LUMINOSA *ULTIMATE* REVIEW: The GOOD and the BAD about Cruising Onboard the Carnival Luminosa
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2023
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Carnival Cruises is one of the world’s largest cruise lines, with well over 20 ships in its fleet and more on order. Carnival Luminosa is one of the newest additions to their fleet, but was not built specifically for Carnival Cruises. Instead, she was launched for Costa Cruises as the Luminosa in 2009. She’s a Hybrid Spirit Class vessel - making her somewhat related to Carnival’s own Spirit Class ships.
Despite being one of the smaller ships in the Carnival fleet, the 92K gross tonne ship is capable of carrying over 2200 passengers and offers an array of accommodation options including Suites, Balcony, Oceanview and Interior staterooms - plus there are 23 accessible rooms across a variety of cabin types.
As part of her conversion, the ship entered dry dock in late 2022 where several Carnival features were added. These included the adults only Serenity area, the Punchliner Comedy Club, Bonsai Sushi and the Alchemy Bar to name only a few.
Carnival Cruises is known for its approach to fun, and it has a fleet of ships to match, with attractions ranging from waterslides to the very first roller-coaster at sea called Bolt. Luminosa however missed out on waterslides during her dry dock, and in a major point of difference from the Sydney based Carnival Splendor, does not at this stage offer any waterpark features. She does however have showered all over outer decks…
I went into this cruise with an open mind and looked at everything as objectively as I could muster, and this review is really about sharing what I see as the pros and cons of Luminosa and the Carnival experience that one can find onboard. Yes, some of the issues may seem like they’re not a big deal, but you are watching a cruise review so I’m going to cover pretty much everything I thought of. I’m going to get the more negative aspects out of the way first, but make sure you stay through to see what I liked most, as there was a lot.
CONS
Lido Marketplace
Main Pool
Room Serviced Once Daily
Staterooms Serviced Once Daily
No Dining Room Lunch
Ship Layout
General Aesthetics
PROS
Dining Options
Serenity Adults Only Zone
Sunset Bar
The Carnival Hub App
Internet Speed
Room Size
Muster
Outward Views
Crew
Entertainment
Summary and conclusion:
If you’re booked on a cruise on Luminosa, go in with an open mind like I did, and although I’m sure you’ll likewise find somethings you don’t care for, I think on the whole you’ll have a fantastic experience. There’s no doubt that Carnival is about casual and relaxed fun, and the people that go onboard are definitely of that mindset. If you’re looking for something quiet and calm, it won’t be the cruise experience for you, but if you’re looking for a relaxed, down to earth environment with solid dining options and a fantastic crew, then I think you just be onto a winner.
Let me know what you thought of the Luminosa in the comments below!
Thanks for watching.
Just got off the Luminosa a few days ago. I ❤ the Carnival atmospheric of casual and FUN. The crew was very courteous and respectful. There was alot to do for entertainment and the excursions for Alaska were breathtaking and memorable. ❤ Carnival 🎉 Cant wait to go again soon!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching.
We were on the first cruise in November, then last week's 7 nights at sea, (arrived back yesterday). The tender process worked well for Nth Qld in November. We loved the shows and entertainment, and the staff were excellent. The buffet was simple and lacked variety but was perfectly fine and there were lots of seats always available. The BBQ, Pizza, Burritos and Sandwiches were good. A friend said 555 was amazing. The dining room has improved since our first cruise. The food was not "gourmet" but was very tasty and well-presented and we enjoyed it. Last week most people ate in the dining room, so the buffet didn't seem that busy re walking past the food stations. Loved the three banks of elevators, never had to wait. It was difficult to get into the Punchliner club as the venue was small, but they moved some shows to the theatre. We had an aft facing balcony cabin, and it was spacious with a couch, (no red and yellow). The balcony was a good size, pleasant to sit on and there was zero breeze. What we most liked about the Luminosa is the smaller size. It feels like you are actually on a ship at sea, unlike the Quantum, which is too big, impersonal, and feels like a hotel. There's plenty of undercover seating on the Luminosa on the outside decks 9 and 10. Heaps inside by the windows in the lounges and walkways of decks 2 and 3. Loved that the ocean plaza was the full width of the ship. They could have moved the comedy to that lounge, also the piano player, he was fabulous. There's a covered promenade deck, though it doesn't go right around, as some parts are crew area. You can go up to deck 11 and watch out the front. Be more for kids to do, once slides are installed. We each received a $100 on-board credit and a 50% future cruise credit thanks to missing 3 ports last week due to the cyclone, so we'll be sailing again next summer. It's a fun ship, the vibe is casual; so simply go on board to relax.
