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Ever fancied booking yourself onto one of the cruises from New Orleans? Whether you live close to the port already or you want to explore the vibrant city that is a true melting pot of cultures before you set sail, you have plenty of choices when it comes to cruise lines.

New Orleans might not be a big cruise port like those in Texas or Florida, but you still have some of the biggest ocean cruise lines homeporting there. There are some fascinating river cruise options as well.

Here’s a look at the cruises out of New Orleans that you can book for 2024 and beyond.

Ocean Cruises From New Orleans

The New Orleans cruise port might not be the busiest embarkation option for ocean cruises, but it still hosts some of the biggest cruise lines in the world and a decent choice of ships to suit all tastes.

1. Carnival

Carnival is the ocean cruise line with the biggest presence in New Orleans – there are at least two ships stationed here throughout the year, so there are always Carnival cruises from New Orleans available.

One of those is Carnival Glory, which offers 7-night cruises with a selection of itineraries available. Take your pick from a cruise to Montego Bay, Grand Cayman and Cozumel; a cruise to Roatan, Belize City and Cozumel; or a sailing to Key West, Freeport and Nassau in the Bahamas.

Another option is Carnival Valor, a sister ship to Carnival Glory. She instead offers 4-night and 5-night cruises if you’d prefer a shorter sailing. 4-night cruises sail to Cozumel, with Progreso added on for 5-night sailings.

Finally there’s Carnival Liberty, which is offering 6-night and 7-night cruises from the port, including many that call at Celebration Key, the cruise line’s new private resort.

All three ships are part of the Conquest Class and are almost identical, so your choice between them comes down to itinerary and cruise length only.

Carnival’s ships depart from the Erato Street Terminal in New Orleans.

2. Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Breakaway is one of the newest ocean cruise ships offering cruises out of New Orleans, and Norwegian Cruise Line is definitely a line that offers a similar atmosphere to the party vibe of the city. 

This ship sails out of New Orleans for the winter season from November to April, offering 7-night cruises that explore Costa Maya, Cozumel, Roatan and Belize City. The itinerary remains unchanged through the season, so if you decide NCL is the cruise line for you then it’s just down to which date fits you best. 

Norwegian Breakaway departs from the Julia Street Terminal in New Orleans. I cruised on this ship in 2014 and it was one of my favourites – the water slides are amazing!

Her sister ship, Norwegian Getaway, will offer cruises from New Orleans in 2025. The experience onboard is essentially identical.

3. Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line offers a mix of different cruise itineraries from New Orleans, but only for a limited time of the year. The ships change – Disney Wonder has previously offered cruises leaving from New Orleans, but since the 2023 season it has been Disney Magic.

Cruises are only available between February and April, but there are four different itinerary options to choose from.

• 4-night cruise to Cozumel
• 5-night cruise to Cozumel and Progreso
• 5-night cruise to Costa Maya and Cozumel
• 6-night cruise to Cozumel and George Town

It’s a limited time of the year, but if you live in the New Orleans area, then you can enjoy a taste of that magical experience that Disney provides.

Disney Magic departs from the Erato Street Terminal in New Orleans. Despite being one of the older Disney cruise ships, Disney Magic has a real charm and I absolutely loved my Disney Magic cruise.

4. Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean is the last of the cruise lines out of New Orleans for ocean sailings, and again it is only offering sailings from the port during a limited time window – specifically from November to January.

Royal Caribbean New Orleans cruises are on Brilliance of the Seas, which is one of the older ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet. She doesn’t have as many exciting features as some of the latest vessels, but she still has a lot of fun activities available for families to enjoy.

Various 4-night, 5-night, 7-night and 9-night cruises are available, taking in destinations around Mexico, Honduras and the Caribbean.

Brilliance of the Seas sails from the Julia Street Terminal.

Mississippi River Cruises From New Orleans

Cruising from New Orleans isn’t just about ocean cruising. In fact, some of the best cruises out of New Orleans are river cruises – the city is maybe better known for its Mississippi journeys. Here’s a look at the options available if you’d like to try a New Orleans river cruise.

1. American Cruise Lines

There are a wealth of exciting options available if you want to try an American Cruise Lines sailing, with river cruises available year-round.

You’ll be able to board one of the modern boats that the cruise line offers, including American Melody, American Splendor and American Jazz.

Sailings range from short 4-night breaks that focus more on the area immediately around New Orleans, to epic 21-night cruises all along the Mississippi where you’ll visit New Orleans, Memphis, Winona and more en route to St Paul.

