Carnival Spirit and Alaska - Tell me EVERYTHING! :)

[MistyRo76]

We have been looking into booking our first Alaska cruise for next summer (2025). Had looked into other cruise lines, but Carnival is my comfort zone and pricing can't be beat (plus I have a booking offer right now that includes $500 OBC). So, I think we may end up just doing Carnival. My ship choices are between the Luminosa and the Spirit. In looking at deck plans and comparing the two ships, I'm leaning toward the Spirit. The Luminosa is lacking some of our fave eating spots in Guys and Blue Iguana and no waterpark or waterslide, which I'm hoping our 10 (almost 11 year old) will be able to use at least some on our sea days out of/into Seattle (in early August). And we've never cruised a Spirit class ship and always wanted to. 

 

I'm interested in hearing of others' experiences sailing Carnival to Alaska. So please hit me up with all of your feedback - the good, bad, ugly. Even as it compares to other cruiselines, if you've sailed multiple. 

 

If you've sailed both the Spirit and Luminosa - please also let me know your opinions of both ships. Our cruise group will include me, my husband and our daughter. There will likely be other friends and family booking as well once we decide what we are doing. 

 

And finally - any cabin recommendations for the Spirit? Initially, I'm leaning toward an extended balcony as the price between a regular balcony and extended is only $90 total. Looking at booking on Deck 7 to have cabins above and below us. Any hidden gem cabins we should look for? Preferred locations? 

 

Thank you! 

[alias47]

A friend and I did Alaska on the spirit on June 2022, in a regular balcony on deck 5. It was the same CCL experience with an Alaska twist (some events and entertainers, naturalist basically being what I recall) as compared to the standard CCL experience.  Otherwise, everything was on par with normal.  The ship is good for Alaska with the covered pool area.  Spirit class is a good sized ship.  If you have any specific questions, happy to answer. 

[MEUB1112]

Done three Alaska cruises on the Legend and Miracle.  Great ships and I agree with alias47. The Naturalist was great when in the fjord. We saw Killer Whales, Humpbacks, Mountain Goats and a slew of other critters. 

[mvaygibson]

We went on the Spirit in 2023 (end of August). I liked the ship and the sights. Ship is a little smaller than others, but I liked the layout and the service was always good. We had an ocean view on deck 1 mid, which worked well for us. The weather was cool, just some rain at night and in Juneau. There were some in the covered pools and hot tubs. Food was fine. Overall, a rather quiet cruise and early nights and early mornings than I prefer or are used to. Tracy Arm was my favorite day, followed by Skegway ( we did the train ride). Happy to answer any questions I can for you.

[Old Fart Cruisers]

If 6232, 7258 or 8232 are available on Spirit take it.  The balconies on those staterooms are around 30' long, extending the equivalent to two cabins past the end of the your room.  Trust me, You will love it.

 

 

 

Edited February 27 by Old Fart Cruisers

[csm5986142]

We were on Luminosa in August and Spirit in September (both departing from Seattle) but different itineraries.  We really enjoyed both ships and I think it comes down to personal preferences. Both are a nice size and layout, never really felt crowded.  No long lines for anything.  They are older ships but both were clean and well maintained.

On Luminosa we enjoyed the on-demand movies in our room, but that was not an option on Spirit.

Spirit seems to have a lot more for kids (water slides/water park, etc.).  Luminosa doesn't have the slides/water park or even a mini golf course (well I guess they have a putting green or something but much smaller than Carnival's typical mini golf).  Both had the pool with retractable roof.  Aside from the kids club and the pools, it didn't seem like there was much for kids to do on Luminosa.

We liked the food a little better on Spirit, but that might have just been due to timing and that specific cruise.  

I've heard the spas are different on each, but I'm not a spa person, so I don't know for sure.  According to the website Luminosa has Cloud 9 and Spirit has Spa Carnival (from what I've read Luminosa has Thermal Suite and Hydrotherapy pool but I did not see those listed on Spirit (but again, not personal experience, so I could be wrong).

I liked the walking/running track better on Luminosa.  I thought it was bigger/better located.

Luminosa offered a Steakhouse Brunch for $25 per person, so we expected the same on Spirit but never saw it on the schedule (though I've heard others have experienced it so maybe just not on our itenerary).

When booking our trips, I was a bit concerned about Luminosa because the reviews I had read were not good.  Several mentioned plumbing issues, but we had none (aside from a slow draining shower).

