Loft 19 is an exclusive area located on deck 19 forward found on Carnival's Excel class ships (Mardi Gras, Celebration, and Jubilee). In order to gain access to this area, you must be booked in an Excel Suite or rent a cabana (if available).
To access Loft 19, you'll need to take the forward elevator up to Deck 18, walk out into Serenity on the port side and then immediately take a left to climb the stairs up to Loft 19.
There is also elevator access for those in scooters, wheelchairs or if you have a stroller. It's a bit hidden and you may need to ask a crew member for help finding it the first time.
Anybody can rent a cabana however those staying in Excel Suites get first priority prior to them being released to the general public.
Pre-cruise, pricing starts at $2,000 for a week-long rental plus 18% gratuity. During the inaugural season of 2023, week-long rentals were $1,750 on the Celebration.
Onboard, if there's availability, cabanas are $500 on sea days and $250 on port days** (plus 18% gratuity).
**This pricing is based on 2023, it's possible that they cost more now for daily rentals.
There are 12 cabanas available to rent with a total capacity of 5 people per cabana. Yes, the crew will ask guests to leave if there are more than 5 within any cabana.
We rented Cabana 6 for the entire week when we booked an Ocean Suite on the Carnival Celebration. (Pre-booked in the Cruise Manager prior to sailing).
When you first check in, you'll meet the staff, be given silicone wristbands (if you're not an Excel Suite guest) and then be escorted to your cabana. Excel Suite guests have wristbands waiting for them in their cabins. Afterwards, you're free to come and go as you please.
Each day that you arrive, the staff will bring your complimentary bottle of champagne, fruit bowl, waters and orange juice.
They'll then ask if you'd like anything else to drink. Zero-proof frozen drinks (pina colada, strawberry daiquiri, miami vice, etc) are complimentary, anything else from the bar is list price. If you have Cheers, then you're able to use it in Loft 19.
Cabanas feature a sectional sofa and two tables under shade with two uncovered loungers directly in front. Cabanas 1-9 also include two additional loungers across the path closest to the railings/glass wall giving you front row seats to the ocean view!
The lounge chairs closest to the railing have Loft 19 covers on them indicating that they are reserved for the cabana behind.
There's no need to bring towels up to your cabana as they're already waiting for you. If you need extras, you can ask the staff for them. There are also two bathrobes in each cabana which come in handy when utilizing the Loft 19 spa/hot tub.
On the Carnival Celebration, cabanas feature curtains that you can open and close. The Mardi Gras has decorative curtains that cannot be closed. I'm not sure about the Jubilee, but being the newest Excel class ship, my guess is that it followed the style of the Celebration and has closeable curtains. If you are reading this and know the answer, please leave a comment and let me know!
When it comes to lunch time, Loft 19 features an exclusive complimentary lunch menu ranging from healthy salads to fried comfort foods. We tried everything on the menu (except for Straight Up) and it was all delicious! Food will be delivered to your cabana.
If you're in your cabana in the afternoon when it's hot, you'll get surprised by complimentary frozen strawberries and scooped balls of melon to cool you down.
The bathrooms are located between cabanas 1 and 2. There's a pathway between the two cabanas and then a door that you must enter in order to access the bathrooms. Something to consider when making your cabana selection. If you want to be closest to the bathrooms, cabanas 1-4 are ideal. However, if you're concerned about privacy and don't want many people walking past your cabana, I would highly recommend not reserving these two cabanas.
If you do not have a cabana, there are plenty of loungers throughout Loft 19 available for use. Immediately to the left upon entering Loft 19 you'll find loungers with ocean views.
If you go to the right, up three steps will bring you to an elevated area with several loungers.
If you booked Cabanas 5-9, you can walk through this area to gain quicker access to your cabana.
There are a few non-reserved loungers near cabana 5 just beyond this elevated area.
The majority of non-reserved loungers are found in the front of the ship.
The large hot tub in Loft 19 is centrally located. The two closest cabanas to the hot tub are cabanas 4 and 9. The hot tub features an infinity edge/wall overlooking the pool in Serenity below.
