After writing and talking about Carnival Jubilee for what seemed like an eternity, I finally had the chance to meet her in person when we sailed on her inaugural cruise just a few short months ago. During the sailing, I shared tons of video and photos from the ship! The new Currents and Shores Zones, new pizza varieties at Coastal Slice, and of course, all of the new hotdog options at Beach Buns! We created an entire Inaugural Sailing YouTube Playlist dedicated to the Carnival Jubilee – there was just so much to share, including my Carnival Jubilee Full Review.
Post-cruise, we put together our Texas-sized Full Review that included all of the things we Loved, Didn’t Love, and Hated. With over 22k views, it’s our second-most viewed video ever!
What We Loved
There was so much to love about the experience, and it started before we even got on the ship. The investment Galveston has made in the new terminal really shows. The terminal had tons of space and still definitely had that new paint smell. The completely overhauled terminal really made the boarding process a breeze.
Design
Once on board, we couldn’t help but be wow’ed by just how beautiful Carnival Jubilee’s public spaces are! We’ve sailed on both of her sisters Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration each multiple times, and we love how the overall design and flow of the ship is consistent. It feels like “coming home” even though it’s a brand-new ship.
The new zones I mentioned above, The Currents and The Shores are beautifully designed. One of my favorite spaces on the ship is the stairwell outside of Alchemy. In fact, we’ve asked folks to send us selfies in that space we love it so much!
Food
And, of course, like her sisters, we love the food on board Carnival Jubilee. There are so many included options! Chibang, Cucina Del Capitano, Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse Brewhouse, Shaq’s Big Chicken, Street Eats, Coastal Slice, Beach Buns, and all of the classics like Blue Iguana Cantina, Guy’s Burger Joint, JavaBlue, Bonsai Sushi, Bonsai Teppanyaki, and that’s not even all of the options!!
Tip: Don’t forget about the late-night options from 11:30pm-1am (check the Hub app to confirm times) found at Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse Brewhouse on Deck 8 aft.
Drinks
There’s a lot to love about the drinks on board. Inks, PhD is such a fun addition to the ship with lots of tasty drinks, but I think I actually prefer the Golden Mermaid! I had a drink with edible gold flakes – and suddenly felt so much wiser! 😉 Of course, there’s also line favorite Alchemy, along with the new Marina Bar in The Shores Zone. JavaBlue has all of the delicious specialty coffees, milkshakes, and more – and the Carnival Jubilee sets up coffee stations around the ship during busy times.
If you’re not interested in buying drinks, that’s ok, too. Carnival Jubilee has many included options like lemonade, drip coffee, teas, hot chocolate, regular and chocolate milk (buffet), and more. Plus, don’t forget each passenger can bring a 12-pack of soda and adults can also bring a bottle of wine or champagne.
Entertainment
There was always something going on around the ship. While the Center Stage shows in the grand atrium weren’t ready for the inaugural, we got to see multiple stage shows in the Jubilee Theater – including the newest show, Dear Future Husband. Check out our full Carnival Jubilee Entertainment post about all of the entertainment on board.
Everything else we loved
There was just so much to eat, to drink, and to do on board! But there’s still more to love about Carnival Jubilee! I mentioned the beautiful design – in fact, it might be my favorite designed ship of the three sisters. I love how Carnival has created the zones to spread people out – on only very few occasions did it ever feel crowded.
The embark/debark process in each port in each port felt similar. With so many people on board, we always just walked off and walked right back onto the ship. I also loved all of the awesome inaugural season merchandise – I bought more than my fair share!
Finally, I have to shout out the crew on board Carnival Jubilee; absolutely amazing! They made our vacation a truly memorable one. I did some crew shoutouts over on our Instagram. If you’re not following our adventures over there, go check it out.
What we didn’t love… and what we hated
Like any vacation, there’s bound to be some things that don’t go right – or that don’t meet your expectations. The Carnival Jubilee was no exception to this rule. We captured all of the things we didn’t love – and a few that we hated – in our Carnival Jubilee Full Review on YouTube. Hopefully, you won’t experience some of the things we did, but if you do, you’ll be prepared on how to handle them!
Tips and Tricks
In addition to our Full Review, we put together a series of Carnival Jubilee Tips and Tricks to make the most out of your sailing. Check out our Carnival Jubilee Playlist on YouTube for tips and tricks and our other videos – two dozen to date!
Final Thoughts
There’s a LOT to love about Carnival Jubilee. I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to sail on her inaugural cruise – and that I got to see Carnival President Christine Duffy cut the ribbon and welcome the first guests on board.
The Carnival Jubilee certainly holds a special spot in my heart and I hope this gives you just a small preview to what’s in store.
Have you sailed on Carnival Jubilee? Drop a comment below. And if you have any questions, be sure to let us know.