An essential part of your Carnival vacation will be the Carnival Hub app. You’ll want to install this app as soon as you’ve booked your cruise because there’s so much it can do. Many of it’s features won’t be available until you’re onboard the ship. But, there’s still a lot of functionality to help you plan your vacation.
The Carnival Hub app is your personal concierge onboard the ship. It can help you make dinner reservations or check-in for Your Time Dining. Or you can use it to find an open bar or preview the dinner menu. Download the app from the Google Play store for android or the Apple App store for iOs.
How to Use the Carnival Hub App
You can start using the app as soon as you’ve booked your vacation. But, you won’t have access to most of the features until you’re on the ship. So even if it seems basic at first, don’t worry; the app has a lot to offer during your vacation. So plan on keeping it on your phone until your trip is over.
Before you board the ship, you can use the app to see your schedule, make reservations for special restaurants, and save seats for shows and entertainment. However, when I went on the Carnival Valor, we couldn’t reserve show tickets in advance, most likely due to the size of the ship. But don’t worry, there were always enough seats for everyone at the shows. But if you’re sailing on a ship that does require reservations for shows, you’ll want to grab your tickets as soon as you’re able.
1. You can count down the days until embarkation
The moment you log into the app for the first time, there’s something you can’t miss – the cruise countdown clock. It proudly sits at the top of the main screen, and it’s like your personal anticipation partner. This countdown clock isn’t just about counting down days; it’s the whole package. It shows you not only the days but also the hours and minutes remaining until your adventure at sea begins.
Every time you open the app, you’ll see those numbers ticking down, and it’s like a little dose of excitement each time. It’s a reminder that your cruise is getting closer and closer, and that’s just the kind of thrill that makes your vacation all the more special. So, with each glance at that countdown clock, you’re getting more and more pumped for the fantastic journey ahead!
2. You can complete your safety drill
The days of lining up next to the life boats with your life jacket clutched in your hands are long gone. On Carnival you can do the safety drill at your own pace. You need to physically check-in at your assigned muster station, so you know where it’s at in an emergency.
You’ll also be asked to view a safety video, but you can go back to your stateroom to do it. The video is available in the Carnival Hub app and also on your stateroom television. In fact, your TV will be tuned to the safety video the first time you enter your cabin.
3. You can find onboard activities
Every day on a cruise ship, a daily newsletter is created that lists out everything happening onboard. We would read this newsletter from cover to cover, excited to see what activities we could take part in. But, only one person in the cabin could read it at a time. And once you’d read it, you had to try to remember the activities that interested you. What time they were happening. And where you’d need to go to participate. In other words, it was very old school.
Then, a few years ago, Carnival eliminated the paper newsletter and put the activity guide in the app. The benefit to cruisers is that they can view the guide on their phone now. No more waiting your turn for the single copy left in your stateroom!\
When the newsletter went digital, the experience was enhanced by letting passengers favorite the activities they’re interested in. This allows those events to be highlighted in the app with a little heart to indicate it’s one of your favorites. If you have notifications enabled for the app, you’ll also receive an alert when one of your favorite activities is about to start.
Even though there’s more functionality in the Carnival Hub app, many cruisers missed the traditional newsletter. In fact, Carnival decided to bring back the physical edition in February 2023 due to all the complaints they received about only having the digital version.
4. You can see the daily weather forecast
A key part of every cruise is the weather. And knowing what to expect weather-wise is very helpful. If it’s going to be sunny and warm, you may want to wake up early so you can grab a deck chair. But if it’s going to rain all-day, you may want to sleep in.
You can check the forecast for your entire cruise before embarkation, but the weather forecast could change. Having access to the forecast through the app ensures you’ve always got the most up-to-date forecast.
5. You can find the ship’s time in the Carnival Hub app
When you hop on a plane to travel to a new city, you expect to adjust your clocks to match your destination’s time zone. It’s a simple transition that everyone on the plane has to make. And everyone understands that the time may change when you travel to a new location. But cruise ships move to a new location every day, which means it’s possible for the ship to move through multiple time zones in a single 24 hour period. So, ship’s operate on what is known as ship’s time.
