It’s no secret that we love cruising. In fact, this is officially our fifth cruise together – and we haven’t even been married for five years!! People ask us all the time why we cruise so often, and what keeps us coming back to cruising with Carnival®… oftentimes twice in one year! We’re going to use this blog post to break down why we can’t get enough of cruising, and why Carnival is still our FAVORITE.
OUR FAVORITE ROOMS
Once aboard the ship, we become slightly obsessed with our room. We fully unpack our suitcases and utilize all of the closets and the drawers (there’s surprisingly a lot of storage space!), get to know our friendly steward, and pop a bottle of champagne on our balcony. It becomes our little home-away-from-home, and especially on the longer cruises, it REALLY feels like home towards the end! We love how cozy the Carnival cabins are, and the beds are better than some five star hotels we’ve stayed at. Not lying – they’re AMAZING.
OUR FAVORITE PIZZA
We’re big fans of pizza. It’s hands-down our favorite food, and a staple of our diet wherever we’re traveling. Lucky for us, the Carnival Fun Ships have a 24-hour pizza spot called the “Pizza Pirate” and boy… is it good!! They custom-make your pizza right there for you, and it’s just the perfect combination of thin, crispy, and super-cheesy. Alli loves the margherita pizza (sometimes she’ll have them throw a little arugula on top, just to be healthy) 😉 and Bobby loves the pepperoni and the quattro formaggi and the prosciutto… he likes everything. We oftentimes joke that we book a cruise just to go to the Pizza Pirate. It really is THAT delicious.
OUR FAVORITE SING-ALONG BAR
One of our nightly rituals is a stop at the Piano Bar, usually conveniently located next to where the Punchliner Comedy Shows are hosted. We’re always blown away by the talented guys behind the piano, that will host a sing-along to almost ANY song you request! Along with their ability to tickle the ivories, they have a great sense of humor and will have your stomach hurting from all the laughter between sing-alongs. We sometimes spend our whole evening in this lively and hilarious bar, as it’s a perfect way to learn some new tunes and make new friends.
OUR FAVORITE COCKTAIL SPOT
If you’ve cruised with Carnival before, you know how amazing and extensive their drink list is. From margaritas to mojitos to “Bahama Mamas”, we love trying all of their fun and festive cocktails! Our absolute favorite spot for a drink onboard has to be the Alchemy Bar. It looks like an old-fashioned pharmacy, with the bartenders wearing white lab coats while they mix herbs, infused spirits, and fresh juices. We often gauge a bar by the way they make their simple, classic cocktails (Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Martini, etc.)… and the Carnival Liberty did not disappoint. We asked Titus (the bartender) to make us his best Caribbean Manhattan, sparing us any extra sweetness. We were a little nervous considering the Caribbean is known for their sweet, colorful rum drinks. However, Titus knocked it out of the park. A smooth Manhattan with a hint of tropical flavors… find him and order one for yourself!
A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE ROUTINES
We get so excited for sea days. They allow us to fully explore our ship, and fill our day with some of our favorite activities and events. We typically order breakfast in bed, followed by a massage in the spa… (what better way to start your day then that?!). We then take some time reviewing our “Fun Times” and plan out what we want to do. Just a few of our favorite activities are:
- BINGO (obviously!)
- The Love and Marriage Game Show (we haven’t made it on stage… yet.) 😉
- The Chocolate Extravaganza (chocolate fountains… need we say more?!)
- Trivia (they have everything from Harry Potter Trivia to Movie Trivia!)
- Sushi (the tempura roll is our FAVORITE!)
- The Punchliner Comedy Club (sit in the front and get picked on… worth it!)
- The Playlist Productions (Broadway style performances? Yes please!)
We could go on and on about our favorite meals in the dining room (make sure you try the “Rare Finds”), our favorite spot to get a sweet treat (Cherry on Top!), our favorite dance classes and our favorite spots to watch the sunset, but you get the idea.
A big reason why we have become obsessed with the Carnival brand is the consistency they have throughout all of their ships. We know regardless of the ship or the destination, Carnival will deliver the same quality. We know we’ll be eating too much Pizza Pirate, loving our Caribbean Manhattans, singing till we lose our voices, and spending a little too much time cozy-d up in our room. Trust us… take a trip on a “Fun Ship” and you’ll be having withdrawals the moment you’re back on solid ground.
Five cruises down, and we’re already planning our next one. 😉
This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind.
Note: Onboard activities, shore excursions, and dining options may vary by ship and destination.