Thanks for watching and providing your feedback and experience for others to read before their cruise. Definitely agree re feeling like you're on a ship. Some of these newer vessels are so big, you don't even know you're at sea haha.
Hi Sandra 👋 and thanks so much for your review of yr trip. I've watched 3 other posts on the Luminosa even though I've already been booked for next year March 17th. Husbands 🎂 🎉 & Anniversary 20th.
Everyone comments on the buffet, so I'll be making sure that I don't go straight away 😂. What do you dress up in for dining, please?
OMG, those colours of your cabin. That would give me nightmares. Yep, aesthetics get to me too! Love those bloopers 🤣🤣🤣
Couldn't agree more!! Horrendous!! But the bloopers crack me up. Keep up the good work
haha! They were truly awful... it was totally fine when the lights were off if that helps... 🤣
Thanks Bernadette!
Your negatives of the ship were similar to mine. The biggest laugh I had on my cruise in December was asking for 3 pancakes for breakfast and them bringing out 3 plates with a single pancake on each. I’m looking forward to exploring her more in 31 days.
🤣 they must call that a "deconstructed pancake stack" haha
Great job! You have to tell the bad honestly and in detail even if others disagree because the rest of us would like to be aware of it. In fact, most of the bad doesn't affect us. On the other hand, not all of the good was essential either for us, but it is nice to know and have the option. We do like it if you give an honest review because everyone needs to be aware of the negatives or what you consider bad. Thanks for giving us all of the bad and good as it helps us in considering this cruise ship.
Thank you! I tried to share all angles, considering what people would want to know about. Glad you enjoyed the review.
Thanks Adrian for a full and comprehensive review. Lots of information to digest. I really appreciate your good and bad comments. They seem to align with my own. Cheers....
Thanks Les, tried to cover everything I could think of.
Thanks Mate, I’ve just shared it with our Luminosa group travelling on her 19/02.
Thanks so much for sharing the video.
Great vid as always. Thanks.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you Adrian. Brunch suits me as I am not a morning person. Your storeroom decor was definitely "interesting". I'm looking forward to my cruise in April. Yay, we have a regular balcony room. No pizza topping decor for us. Love the bloopers at the end.
Thanks Leonie. Hope you enjoy the cruise, there's definitely a lot more to like about Luminosa than there is to dislike, and without the pizza topping decor, you're already onto a winner haha. Enjoy the cruise in April!
Once again a well presented review from you Adrian. I hope you had enough time in those 3 days to enjoy your voyage. Your commentry seemed very fair.
Thanks Carolyn, glad you enjoyed the review. It was definitely on the shorter side as far as a cruise goes, but was still an enjoyable time away and gave me a good opportunity to get a taste for the Carnival experience 😁
Hi great video thanks for sharing :) this review doesn't surprise me. I have watched other videos of the luminousa and i really didn't think very much of the ship at all it didn't give me that wow factor that the videos of the splendor did
Thanks Debbie.
Thank you again Adrian for another good video. I totally agree with you on your favourite size of ship. Whilst I don't usually get sea sick, being in that cabin would change that.
Thanks John. Haha yes, that cabin was enough to make anyone feel ill.
I just saw this beauty in person today at Brisbane, Australia! She is truly stunning and is presented well!
th-cam.com/video/IM18jBVOC2Q/w-d-xo.html
Loved your review and you summed up the ship completely - casual! It is not Celebrity but we enjoyed our four day break and would certainly go back again if we got another great deal like we did. Only real negatives for us was the MDR and the washy washy. If you go again, try an Aft premium balcony - no headaches re decor and very roomy with those awesome Aft views. AND love your bloopers!
