Carnival Venezia Review from December 2025
Carnival Venezia
The Good, The Bad, The Maze
We recently sailed on the Carnival Venezia for a Christmas cruise, and I’ve got thoughts. We’ve cruised Carnival in the past, and the Mardi Gras is one of our favorite ships. So when we decided to hit the high seas for Christmas, we started searching for a ship with a great itinerary—and the kind of “wow” factor you only get when a ship is fully decorated for the holidays. Our sailing dates were December 21, 2025 through December 28, which meant we’d actually be onboard for Christmas, so we wanted it to be a great experience.
Once we saw the itinerary and checked out photos of the ship, we jumped on the chance. If you’re not familiar with the Venezia’s backstory, it was originally one of Carnival’s ships from Costa Cruise Line, brought stateside and rebranded as “Fun Italian Style.” We figured the atrium would be next-level once Christmas décor went up—and we were right about that part. Add in Nassau, San Juan, and St. Thomas, plus a few sea days to relax, and we felt confident we picked the right cruise.
But did we? Maybe!
We absolutely nailed the itinerary. Every port was a blast. Even when excursions were cancelled in Nassau, we still made sure to have a good time. Not only were we sailing as a family, we also played tour conductor to our neighbors who joined us on their very first cruise. So here’s my rundown of the good, the bad, and the confusion—aka the maze.
The Good
- The ship décor was spot on. The atrium was exactly what we hoped for and looked amazing dressed up for Christmas. You can see a photo from my blog HERE.
- The clientele! Everyone was in full holiday mode: door decorations, Stocking Stuffer Swaps, gift exchanges, Santa Ducks—plus Santa Claus and his caroling crew making appearances. Every night had something new going on, which made the cruise even more fun. To my fellow Christmas cruisers, THANK YOU. Your energy made the sailing.
- Our Room Steward, Clive – He was the man. He kept our teen girls laughing, took care of us all week, and stayed smiling the entire time. We gave him daily gift bags, and he was genuinely thankful.
- The bar staff – The crews on the Lido Deck, Serenity Deck, and in the atrium were rocking it. They mixed up fun Christmas-themed drinks and got into the holiday spirit right along with the guests.
- MDR – We hit the Main Dining Room multiple times for breakfast and lunch. Solid food and service that was consistently on point.
- The ports – Nassau, San Juan, and St. Thomas delivered. Great variety, and the mix of port days with sea days gave us time to explore and still shut it down and relax.
- The room – We were on Deck 1 in an Ocean View stateroom. My wife, daughter, and I had enough space for the three of us, and the bedding was comfortable. I didn’t love the second “bathroom” being basically just a tub setup, but that’s how it was configured.
- Serenity Deck – The Serenity Deck was a savior (see below). Peaceful, quiet, and we could actually get into the hot tubs. Also, Solomon at the bar was the man.
The Bad
- The buffet – Wow. Total hit or miss. It felt like a bunch of items thrown together to try to make “international” dishes, and it didn’t always land. My advice: skip most of the buffet entrées and head to the deli for a solid hot or cold sandwich.
- Guy’s Italian Burger – I’ll preface this with: I love Guy’s Burgers. The standard burgers were delicious. But there was so much hype around the Italian burger, and I was really looking forward to it—unfortunately, it was horrible. Stick to the classics.
- Comedians – Pretty bad. Not funny, and the bar situation in the Punchliner was a joke for how many people were packed into the comedy shows.
- Cruise Director Mike – Sorry, but I’m not a fan. The entertainment felt pretty boring, and it lacked those holiday vibes I was hoping for on a Christmas sailing.
- Casino – The payouts were OK in my opinion. The bigger issue: it was extremely small, it was used as a cut-through for teens and kids, there was no bar, and it was WAY too smokey. The non-smoking casino was basically the size of my coat closet.
- Pools and hot tubs – No enforcement whatsoever when it came to the number of kids in hot tubs, a lack of parental supervision, and pools that are WAY too small for the passenger count.
The Maze
My biggest complaint is the layout. It felt like you always had to go up or down flights of stairs, walk across, then go down again just to get where you were headed. Compared to other ships I’ve sailed, the flow felt off. And having kids walk through the casino to get to certain areas is a miss. If Carnival can address anything on a future dry dock, I’d start there.
In Closing
We did have a wonderful time overall. It will not be our last Carnival Cruise, and we actually look forward to sailing on the Tropicale when it comes out. I’m glad we experienced the Venezia, but I think it’s a one-and-done ship for us.
What we really learned is this: I don’t think we’ll be home for Christmas ever again. My family loved not having to entertain at Christmas time, loved being in beautiful ports in December, and just enjoyed the whole experience. Now we want to make that holiday cruise tradition even better with each new season.
If you’re looking to plan a holiday or Christmas cruise, let me know. We have plenty of sailings, and I can match you up with a cruise line and ship that fits your travel style.
-Rick
Featured Cruise
Duration
7 nights
Departure Port
XPC
Destinations
Port Canaveral (Orlando), Fl | Celebration Key, The Bahamas | San Juan, Puerto Rico | St Thomas, Usvi | Port …
Starting From
$559
per person, inside cabin
