It may seem crazy but last month my husband of 8 years and I went on our honeymoon. Yep, 8 years later. With having kids, moving around a bit, work, and buying a home, life got away from us way too quickly. It wasn’t until this past June that we decided this year was as good of a time as any and we should just do it – let’s book a cruise! So we did just that and in short, it was fabulous. I’m writing this in hopes to provide you with 5 honeymoon tips on a Carnival Cruise.

this post is not sponsored for Carnival Cruise. It may, however, contain affiliate links.

A honeymoon cruise offers all the comforts and whimsy of a ship at sea, but also provides the perfect destination no matter what you’re looking for. With all of the wedding planning, it might be tempting to book your cruise without giving it any thought. But, that could be a mistake. Cruise line & ship, destination, cabin category, and even dining options are all important aspects to consider when planning and booking your honeymoon cruise, and they can make all the difference once you board. There are lots of travel destinations so I’ve made a list of honeymoon cruise tips to consider before booking your Carnival cruise so you can check off “best-moments-of-my-life” on your to-do list.

5 Honeymoon Cruise Tips

1. Cruise Line and Ship

First and foremost, choosing the right cruise line and ship is one of the most important decisions. We chose the Carnival Liberty because it offered a lot of what we were looking for and a lot of what we didn’t care about. The Liberty is a great size for first-time cruisers, like me. It’s not small but not the largest of the Carnival fleet, either. Carnival offers lots of options when it comes to onboard entertainment and choices for port stops so make sure the ship you want goes to the ports you want. You can compare up to 3 ships on the Carnival website which can help narrow down your options in a jiffy.

2. Treat Yourself

You’re on your honeymoon so don’t settle for a low deck. Spring for a good balcony room or even a suite if the budget allows. We went for a Front Deck 10 balcony room for 3 reasons: 1) One deck down from the spa. 2) Privacy and space. 3) Being a first-time cruiser, the higher on the ship you are, the less you feel the boat moving. Also, make sure you grab the “Faster to the Fun” pass. This is located under Excursions but it isn’t actually an excursion at all. The Faster to the Fun package is your ticket to board the ship faster, have your stateroom ready right away, get off the ship first at your port stops and disembark first. This is a must have and at only $50 per stateroom (not person), it’s a steal.

3. Reserve Private Dining

There are lots of dining options on a Carnival cruise to consider like your nightly reserved dinner seating. Carnival has large tables in their restaurants that you’ll share with strangers. That’s fine if that’s your style but on your honeymoon, you may want some additional privacy. Be sure to ask for a private table when making your cruise booking so you will be given one of the few small intimate tables. They are limited so get your request in as early as possible, not once you’re on board. For an even better dining experience consider dining at one of Carnival’s specialty restaurants like the Diamond Steakhouse. We saved this dining experience for our last dinner of the cruise and I will definitely book it every single time. It’s a nice treat and with 5 courses for only $35 a person, it’s worth it and more!

4. Plan An Excursion

Again, your honeymoon is a special time to go all out! Carnival has multiple excursions at every single port for every age range. Our cruise included a stop at Nassau and we knew right before booking we wanted to go to Atlantis. Carnival offers two Atlantis Excursions. One is an “Atlantis Tour” where they walk you through the property, the second is “Atlantis AquaAdventure w/ lunch”! Both are great options but if you’re wanting to actually visit the waterpark and sit on the beach, spring for the AquaAdventure. Unless you can catch it on sale, it’s $189 per adult but I promise you, it’s worth the price. I’m glad we sprung for it.

Pro Tip: Watch your emails because Carnival will send out emails for deals on certain excursions!

5. Serenity Deck aka Adults Only = Your BFF

Carnival knows that sometimes adults need their own space. This is especially great for honeymooners because there are 2 adult-only areas on the Carnival Liberty. The Serenity Deck located at the front of Decks 12, 13 and 14, plus the adult only pool on the back of Deck 10. These two paces are so peaceful plus, complete with a bar, hot tubs, private lounge chairs, hammocks, and best of all NO KIDS! Make some time to hang out here for some peace and quiet.

Whatever cruise line or ship you choose to vacation on, remember to make it special. This is your honeymoon so make it memorable, unique, and full of love. I hope you consider my honeymoon cruise tips and when you’re on board you get to utilize these areas of the ship.

*This post is NOT sponsored by Carnival or any other cruise line. We paid full price for our cruise, excursions, and experiences aboard the Carnival Liberty.