Thanks Julie! The aft balcony was my second choice, but I wanted to give the Cloud 9 perks a try and boy did I make a mistake 🤣
Thanks for the review! I'm definitely keen to try Luminosa out. She sounds a perfect ship to me. With the insane prices I'm getting, I'm sure I'll be onboard one day.
I wish Royal would bring an App booking service.
I looooved your Cabin description!
Thanks Jarrod. Glad you enjoyed the review.
Ty this has been extra helpful after also seeing other posts. I leave in March and the weather doesn’t look to promising to go to Mystery Island.
Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed the video. Have a great cruise.
Another great video Adrian. I do have to say that those seats in the buffet would be hell on Earth for me as a person of mature age with arthritis issues, lol. Would have to eat standing up methinks. We wouldn't be sailing on this ship anyway as we only cruise out of Sydney, but it was very good to watch a video of Luminosa to see that we won't miss having a cruise on her.
Thanks for watching, Sylvia. Yes, definitely a few issues with that buffet space. It was not good at all!
Inside of a hotdog’s nightmare! Love it!
🤣😂🤣🌭🌭🌭
I was so glad I didn’t take up the option to upgrade to a cloud 9 Spa after seeing the room!! Mine was a standard balcony and while I thought the red couch was a bit out of place and the red/pink/salmon sink a bit garish - it was pretty good!
When are you doing Splendour? After my fun Luminosa cruise, I want to try Spendour but have heard it’s a bit… much.
🤣 I think you got the better end of the deal in the regular balcony cabin! The red couch didn't look nearly as bad in the standard room, but there's something very Ronald McDonald about the yellow/red colours together that just... yeah, no. 😂
I did a ship inspection on Splendor back in 2019, but haven't cruised on her yet. Might be a little lower on the list for now, though hopefully later this year or next with any luck.
thank you for review. I have booked 2 Luminosa cruises around Xmas in 2022. I booked a Deluxe balcony state room as solo passenger. It was big. Bigger than QEII balcony stateroom. I like the European design with glass and wood work. Food is avg to good. Crews were 10 out of 10. But, agree, the layout of Lido is hard to find food.
Thanks for watching and sharing your experience as well.
Very informative review. There are a few really negative reviews on Cruise Critic and since we will be on the Luminosa May 18 for Alaska I feel much better about our cruise now that I have watched your video. We are not party people but I don't think the Alaska cruises are as lively as the ones sailing in the southern regions so I am going to remain open minded and excited to go on our first ever cruise!
Thanks Becky - glad you enjoyed the review and found it helpful. I think Luminosa will be a good fit for Alaska, with lots of open deck space along the promenade, and also up top. Plus, Alaska is insanely beautiful, that the ship almost doesn't matter. Have a great time.
to Becky. please give a review after you get back from Alaska. We are going in July to Alaska
So how did your cruise go? I’m looking to cruise Alaska next July!
great review, would love you to do a review on the Cunard Queen Elizabeth we recently did a 7 nighter to Tassy was interesting, wouldn’t do another Cunard cruise.
Thanks Ricko. I will keep my eyes open for a chance to try QE. What didn't you like about your time onboard?
Went to PNG on Luminosa could not fault anything. Had the best time. Crew were 110% fantastic. I have booked 5 more on this ship.
Sounds amazing! Enjoy your upcoming voyages on Luminosa.
Agree totally, although found the food cold in the MDR. It was only the 3rd cruise it did here, so there were some hiccups. It needs more pool space, an update on decor for sure, and what we found most annoying was that there was foot traffic no matter where you were. There was no internet cafe nor business facilities nor was the library stocked. You just couldn't get out of the way of people walking thru where you were sitting, a bit like sitting in a cafe on a sidewalk with pedestrians walking through constantly.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Janette.
Everything you said could be said of Splendor. They are ships full of paradox. I love that in amongst the chaos of design, there are places to go that offer respite to tired eyes.
