Carnival Festivale is Carnival's newest Excel-class ship, launching in 2026. Expect to budget $150–$350+/person/night for the cabin alone, plus $65–$85/day for CHEERS!, $25.50/day for Premium WiFi, and $17/day in gratuities — totaling $250–$550+/person/day all-in depending on how you cruise.
Photo: Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival keeps announcing new ships and travelers keep asking the same question: what's this actually going to cost me? Festivale is Carnival's latest Excel-class megaship, and while the ship itself is genuinely impressive, the add-on costs follow the same aggressive playbook as Mardi Gras and Jubilee. Here's what you need to know before you book.
Carnival Festivale — What It Is and What It Costs
Festivale is an Excel-class ship, meaning it's in the same family as Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Jubilee. That means BOLT roller coaster, Excel restaurant zones (including Emeril's Kitchen), and the full suite of Carnival's premium-priced add-ons. Base fares vary widely by cabin type, season, and itinerary, but here's a realistic 2025–2026 pricing picture for a 7-night Caribbean sailing:
| Cost Category | Budget Cruiser | Mid-Range Cruiser | Splurge Cruiser |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabin (per person/night) | $120–$160 (Interior) | $180–$250 (Balcony) | $300–$500+ (Suite) |
| CHEERS! Drink Package/day | Skip it | $65–$75 | $75–$85 |
| WiFi/day | $20.40 (Social) | $23.80 (Value) | $25.50 (Premium) |
| Gratuities/day | $17.00 | $17.00 | $19.00 (Suite) |
| Specialty Dining (per meal) | Skip it | $35–$45 | $45+ |
| Estimated Daily Total (pp) | $160–$200 | $285–$375 | $420–$630+ |
All figures are per person. A couple on a 7-night sailing in a balcony cabin with CHEERS! and Premium WiFi can realistically expect to spend $4,000–$6,000 total before shore excursions and shopping.
Photo: Carnival Cruise Line
Key Factors That Drive the Cost on Festivale
Gratuities just went up. As of April 2, 2026, Carnival's standard gratuity is $17/person/day (up from $16), and suite guests pay $19/person/day. The service surcharge on beverages, dining, and spa also increased from 18% to 20%. That 20% is already baked into the CHEERS! package price, but every drink you buy à la carte gets hit with it.
CHEERS! is worth it if you drink — but read the fine print. The CHEERS! Drink Package runs $65–$85/person/day pre-cruise (check your Cruise Planner for your exact sailing price, as it's dynamic). It covers drinks up to $20 per drink — the most generous cap in mainstream cruising. Break-even is roughly 5–6 drinks per day including specialty coffees. Two important gotchas: all adults in the same cabin must purchase it, and it does NOT work at Celebration Key or Half Moon Cay — you pay cash at the private island venues.
WiFi prices jumped in December 2025 with zero notice. Carnival's current pre-cruise WiFi tiers on Festivale (an Excel-class ship with enhanced connectivity):
- Social Plan: $20.40/day (social apps only, no browsing)
- Value Plan: $23.80/day (browsing + email)
- Premium Plan: $25.50/day (streaming + video calls — the one worth paying for)
- Premium Multi-Device: $90/day for up to 4 devices (1 active at a time)
Note: VPNs are not supported on Carnival ships.
Emeril's Kitchen is Festivale-exclusive. As an Excel-class ship, Festivale has Emeril Lagasse's restaurant — cover charge runs around $35/person. The steakhouse runs $45/person. Bonsai Sushi is $20/person, Seafood Shack $22/person. Specialty dining packages are available and typically save 25–47% versus paying per visit.
Photo: Carnival Cruise Line
Practical Tips to Save Real Money on Carnival Festivale
Book CHEERS! in advance through the Cruise Planner. The pre-cruise rate of $65–$85/day beats the onboard walk-up price. Lock it in as soon as it appears in your planner — pricing is dynamic and can increase.
Prepaid gratuities before April 2, 2026 locked in the old rate — that window has passed, but watch for future Carnival gratuity increases and prepay as early as possible next time.
Skip the Multi-Device WiFi plan. At $90/day, it's brutal. Buy two individual Premium plans at $25.50 each ($51/day total) if two people need streaming — it's almost half the price.
Budget $50–$100/person/day for shore excursions separately. Caribbean ports like Cozumel, Nassau, and Grand Turk are easy to do independently for much less than Carnival's organized excursions.
Interior cabins on Excel-class ships are a legitimate value play. With this much to do onboard — BOLT, three pool decks, 20+ dining venues — you're barely in your cabin. A $120/night interior on Festivale might genuinely make more sense than a $250 balcony.
Book directly through Carnival or a travel agent with Carnival access. Carnival's Early Saver and military rates can cut base fares significantly. The CruiseHub booking partner (https://book.cruisehub.com/swift/cruise?referrer=dave&siid=191861) can also help you compare Festivale sailings against other itineraries to find the best value window.
Is Carnival Festivale Worth the Money?
For the right traveler, absolutely. Excel-class ships are genuinely the best product Carnival has ever built — the dining variety, the BOLT coaster, the entertainment zones, and the sheer scale make them competitive with Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class ships at a lower base price point. But the add-ons (CHEERS!, WiFi, gratuities, specialty dining) can easily double or triple your cabin cost. Go in with a full budget number, not just the fare.
Festivale is best for: families who want maximum onboard activity, couples who want to explore the ship more than the ports, and anyone who appreciates a high drink-package cap ($20/drink vs. Royal Caribbean's $14).
Festivale is not ideal for: port-intensive cruisers who want a smaller, more intimate ship experience, or Mediterranean sailings (CHEERS! isn't available there anyway).
Want to run the full numbers on your specific Festivale sailing — cabin type, nights, drinks, WiFi, all of it? Use the CruiseMutiny tool to build your real all-in budget before you book.