The weather in Alaska is so unpredictable - we were there the first full week of August and it was extremely warm and sunny (everybody wore shorts and tank tops or t-shirts).  The following week I heard they had terrible rainy weather (so much so that there was flooding and canceled excursions).  

 

[Saint Greg]

I just got off of Spirit. Haven’t been on Luminosa but I’ll throw my two cents in.
 

I’m sure they’ll get it fixed by next summer but right now they can’t close the roof on Spirit. That whole system on it looks pretty rough. Pretty old. The roof makes a huge difference in Alaska. I was on NCL Jewel around labor day last year and lido was basically unusable the entire cruise.

 

I would probably go with the newer ship. Maybe you can use those waterslides the first day. If it’s not raining..in Seattle. Most of the cruise they’ll just be in the way.

 

On Luminosa it looks like you’re going to have one big lido pool deck that can be covered. On Spirit it’s split in two…with a covered pool (when the roof works) and an uncovered pool. The uncovered pool is a smoking area. If you’re a smoker you’ll probably like spirit a lot more. It’s the best smoking area I’ve seen in years on a cruise ship. 
 

But for me. I would take the newer ship with the extra bar/seating instead of the water park and the larger fully covered pool deck over the split deck spirit has.

 

[Saint Greg]

1 hour ago, csm5986142 said:

 

The weather in Alaska is so unpredictable - we were there the first full week of August and it was extremely warm and sunny (everybody wore shorts and tank tops or t-shirts).  The following week I heard they had terrible rainy weather (so much so that there was flooding and canceled excursions).  

 

Very true. We had much better temps in my May Alaska cruise than we did in my August/September Alaska cruise.

[Frank12]

8 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

Very true. We had much better temps in my May Alaska cruise than we did in my August/September Alaska cruise.

Same.  We hit 81 degrees in Juneau during the first week of June on our first one. 

[MistyRo76]

11 hours ago, alias47 said:

A friend and I did Alaska on the spirit on June 2022, in a regular balcony on deck 5. It was the same CCL experience with an Alaska twist (some events and entertainers, naturalist basically being what I recall) as compared to the standard CCL experience.  Otherwise, everything was on par with normal.  The ship is good for Alaska with the covered pool area.  Spirit class is a good sized ship.  If you have any specific questions, happy to answer. 

Thank you for your feedback! How did you find deck 5 to be for your cabin? We usually stay a bit higher up. 

[MistyRo76]

11 hours ago, MEUB1112 said:

Done three Alaska cruises on the Legend and Miracle.  Great ships and I agree with alias47. The Naturalist was great when in the fjord. We saw Killer Whales, Humpbacks, Mountain Goats and a slew of other critters. 

What months of the Alaska cruising season did sail that you saw all of that wildlife? My 9 year is dying to see Whales! And any other wild animal life we may come across! We cruised out of Charleston, SC last fall and there were dolphins everywhere in the harbor. She was in HEAVEN! But now she thinks there's always wild sea life hanging out next to the cruiseship! 😆

[MistyRo76]

11 hours ago, mvaygibson said:

We went on the Spirit in 2023 (end of August). I liked the ship and the sights. Ship is a little smaller than others, but I liked the layout and the service was always good. We had an ocean view on deck 1 mid, which worked well for us. The weather was cool, just some rain at night and in Juneau. There were some in the covered pools and hot tubs. Food was fine. Overall, a rather quiet cruise and early nights and early mornings than I prefer or are used to. Tracy Arm was my favorite day, followed by Skegway ( we did the train ride). Happy to answer any questions I can for you.

Yeah - this will definitely be a departure from my normal cruise experience as well! I'm normally an up late in the casino or out dancing and sleeping in till mid-morning kind of gal! But Alaska is on our bucket list, so we're gonna take that Caribbean hiatus! 

 

I thought about just doing an Oceanview on this one with the weather being very unpredictable. Not sure how much use a balcony will really get. But we usually like to stay up on a higher deck (usually deck 7). So not sure how I'd like being down on Deck 1. 

[Frank12]

3 minutes ago, MistyRo76 said:

What months of the Alaska cruising season did sail that you saw all of that wildlife? My 9 year is dying to see Whales! And any other wild animal life we may come across! We cruised out of Charleston, SC last fall and there were dolphins everywhere in the harbor. She was in HEAVEN! But now she thinks there's always wild sea life hanging out next to the cruiseship! 😆

We did an excursion with Eagle Wing Tours out of Victoria British Columbia on our last Alaska cruise during early September.  We saw many, many whales. Very close.  Also saw Orcas.  Out of 38 cruises and many shore excursions this was by far the best one we've ever done.  Booked privately, not through the ship.