All American Cruise Lines sailings depart from the Thalia Street Wharf. Be aware though, American Cruise Lines cruises are pretty pricey. But, you do get a lot included.

2. Viking River Cruises

Viking River Cruises is famous as one of the world’s biggest river cruise lines, but they have mainly stuck to Europe and Asia. However, since 2022, the cruise line has been offering cruises on the Mississippi, offering 7-night cruises from New Orleans to Memphis year-round. Itineraries continue to be available for 2024 and beyond.

What makes Viking special is the option for some fantastic pre- and post-cruise stays. If you aren’t local to New Orleans, booking a river cruise that includes a couple of nights in the city before you sail, with tailored excursions, will really bring your whole itinerary to life.

Viking’s cruises depart from the Poydras Street Wharf.

There used to be a third river cruise line that sailed out of New Orleans, but in February 2024 it was confirmed that American Queen Voyages had ceased trading.

The Bottom Line

Whether you’re looking for an ocean cruise around the Caribbean and Central America, or you want to discover the thriving culture and amazing history of the Lower Mississippi on a river cruise, there are plenty of cruises leaving from New Orleans for you to take your pick from.

Sure, there may not be as much choice as you would find at Florida’s ports, or if you were sailing from the UK or one of the major Mediterranean cruise ports, but you get to pick from some of ocean cruises’ biggest names, as well as arguably the biggest river cruise line, and some wonderful specialists in American sailings. You won’t be missing out.

Related Posts:

Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me

Formal nights have long been a part of cruise tradition, and despite waning interest from some guests, they do endure on Carnival.

Pretty much every Carnival cruise will have at least one formal night, but it’s good to understand exactly what’s expected – how strict are the rules, what kind of atmosphere should you expect, and what kind of outfit should you make sure you have packed in your suitcase before you travel?

Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about ‘Formal’ night on a Carnival cruise, starting with…

1. They Aren’t Called Formal Nights

Carnival’s formal nights were renamed over 10 years ago to become “Elegant Night”.

It’s the same idea in concept – guests are encouraged to get dressed up, and the night is meant to feel more special. But a lot of guests believe it was given a new name to try to relax the pressure around formal nights so that guests who didn’t want to dress up wouldn’t feel excluded from the celebrations.

So, when you see the nights listed on your cruise schedule as Elegant Night, you know that that’s the formal night(s) for your cruise.

2. There Are 1 or 2 Per Cruise

The only Carnival cruises which don’t have an Elegant Night are 1-day cruises. As long as you’re on the ship for two nights or more, you’ll get to experience one.

There’s one Cruise Elegant evening for any cruise from 2 days to 5 days, while cruises that are 6 days or longer have two Cruise Elegant evenings.

As for when they take place, it will vary. Usually, it’s on the second or third day of your cruise, and then 1-2 days before the final day of your cruise.

On a 4-day cruise, you should expect Elegant Night to be held on the second or third nights, and for a 7-day cruise, it’ll likely be the second night and the fifth or sixth night.

While some cruise lines will try to put their formal nights on sea days, so that guests have more time to get ready, Carnival’s shorter cruises with fewer sea days negate this as an option, so your Elegant Night could happen on a day when the ship is in port.

3. Elegant Night Is Not Mandatory

You absolutely do not have to take part in Elegant Night if you don’t want to. If you’re someone who hates the idea of getting dressed up, then you can just avoid the whole Elegant Night experience. It’s not like there’s a dress code that applies to the whole ship.

If you want to really relax and enjoy your typical casual attire, then the best place to go is the buffet restaurant, where you will find that the night feels just like the rest of your cruise. Don’t panic about what to wear if you would rather just keep it casual.

4. Speciality Restaurants Are Cruise Casual

For the most part, the speciality restaurants onboard your Carnival ship will remain as Cruise Casual even during the Elegant Night celebrations. The Main Dining Room is where most people will be donning their formal wear, so you could book a speciality restaurant meal if you’d rather stick to your usual attire.

Some restaurants may have a couple of additional rules around not wearing shorts, but you’ll be told these when you make your booking and it’s still a very simple dress code that is easy to abide by.

5. You Should Avoid Anything Too Casual

The recommended dress code for your formal dinner on Elegant Night is for men to wear dress slacks with a shirt and sports coat, or women to wear cocktail dresses, pantsuits, or a skirt and blouse. 

This is the recommended dress code only though, so if you want to wear jeans and a polo shirt then you should be fine. You might get judged by some of your other cruise guests, but most of them won’t bat an eyelid or even notice what you’re wearing.

