There are so many fun free things to do on a Carvial Cruise, certainly something for everyone in your family. Check out these 37 Free Things to do on a Carnival Cruise.
The amenities and activities vary cruise ship to cruise ship and some activities aren’t offered everyday, and may not be offered at all on your sailing, however this list will give you a good idea of some of the free things to do on a Carnival cruise. If something is of particular importance to you be sure to research your ship before booking.
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What is free on Carnival Cruise?
There are plenty of free things to do on a Carnival cruise, plus a big variety of food options. Here are 37 of those free things on Carnival to keep you busy and entertained.
37 Free things to do on a Carnival Cruise
1 – Mini golf
Mini golf is a fun free daytime activity that you can enjoy alone, as a couple or as a family.
2 – Lounge by the pools
Soak up the cruise ship atmosphere poolside.
These cute towel clips will keep your towel in place by clipping it to your lounge chair.
3 – Trivia
Try to win a Carnival trophy – the ship on a stick. Trivia is usually offered often. We have seen different themes including geography, human anatomy, fairy tales, sports, television, one hit wonders, Big Bang Theory, and Harry Potter just to name a few.
4 – Dive In Movies
Dive In Movies are available on many Carnival ships and are usually offered a couple nights during a cruise. Movies are shown on the big screen while you lounge poolside.
Popcorn is available for $4. The towel station has fuzzy blankets you can borrow if it is a little chilly out.
This is one of my favorite free things to do on a cruise.
5 – Waterslides
Don’t let the fact that you are an adult deture you from taking a turn on the waterslides. Just try not to squeal as badly as I do 🙂
Carnival Waterworks is a free amenity offered on many of their ships and one of the best things to do on a Carnival cruise.
6 – Savor a delicious Carnival chocolate melting cake
If you are cruising on Carnival then you must try their chocolate melting cake. It is warm ooey gooey goodness. You can order this dessert in the main dining room.
7 – Outdoor games
Here are some of the games you can play for free on a Carnival cruise. Keep an eye on the daily FunTimes or the Hub app as sometimes they will have tournaments that you can join in on too.
- Ping pong
- Foosball
- Beanbag toss (corn hole)
- Billiards
- Shuffleboard
- I have seen large chess games on some ships too
8- Fitness Gym
All Carnival cruise ships have a fitness gym that guests 18+ can use at no additional charge. Some ships, like the Vista class ships (Vista, Horizon, Panorama) have an outdoor fitness area by the sports court.
9 – Relax at the Serenity Adult Only Area
The Carnival Serenity area is the perfect place for adult (21+) to relax and read a book. The comfy loungers are so inviting.
10 – Basketball/Volleyball
Shoot some hoops and practice your free throw on most of Carnival’s ships. The basketball court is always a popular area. At different times they will also offer volleyball, pickleball, and even soccer.
11 – Enjoy a burger from Guy’s Burger Joint
Guy’s Burger Joint is available on all of Carnival’s ships and the burgers are seriously delicious! You cannot cruise on Carnival and not try at least one Guy’s burger. Don’t forget to stop at the toppings bar – lots of yummy choices.
12 – Laugh out loud at the comedy club
All of Carnival’s ships feature a comedy club, admission is free of charge. Before venturing in for a comedy show with your kids be sure to check the Fun Times or the HUB app as some of the Carnival comedy shows are family friendly and some are adult only.
13 – Sail Away Party
The sail away deck party is a fun way to start off your cruise vacation.
14 – Soak in one of the ship’s hot tubs
After a fun day of vacationing, soak those muscles.
15 – Start your morning with a breakfast burrito
A breakfast burrito from the Blue Iguana Cantina is the perfect and very yummy way to start your day.
16 – Watch an evening production show
Catching a musical production show is a great free way to spend your evening on your Carnival cruise.
17 – Take a stroll around the promenade deck
This is especially enjoyable in the morning with a tea or coffee or at sunset. Sunrise I’m sure is great too, however, I just can’t ever get up that early.
18 – Enjoy live music on Carnival
Throughout your cruise there will be different types of live music to enjoy. The Fun Times and Carnival HUB app will list who is playing where and when.
19 – Carnival Kids Clubs
A free thing that the kids and teens can enjoy are the Carnival kids clubs. Carnival offers different programs based on the child’s age. All the programs offer age specific activities.
