cruise.

The CHEERS! drink package costs $69.95/person per day when bought before the cruise and $74.95/person per day when bought onboard, plus a 20% service charge. It must be bought for the whole voyage and is limited to guests of drinking age.

Carnival also sells FunPacks that bundle extras. The Kidstarter FunPack for guests 18 and under is $25/person per day. The Social FunPack is $60/person per day, and the Epic FunPack is $99/person per day. Carnival says the packs save money compared with buying the perks separately, but whether that is true for you depends on what you would actually use.

A tracker averages many sailings across cabin types, while a single sailing on the booking page shows one date and one cabin. The two rarely match. Neither tells you what your own cruise will cost, so price your exact sailing and cabin, and add the onboard costs above to get a realistic total.

• Cabin type. Inside cabins are the cheapest and suites the most expensive.
• Sailing date. Holidays and summer weeks cost more than off-peak dates.
• Ship and port. Prices differ by ship and departure port, so compare more than one.
• Length. Longer cruises cost more in total, though the nightly rate can differ.
• Add-ons. Drinks, Wi-Fi, specialty dining, and excursions are extra unless included in a package.

Be flexible on date. The same itinerary can cost noticeably different amounts a few weeks apart. Compare cabin types, since the jump from an inside cabin to a balcony is often easy to price on the booking page.

Decide on drinks before you sail. Buying CHEERS! ahead costs less per day than buying it onboard, but it makes sense only if you will drink enough to use it. A FunPack may suit families, but check what is included. Remember that gratuities are charged each day for each guest.