6. Not Everyone Dresses Up – But Some Make a Real Effort

There’s a real mix of people on Carnival’s Elegant Nights – some people who follow the dress code, some who take it to another level by donning a suit with tie, tuxedo or full evening gown, and some who don’t stick to the recommended dress code but will at least put on a full-length pair of trousers and a collared polo shirt.

If you’re one of those who really wants to make an effort then by all means go for it, but you’ll likely be in the minority. Most people will be in the recommended dress code, or a slight step down. The black-tie and evening gown crowd is shrinking all the time.

7. You Could Be Refused Service… But It’s Very Unlikely

There are technically some tighter rules on the dress code for Carnival’s Elegant Nights, and if you flaunt these then you might be refused service in the Main Dining Room, and asked to eat elsewhere. You should definitely avoid wearing cut-off jeans, sleeveless shirts, t-shirts, baseball hats, bathing suits and flip-flops.

You don’t have to quite go all-out with the formal dining wear, but as long as you avoid these banned items, you won’t have any issues.

Even if you did turn up wearing tailored shorts and a simple t-shirt without a slogan, it’s unlikely the crew will turn you away. But the other guests may be less impressed with you.

8. You’ll Enjoy an Enhanced Menu

The menu for Elegant Night on a Carnival cruise will offer a selection of different options compared to a regular evening, with slightly higher quality dishes available.

However, not everything is included – there will still be a Steakhouse Selection of dishes that have an additional charge associated with them, just like at regular dinners.

And the appetizers and desserts may only include one or two special options, with the rest being similar to those in rotation with regular dinner menus too.

9. The Atmosphere Is Sophisticated But Relaxed Too

The idea of Carnival’s Elegant Nights is to enjoy a night of sophistication. However, it’s not supposed to be super-formal, the kind of night where you’re always worrying about etiquette or anything like that.

There will be a lot of guests who view it just as another night in the Main Dining Room, and nothing particularly special. So there’s still a relaxed atmosphere that you can enjoy. It’s not a night where you’re performing, and the crew are still looking to make sure you enjoy yourself.

It’s not a stuffy vibe at all. Some guests might have a little bit of an attitude over others who are ‘flaunting’ the dress code, but there are now enough people who aim for a more smart/casual style that you’re unlikely to hear any snide remarks or anything like that, since those who care are in a tiny minority.

10. There Are No Hard Rules On Kids’ Attire

The dress codes for Carnival’s Elegant Nights only dictate what the recommended attire is for men and women. If you’re planning on dining with your kids during the Elegant Night celebrations, don’t worry too much about finding a really formal outfit for them.

Most children and teenagers will enjoy getting a little bit dressed up alongside their parents, so feel free to put them in dresses or trousers. But don’t fret over what kind of shoes they’re wearing – trainers will be fine.

And if they want to wear a t-shirt and shorts, nobody is going to complain. Stick to the main basic rules of no swimwear and no flip-flops and you won’t have an issue.

Alternatively, sometimes the kids can go and dine in the buffet with their friends as part of the kids’ club, in their own special area, while the adults enjoy Elegant Night – one to ask about, if you think they’d prefer that.

11. You May Get Your Photo With The Captain

Carnival’s website reminds guests to say cheese when they get their photo taken with the Captain on Elegant Night. It doesn’t always happen though, and it’s becoming more of a rarity. So, make sure you snap up (geddit?) the chance to get your photo taken with the Captain while you’re in your Elegant Night attire, as you might not get that opportunity again.

Suggested read: What is the Captain’s Dinner on a Carnival Cruise?

Final Word

Elegant Nights on Carnival are generally very relaxed affairs, and you don’t need to panic about putting on your very best outfits if you’d rather leave them at home. Avoid the absolute no-nos, like swimwear and shorts, but even if you wear smart-looking jeans you’ll be absolutely fine.

And if the whole concept of formal dining makes you uncomfortable, just head to another venue on the ship for your dinner and your evening’s entertainment. There will be plenty of others doing exactly the same, so you won’t feel like you’re missing out.

Related Posts:

Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me

The backbone of any Carnival cruise is the cruise director. The most visible member of the crew, their job is to ensure that each cruise runs smoothly and that every guest enjoys an unforgettable experience.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at the role of the cruise director on Carnival ships and highlight the key dates that each of the Carnival Cruise Directors are scheduled to work.

And if you want to keep up-to-date with the schedule of your favourite cruise directors, you’ll find some handy links to their social media pages here too.

