If you are looking for a quieter cruise experience, Carnival Cruise Line’s Havana Experience might be exactly what you need. Carnival Cruise Line’s Havana Experience is booked by selecting Havana staterooms and is only available on select ships. It offers cruisers an exclusive outdoor area less crowded than most sundecks. The Havana sundeck offers comfy sun loungers, tables and chairs, a bar area, and, depending on the ship, a pool and hot tub. Exclusive access to the Havana sundeck means you have a quieter place to enjoy and escape to, plus a pool and hot tub that are not crowded. Keep reading to learn more about the Havana Experience and whether you should book a Havana stateroom on your next cruise.
What is the Havana Experience on a Carnival Cruise
The Havana Experience is a Cuban-themed area offering a variety of different staterooms and suites. It also has an exclusive bar area accessible from the Havana sundeck. While this might seem a bit generic, the Havana Experience goes a little further.
The Havana sundeck is accessible only to guests staying in a Havana stateroom or suite. The exclusive Havana Experience sundeck features its own bar area, swimming pool, hot tub, and, of course, the outside deck.
The size of the sundeck and swimming pool will depend on whether you are on an Excel Class ship or on a Vista Class ship. While the Havana Experience on both ship classes is comparable, in our experience, the Vista class edges out the Excel class.
The pool area is a bit larger on Vista-class ships, featuring two hot tubs and a swimming pool. The pool area on a Vista-class ship makes the experience more worthwhile. Thus, we recommend the Havana Experience on a Vista-class ship.
Age requirement for the Havana Experience
On most cruise lines, if a passenger is 20 years old or younger, they must be accompanied by someone who is 25 years or older. There are exceptions to this rule, depending on the cruise line and country you are cruising from. Carnival Cruise Line’s Havana experience takes this a bit further. There is a minimum age requirement for staying in a Havana stateroom.
All guests staying in a Havana Stateroom must be 12 years of age and older. The age requirement for the Havana Experience is what makes it unique. This generally means that there are no young children in the sundeck and only older children in the area and in the pool. This unique requirement enables peaceful, quiet cruising in the private Havana Experience area.
Which Carnival Cruise Line Ships Offer the Havana Experience
The Havana Experience is available only on two ship classes, the Excel class and the Vista class. There is also a similar experience on the Italian-themed ships.
Vista Class ships were the first ones to offer the Havana Experience. The Vista Class ships include the Carnival Vista, Carnival Horizon, and Carnival Panorama. All three of these ships offer two hot tubs and a pool as part of their Havana Experience.
The Excel Class ships that offer the Havana Experience are the Carnival Celebration, Carnival Jubilee, and Carnival Mardi Gras. The Carnival Festivale, which will debut in 2027, will also have the Havana Experience. All of the Excel class ships offer a pool as part of their Havana Experience.
The exclusive Havana area on the Vista Class ships is larger, and the two hot tubs, in addition to the pool, make the experience a touch better.
The Terrazza Experience
Another Carnival Cruise ship class with an experience similar to the Havana Experience, but known as the Terrazza Experience, is the Venice Class. The Venice class includes the Italian-themed Carnival ships, the Carnival Firenze and the Carnival Venezia. There are a few differences between the Havana Experience and the Terrazza Experience, which we plan to write about soon.
Havana Experience Guest Bracelet
When you book a Carnival Cruise Line’s Havana Experience stateroom, you and all guests booked in your Havana stateroom will receive a bracelet identifying you as a Havana guest. The bracelets are placed in an envelope and given to Havana guests on embarkation day.
Havana guests are required to wear this bracelet in the Havana pool area and sun deck. Security identifies Havana Experience cruisers by the bracelets. During our cruise, we noticed that there was always a staff member enforcing this rule. Guests without the bracelet were quickly asked to leave. As an additional security measure, the bracelet’s color changes at the start of each new sailing.
The Havana Bar
The Havana Bar is open to all cruise passengers and features live music and dancing nightly. There are a variety of drinks, including mojitos. If you like Cuban Coffee, you can order it here, along with other Cuban favorites. Since coffee is available in the Havana Bar, it is also a great alternative to Java Blue Cafe. This is where we would order our specialty coffees, since the line was typically shorter.