I never go to any Carnival buffet, for the same reasons you note about Luminosa. That's another paradox: how do those ships with such lax hygiene practices have so little disease on board!
Carnival food, however, especially in the steakhouse is wonderful. $65 is a fair price for that quality.
Thanks for the entertaining review Adrian!
Chaos of design sums it up perfectly!
Thanks for watching Ken, and sharing your thoughts 😁
Good review again. I have to go with an open mind otherwise all the bad will take me away from having a nice experience. I have a question tho, I know they have two shows every night. Would be a problem getting a seat on the first one? Do you recommend getting there extra earlier to guarantee a seat or there is plenty? Thanks
Thanks! Yes, definitely go in with an open mind and enjoy yourself. The first sitting can sometimes be easier, as more people seem to have dinner around that 7 o'clock time. Every cruise is different though, so maybe for the first show, go in at least 15 minutes before showtime to be safe.
Hopefully once it comes back from the USA summer season the food may improve especially in the lido market place i have been on a lot of cruises starting with the first cruise on the fairstar and have seen such a decline in food services on these ships on every cruise these days ,best is still carnival for me
Hope so, Shane. The Lido Marketplace food offering was fairly decent, especially with the various outlets (The Deli and pizzeria especially were very good).
Hi Adrian, I might have been wrong about the Luminosa decor. The public spaces you had on the video seemed more sedate than a flashy gaudy Carnival ship. I checked to see who designed this ship, but came up empty. Sleeping in a nightmare colored stateroom was not what you expected !! UGH. I guess her first transition dry dock was to update the public spaces and maybe later a more comprehensive refresh ship wide !! Let Us Hope. She had more good points than bad points, so that was a good thing.
Hi Jeremy. Some of the public spaces really weren't so bad, but funnily enough, watching it back it seemed like it came out better on film than it appeared in person haha. Was still a good trip, and definitely a lot onboard to like.
Hi Adrian , just watched ur Vlog , your Stateroom would give me the horrors those colours 🥺 tht Buffet seemed so dated & its not my style ,
But once again a Great Vlog very imformative Adrian ,
Cheers Anne and Ron 🛳👍💕
Thanks Anne & Ron. Glad you enjoyed the video. The colours in my room seem to be universally hated by all haha
I have cruised Carnival Comquest and Dream. We are booked for the Breeze Aug 2023. I’m planning Alaska Aug 2024 and hope the Luminosa doesn’t disappoint compared to the Dream amd Breeze.
I think you will enjoy the overall experience, though I can't compare her to Dream and Breeze (haven't sailed on them). Thanks for watching.
Just FYI, Royal Caribbean is now only offering a once-a-day room service as well.
(At least that was the case on the Quantum in December ...)
Thanks Graham. I had a look into this, and strangely it seems like it's a Quantum-specific change. Not sure why they did that, they claimed it was for the environment... hopefully it's not rolled out to all ships in the fleet.
I've done Princess, P&O & RCL.hands down Princess for me. 2nd RCL
Princess are great, I do love the medallion especially.
Thanks for this! I am wondering if you, or anyone reading this, knows what kind of non-dining room options there are for gluten free? I just was on my first cruise a month ago, Carnival Glory, and pretty much lived on Guy Firreri burgers without the buns lol. I wasn’t super impressed with much food for dinner options in dining. I assumed the pizza was all off limits and I don’t eat raw fish so wondering if there are really any dinner options aside from the steakhouse, which I will definitely do at least one night!
Thanks for watching, Amy. I don’t specifically recall seeing GF sections in the buffet, unfortunately - which is the other main dining area. When you’re onboard, you should definitely feel free to ask the crew in the buffet, as quite often they’ll have things available that are GF. Sorry that’s not super helpful.
Hey no comment on the Academy of Fun speakers?? did you drop in see any of those?
Hey there. No, I didn't. I don't recall them being advertised in the planner if I'm honest.
We are on Luminosa 5/3. Booked a normal balcony, so hopeful of a neutral colour scheme. 🙏 I think they need to revamp the seating arrangement of the Lido Buffet. It looks as though it is all over place, needs more structure and COMFORTABLE seating definition. Lots of wasted space from what I could see.
