We sailed on the Carnival Venezia for five nights in August 2023.
If you follow these twelve tips, you’ll likely enjoy sailing on her as much as we did.
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Our first tip is to be patient with the "Smart Elevators" on the Carnival Venezia.
While the innovative elevators were designed to be more efficient, we noticed many passengers
were confused and frustrated with the system.
Unlike traditional elevators, the “Smart Elevators” required us to select our destination
first, then it assigned us to a specific elevator.
When the assigned elevator arrived, we simply boarded and were taken to our destination deck.
According to Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald, it’s important to press the deck
number once for each member of your group.
Early in our cruise, we heard passengers complaining that the overall process felt slower.
However, everything seemed to operate more smoothly later in our cruise, likely because
activities – and passengers – were more spread out.
It’s worth noting that high-traffic elevator areas had large monitors that indicated which
elevators were set to stop at which decks.
Also, there were no buttons inside the “Smart Elevators,” so we couldn’t easily change
our destination after boarding.
Speaking of elevators, our next tip is to check out the signage located in the Venezia’s
elevator areas, if you need help navigating the ship.
In addition to a map of the current deck, the signs included
a large circle that indicated if you were at the Forward, Midship, or Aft elevators;
an index, with bolded destinations located on the current deck;
a red, dashed line that marked the wheelchair and mobility device accessible route for the deck;
and labeled arrows that indicated which way was forward and aft.
As a bonus, the ship graphic on the signs was pointing in the same direction as the
actual ship.
Our third tip is to check out the Venezia’s Seafood Shack located at the back of Deck
10 Aft for a surprise Chinese lunch during days at sea.
From noon to 2:30 PM on days at sea, the venue served Chinese-inspired soups, spring rolls,
salads, rice, noodles, and a variety of meats.
The lunch option was not mentioned in the Carnival Hub app or the paper daily schedule.
And they switched up the food between our cruise’s two sea days, giving us something
different to try each time.
Speaking of lunch, our next tip is to enjoy the Pasta Bella Pasta Bar lunch sooner rather
than later.
During our cruise, the lunch was only available during days at sea at the Venezia’s Marco
Polo Restaurant on Deck 3 Midship and it was significantly more popular on our second day
at sea compared to the first.
Our fifth tip is another lunch tip!
Be sure to check out the Carnival Venezia’s La Strada Grill on embarkation day and days
at sea, if you’re looking for a less-crowded alternative to the Lido Marketplace buffet
and other Deck 10 eateries.
Located outdoors on Deck 5 Midship on the starboard side – or right side – of the
ship, the grill served up Italian sandwiches, BBQ, salads, and a variety of sides, complemented
by a selection of sauces.
We found the venue to be a much-more-quiet lunchtime alternative on embarkation day.
In addition to food, the La Strada Grill had ice water available for drinks and some shaded
seating areas available for enjoying your food.
Additionally, seating was available indoors at the nearby Gondola Lounge.
Speaking of the Venezia’s Gondola Lounge, our next tip is to be aware that the lounge’s
restrooms are a bit hidden.
During our cruise, we attended many activities at the lounge and it took us a little while
to realize that the closest restrooms were situated around a corner on the port side
– or left side – of the lounge and down a hallway.
Our seventh tip is to check out the Carnival Venezia’s “secret decks”, if you’re
looking for a bit of quiet time during your cruise.
The five secret decks were located at Deck 5 Forward, with access available from the
outdoor promenade;
Deck 6 Forward, with access available through doors located near cabins 6208 and 6207;
Deck 7 Forward, with access available through doors located near cabins 7208 and 7207;
Deck 9 Forward, with access available through a door located near cabin 9206;
and Deck 10 Forward, with access available through doors located
near cabins 10205 and 10206.
Our next tip is to explore both the Forward and Aft stations of the Lido Marketplace buffet
on the Carnival Venezia.
During our second day at sea, we noticed that the food available in the Aft stations was
different from the food available in the Forward stations.
While the crew mentioned that the variation was not common, it's worth taking a moment
to check both areas to make sure you don't miss out on any food options.
Speaking of the Lido Marketplace buffet, our ninth tip is to check out the paper menus
posted at the beginning of the buffet lines.
During our cruise on the Venezia, we found it much easier to determine our food selections
after looking over the helpful menus.
The menus provided the name of each dish, as well as a brief list of ingredients and
important dietary and allergy information.
The dietary and allergy information for each dish
was also displayed on the corresponding placards.
Our next tip is for my fellow coffee lovers.
The Carnival Venezia had several venues that served specialty coffee during our cruise.
The venues that were easiest to access were the JavaBlue Cafe, which was located
on Deck10 Midship;
the Gondola Lounge bar, which was located on Deck 5 Aft;
and the Atrium Bar, which was located on Deck 3 Midship.
The Burano Bar on Deck 10 Aft and the Frizzante Bar on Deck 5 Midship
also served specialty coffee.
However, both bars had limited operating hours.
Finally, the Carnevale Bar & Lounge on Deck 5 Aft, toward the very back of the ship,
was another option.
However, it was only available for Terrazza guests until it opened to all passengers
in the evening.
Our eleventh tip is to be aware that there are six hot tubs available on the Carnival
Venezia, but some of them have restrictions.
During our cruise, the only hot tubs available for all passengers, including children, were
located on Deck 10 Aft at the very back of the ship.
As a result, those hot tubs were quite busy throughout our cruise.
There were also hot tubs available on Deck 5 Aft, at the very back of the ship, but they
were exclusively for the use of Terrazza guests until the area opened to all passengers
in the evening.
Finally, there were hot tubs available on Deck 15 Forward in the adults-only Serenity area.
Our final tip is to take advantage of the complimentary amenities at the Venezia's
Cloud 9 Spa on Deck 12 Forward.
During our cruise, the spa had several complimentary amenities available for passengers, including
a massage tub with a fantastic scenic view,
a sauna that also had a great scenic view,
and a specialty shower that was quite a bit larger than our stateroom shower.
The shower also had extra features, like options for massage, breeze, rain, and more.
For added convenience, towels were available near the complimentary amenities.