The Havana Bar is the perfect place to hang out if you love games. Near the main entrance to the Havana Bar, there is a seating area with good-sized tables where you can play board games, card games, and dominoes. The area reminded me of Domino Park on Calle Ocho in Miami, where locals go to play dominoes.
In the evenings, you can enjoy live Latin music and dance the night away while enjoying a few traditional Cuban drinks.
Access the Private Sundeck Area from the Havana Bar
The private area for Havana stateroom guests is actually a nice touch for guests who book a Havana room or suite. The private area for Havana guests is right outside the Havana Bar. You can enter the private Havana Experience area from the doors on either side of the Havana Bar. While in the private area, you have access to the Havana Bar, sundeck, the pool, and the whirlpools.
Enjoy a Drink at the Private Havana Bar
The exclusive Havana Experience sundeck area has access to the Havana Bar. This part of the Havana bar is an outside extension of the public bar inside. There is seating at the bar in the private area, as there is on the public side. The bartenders will manage both the public and private areas of the Havana Bar. If the bar is busy inside, you might wait a bit to be served.
If you are not in a rush, there is a server who takes drink orders on the sundeck. This will free you up to relax on the sundeck or in the pool and whirlpools while you wait for your drink.
Relaxing at the Havana Pool and Whirlpools
One of the biggest perks of booking a Havana stateroom is access to the pool area. The pool and hot tubs are for the exclusive use of Havana Experience guests. This is great because there are typically fewer people here than in other pool areas on the cruise ship.
There is, however, an important difference between the Vista Class and Excel Class ships.
The Havana Pool, Vista Class Ships Versus Excel Class Ships
The Vista Class ships have the best Havana pool area compared to the Excel Class ships. On the Vista Class, the Havana sundeck has two whirlpools with a pool in between them. The pool has a sun shelf that leads to two seating areas, so you can enjoy a drink and get your feet wet. There is also plenty of seating on the sun deck with loungers, chairs, and daybeds.
On the Excel Class ships, there is a sun deck with loungers, an outside seating area by the bar, and a pool. You can also find some loungers outside some of the Havana Cabana rooms. The Excel Class ships do not have whirlpools on their Havana deck. This is important to know if you prefer hot tubs over swimming pools, as you might be disappointed.
The downside to Carnival Cruise Line’s Havana Experience on the Excel Class ships is that the sun deck area feels smaller than on the Vista Class ships. Personally, I prefer the Havana Experience pool area on the Vista Class ships.
Security in the Private Havana Area
Spending time in the Havana area is tempting. Cruise passengers can look down and see part of the Havana Experience sundeck from the Tides Pool area. One of the things they notice right away is that neither the pool nor the deck is crowded. They might be inclined to make the trip down to try and enjoy the peace and quiet typically found in this area.
Unfortunately for them, there is constant security in the Havana Experience area, ensuring that only guests staying in a Havana stateroom can access the private facilities. During our cruise, we noticed that security was a top priority, and unauthorized guests were asked to leave the area.
I appreciated that security did this quietly, so that guests who were unaware that this area was for the exclusive use of Havana guests were not embarrassed when asked to leave.
The Carnival Havana Staterooms
There are a variety of Havana staterooms to choose from: inside cabins, balcony cabins, suites, and cabana staterooms. The type of Havana stateroom available for your sailing will depend on which Carnival ship class you are sailing on. On the Excel Class ships, the Havana staterooms are all on Deck eight forward and consist of interior rooms and various types of cabana staterooms, including suites.
On the Vista Class ships, Havana staterooms are located at the back (Aft) on Decks five through nine. Vista Class Ships have interior, balcony, and cabana staterooms, including suites.
The one type of stateroom not available as a Havana stateroom is the Ocean View room.
Perks of Booking a Havana Stateroom
Besides the use of the private Havana area, which is actually the main perk, there are a few other perks of booking a Havana Stateroom. Bathrooms in Havana staterooms are stocked with Elemis toiletries. This includes soap, body wash, and conditioning shampoo. You will also find a nice robe to use throughout your cruise. If you book a cabana stateroom, they are on the same floor as the pool area, giving you easy access to the pool and hot tubs.