Carnival Cruise Director Schedule

So, who are the cruise directors on Carnival cruise ships, and when are they scheduled to work? Well, Carnival Cruise Line has released its cruise director schedule that you can check ahead of your cruise to find out.

The following schedule is subject to change. Please click here to double-check the latest information.

Carnival Breeze Cruise Directors

The Cruise Director schedule for Carnival Breeze for the next few months has been set. On January 11th, Lawrence West took charge of the ship’s entertainment for now, until April 8th, 2024. Andrew Mercer was then due to be onboard, but plans have now changed, and it’s Keegan Van Zyl who’ll take over between April and June when Felipe Serrina Do Couto boards for most of the latter half of the year. Keegan is a lot of fun and had a great two weeks covering Kyndall Fire last year on Mardi Gras.

Carnival Celebration Cruise Directors

The Carnival Celebration cruise director schedule has finally cleared up after a month or two of confusion.

Louie Clare is on the ship now and will remain onboard until 10 March. Lee Mason will then be back from 10th March until July 2024, and then Marty Pitts will join the ship.

Carnival Conquest Cruise Directors

The Carnival Conquest has some fantastic Cruise Directors onboard. Robby Howell joined the ship in October 2023 and will be onboard through the New Year. Stjepan Neral then takes over from February through to May, and then Savannah Mitchell will then be in charge of the entertainment until October 2024.

These talented Cruise Directors are sure to make the cruise experience unforgettable for all guests!

Carnival Dream Cruise Directors

Get ready to experience the dream vacation of a lifetime with the talented Cruise Directors onboard the Carnival Dream!

On November 4th, Tyler Meehan retook his place on the stage until February 18th, 2024. Andrew Mercer is then expected to lead the way until June – it’s not clear yet who’ll take over after this.

With their exceptional personalities, these Cruise Directors are sure to bring a smile to every passenger’s face and make the cruise an unforgettable experience!

Carnival Elation Cruise Directors

You can expect some fantastic Cruise Directors on the Carnival Elation.

On January 13th, Zackary Paiement-Dockrill joined the ship and will remain onboard until April 15th, 2024, and he’s set to take over again after a month. But in that intermediary period, Gabriel Coppolla will be back onboard once more, having been on the ship for New Year.

With their exceptional interpersonal skills and passion for creating memorable experiences, these Cruise Directors are sure to bring joy and excitement to all passengers on the Carnival Elation.

Carnival Freedom Cruise Directors

The Carnival Freedom brings some fantastic Cruise Directors along for the ride! Todd Evans has been running all the fun onboard since November, and he’ll carry it throughout the holiday season. Erin Weigand then joins the ship on February 12th until June 17th, 2024.

However the schedule got a little messy with the latest update, as Todd will apparently rejoin in March until July as well, and then come back onboard in September until January 2025. It’ll get cleared up soon, and as soon as it does I’ll give you all the updates.

With their infectious energy and ability to create fun-filled experiences, these Cruise Directors are guaranteed to bring a smile to every passenger’s face and make the cruise an unforgettable adventure.

Carnival Glory Cruise Directors

The Carnival Glory is about to embark on a journey filled with fun and adventure, and there’s a truly exceptional Cruise Director leading the team!

Cam Chavis joined the ship in January 2024, and he’s well-loved for his warmth and energy. He was scheduled to be on the ship until May, but that’s now TBC.

With his unique personality and passion for creating unforgettable experiences, this Cruise Director is sure to make the Carnival Glory cruise one to remember!

Carnival Horizon Cruise Directors

The Carnival Horizon Cruise Director schedule has been reshuffled a little in recent times. Georgia Craig came onboard in November and was hosting the show until early December. Joseph Boyes then joined the ship, remaining until the end of January. At that stage, Georgia returned and will stay on the ship until November, though she will have a break from May to July – replacement TBC.

The infectious energy of Georgia is sure to wow all guests!

Carnival Jubilee Cruise Directors

The cruise director for the debuting Carnival Jubilee has been announced, and it’s the very popular Kyndall Fire who has managed to snag the role! Cruise directors love to take on new ships and Kyndall will do an excellent job of welcoming guests to this amazing vessel.

In the updated line-up, Louie Clare has been added for a run from March to May to give Kyndall a break, though she will return. Louie will then come back onto the ship towards the end of the year.

Carnival Legend Cruise Directors

Get ready for a legendary experience on the Carnival Legend with its fantastic Cruise Directors!

On January 7th, 2024, the energetic Dustin Gabriel took over the role of CD on the ship. The hilarious Jake Miller takes over on May 23rd, and is due to remain on the ship until November.