[Frank12]

5 minutes ago, MistyRo76 said:

 

 

I thought about just doing an Oceanview on this one with the weather being very unpredictable. Not sure how much use a balcony will really get. But we usually like to stay up on a higher deck (usually deck 7). So not sure how I'd like being down on Deck 1. 

Do yourself a favor and splurge for a balcony.  You will not regret it...trust me on this one.

[MistyRo76]

11 hours ago, Old Fart Cruisers said:

If 6232, 7258 or 8232 are available on Spirit take it.  The balconies on those staterooms are around 30' long, extending the equivalent to two cabins past the end of the your room.  Trust me, You will love it.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, it looks like only one of those cabins with the super long balconies holds more than 2 more people  - and it holds 4. We will have 3 in our cabin. But if hubby and I every sail on one of this class of ships without the kiddo - I will definitely look for one of those! I watched a video tour of one of those cabins and that balcony is insane! 

[vwgolf2]

We sailed on the Legend from Seattle to Alaska in 2019 and still believe it's the best cruise we've ever taken. The scenery is stunning - glaciers, fjords, mountains - and we saw plenty of wildlife. I said I'd be happy if we got to see a bald eagle, a whale and a brown bear (none of which are common in the UK!) and we saw all three. In fact, whales and eagles became everyday sights; less so the bears, sadly. 

As for a balcony, this is one cruise where it is definitely worth the cost!

[MistyRo76]

10 hours ago, csm5986142 said:

We were on Luminosa in August and Spirit in September (both departing from Seattle) but different itineraries.  We really enjoyed both ships and I think it comes down to personal preferences. Both are a nice size and layout, never really felt crowded.  No long lines for anything.  They are older ships but both were clean and well maintained.

On Luminosa we enjoyed the on-demand movies in our room, but that was not an option on Spirit.

Spirit seems to have a lot more for kids (water slides/water park, etc.).  Luminosa doesn't have the slides/water park or even a mini golf course (well I guess they have a putting green or something but much smaller than Carnival's typical mini golf).  Both had the pool with retractable roof.  Aside from the kids club and the pools, it didn't seem like there was much for kids to do on Luminosa.

We liked the food a little better on Spirit, but that might have just been due to timing and that specific cruise.  

I've heard the spas are different on each, but I'm not a spa person, so I don't know for sure.  According to the website Luminosa has Cloud 9 and Spirit has Spa Carnival (from what I've read Luminosa has Thermal Suite and Hydrotherapy pool but I did not see those listed on Spirit (but again, not personal experience, so I could be wrong).

I liked the walking/running track better on Luminosa.  I thought it was bigger/better located.

Luminosa offered a Steakhouse Brunch for $25 per person, so we expected the same on Spirit but never saw it on the schedule (though I've heard others have experienced it so maybe just not on our itenerary).

When booking our trips, I was a bit concerned about Luminosa because the reviews I had read were not good.  Several mentioned plumbing issues, but we had none (aside from a slow draining shower).

The weather in Alaska is so unpredictable - we were there the first full week of August and it was extremely warm and sunny (everybody wore shorts and tank tops or t-shirts).  The following week I heard they had terrible rainy weather (so much so that there was flooding and canceled excursions).  

 

Thank you so much for your detailed feedback! From comparing the ships online, I also thought the Luminosa seemed lacking in things to do for my kiddo! So I think I was on the right track in leaning toward the Spirit. 

 

I'm not really a spa person either - so that probably won't be a deciding factor for us. But we do love food - so the better food options on Spirit are also a plus. We usually do Guy's and Blue Iguana at least once or twice each on our cruises. 

 

We are also looking at going the first full week in August to get back before school starts (which for us is usually after my daughter's birthday which is the 19th). Figured we may have a shot at some better weather then as well. I'm so used to packing for the Caribbean when I cruise. I'm going to need a whole need wardrobe for Alsaka! 

[MistyRo76]

9 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

I just got off of Spirit. Haven’t been on Luminosa but I’ll throw my two cents in.
 

I’m sure they’ll get it fixed by next summer but right now they can’t close the roof on Spirit. That whole system on it looks pretty rough. Pretty old. The roof makes a huge difference in Alaska. I was on NCL Jewel around labor day last year and lido was basically unusable the entire cruise.