Carnival Cruise Line’s Havana Experience Staterooms
The Havana staterooms on Vista Class ships are in their own section at the back (Aft) of the ship on decks five, six, seven, eight, and nine. On Decks six through nine, a door separates the Havana staterooms from the other rooms toward the back of the ship. As you walk the hallways where the Havana staterooms are located, you will notice a blue and brown color theme and Cuban-themed artwork on the walls. There is also a staircase in the Havana stateroom section that connects decks five through nine.
Havana Experience Interior Cabin Stateroom
The Havana interior cabin staterooms are similar to standard interior staterooms. The main difference between a Havana interior cabin and a standard cabin is the cabin’s décor. The interior Havana stateroom is decorated in an Old Havana Cuban style. Unlike the Excel Class, the Vista Class has most of its interior cabins on deck five, with a couple on decks six and seven.
Havana Experience Balcony Stateroom
There are three traditional Havana balcony stateroom types found on the Vista Class ships only. The three types are an Extended Aft-View Balcony, Premium Balcony, and Premium Vista Balcony. Havana balcony staterooms are located on decks six through nine on Vista Class ships. You can easily use the staircase in the Havana stateroom section that connects decks five through nine to go from your balcony stateroom down to deck five to access the exclusive Havana area.
Havana Experience Extended Aft-View Balcony
The Extended Aft-View Havana Balcony room features the same Old Havana Cuban decor found in all Havana staterooms. Compared to other balcony staterooms, the Extended Aft-View Havana Balcony stateroom features an extended balcony. Having a larger balcony is nice and more relaxing than a standard balcony.
This is the type of room we had on the Carnival Panorama. We had a lounger, a chair, and a chair with an ottoman, which effectively served as a second lounger. The view you have is of the Havana Pool area and the ocean. The extended balcony is a great place to enjoy a drink of your choice and watch the sunrise or sunset.
Havana Experience Premium Balcony
The Premium Balcony is found only on deck six of the Vista Class ships. There are only two of these rooms. What makes these staterooms different from the other Havana balcony staterooms is that they are the only ones with ocean views on the side of the ship. You will not have an Aft view. The balcony also only has two chairs and a table, unlike the other balcony room options.
Havana Experience Premium Vista Balcony
The Premium Vista Balcony is available on decks six through nine, except on Carnival Vista, where these rooms are only on decks six and seven. Of the Havana balcony choices, this one offers the largest balcony.
The Havana Premium Vista Balcony room has a wraparound balcony. This gives you a great view of the ocean towards the back and off the side of the ship. The balcony has two chairs and a couple of tables, a lounger, and a chair with an ottoman.
Havana Cabana Stateroom Accommodations
The Havana Cabana staterooms are located on the same deck as the Havana Bar on both the Excel Class and Vista Class ships. On the Excel Class ships, the Havana Cabana rooms are on deck eight forward. For the Vista Class ships, the Havana Cabana rooms are located on deck five aft (back of the ship).
From the Cabana rooms, you can easily access the exclusive Havana Experience area. You can exit your room from the sliding glass door into your outdoor cabana patio and head straight ot the pool area. You can also access the sundeck by going out the main door of your stateroom, heading to the entrance in the Havana Bar area, then out to the Havana sundeck.
The outdoor patios of Cabana staterooms are similar to balconies, but there is a shared walkway between the patio and the ocean view, and the patios are not enclosed. This means that privacy is limited. People walking along the walkway can see the patios of the Cabana staterooms. You can also see your neighbor’s patio, and they can see yours.
The sliding glass doors are mirrored, so people cannot see inside your stateroom during the day. At night, though, when the light is on inside your stateroom, people walking by will be able to see inside. It is best to close the curtain at night for privacy.
As with all Havana staterooms, cabana rooms feature the standard Cuban-inspired decor.
Havana Cabana Stateroom
The Havana Cabana stateroom is the standard room type of the Havana Cabanas found on both the Vista Class and Excel Class ships. It is essentially a type of balcony room, except you do not have an exclusive ocean view from the patio. The outdoor patio area has a lounger, a chair with an ottoman, a table, and a swinging seat. The patio is enclosed by a gate for entry from the Havana walkway. The patio is covered, so you can enjoy the outdoors in a shaded area.
