This is a compilation of all of my favorite parts of my cruises from 2024. Anything that I didn’t do in the past year is not eligible to win in their category for 2024. Carnival Jubilee, Carnival Spirit, Carnival Horizon, Carnival Jubilee again, Carnival Breeze, and Norwegian Jewel cruises are the only ones eligible for these awards. 

Best Ship

Carnival Jubilee

Carnival Jubilee is the newest ship in the Carnival Fleet. I was on it twice this year. The food, drink, and entertainment options can only be matched by it’s sister ships. I felt like the Dr. Inks Bar was an upgrade from the Latitudes Bar on Carnival Celebration which won this award two years ago.

Best Cruise Director

Georgia – Carnival Horizon

Most Carnival Cruise Directors are all over the place when it comes to entertainment. I felt like Georgia took it to another level. She even showed up at the comedy club. I can’t remember the last time I saw a cruise director in the comedy club. I got to all of the comedy shows and Georgia was there for most of them.

Best Barista

Kennette – Carnival Breeze

Kenette could be the best barista I’ve seen in my 30 cruises. Even when working by herself she moves a coffee line faster than other ships with three people working. She was making three coffees at a time, taking orders, remembering some orders from prior days. She had my coffee ready before I even ordered it. She sings, dances and has a great attitude at all times.

Best Bartender

Yorden – Carnival Horizon (Skybox)

Since I always drank Coronas in a glass at the Skybox, Yorden knew what to get when he saw my face. The Skybox was busy at night because this cruise was during baseball, basketball, and hockey seasons. And it was during the NHL playoffs. If it wasn’t for Yorden there would’ve been times when I wouldn’t have been able to get a drink due to how busy they were. All I had to do was get where Yorden could see me and my beer would be there.

Best Alchemist

 I Kadek – Norwegian Jewel (Skakers)

I never expected a bartender from another cruise line to beat out all of the alchemists from the Alchemy Bar on my Carnival cruises. I Kadek at Shakers on Norwegian Jewel is just as talented as the Carnival alchemists and has as many, if not more delicious off menu drinks as them. Bartenders from the bar around the corner were coming to him to get some drinks made for their guests.

Best Hostess

Farrah – Norwegian Jewel (Tsar’s Palace)

Farrah always knew my name when she saw me and I never waited more than a minute for a table at Tsar’s Palace on Norwegian Jewel.

Best Dining Room Team

 Orlin, Wilson, and Adiana – Carnival Spirit

Since covid I’ve noticed a big difference in the dining room service on Carnival. If you order three things off the appetizer menu they will bring them all at once. This team brought everything individually as it should be. Their timing was perfect. I don’t normally request a dining team in Your Time Dining, but I did request this one.

Best Dining Room 

Tsar’s Palace  – Norwegian Jewel

I love Tsar’s Palace on Norwegian Jewel. It has a very fancy look and table cloths at every meal. Only once did I have to wait for a table and it was really no more than a minute or two. As a solo they seat you in a table for two usually by the window. There aren’t any of the tables with just six inches of separation like I’ve seen on Carnival and Princess.

Best Specialty Dining

JiJi – Carnival Horizon

JiJi is my favorite specialty dining option on Carnival. I ate there four times on Horizon and it was always excellent. It’s a shame this restaurant is only on four ships.

Best Comedian

Percy Crews 2 – Carnival Horizon and Jubilee

I was fortunate to get Percy Crews 2 as a comedian on two of my cruises this year. He’s one of the funniest comedians on Carnival and nobody brings as much energy to their shows as he does.

Best Show

Celestial Strings – Carnival Horizon

Celestial Strings is my favorite show on Carnival. I love the shows that incorporate musicians on the ship. I got to see this show on both Jubilee and Horizon this year.

I specifically listed Horizon as the winner because it has the theater this show was made for with movable seating that allows for the stages on the floor.

They tried doing this in Grand Central on the Excel Class ships and have now moved it to the single stage in the theater on those ships. But it’s best viewed on the Vista class ships with the moveable seating in the theater.

Best Steward

Rian – Carnival Breeze

I don’t ask for much from a steward so this can be a difficult category. I have had times in the past when I’ve had problems with the room that I reported that never got fixed. This time there was a problem I didn’t report and it still got fixed. I noticed the first day that there was a problem with the refrigerator. I don’t use it much so I didn’t report it. The next time I opened it, I realized I had a brand new refrigerator.

Best Ship Excursion

Black Bear & Wildlife Exploration – Ketchikan, Alaska

This excursion is not as good as the Neets Bay Bear Encounter from the same port last year. But it is significantly cheaper and doesn’t require the one hour boat ride each way. In addition two seeing four brown bears including a two year old that caught his first fish, we had a presentation on totem pole carving. Afterwards we had the option of being dropped off in town and catching a shuttle back to port later. That allowed me time to catch the Salmon Run at Creek Street which is amazing.

Best Non-Ship Excursion

Major Marine – Seward

This is one of the best tours I’ve ever been on. We got to see glaciers, bald eagles, puffins, stellar sea lions, sea otters, killer whales, and humpback whales. I highly recommend doing this tour when you’re in Seward. Set a day aside and do the long tour to Northwestern Glacier if you can.

Best Port of Call – Aruba & Bonaire

I’m going to cheat and name two. Aruba and Bonaire. They are usually paired together on a cruise anyway. In Aruba I loved the beaches and being able to go to the top of the California lighthouse. In Bonaire I loved the salt flats, pink water, pink flamingos, and 1,000 steps. I could sit at Lake Grotto and watch the Flamingos all day. 

Aruba

Bonaire

Best Home Port City

Seward Alaska – Norwegian Jewel

Seward may be a small town in Alaska, but there is a lot to do there. The Alaska Sea Life Center is right in town and amazing. You can hike to the top of Mount Marathon, walk on Exit glacier, and take boat tours of Resurrection Bay. I filled two days there and could easily go back and fill three more.

That concludes my “Best of” for 2024. I have five cruises on Carnival in 2024. Four on new ships to me. I plan to book at least one more in 2024 that may or may not be a Carnival cruise.