Camp Ocean is Carnival cruise line’s supervised kids club for ages 2-11.
Carnival’s kids club for kids aged 12-14 years old is called Circle C. You can find more detailed information on Carnival Circle C program here.
Carnival Club O2 is the program for teens 15-17 years old.
20 – Ropes course
Several Carnival ships have a ropes course which is a great fun free activity. We especially enjoyed the ropes course on the Carnival Celebration. There was a mini zipline and a plank as part of the course.
The track you see on the left is the zipline portion
Our Printable Cruise Planner and Journal will help you stay organized on your cruise. From cruise planning, to preparing for your cruise as well as remembering your vacation. You can check it out here.
21 – Evening deck parties
Joining in on the fun of an evening cruise ship deck party is another fun free thing to do on a cruise. On our last 7 night Carnival cruise, there were 2 different evening deck parties offered (in addition to the sail away party).
You can read more about the Carnival cruise deck parties here.
22- Watch an ice carving
Watch as a crew member amazingly turns a big block of ice into a beautiful sculpture.
23 – Night Club
ancing and soaking up the atmosphere is free in a Carnival cruise night club, however drinks are not. You have to be 18+ to enter the nightclub, and 21+ to drink there.
24 – Sea Day Brunch
Carnival’s Sea Day Brunch is offered at no additional cost in one of the main dining rooms on, you guessed it, sea days.
This is very popular. We went to the sea day brunch on our Carnival Panorama cruise, there was an almost 2 hour wait. If you are wanting the brunch, check-in (request a table) on the app earlier than you are wanting to eat.
25 – Live game shows
Watch or join in on the fun of giant board games being played in the theatre. On our last cruise vacation, Family Feud was played.
26 – Browse the onboard shops
While not quite as fun as actual shopping, browsing and window shopping can be fun too.
27 – Attend a port talk
Learn all about the stops your cruise will be making including things to do there. Prizes are often given out to a few in attendance.
28 – Ladies spa pamper party
Certain spa products are featured as they offer free applictions of these products. The Carnival Fun Times will give specific information.
29 – Attend a cooking demonstration
Watch for a cooking demonstration to be offered a time or two during your cruise. This is becoming less common as they offer hands on cooking classes now in Carnival Kitchen for a fee, but keep an eye out on the Carnival FunTimes.
30 – Poolside games
Watch or even partake in the fun organized poolside games. These are so fun to watch.
31 – Dance lessons
Attend a dance class or join in on one of the line dances poolside. Cruisers of all ages take part, it is fun to watch, and even more fun to join in.
32 – Attend a health or beauty seminar
The cruise ship spa will offer different health and beauty seminars that are free to attend. However, keep in mind that they are hoping to then sell the produts to you.
33 – Play organized board or card games
The Fun Times or HUB will list the game as well as the time and location it is offered. Some of the games offered when we last sailed on Carnival were Yahtzee, Trivial Pursuit, Scategories, and Jenga. Remember that your sailing will likely be different however this gives you and idea of what could be offered.
34 – Afternoon tea
Carnival’s afternoon tea is usually served in one of the main dining rooms and is included in your cruise fare.
35 – Attend a towel animal folding demonstration
If you want to see how the cabin stewards create those adorable animals out of folded towels, consider attending this demonstration.
36 – Partake in an organized game or tournament.
Bocce, bean bag toss and free throw are just some of the games or tournaments that may be offered on your Carnival cruise.
37 – Karaoke
Show off your vocals or lack there of in a fun karaoke session as your fellow cruisers cheer you on.
I hope this list has given you an idea of some of the free things to do on a Carnival cruise. One of the great things about a cruise is that you can be as busy as you want to be or as relaxed as you want to be.
Remember that amenities and activities can and do vary cruise ship to cruise ship, therefore this is meant only as a guide to show you some of the possible free things to do on a cruise. So, always do your research before booking a cruise.
If you are planning your first Carnival cruise, these articles will be helpful.
Now that we have talked about free things to do on a Carnival cruise, you should also be aware of the extra costs of on a cruise. Which you can find here.
Another important bit of information to know before your first Carnival cruise is the answer to is coffee free on a Carnival cruise.
Happy cruising!