Havana Extended Cabana Room
The Havana Extended Cabana room is similar to the standard Havana Cabana room. The main exception is that the outdoor cabana patio is longer than the standard room. The outdoor patio is longer, providing a larger space. You still have a lounger, a chair with an ottoman, a table, and a swinging seat. The patio area is also covered like the standard Cabana rooms. This type of Havana Cabana room is only found on the Excel Class ships.
Havana Cabana Suites
On each of the Excel and Vista Class ships, there are only four Havana Cabana Suites. The Havana Cabana Suites are more spacious than the other room types. There is a designated bedroom area and a separate living room area separated by a curtain and a half-wall. In both areas, there is a TV.
Unlike the other Havana rooms, which have bathrooms similar to those in standard rooms, the Cabana Suite is very spacious. The bathroom in a Cabana Suite features a double vanity and a large shower with a rainfall showerhead.
As with all other Cabana rooms, there is an outdoor cabana patio with a chair and ottoman, a table, a lounger, and a swinging chair.
The Havana Cabana Suites have the same benefits as any other suites on the cruise ship. Some of the perks to being in a suite include priority check-in and boarding, priority dinner reservations for specialty dining, priority Main Dining Room time assignment, priority debarkation, and access to water shuttles for tender ports.
Havana Corner Suites
This type of Havana Cabana room is only found on the Excel Class ships. As you enter, you’ll find a spacious living room. Walking through the living room area, you will get to the bedroom area. Similar to the Cabana Suite, there is a small wall and a curtain separating the two sections. Both sections have a TV, and the TV in the bedroom section rises from the console at the foot of the bed. The bathroom is a decent size with a large shower and a two-faucet sink.
The outdoor cabana patio of the Havana Corner Suite is larger than the patios of other cabana rooms. There is a swinging seat, a chair with an ottoman, a table, and a lounger.
As with all other suites on the cruise ship, you will have the same basic perks, such as priority check-in and boarding, priority dinner reservations for specialty dining, priority debarkation, access to water shuttles for tender ports, and priority Main Dining Room time assignment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about booking a Carnival Havana stateroom. We hope these answers help as you decide whether booking Carnival Cruise Line’s Havana Experience is right for you.
No, there is not much of a difference between staying in a Havana stateroom and a standard stateroom. The main differences are access to the exclusive Havana Experience area and the added patio in the Cabana staterooms. The Havana staterooms are also slightly larger and include Elemis bath products.
No, guests staying in a Havana stateroom must be 12 years of age and older.
The biggest perk to booking a Havana room on Carnival is access to the exclusive sundeck and pool area for Havana guests. Since all guests must be 12 years of age or older, the exclusive area is quieter and has a more relaxing feel than other areas of the ship. Other perks include slightly larger rooms, a bathrobe for your cruise, and Elemis bath products in your bathroom, which are not available in standard rooms.
Yes, staying in a Havana Cabana or stateroom costs more than standard room options on a cruise. The cost difference depends on the length of your cruise and the type of room you want to book. Havana staterooms can cost several hundred to over a thousand dollars more than a standard room.
The Carnival ships with Havana staterooms are the Carnival Vista, Carnival Horizon, Carnival Panorama, Carnival Celebration, Carnival Mardi Gras, and Carnival Jubilee. The Carnival Festivale will also feature Havana staterooms when it launches in 2027.
Is Booking a Carnival Havana Stateroom Worth It?
Yes, in our opinion, booking a Havana stateroom is totally worth it. Being in a pool area that is not crowded and relaxing on a lounger or daybed in a quiet, serene setting made the price worth it to us. Our experience in the Havana section made for one of the more relaxing cruise experiences we have ever had. We had no trouble getting a seat by the bar or finding a lounger or daybed when we wanted to spend time on the Havana sundeck. It was by far one of the best experiences we had when cruising on the Carnival Panorama.
Leave us a comment and let us know if you are considering booking the Havana Experience or what you thought of the Carnival Cruise Line’s Havana Experience.
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