Ship’s time is the current time using the time zone that the ship has adopted. And to make it easy on everyone, cruise ships adopt the time zone used in the port of departure. As the ship moves from port to port, no one needs to change their clocks since the time zone will never change. But it’s not necessary to know which time zone is the right one for the ship. You can use the Carnival Hub app to see the current time every time you open the app.
6. You Can View a Map of the Ship
The first few days on a cruise ship can be challenging since you don’t where anything is. So, Carnival added a handy map of the ship to help you out. The map is a stand-alone feature that you can pull up from the main menu inside of the app. But you’ll also be offered a quick link to the map feature from many other areas of the app.
If you’re looking at a restaurant in the app, there’s a link to the map to help you find it. Thinking about taking part in an activity? Another link is provided to show you the way. You can view the map by deck to see the public venues available, or you can view a list of public areas by deck. Click on any venue to see it’s location on the map.
The one thing missing is the ability to get walking directions to a point on the map. Cruise ships often do not have direct access from one end of the ship to the other. Directions would help cruisers avoid backtracking because they can’t cross a dining room or other space in the middle of the ship.
7. You can book a shore excursion in the Carnival Hub app
Visiting foreign ports of call is one of the best parts of a cruise vacation. And Carnival makes it easy for you to purchase shore excursions through their app. This is one of the features that you can use before your cruise starts. And if you want to take a cruise line sponsored excursion, you’ll want to book your spot as early as possible.
The Carnival Hub app has an entire section dedicated to shore excursions, organized by port of call. You can view all the options being offered for each of your ports and read summaries of what’s included in the package. The app will tell you if the excursion has light, moderate or heavy activity levels. And you can even see what time the excursion starts and how long it will last. But of course, the biggest feature is actually booking your spot and having the cost charged to your onboard account.
8. You can book a Spa Package
You can plan a relaxing afternoon in the onboard Spa through the Carnival Hub app. Spa packages are available to book through the app before boarding the ship. But if you didn’t get around to booking ahead of time, you can still reserve a Spa treatment at any time during your trip.
Keep in mind that Spa reservations are first come, first serve. So if you wait too long, you may not be able to book your preferred service or time slot. A short description is shown along with the cost of the treatment to help you decide which service is right for you. And once you’ve made your choice, you can book it right through the app.
9. You can manage your casino account
For those who relish their time in the casino, the Carnival Hub app offers a fantastic feature to handle your players club account with ease. Within the app, you can track your accumulated casino points and review your player bank balance. It serves as a comprehensive hub for managing your players club account.
The app is also a great way to stay updated about casino events happening during your cruise. Whether it’s poker tournaments, slot machine challenges, or blackjack showdowns, you’ll be well-prepared to make the most of your casino time.
10. You can discover places to eat in the Carnival Hub app
One of the highlights of a cruise vacation is the abundant restaurants on the ship. You can experience a different dining option every single day, all while escaping the cooking and cleanup hassles. The Carnival Hub app brings all the culinary options right to your fingertips.
You can check out the app to see which venues are open at that moment. But you can also see when other venues will open for service. You can preview the menu for each restaurant; even the main dining room. And you can make reservations for any of the specialty restaurants, if space is available.
And there’s no need to pick up your cabin phone if you want room service. That’s right, you can place a delivery order through the app. In fact, you can order shipboard delivery to any place on the ship. Food delivery usually incurs a delivery fee, and many of the options available have a surcharge. But you can check out your options in the app to help guide your decision.
11. You can find an open bar
Finding a bar on a cruise ship is usually pretty easy. They’re all over the place! But, sometimes the best spots are hidden away. But no worries, the Carnival Hub app can help you uncover those hidden gems. So now you can find that cool bar tucked in a cozy corner or a unique specialty bar with a fun cocktail menu.
This app is like your magical map to bar-hopping. It’ll tell you when each bar is open and when they close, so you won’t miss a thing. Plus, you can check out their menu with prices to see if there’s something you’d love to try. So, get ready to explore and find your new favorite hangout spot! Cheers!
12. You can check-in for Your Time dining
Carnival offers what they call Your Time Dining, in addition to the traditional early and late dinner options. Cruisers who have Your Time dining can join the wait list for one of the main dining rooms any time during the evening dinner hours. And the Carnival Hub app is the tool you’ll use to check-in when you’re ready.
