Carnival’s Newest Ships Are The Worst-Reviewed Yet

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The latest ships to join the Carnival fleet have seemingly underwhelmed guests so far, with average customer review scores that are the lowest in the whole fleet.

Carnival Adventure and Encounter

Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter were previously part of the P&O Australia cruise brand before it was disbanded in early 2025, with those two ships transferring to the Carnival fleet. P&O Australia had been a brand owned by the Carnival Corporation.

However after almost six months of sailing under the new branding, the ships are not going down too well with cruisers, which is reflecting in the worst average customer review scores for Carnival.

In my guide to Carnival ship reviews I’ve ranked every ship in the fleet based on the average review scores from three separate sources – Cruise Critic, Cruiseline.com and TripAdvisor.

Using multiple sources helps to make sure of a balanced opinion, and I’ve picked three of the biggest websites.

Previously the lowest average score had been for Carnival Luminosa, with a 3.2 out of 5 average – still quite respectable.

However Carnival Encounter’s reviews average out at 2.9 out of 5 across the three review websites, while Carnival Adventure fares even worse with an average score of 2.16 out of 5.

The new Carnival Encounter cruise ship sailing on the sea

An important caveat to add is that there aren’t a huge number of reviews yet for either ship since the rebrand, but there are enough on all three websites to draw an opinion.

On Cruise Critic, Carnival Adventure has 10 reviews and an average score on that website alone of just 1.5 out of 5 – it relies on higher scores on Cruiseline.com and TripAdvisor to drag the average up.

Poor Value and Maintenance Issues

So why are these ships performing so poorly in guest reviews? After reading through dozens of recent passenger comments, a few common themes come up again and again.

One of the biggest complaints is the general condition of the ships. While both the Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter have received some updates to reflect their new branding, they haven’t gone through major overhauls.

These are older vessels – both more than 20 years old – and that age is starting to show. Multiple reviews mention maintenance issues including broken doors, malfunctioning air conditioning, power outages, and elevators being out of service for days at a time.

"It should have been sunk not sold"

Then there’s the food – or rather, the lack of quality. Many guests said they were disappointed with the limited variety, with several describing the meals as “average at best.”

Others went further, calling the food “shocking,” “full of MSG,” and even “worse than pre-COVID standards.” Some passengers noted that restaurants were difficult to book at normal dinner times, and that the included buffet had long queues and few appealing options.

Staffing levels have also come under fire. Several reviewers mentioned that service was painfully slow and that the ships seemed “way understaffed.”

Atrium on Carnival Encounter

Trying to get a drink or any help at guest services often meant long waits, and one guest described trying to get maintenance help as “an ordeal.”

It also seems like the ships are simply overcrowded. A few reviews suggest that Carnival may be sailing with more passengers than the ships were originally designed to handle.

Carnival Adventure party

One review mentioned “500 more than published” as an estimate for how full the ship felt, and many guests echoed complaints of overcrowded venues, long lines, and limited seating for entertainment.

On top of that, many passengers feel that the onboard experience just doesn’t offer good value. Entertainment is limited – with some of the best shows requiring an extra fee – and there’s a general sense that too many things onboard now come with an added cost.

From basic coffees to spa tips to activities for kids, a lot of what used to be included with the cruise fare now requires paying extra. One review summed it up bluntly: “Don’t do it, no matter how good the deal is.”

While some passengers did find positives – like smooth embarkation or friendly individual staff members – the overwhelming majority of reviews paint a picture of ships that feel tired, under-resourced, and not worth the money.

Carnival has said that more work is coming to these ships in the future, and it’s possible that further refurbishments will help bring the experience more in line with the rest of the fleet. Carnival Encounter is set for some renovation work in early 2026, with Carnival Adventure to follow in 2027.

But for now, based on the early wave of reviews, Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter are struggling – and dragging down Carnival’s overall ratings in the process.

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