You'll also find loungers on both sides of the hot tub as well as across from it. There's also a shower across from the stairs so that you can rinse off prior to entering the hot tub.
Cabanas 10-12 are across from the hot tub and have a view of Serenity below.
Unlike every other cabana, cabanas 10-12 only have two reserved loungers.
One thing to note, Loft 19 is two decks above Lido deck. When there's music playing or the cruise director/fun squad talking on a microphone around the main pool, you will hear what's going on unless you're booked in one of these three cabanas.
Whatever may be going on in Serenity will be heard by these three cabanas.
Cabanas 1 and 5 are the only cabanas that do not share a wall with another cabana. However, as previously mentioned, cabana 1 is next to the bathroom entrance.
One thing to keep in mind with cabana 5 is that there is a crew closet right next to you. At times, a crew member will go in and out of this closet.
The cabanas with the least amount of privacy are cabanas 2/3 and 7/8. These cabanas share two sides with another cabana (cabana 2 has the bathroom walkway on one side and another cabana on the other) and their additional two loungers are side by side with no wall separation between the two cabanas. If you're sailing with friends or family, reserving these cabanas may be ideal.
Although the cabana service ends at 8pm, you still have access to Loft 19 even when the crew leaves. At night, the hot tub glows blue with lights.
The hot tub stairs also have lights so you don't need to worry about tripping on your way up.
The lighting throughout Loft 19 at night gives it an upscale lounge feel. If it's not a super windy night, I highly recommend going at night to relax in your cabana, at least once!
Is a Cabana in Loft 19 Worth It?
A weeklong rental for a cabana in Loft 19 is rather pricey. Is it worth it?
As previously mentioned, we booked cabana 6 on the Carnival Celebration when booked in an Ocean Suite. Since an Ocean Suite is not an Excel Suite, we would not have had access to Loft 19 without the cabana rental.
At the time, my youngest was 1, my middle child was turning 3 and my oldest was turning 10 years old on this cruise. Being a birthday cruise and with a baby, I really wanted a spot where we could go and relax outside, yet keep my baby out of the sun.
To us, it absolutely was worth it! We had amazing service in our cabana and it offered us an opportunity to get away from the crowds. We didn't need to run back to our cabin if my baby would fall asleep. I could simply lay her down on the couch (or in her stroller) and continue to enjoy my vacation.
The lunch delivery was super convenient and the food delicious. The included zero-proof cocktails were thoroughly enjoyed by all 3 of my children. We spent the majority of sea days in our cabana. On port days, we would run up to our cabana as soon as we returned onboard and would stay until it was time to get ready for dinner.
To us, on that birthday cruise, a cabana in Loft 19 absolutely was worth it.
I booked an Excel suite, do I really need a Cabana too?
My question to you would be which Excel suite did you book?
After the Celebration, we sailed the Mardi Gras 6 months later and again booked cabana 6. This time we were booked in the Presidential Suite... After 2 days, I went to guest services and asked if we could cancel our cabana. With such an amazing balcony in the Presidential Suite, we had absolutely no motivation or need to go to Loft 19.
Now, if you're booked in an Excel suite without such an amenity rich balcony, if you're looking for a luxurious experience away from the crowds, then booking a cabana may be the right choice for you.
Description from Carnival:
Indulge in the retreat-style experience of Cabanas on Loft 19™.
Soak up the sun and relax in your very own private cabana on Loft 19 all voyage long--the ultimate luxury experience for you plus up to four* of your favorite people!
Exclusive cabana perks include:
Free lunch delivery
Chilled towels
Zero proof frozen refreshers
Ice cold bucket of bottled water (6 500ml)
A bottle of sparkling wine
Fresh fruit
Plush bathrobes
Full bar service
Dedicated attendant
As a Carnival Excel Suite guest, you get complimentary access to the exclusive Loft 19 deck and priority when reserving private cabanas.
Onboard cabana pricing will be $500 per day, per cabana, as a pre-inaugural limited time offer. Cabanas are very limited and availability is not guaranteed.
Open from 8am – 8pm.
*Maximum five people per cabana rental
18% Gratuity will be added
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