Once you click the ‘check-in’ button in the app, you’ll be asked to select which members of your travel party will be dining. This is nice since not everyone in your group has to eat at the same time. But this also serves the purpose of telling the staff how many cruisers will be in your party. You’ll also be asked if you want a private or shared table. Once your table is ready, you’ll receive a notification from the app letting you know which dining room and table you’ve been assigned.
13. You can use the Carnival Hub app to preview restaurant menus
One of my favorite features of the Carnival Hub app is being able to view the menus for the onboard restaurants. Every single menu for the entirety of your cruise is posted in the app. That means you can preview the options available at the fast casual restaurants or jump into the menu for a specialty restaurant right from your phone. But the menus that make the biggest impact are the main dining room menus.
I found myself checking out the main dining room menus for the entire week. And, making decisions about what I would order each night! It’s so much fun to try the various dishes offered on a cruise ship. Especially since I probably wouldn’t order most of it at a restaurant back home. Through the app you’ll find the menus for not only dinner in the main dining room, but also breakfast and lunch when offered!
14. You can check out the dress code for the evening
A cruise vacation offers passengers the opportunity to experience a touch of elegance during dinner. In the past, it was customary to dress up in your finest attire for the evening meal. If you didn’t want to dress-up, you could have dinner at the buffet or order in room service.
Dress codes have become much more casual to match the more relaxed vibe onboard a Carnival cruise. Yet the cruise line still upholds some minimum standards for the evening meal. And those standards may change each night of your cruise. So it’s super convenient to have a way to check out the evening dress code through the app.
15. You can order food delivery anywhere on the ship
16. You can chat with your family through the Carnival Hub app
Keeping up with your family and friends on a cruise ship can be a challenge. But Carnival has come up with a way to keep everyone in touch with their optional chat plan. For $5 per cruiser, your entire group can chat as much as you’d like through the Carnival Hub app. I personally haven’t used this feature, but if anyone has experience with it let us know how it worked for you in the comments.
17. You can purchase a beverage package
If you’re thinking about getting a drink package, the Carnival Hub app is a handy tool to have in your pocket. You can check out the various options offered and learn more about how each package works.
Want to know how much a specific package will cost? Easy-peasy! Just add it to your cart to see the total cost for your whole cruise. You can purchase a drink package through the app anytime before your cruise starts. And, if you still haven’t bought one by embarkation day, you can snag one throughout your first day on the ship.
18. You can share pictures of your cruise
The Carnival Hub app features a wall of moments, which is a virtual wall, compiled of pictures posted by passengers onboard the ship. Every cruiser with access to the app, can post pictures of themselves onboard the ship to share with other guests. This feature is not prominently displayed in the app, so I didn’t actually discover it until the last day of my trip.
But, all you have to do to post photos to the wall of moments is find the wall of moments. It’s in the main menu which you can get to by clicking on the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines).
19. You can view your onboard account in the Carnival Hub app
The Carnival Hub app offers a crucial feature that’s all about financial peace of mind. It’s all too easy to get caught up in the excitement of your cruise and lose track of your expenses. With the app, you can effortlessly monitor your onboard spending from the convenience of your phone.
Here’s how it works: Every purchase you make while onboard, whether it’s a refreshing drink or a memorable souvenir, is added to your onboard account. The best part? You won’t have to wait for the end of your cruise to know what you owe. Every charge is instantly recorded, giving you a real-time view of your spending. Plus, if you haven’t prepaid your gratuities, you’ll see those charges added to your account each day as well. So, go ahead and indulge in all the amazing experiences on your cruise, knowing you can easily keep tabs on your expenses along the way.
So there you have it. As you embark on your Carnival vacation, one indispensable ally is the Carnival Hub app. Installing this app as soon as you book your cruise is a savvy move because it has a wealth of functionality to offer. While some features may be reserved for when you’re actually onboard, it provides ample tools to plan and enhance your vacation from the get-go. So, whether you’re a seasoned cruiser or embarking on your first adventure, the Carnival Hub app is your trusty companion for a smooth, stress-free voyage.