Guests just can’t get enough of these Cruise Directors, who have a reputation for creating unforgettable experiences and leaving a lasting impression with their warm personalities and passion for entertaining.

Carnival Liberty Cruise Directors

Adam Gilbert is the current Cruise Director on Carnival Liberty. He loves cruising, and always brings huge amounts of fun to every sailing. He’s due to remain on the ship until early June – originally his replacement was scheduled to be Jasper Wade but that’s been taken off the schedule for now.

Carnival Luminosa Cruise Directors

If you’re planning on sailing on the Carnival Luminosa soon, you’re in for a treat when it comes to the cruise directors.

Rainier Scholtz is the current Cruise Director on the ship, having joined in mid-November. He’s running the show until late March. Tyler Meehan then joins the ship to run all your entertainment, before the excellent Marty Pitts gets his turn keeping the Luminosa guests happy, starting in July. He’ll stay onboard until mid-October.

Carnival Magic Cruise Directors

If you’re setting sail on Carnival Magic in the near future, you’ll be in good hands. On January 13th, 2024, Jake Miller replaced Michael D’Auria as the cruise director, and he’ll be on the ship right until May 19th, 2024. He’ll then have a break before returning in July.

With such engaging and experienced cruise director, your time on the Carnival Magic is sure to be a memorable and fun-filled adventure.

Mardi Gras Cruise Directors

The Mardi Gras has an exciting lineup of cruise directors set to take the stage.

According to Carnival’s latest cruise director schedule, TJ Pardita will be onboard from January 27th until May.

Jacky Tang is then back from May until July – he had covered the Christmas/NY season – and then TJ rejoins the ship once more.

With such an engaging and talented pair of cruise directors, guests are sure to have a blast on the Mardi Gras this year.

Carnival Miracle Cruise Directors

The Carnival Miracle has a talented set of cruise directors in the 2024 schedule.

Felipe Serrina Do Couto took over from late November right up to March 26th, 2024. Felipe is excellent, and guests over the next few months will love him.

Then, Lia Stivers has been announced as the replacement, joining the ship until July. She’s a lot of fun and will make sure every guests has an amazing cruise.

Carnival Panorama Cruise Directors

The Carnival Panorama is set to have an amazing team of cruise directors on board.

Gerry Berrones joined the lineup in October and was due to remain in place until early January, but he’s now moved to Carnival Glory. His replacement was Christian ‘Deon’ Williams who joined on December 30th and will be onboard until June 2nd, 2024 – he’d already spent a lot of time on the ship in 2023.

Carnival Paradise Cruise Directors

The Carnival Paradise is all set to have a blast with their upcoming Cruise Directors in 2024.

The charismatic John Loney will remains onboard until February 19th, 2024 when Amber Celen retakes the role until the first half of 2024 – she was on the ship earlier in 2023. John then returns in June and is currently scheduled to be on the ship until August.

These top-class Cruise Directors are sure to make the Carnival Paradise experience an unforgettable one for all those on board.

Carnival Pride Cruise Directors

The Carnival Pride is all set to have amazing Cruise Directors in 2024.

Christian Matthieu is the current director, having joined the ship at the end of 2023. He’ll be on-board until mid-February, with Jasper Wade then taking over and ensuring guests have an amazing cruise right through until June.

With such a dynamic team, passengers on the Carnival Pride can look forward to an exciting and unforgettable experience.

Carnival Radiance Cruise Directors

On the Carnival Radiance, William “Paully” Munhollon joined the ship in January and is currently scheduled to remain onboard until March.

Michael D’Auria has been announced now as his replacement – he will join the ship until July.

Carnival Spirit Cruise Directors

The Carnival Spirit is all set to have an incredible team of Cruise Directors in 2024.

Alex Siegler came onboard on November 25th, 2023 until February 17th, 2024. He’ll then have a break before returning in March through July. We now know that Ricardo Alfonso Betancourt Lopez is the CD who’ll be running things in the interim.

With such a dynamic team, passengers on the Carnival Spirit can look forward to an unforgettable and lively cruising experience.

Carnival Splendor Cruise Directors

The Carnival Splendor is also set to have a fantastic Cruise Directors throughout the end of 2023 and into 2024.

Savannah Mitchell is a natural entertainer who knows how to get the party started. She’s already worked on the ship into 2023, taking a short break from August 10th, 2023, and then returning on November 9th, 2023, to keep the fun going with her infectious energy right up until March 2024. Simon London will have boarded by then, and will run the entertainment on the ship until July.