 

I would probably go with the newer ship. Maybe you can use those waterslides the first day. If it’s not raining..in Seattle. Most of the cruise they’ll just be in the way.

 

On Luminosa it looks like you’re going to have one big lido pool deck that can be covered. On Spirit it’s split in two…with a covered pool (when the roof works) and an uncovered pool. The uncovered pool is a smoking area. If you’re a smoker you’ll probably like spirit a lot more. It’s the best smoking area I’ve seen in years on a cruise ship. 
 

But for me. I would take the newer ship with the extra bar/seating instead of the water park and the larger fully covered pool deck over the split deck spirit has.

 

Thanks for your feedback! 

 

My husband is a tobacco pipe smoker. He usually likes to go enjoy 3-4 pipes in a day. Though with the Alaskan itinerary, he may not have that many opportunities. On our Sunshine cruise, he enjoyed the smoking area on Deck 3 outside of the atrium. It was quieter and not as busy. Is there a secondary smoking area on the Spirit? 

 

It is concerning about the retractable roof not working on the Spirit. I would hope they'd get that fixed quickly. That can make a big difference in your cruise experience on an Alaskan cruise. 

 

But you have given me quite a bit to think about as far as reasons to maybe go with Luminosa. I'll check into it a bit more before we decide. 

[MistyRo76]

9 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

Very true. We had much better temps in my May Alaska cruise than we did in my August/September Alaska cruise.

The Alaska weather is so unpredictable! I feel like I'm going to need to pack two separate wardrobes to account for the different weather we may encounter! We are looking at going early August, so hopefully that gives us a chance for some decent weather! 

[MistyRo76]

49 minutes ago, Frank12 said:

Same.  We hit 81 degrees in Juneau during the first week of June on our first one. 

I could handle 81 degrees! This coming from a dedicated CARIBBEAN cruiser! 

[MistyRo76]

24 minutes ago, Frank12 said:

We did an excursion with Eagle Wing Tours out of Victoria British Columbia on our last Alaska cruise during early September.  We saw many, many whales. Very close.  Also saw Orcas.  Out of 38 cruises and many shore excursions this was by far the best one we've ever done.  Booked privately, not through the ship.

The cruises we are looking at only have that late evening stop in Victoria to satisfy the international stop requirements - 8PM-Midnight. But I will keep that tour in mind in case we pivot again to another cruise. 

 

Do people even get off the ship in Victoria on those short night stops? 

[MistyRo76]

26 minutes ago, Frank12 said:

Do yourself a favor and splurge for a balcony.  You will not regret it...trust me on this one.

I'm 95% sure we will go for the balcony. It's our go-to on a normal Caribbean cruise. Would be hard to NOT have one on any cruise moving forward. But with all the sights to see in Alaska, it's gonna be a must have. 

[MistyRo76]

15 minutes ago, vwgolf2 said:

We sailed on the Legend from Seattle to Alaska in 2019 and still believe it's the best cruise we've ever taken. The scenery is stunning - glaciers, fjords, mountains - and we saw plenty of wildlife. I said I'd be happy if we got to see a bald eagle, a whale and a brown bear (none of which are common in the UK!) and we saw all three. In fact, whales and eagles became everyday sights; less so the bears, sadly. 

As for a balcony, this is one cruise where it is definitely worth the cost!

Thank you! My kiddo is dying to see any and all wildlife as am I! We supposedly have a couple bald eagles with nests near my house in Kentucky, but I've never seen them! Would love to see some in the wild. And definitely want to spot some whales! 

[Frank12]

11 minutes ago, MistyRo76 said:

 

 

Do people even get off the ship in Victoria on those short night stops? 

People do.  We did not on our cruise that stopped there at night. 

[Saint Greg]

2 hours ago, MistyRo76 said:

The Alaska weather is so unpredictable! I feel like I'm going to need to pack two separate wardrobes to account for the different weather we may encounter! We are looking at going early August, so hopefully that gives us a chance for some decent weather! 

 

I did that the first time. I brought my regular cruise suitcase. Then I packed another one full of cold weather gear I mostly didn't use. 

 

This last time I did a regular cruise suitcase. removed things like swim suits, water shoes, flip flops.

 

Added a light hoodie, a heavy hoodie, a ski cap and gloves. Then I tied a lightweight jacket to my carry on. And that's what I went with. It was fine for me.