Carnival Cruise Line unveils new system to eliminate pain point
The cruise line is going digital to improve the passenger experience in a key area.
Port days can be busy days on a cruise, especially if you’re the kind of cruiser who wants to pack a lot of exploration into the limited window of time you have in the destination.
As you prepare to get off the ship for your day in port, you’ll usually have a handful of items to take along like a water bottle, sunscreen, and sunglasses. But most importantly, you’ll need to take your photo ID and the cruise key card issued to you by your cruise line at boarding — those are required to get off and back on the ship.
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If you booked a shore excursion for your day in port, you may also need to remember to bring a ticket or some form of confirmation required to check in with the tour operator leading your in-port activity.
For Carnival Cruise Line passengers who book shore excursions through the cruise line, checking in for these activities has long required passengers to remember to bring along a paper ticket provided by the cruise line.
But now, a better system is on the way that will simplify the process, eliminating worries about forgetting excursion tickets and improving the passenger experience on Carnival cruise port days.
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Carnival shore excursions are going ticketless
Carnival Cruise Line is introducing a new digital platform for its shore excursions that will eliminate paper tickets and provide better functionality to enhance the shore excursion experience for both passengers and tour operators.
Rather than presenting a paper ticket to tour operators, Carnival passengers will soon be able to check in for shore excursions by simply using their onboard Sail & Sign card, which they already need to take along to get on and off the ship.
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The new platform will link with Carnival’s HUB app, where passengers will receive a digital confirmation for their shore excursion booking. The new system will also allow passengers to get reminders on important excursion details, like meeting times and locations, through in-app notifications.
During their cruise, passengers who haven’t yet booked a shore excursion will also be able to access information on excursions with last-minute availability. Tour operators will be able to use the platform to make bookings and register passengers in real time.
Carnival's ticketless shore excursions rolling out gradually
Carnival has already begun rolling out the new ticketless shore excursion platform, first implementing it in Australia earlier this year. The cruise line is now testing the new mobile application with select tour operator partners in some destinations in The Bahamas and the Caribbean.
The cruise line plans to offer it on all shore excursions available from its new exclusive cruise destination in The Bahamas, Celebration Key on Grand Bahama, by its July 19 opening. Celebration Key shore excursions include popular activities like a dolphin encounter and a tour that explores the natural wonders of The Bahamas’ Lucayan National Park.
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After the platform is fully operational for all Celebration Key shore excursions, Carnival will roll the system out further, working with its tour operator partners in The Bahamas, the Caribbean, and Mexico to train tour operators on the new tools and fully implement the new platform for cruises visiting those areas throughout the rest of 2025.
By summer 2026, the ticketless shore excursion platform is expected to be available for Carnival cruises to Alaska and in Europe as well.
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