Carnival Sunrise Cruise Directors

The Sunrise has an impressive roster of cruise directors in 2024 to ensure that Carnival cruisers have an amazing time at sea. This is another ship that’s had a schedule shuffle in recent times, though. Thankfully, while it was a bit unclear, it has now been resolved.

Leon Smith joined the ship late in February, and he’s due to stay until May when Gabriel Coppolla comes onboard. He’ll work through August, before taking a break and then returning in September.

Carnival Sunshine Cruise Directors

If you’re sailing on Carnival Sunshine, you’ve got some great Cruise Directors to look forward to.

James Love is the main man – he was onboard from October 2023 until recently, with a two month break now before he returns in April to cover the summer season.

Elizabeth Clough is now in charge for February and March, bringing a ton of fun for guests during this time.

Carnival Valor Cruise Directors

We can expect to see a real mix of cruise directors on Carnival Valor. The hilarious and charismatic Austin Morris joined the ship in early January and will remain onboard until April. Louie Claire will join the lineup in June until September 2024 – and we now know that John Loney will be in charge of those interim months from April until June.

Carnival Venezia Cruise Directors

One of Carnival’s newest ships, Carnival Venezia made her debut on June 15th, 2023. This ship joined the fleet after a refurbishment from when she sailed for Costa Cruises as Costa Venezia.

The cruise director for Carnival Venezia currently is the incomparable Marq Anthony who returned to the ship until March 2024.

Marq will take a break – Jacky Tang will be his replacement – before rejoining in May until early September. Lee Mason then takes over right up until January 2025.

Carnival Vista Cruise Directors

The friendly and cheerful Marty Pitts is running the show on Carnival Vista for the next few months – he’ll be on the ship until June.

Cruise Directors on Social Media

Many of the Carnival cruise directors are active on social media and following your favourite directors on Facebook can be a great way to see what they’re up to.

With that in mind, here are links to the Facebook and Instagram pages of some of Carnival’s most popular cruise directors:

FAQs About Carnival Cruise Directors?

Related Posts:

Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me

Whether you were hoping to sneak drugs onto your cruise with you (don’t…) or you’ve got a phobia of dogs, you might want to know more about whether cruise ships and cruise ports use dogs to check for drugs on a regular basis.

Dogs are some of the best tools that police and port authorities have for finding drugs – so how widely used are they?

In this guide, I’ll take you through everything you need to know about drugs sniffing dogs and cruises.

Are there drug dogs at cruise ports?

Drug dogs are used at some cruise ports, but not all. They are most commonly seen at ports in the US, Mexico, the Caribbean and Australia, but in Europe and Asia, they don’t tend to be used very often.

Typically sniffer dogs don’t tend to go near passengers though, they are more used for luggage. If the port authorities suspect that someone is carrying drugs then they may do a walk around with one of the dogs, but usually, the dogs are left to check bags instead.

That’s good news if you’re travelling with someone who is scared of dogs, but don’t assume that means you can get drugs onto the ship by carrying them on your person. If you’re found carrying drugs at the port, you’ll have them confiscated without reimbursement. And if it’s something harder than medical marijuana, expect to be arrested, and you won’t be boarding the ship.

Read more: The Things You Can & Can’t Take On A Cruise Ship

Are there drug dogs on cruise ships?

Drug dogs are not kept on ships, but if a passenger is suspected of having brought drugs onto a ship then some cruise lines will bring drug sniffer dogs onboard to help find the passenger in question. Random searches of the ship can also be used on some occasions.

There may be times when someone successfully brings weed onto their cruise ship and thinks they can then get away with smoking it in their cabin, or more likely on their balcony. But usually, someone can still smell it – whether that’s a crew member or a concerned passenger.

When that happens and it is reported, the cruise line may bring drug dogs onto the ship at the next possible port to find the culprit and make sure the drugs are removed, and the passenger potentially disembarked.

But drug dogs don’t sail on the ships – they would only be brought onboard for a quick search while at a port. Once they’d identified a room, the guest would then be able to admit to the drugs or have their room searched by the dog and handler.

Read more: Do Cruise Ships Have Police? How Crime is Dealt With at Sea

Does Carnival Cruise Line use drug dogs?

Carnival Cruise Line is one of the cruise lines that frequently uses narcotics-sniffing dogs to identify passengers trying to sneak drugs onto their cruise ship. The dogs are mentioned in the cruise line’s policy, including potential searches at foreign ports.

