Name: Carnival Spirit
Brand: Carnival Cruise Line
Availability: InStock

At a glance

Carnival Spirit is a large-size cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line, in service since 2001. It carries 2,124 guests and 930 crew (2.3 guests per crew member) at 88,500 gross tons. It ties with 4 other ships as the 27th largest of 31 Carnival Cruise Line ships by guest capacity. It is rated 4 out of 5 by Cruiseable and 4.5 out of 5 by Cruise Critic. It has 38 cruises on sale, with lead fares from $303 to $4,248. 31 of its upcoming sailings dropped in price since the previous weekly fare check.

Builder's plate

Specs

Cruiseable: 4 / 5
Cruise Critic: 4.5 / 5

Guests: 2,124
Crew: 930
Gross tons: 88,500
Decks: 12
Length: 963 ft
Beam: 105 ft
Maiden voyage: 2001
Refurbished: 2015
Space ratio: 2.3; Gross tons per guest
Guests per crew: 2.3
IMO: 9188647

Bliss scores

What Carnival Spirit is best at

We have not scored this ship yet. Until we do, its cruises rank neutrally in the app's Bliss search.

Our review

Carnival Spirit: Fun sailings in & around Australia

One of the standbys of the Carnival fleet since 2001, Carnival Spirit has grown into one of Australians' favorite cruise ships. Back in the day, the 2,124-passenger ship introduced a few significant firsts for the cruise line, including specialty restaurants, as the first of four Spirit-class ships. Those ships also boast an appealing configuration with four-fifths of the cabins having ocean views.

After several multimillion-dollar refurbishments in recent years, Carnival Spirit now boasts an aqua park and waterslide, Green Thunder; a 180-foot-long twister that starts with a pulse-pounding, near-vertical drop; the Serenity deck space for an adults-only retreat; a top-deck barbecue venue, and draft beers on tap.

Who will like sailing on Carnival Spirit

Currentlly you'll find a majority of Aussies and a sprinkling of travelers from elsewhere on board looking for a holiday on a fun ship with lots of family activities.

Where Carnival Spirit sails

Home port: Brisbane, Australia

Destinations: Carnival Spirit sails mostly out of Brisbane, Australia, on 4- to 7-night sailings to other parts of Australia (such as Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef) and South Pacific spots such as Papua New Guinea. When the pandemic subsides, the ship may resume its voyages from Australia to Alaska and other places like New Zeland, Tasmania, Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia.

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Head to the BlueIguana Cantina aboard your Carnival cruise for tacos and fresh Mexican cuisine in a casual atmosphere. Putu Oka Sudhamawan / Courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line

Dining on Carnival Spirit

Carnival Spirit features a variety of complimentary dining options for guests, including:

Empire Restaurant, the 1,300-seat, two-deck main dining room, with two fixed dinner seatings or anytime dining. The decor is what you might call "Napoleonic splendor," with crystal chandeliers, gold-trimmed portholes and murals decorating the ceiling domes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner served.
La Playa Grille Lido Buffet Restaurant, a 1,458-seat self-service restaurant on the Lido deck with complimentary food stations; it turns into a dinner bistro in the evenings.
Guy's Burger Joint, the popular Carnival restaurant with some of the best burgers at sea.
BlueIguana Cantina, the Mexican restaurant featuring freshly made salsa, burritos and tacos.
Fat Jimmy's C-Side BBQ serves Black Angus beef sausages, smoked chicken breast, pulled-pork sandwiches, salads, grilled onion rings and the like.

Dining for a fee

Specialty dining on Spirit includes these options:

Nouveau Steakhouse, a 156-seat restaurant serving seafood and prime beef steaks, with live performances on stage. Reservations are required.
Seafood Corner with a menu that includes seafood platters, local prawns, oysters, fresh fish (barramundi, snapper and flounder fresh from Sydney's seafood markets), fish'n'chips, lobster rolls and more.
Bonsai Sushi with a la carte pricing for sushi and sashimi dishes.
Chef's Table, the $90 (AU) per guest celebration of gastronomy, with beautifully prepared courses.

