Theater and Shows on Carnival Venezia
Teatro Rosso is the main theater on Carnival Venezia and is at the front of the ship on Decks 4 & 5. Expect two shows a night, a mixture of revue-type shows, Bingo and a new how for Carnival, Color My World (which we did not see).
Daily Things to Do on Carnival Venezia
Make sure you either have the Carnival hub app downloaded, or grab a copy of Fun Times (left outside your room every night, or available at Guest Relations); or check your interactive TV for all the fun things going on.
Starting early morning, there are (free) stretch classes on Lido, for-fee Yoga classes, Trivia in the Gondola Lounge throughout the morning, movies at the Lido, Bridge tournaments, various ball games, family activities, jewelry seminars and posture seminars, handbag sales, art exhibitions and auctions and free massage tasters in the spa and even early karaoke.
On the deck above the Lido, you’ll find Bocce, ping pong, mini-golf and a ropes course, part of which goes over the side of the ship. All of these are free. There is also an arcade called The Warehouse where you (or more likely your child) will spend a lot of time and money trying to win tokens.
An Italian Street Festival takes place in the Lido , with food, games and activities once a cruise.
Nightlife on Carnival Venezia
Carnival Venezia really comes alive at night, with comedy shows starting in the early evening in the Limelight Lounge and going on till late, live music in the atrium, Happy Hour in the Fun Shops and a late-night party on the Lido Deck.
There are a myriad of different bars to choose from (detailed below), which you can hop to and from as the evening progresses, most of them on Decks 4 & 5.
Carnival Venezia has a large casino leading off the middle floor of the main atrium and which takes up a large amount of real estate on Deck 4. There is an annex area that is a dedicated non-smoking area.
Carnival Venezia Bars and Lounges
You’ll be hard pressed to know where to start in terms of drinking onboard, there are so many bars to choose from. We’ve chosen our favorites below.
You might also like to invest in a Beverage Package, which allows for 15 drinks a day plus discounts on bottles of wine. Carnival’s alcohol drink package costs $59.95 per person, per day, if you buy it before your cruise or $64.95 per person per day if you buy it onboard the ship. What’s impressive is that the package covers most drinks onboard, including cocktails; the only exceptions being premium spirits.
Our Picks
For a Daytime Refresher: Rococo Bar on the Lido deck is the ultimate Carnival-meets-Italy mash up, with gilt ceilings and gold framed paintings on the walls, covered in irreverent graffiti. As with many areas on this ship, it’s hard to know where to look, but we love the spiked slushies that come in a variety of different flavors.
For a Cocktail with a Twist: Amari is the Carnival Venezia version of Alchemy and has all the favorites from that bar, plus a few new-to-the-line cocktails all with an Italian twist. Our reco is to go for a sampler, which gives you three cocktails of your choice.
For Bubbles: Frizzante. New to Carnival, this bar outside Il Viaggio is the perfect spot for a pre-dinner prosecco or Aperol.
For a Beer: Heroes Tribute Bar. This all-American sports bar that also pays homage to veterans sits rather incongruously amongst the marble floors and Italianate columns on the rest of the ship, but it’s a perfect spot to grab a beer and watch a game.
For a Post-Dinner Cocktail: Carnevale Bar at the aft of the ship is another beautifully designed space, a nod to Venice’s annual Carnival, with plenty of pictures and masks and comfortable lounge-type seating, plus an outdoor area. The cocktails here are classics: Bellinis, Espresso Martinis, Negronis and the like.
Pools and Hot Tubs on Carnival Venezia
The one area which we are not too sure about is the pool situation — there are just two onboard, both of them not very big for a 4,090-passenger ship that carries a lot of kids during holiday time.
The reason for this is because this ship was originally built for China, where there is less interest in swimming and sunbathing and more focus on shops and restaurants. Hence the Lido Deck resembles more of an Italian square, surrounded by cafes and bars, rather than a typical cruise ship pool deck with acres of space for loungers. The pool is almost an afterthought, tucked into one end so loungers can only go round three sides (one side is shaded).
It’s small, unheated and salt water. We did not see many people using it. The pool area does have a “magrodome” — a retractable glass roof, though, that opens and closes so it can be used in chillier weather (which is quite common in New York).
You’ll find the second pool at the aft of the ship on the Burano Pool Deck, which also has two hot tubs. This is also small, but has a lot more space for sunbathing.
Waterslides, Ropes Course and Splash Park on Carnival Venezia
Carnival Venezia has an excellent water park where we found our kid spending most of his time with the other children onboard. There are three water slides: Gondola Slide, Aquatunnel and Twister.
Sundecks on Carnival Venezia
Where you might expect to get a sun lounger — the Lido Deck — is somewhat limited, though there are balconies and alcoves on the deck above which looks down onto this space. These areas do not get sun, however; they look more like nice spaces to read a book in the shade.
Alternatively, head for the aft of the ship to the Burano Sun Deck where there is a lot more space for loungers, including surrounding the pool on the upper levels.
If you want to get away from it all head to the adults-only Serenity Deck high up on Deck 15, which looks and feels like a for-fee exclusive area. It’s not though — the space is open to all over 21, with two hot tubs and a bar.