Carnival won’t just search guests at their home port – many cruises go to places where drugs can be bought in the port, and so the cruise line works with port authorities in these destinations to find anyone breaking the rules.

According to the cruise line’s policy, anyone found with illegal drugs will be denied boarding and won’t be offered any compensation or refunds, and the local authorities may also carry out other actions.

Carnival will scale its use of narcotics-sniffing dogs up and down, depending on the likelihood of drugs being used. The cruise line has stated that it brings more dogs into ports for Spring Break in the US and that random searches may be carried out.

And in 2023, the company reiterated its stance on drugs and committed to using sniffer dogs more.

According to Captain Andrea Catalani, “We are employing narcotic dogs in various locations. So, if you see Cucciolo or one of his colleagues at the terminal, at the destination port, or onboard, please do not interfere.”

Here’s a photo of Carnival ambassador John Heald with one of the working dogs on board Carnival Horizon…

Does Royal Caribbean have drug dogs?

Royal Caribbean does sometimes use drug dogs to identify passengers carrying illegal substances. The dogs may be used at the home port, foreign ports or on the ship if someone is suspected of possessing drugs.

Royal Caribbean’s Guest Conduct Policy clearly states that drugs are not permitted on the ship and that guests will be reported to local authorities, and may be prohibited from reboarding the ship. While the policy doesn’t mention dogs specifically, there has been evidence of the line using dogs from local ports.

Does Port Canaveral have drug dogs?

Port Canaveral does use drug-sniffing dogs to identify passengers who may be carrying illegal narcotics on them before they sail. US Customs and Border Patrol work with the port authorities to carry out checks using sniffer dogs to make sure drugs are not taken on cruises.

It’s not just a scare tactic made up to stop people bringing drugs onboard – luggage and people can be checked by drug sniffer dogs at Port Canaveral and arrests have been made in the past.

Does Miami cruise port have drug dogs?

The Port of Miami does use drug dogs to check passengers’ luggage and, if someone is suspected of carrying drugs, the dogs may walk down the line of passengers in the terminal. Anyone attempting to smuggle drugs on board at Miami will be arrested.

American ports are typically very strict on checking for drugs, so don’t take the risk. Miami will often check you, and you have a high likelihood of getting caught.

Final word

You might think that you can sneak drugs onto a cruise, but if you’re at a port where there are sniffer dogs being utilised, you may be in for a lot of trouble. And even if you got the drugs past the checks at your embarkation port, you could be searched on the ship if you raise suspicion.

Don’t risk taking drugs onto your cruise – if the dogs catch you, you face massive financial losses (no cruise refund!) and you could end up in jail. It’s not worth it.

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

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Whenever I cruise with certain cruise lines, I get up to $250 to spend onboard. And it’s not because of this website or my emails with the best cruise deals. It’s because I’m a shareholder.

In this guide, I’ll explain what it means to be a cruise shareholder, what the perks are of holding stocks and shares in cruise lines, and where you can buy your own shares if you want to.

Why Buy Cruise Stock?

Buying cruise stock can be a good way to invest your money if you believe that the cruise line’s value will grow, but it also gives you perks when you cruise with that company.

Those cruise perks are usually free onboard credit to enjoy with your cruise. You can claim this perk every time you cruise; it’s not a one-off benefit. 

Depending on which shares you buy, you might be able to enjoy those perks across several different cruise lines.

So, you can quickly earn back the cost of your share investment just by cruising multiple times. I’ve invested in Carnival shares, and I’ve already earned back the amount I paid for the shares in on-board spend with my cruises with P&O Cruises.

It didn’t take long, and I still have the shares too.

While investing in cruise shares could be a way of earning money, if the cruise line was to grow in value, you have to remember that the value could drop too – but you will at least get that onboard credit amount every time you sail.

Do You Get a Discount On a Cruise If You Own Stock?

You won’t get a discount on a cruise if you own stock in the company – you do still have to pay full price. However, you will technically get a discount on the total cost of your cruise, since you’ll earn free onboard spend to put towards your drinks, your speciality dining or other parts of your cruise on the ship.

Cruise Lines That Offer Cruise Stock Perks

Let’s take a look at each cruise company that offers stock perks, how much you can get on each sailing, and which cruise lines it covers.

1. Royal Caribbean Group (RCL)

If you own at least 100 shares in the Royal Caribbean Group, you can enjoy shareholder perks of onboard credit every time you sail.

Royal Caribbean Group shares give you onboard credit with:

• Royal Caribbean International
• Celebrity Cruises
• Silversea Cruises

There are a couple of exceptions – you won’t get the credit if the ship is chartered, and it doesn’t apply on cruises to the Galapagos Islands.

