Our First Carnival Adventure
After four cruises in 2025, a bad case of the post‑cruise blues saw us take a chance on Carnival Cruise Line for the first time. We had some room in our calendar, and our three‑night cruise from Sydney was, on paper, a bargain.
We’d seen plenty of negative reviews of Carnival Cruise Line in the past—and of the old P&O Adventure and Encounter—but we wanted to see what it was like for ourselves.
Waiting to board at White Bay cruise terminal
Having never sailed with a mainstream line before, we went in with very low expectations. But we paid our money, booked flights from Melbourne to Sydney, and rolled the dice.
We had sailed on Crown Princess in the past, we had a rough idea of what to expect, as Adventure is the same class of ship, albeit slightly older. Getting to White Bay Cruise Terminal was easy—it was a short rideshare trip from the airport—so much so that we arrived more than 90 minutes before our scheduled boarding time. Despite that, we were on board in no time at all.
The ship was instantly familiar, but also different. She had the feel of a Princess ship, but one that had been on the Red Bulls! She was much livelier, with a noticeably younger demographic—but we digress.
After boarding, we headed to the buffet, assuming that being among the first groups on board meant we’d beat the crowds. The Pantry, as it’s called, had just begun lunch service and was relatively empty. We grabbed a table, headed for the food, and braced ourselves.
Vegetarian Indian selection at Angelo’s
We’re not massive fans of cruise ship buffets, as they can be very hit‑and‑miss, but we were surprised by The Pantry—in the most positive way.
We made a point of trying as much as we could on our short voyage, dining in all three main dining rooms (Waterfront, Angelo’s, and Dragon Lady), Luke’s Burger Bar, and grabbing the free pizza at Trattoria. Either the reviews were all wrong, or Carnival Australia has been listening and taken the feedback on board, because the food was consistently good.
Sure, there was the occasional dish that was warm instead of hot, but we can forgive that when it’s the exception rather than the rule. Food: 7.5/10.
Our cabin was decent—dated (she is 25 years old)—but clean, comfortable, and with more than enough room for the two of us. The balcony railings could have used a sand and varnish, and the outdoor table had seen better days, but these weren’t major issues. Accommodation: 7/10.
The ship herself is a bit of an oddity. She has the DNA of a Princess ship, some P&O emotional baggage, and is wrapped in Carnival dressing. For some she’s not “Carnival enough,” for others she’s not “P&O enough.” Hopefully her upcoming dry dock will see her transition fully into a Carnival Cruise Line ship and give her the TLC she needs. A lick of paint here and there and some much‑needed maintenance, and she’ll be fine. Ship overall: 6.5/10.
The staff we met on board were all highly professional and courteous. The entertainment team was great, and overall we had a genuinely fun time.
Base a ship in Melbourne and we’d be regulars—they offer a cheap alternative to the premium lines we usually sail with, and it’s a solid, fun product at an unbeatable price.
Call us pleasantly surprised!
Click here for photos from this cruise
See our Carnival Adventure ship tour here