Like the idea of brunch in the MDR, suits me. Thank you for your pro and cons on the Luminosa Adrian. 👍
Thanks for watching! I'm 99.9% sure you'll have a neutral colour scheme, which will be infinitely better than my Ronald McDonald special 🤣
I hope you enjoy your cruise onboard next month. Come back and let us know how you go.
@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy hello Adrian. Well we did the week island hopper, Mystery island is still mystery. All Govt officials were off helping at Port Vila after the cyclone. We were pleasantly surprised by the Luminosa. Yes there were some things that the ship lacked, re the Fun part of Carnival, but they were overlooked by us because the crew were just great, and we did not have to cater to children. I still believe the the Lido buffet needs a revamp in the seating arrangements, but I will say, the seats are much more comfortable than they look. In the main I think they have sorted the earlier food hic-cups out. There was plenty of choice, you would be hard pushed not to find something to your liking. We had early dining and it worked well for us. Desserts not a great deal of choice, but I have to admit their choice of 3 sorbets were devine and they never disappointed. ❤ hamburgers were good, but I would advise if you want hot chips just get them on their own and get the hamburger later. Or you get caught up with people getting what they want as a topper on the burger and then the chips end up being lukewarm. We took coffee bags with us because the coffee is not up to Australian standard in the Lido. You have to pay for coffee in the dining room. We gathered they don’t want you to sit and chat over a coffee 🤔 go find somewhere else. The freebie hot chocolate in the Lido buffet was a big hit though. Other than that you have to buy a decent coffee at Java Blue. Suffice to say the freebie Tea is okay as well. Bushel’s blue label, green tea etc., we took a thermo mug with us, and saw that many others had done the same.
The use of glass lighting in the Luminosa is not as gaudy as I first thought. Everywhere was clean and well kept. Beds were very comfortable. All in all looking forward to the longer trip from Alaska to Brisbane in September. We learned our way around, no doubt it will be all the more familiar when we board next time.
PS… can definitely state that Cabin 6311 has a neutral colour scheme. 😊👍
Yea the swimming pool and lack of slide is why splendor seems like a better choice
I think Splendor seems to be the preferred ship for a few of those features that make her a little more family friendly.
Is there much outdoor dining space for the Lido buffet?
Is there any outdoor seating (tables & chairs) on the pool deck?
I embark next weekend. Thanks for your great review Adrian and thanks in advance for your response.
Hi Phil, thanks for watching. There is some outdoor seating around the pool which you can easily access from the buffet area.
If you haven’t watched it yet, I have a full ship tour of Luminosa on my channel which you can watch. Enjoy your cruise!
Thanks for this information Adrian. I watched your video but I didn't notice any tables and chairs around the pool. The outdoor dining area behind the Lido also appears very small 😢.
I've been on Quantum several times recently and there is a major lack of outdoor dining space at the Windjammer and also outdoor seating (tables & chairs) poolside. In contrast Pacific Encounter has plenty of outdoor seating.
@@mspalmboy oh no, I didn’t realise it was that small until I went back and looked.
You’re right about the P&O Pacific Encounter/Adventure. To me, they’re probably the best designed ships in terms of their upper outside decks. I mean, 4 pools is pretty special, on top of all of the various outdoor spaces.
Wishy washy always seems to be an afterthought on Carnival cruises but I thought that may have changed post Covid. Most people didn't use the sanitiser machines at all. I found that some of them were empty.
Kids club - not too many kids on board due to lack of waterslides and no full program for Dr Suess. But that meant the kids were all together for some sessions. My 10 year old didn't enjoy the combined groups that catered mostly for 5- 8 year olds.
I missed the lack of shade too. It seems that new ships to Oz don't have shaded areas.
Pros were the entertainment. The singer's were great.
Much more food options than the usual burgers and fries and pizza on Carnival ships. Had lunch most days at the burrito bar but if u go right on lunch time there is quite a wait.
In the verandah staterooms, they are wider than on most ships I've been on.
I was so surprised about the hand washing/sanitiser "issue" - I really wasn't expecting that after my cruises on other lines.