As a guideline only, the Royal Caribbean Group’s share price between October and December 2023 had a low price of $81.87 and a high of $129.97, so you would’ve paid between $8,187 and $12,997 to acquire the 100 shares necessary to qualify.

The price will have changed so check the latest share price when you are purchasing.

Read more about the Royal Caribbean shareholder benefits:

2. Carnival Corporation (CCL or CUK)

If you own at least 100 shares in Carnival Corporation & PLC, you can enjoy shareholder perks every time you sail.

Exactly how much you get depends on the brand you’re sailing with, and where you are cruising, as the ships have different onboard currencies.

Carnival Corporation shares give you onboard credit with:

• Carnival Cruise Line
• Princess Cruises
• P&O Cruises
• P&O Australia
• Holland America Line
• Seabourn
• Cunard
• Costa Cruises
• AIDA Cruises

As a guideline only, the Carnival Corporation & PLC’s share price between October and December 2023 had a low price of $11.08 and a high of $19.22, so you would’ve paid between $1,108 and $1,922 to acquire the 100 shares necessary to qualify.

The price will have changed so check the latest share price when you are purchasing.

Note that Carnival has two stocks – CCL and CUK. CCL is under the New York Stock Exchange and CUK is under the London Stock Exchange. You can buy either and receive the exact same on-board credit. The Motley Fool advises that you should buy the cheapest one.

Read more about the Carnival Corporation & PLC shareholder benefits:

3. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH)

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has the same offer – as long as you own 100 shares in the company, you’ll enjoy onboard spending on any cruise line under that umbrella.

NCL shares give you onboard credit with:

• Norwegian Cruise Line
• Oceania Cruises
• Regent Seven Seas Cruises

As a guideline only, the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings share price between October and December 2023 had a low price of $12.76 and a high of $20.95, so you would’ve paid between $1,276 and $2,095 to acquire the 100 shares necessary to qualify.

The price will have changed so check the latest price when you are purchasing.

Read more: NCL Shareholder Benefits Explained

Where to Buy Cruise Stock

To buy stock in a cruise line, you’ll typically need to use a stockbroker. These can either be a human, who can talk to you about your options, or it can just be an online platform.

There will be fees involved with either approach, but using an online platform tends to be cheaper.

I can’t tell you which is the best option, because I haven’t used them all. But I used a platform called eToro to buy my shares in Carnival and I had no problems.

(eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.)

I chose it because it’s one of the most popular platforms – it has over 20 million registered users – and the reviews are mainly very positive. There are low fees for buying shares, too. Overall, I was really happy with the experience.

Claiming Cruise Stock Perks

How you actually claim your perks varies depending on your cruise line, but it’s usually pretty easy.

Claiming Royal Caribbean Group Shareholder Perks

You can claim your free onboard credit using a simple online platform. Make sure you have details of your shares and your cruise booking to hand, and fill in the form three weeks before your cruise, or earlier.

Claiming Carnival Shareholder Perks

To claim your shareholder perks on a cruise line owned by Carnival, you’ll need to download an app called Stockperks – it’s available on Android and iOS.

Follow the instructions on the app to claim your onboard credit. Make sure you put your claim in at least four weeks before your cruise. You can’t do it too soon though. I tried to submit mine 5 months before and I got this message…

Claiming Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Shareholder Perks

To claim your onboard credit with an NCLH cruise line, you’ll need to download this form and then email it to one of the following addresses:

Make sure you get your request in at least 15 days before you sail – though I’d suggest putting the claim in sooner than that.

Disclaimer

I’ve mentioned this briefly already, but for absolute clarity, nothing in this guide constitutes financial advice. I’m not a qualified financial advisor. If you decide to buy shares in any of the cruise lines in this guide, you should be prepared for the fact that you could lose your investment.

Hopefully, you won’t, but I have to state that. Investing in Carnival was my own personal choice and I know that there’s a chance I could lose that money, although like I say, I’ve already earned back the value in onboard credit anyway.

Final Word

Investing in cruise line shares isn’t for everybody – not everyone has the funds available to buy 100 shares in their preferred cruise line, and there’s a risk involved when you do.

But if you decide that you want to, it’s good to know about these perks you can enjoy, and how to claim them. It’s great that you get them on every cruise too, so if you do sail with one cruise line regularly, you can enjoy a lot of free onboard credit while you’re a shareholder. Enjoy it!

Related Posts:

Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me