Carnival Cruise Line · All Carnival Cruise Line ships · Fantasy Class
Carnival Paradise: ship guide
Tampa’s year-round ship for four- to six-day Western Caribbean and Bahamas cruises.
Best for: Tampa Bay and Central Florida families and couples who want a four- to six-day Western Caribbean or Bahamas cruise from a drive-to port on a small ship that is easy to learn. Sails from Tampa in 2026 and 2027.
About Carnival Paradise
Carnival Paradise is the last Fantasy Class ship ever built, delivered by Kvaerner Masa-Yards in Helsinki in November 1998. She now measures 71,925 gross tons and 855 feet, carrying 2,124 guests with 920 crew. A month-long dry dock in Freeport in 2018 added a deck of new staterooms, put 230-square-foot balconies on 98 existing rooms and expanded WaterWorks, and a 16-day dry dock in October 2023 refreshed her again and introduced the Cloud 9 Spa.
The ship keeps things simple. The Elation and Destiny dining rooms serve dinner, Lido Marketplace runs the buffet, and Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, Mongolian Wok, the deli and Swirls are included; Bonsai Sushi Express, JavaBlue Café and the Chef’s Table are the extras. On deck are pools, hot tubs and a WaterWorks park with a big spiraling slide and two racing slides, with Serenity for adults, the Punchliner Comedy Club, Playlist Productions and a piano bar at night.
Carnival Paradise has sailed from Tampa since 2013 and Carnival has confirmed her there year-round through 2026, 2027 and into 2028. Four-day Western Caribbean cruises visit Cozumel; four-, five- and six-day Bahamas cruises call at Celebration Key, Princess Cays and Nassau; and five- and six-day Western Caribbean cruises add Mahogany Bay, Belize and Grand Cayman. She suits Tampa Bay and Central Florida families and couples who want a short cruise with a drive-to port and a close-knit ship.
- Year-round four- to six-day cruises from Tampa to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Belize, Mahogany Bay, Celebration Key, Princess Cays and Nassau
- Carnival WaterWorks with a large spiraling slide and two racing slides
- Cloud 9 Spa introduced in the 2023 refurbishment
- 230-square-foot Balcony rooms and Grand Vista Suites added in the 2018 makeover
- Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, Mongolian Wok and Swirls included
- Bonsai Sushi Express, JavaBlue Café and the Chef’s Table
- RedFrog Rum Bar, BlueIguana Tequila Bar and the piano bar
- Serenity Adult-Only Retreat plus Camp Ocean and Seuss at Sea for kids
Staterooms and suites
Interior
Standard Interior rooms, Porthole rooms low in the ship and Interior Upper/Lower rooms with a twin bed and a Pullman; the value pick for a four-day Cozumel run.
Ocean View
Picture-window Ocean View rooms and Scenic Ocean View rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows.
Balcony
About 230-square-foot Balcony rooms created in 2018 by adding verandas to existing staterooms, plus Aft-View Extended Balcony rooms over the wake.
Suites
Junior Suites (some with an obstructed view), Grand Suites, Grand Suites with an extended balcony and the Grand Vista Suites on the top deck; suites include priority check-in and boarding, a pillow-top mattress, bathrobes and a bag of wash-and-fold laundry per cruise.
Carnival Paradise deck plans
Deck by deck, straight from our booking engine: the plan, the stateroom categories on that deck and the public rooms. Pick a deck.
Deck 15 - Sun
Plans are the cruise line’s current drawings as supplied to our booking engine. Layouts change with refurbishments; your SmartCruiser advisor confirms the exact stateroom when you book.
On board Carnival Paradise
Dining on Carnival Paradise
Lido MarketplaceIncluded
The Lido buffet with daily stations, a deli, a pizzeria, Mongolian Wok and Swirls soft-serve.
Elation and Destiny Dining RoomsIncluded
Two main dining rooms serving a three-course menu nightly and Seaday Brunch.
Guy’s Burger JointIncluded
Guy Fieri’s burgers and fries by the pool.
BlueIguana CantinaIncluded
South-of-the-border tacos and burritos made fresh.
Mongolian WokIncluded
Build-your-own stir-fry inside the Lido buffet.
Bonsai Sushi ExpressSpecialty
Grab-and-go sushi rolls and bowls priced per item.
JavaBlue CaféSpecialty
Specialty coffees, cold drinks and sweets.
The Chef’s TableSpecialty
Chef-hosted multi-course dinner with a galley tour.
Entertainment and activities
- Playlist Productions musical revues and the Punchliner Comedy Club
- Carnival WaterWorks with a spiraling slide and twin racing slides
- Pools and hot tubs on the Lido deck
- RedFrog Rum Bar, BlueIguana Tequila Bar and the piano bar
- Casino and dance club
- Serenity Adult-Only Retreat
- Cloud 9 Spa and fitness center
Families and who it suits
Three age-perfect youth programs: Camp Ocean for 2 to 11 (Penguins 2 to 5, Stingrays 6 to 8, Sharks 9 to 11), Circle C for 12 to 14 and Club O2 for 15 to 17. Seuss at Sea brings Dr. Seuss characters to an interactive storytime and parade and the Green Eggs and Ham breakfast, and WaterWorks keeps everyone busy on the sea day.
Best for: Tampa Bay and Central Florida families and couples who want a four- to six-day Western Caribbean or Bahamas cruise from a drive-to port on a small ship that is easy to learn.
Sails from: Tampa · Regions: Western Caribbean, Bahamas
Shore excursions in Carnival Paradise’s upcoming ports
The ports on Carnival Paradise’s next sailings. Pick one to see the tours Shore Excursions Group runs there, book before you sail and skip the line at the pier.
Ports from sailings departing Oct 26, 2026 onward; itineraries vary by date and your SmartCruiser advisor confirms the ports for your sailing. Tours are sold and operated by Shore Excursions Group, an independent tour company; SmartCruiser earns a commission on bookings made through these links at no extra cost to you.
Carnival Paradise questions we answer every day
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Facts checked against Carnival Cruise Line: Carnival Paradise, Carnival Cruise Line: Camp Ocean, Cruise Industry News: Carnival opens bookings for 2026-27 cruises from Tampa and Mobile, Cruise Industry News: Carnival Paradise undergoing month-long refurb on October 13, 2026. Ship details change with refurbishments; your SmartCruiser advisor confirms the current layout when you book.
Every Carnival Paradise sailing, priced all-in
Every Carnival Paradise departure the cruise line is selling, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. SmartCruiser picks at the top are sailings where booking with us gets you something extra. Stack the filters, then sort by lowest price, best value per night or sail date.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery Carnival Paradise sailing
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. Onboard credit shown on a sailing is per stateroom and applies to the lowest category offered unless stated otherwise.