Great Review Adrian.
We were on the same Cruise and I pretty well agree with every point you made good and bad.
The Lido Buffet was poorly set up.
We like an early breakfast in the MDR and that wasn’t possible, I think they opened at 8:30 am and as you say they closed at Midday so we ended up queuing up for a Pizza or Toasted sandwich 😕
Pool was too small for the amount of passengers and the volume and hype of the staff was a bit OTT
I think some people slept in the Pods in the Adult area for the whole Cruise.
As you say the connection with the Sea was great, saw Dolphins and a Manta Ray.
Staff were great.
We ended up in a huge accessible balcony room.
We also like the size of the Ship.
I would certainly book on her again but perhaps not for a Cruise longer than 7 days.
Cheers,
Ian
Hi Ian. Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed the video and that my thoughts aligned with yours too. Cheers.
I just got back from a cruise on the breeze out of Galveston. We had a great time but it was like being at a night club the entire time. Which cruise line would you recommend that’s calmer but still room for fun?
That can really depend on a lot of factors - even the time of year that you travel, the duration of the cruise and the port you sail from. I would say that Royal Caribbean might offer a good alternative from the US. Celebrity are a little more mature, less of the party vibe. Longer cruises will tend to offer a more calm atmosphere onboard as well.
I got a 4 dayer booked in oct..i use a walker full time..in the buffet u think i would get around pretty easy in there?..looks like not much room when its crowded
Hi John. I think you should be ok, as I know people will give you room if need be. There is still enough space to get around, it's just that with people moving "against the traffic" so to speak, it can get a little congested.
What month did you go on the Luminosa ? We have just booked for March out of Brisbane and wondering if there will be many children considering school would have just started
Our cruise was at the beginning of February. The trend lately has been that parents are pulling kids out of school for non-holidays cruising, so although it should be better than in the school holidays, you can still expect to see a fair few kids around.
Hi, this might be a stupid question - but when you used the app on board did you need to have wifi for it to work or did it/ would it work without buying a wifi package?
Hi Sarah, not a stupid question at all. You don’t need to purchase Wi-Fi to use the app. Your phone will connect to the Wi-Fi network for free, and then you can use the app for all of the app features like dining reservations etc without having to purchase access to the Internet.
@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy Thank you so much for replying - I really appreciate it!
Sailing this ship mid March for 4 days ….disappointed that you cannot purchase the cheers program and have to buy your drinks individually… could be expensive 🙁
Drinks were reasonably priced, depending on what you ordered. I kept track of my drinks bill at the end of my 3 night cruise, and honestly came ahead (just slightly) when I tallied the total spend against what the drinks package would have cost. I’m going to make a video soon that dives into drink packages. Hope you enjoy your cruise!
Joe Farkus did a little better on Luminosa than Splendor.
I was in shock with Splendor so Luminosa was a bonus.
Luminosa is definitely a lot easier on the eyes than Splendor haha
You can tell that's the old Costa Cruise liner
Yeah definitely, lots of Costa remains including the funnel design and Donna in the atrium haha.
I just booked a cruise on this ship…..you’re making me nervous about going on luminosa…..
Really? I would hope not. I think my review is quite positive overall.
We're there smoking area on ship
Deck 10, port side. You can check out my ship tour if you like, I mention it in there. th-cam.com/video/8L7iUoqTGIA/w-d-xo.html
Your jive walking while operating the camera was making me sea sick Noddy.
Haha! Yeah it’s not “jive walking”, but check out the DJI Pocket 2 and you’ll understand.
Carnival Cruise line is a dangerous company who is very reckless with passenger comfort and safety
Why, what happened?
@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy poop cruise and Costa Concordia. Need I say anymore
Baaaad ship, avoid it
Shame on Carnival for bringing this ship on. Its NOT comparable to the other spirit class at all!!!
Thanks for your comment and view. Happy cruising.
There is absolutely nothing ultimate about anything carnival owns
‘Ultimate’ describes my review, not the experience.
@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy thank you that makes better sense.
@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy thank you that makes better sense.