Entertainment & activities

Carnival Spirit is big on trivia, with three to four games with different themes happening on any given day. You'll also find golf chipping competitions, table tennis competitions, family scavenger hunts, along with towel-folding lessons and dance classes. Pop into one of the lectures about port destinations or local culture, given by the cruise director or by a visiting expert. Sushi-making demonstrations take place in the Bonsai Sushi and ticketed wine-and-cheese tastings in the adults-only Serenity area are held at least once per cruise.

In the evening, guests can head to the theater for musical productions or game shows, take part in a karaoke sing-along with a live band, take in a comedian, play a game show and more. The optional theme nights get a lot of passengers to participate, with guests dressed in their best '80s, Mexican or Caribbean garb.

A look at the Vista Suite on Carnival Spirit. Courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line

Staterooms

Carnival Spirit has 1,062 staterooms n 33 grades. Inside cabins (213 of them), Oceanview (167) and Balcony cabins (632) are 185 square feet in size, with Balcony rooms coming with verandas of 40 to 85 square feet). The ship also has 50 Suites and 16 wheelchair-accessible cabins, though no Spa accommodations. Suites include separate sitting areas, refrigerators, whirlpool bathtubs, double sinks and large balconies with two tables, sun loungers and sitting chairs.

Your take

How about you? Have you sailed on Carnival Spirit? We'd like to hear about your experience!

Interested in a cruise on this ship?

For pricing, itinerary information and to reserve your spot on Carnival Spirit, contact a Cruiseable travel consultant by email or by calling 1-877-322-3773.

SEE ALL CARNIVAL SPIRIT SAILINGS

On board highlights

Dreamy destinations Great Barrier Reef
Stage performances Carnival Spirit Theater
Serenity Adult Only Retreat Deck 9

Photos

Inside and out

Destinations 3

Another day in paradise: Fiji's lagoons shimmer in hues of aquamarine, cerulean and turquoise.
A ferry ride from downtown Auckland can take you to Waiheke Island, where life revolves around wine, food, beaches and outdoor adventures.
Cascade Falls on Vanuatu.

Dining 4

Carnival Spirit’s grand Empire Restaurant evokes the elegance of eras past.
Carnival Spirit's expansive Empire Restaurant evokes the elegance of ages past.
Enjoy premium-quality steaks, fresh seafood, salads and gourmet starters at the alternative restaurant Fahrenheit 555 on your Carnival cruise.
For an extra fee, Chef's Table is your chance for a multi-course dinner prepared specially by the executive chef.

On board 10

Head to the BlueIguana Tequila Bar on your Carnival cruise if you like ice-cold cervezas and slushy tequila drinks.
Enjoy a night of gaming at the casino during your Carnival cruise.
Choose your show and laugh out loud at Punchliner Comedy Club, one of the entertainment options during your Carnival sailing.
Enjoy private-label brews, appetizers and upbeat tunes from live musicians at RedFrog Pub on your Carnival cruise.
Get rejuvenated in the spa of the Serenity Adult Only Retreat during your Carnival cruise.
Soak in the relaxing vibe of the Serenity Adult Only Retreat with your significant other during your Carnival sailing.
Frolic in the warm weather at WaterWorks, your Carnival waterpark.
Splish-splash the day away at WaterWorks, Carnival's onboard waterpark.
Have some fun with family members at WaterWorks during your next Carnival cruise.
WaterWorks features the Twister, a huge corkscrew ride, and the enclosed DrainPipe spiral slide on your Carnival cruise.

Staterooms 1

A look at the Vista Suite on Carnival Spirit.

More photos 7

The 2,124-passenger Carnival Spirit sails around Australia and Oceania during America’s winter months and Alaska during the summer.
Sail with Carnival Spirit to beautiful bays an ocean away from home.
Carnival Spirit sails out of Sydney, Australia, and visits ports including Hobart, Port Arthur and Melbourne.
Carnival Spirit at dock in Sydney, Australia.
The Dome Pool, one of four pools you'll find aboard Carnival Splendor.
A look at the theater aboard Carnival Spirit.
Carnival Spirit in Sydney Harbour.