Carnival Jubilee Walkthrough From Cabins to Top Deck

Carnival Jubilee walkthrough starts with one simple idea: the easiest way to understand this massive ship is to walk it from the bottom up. Carnival Jubilee is spread across 18 passenger decks divided into themed zones, with cabins on the lower and middle decks, dining and entertainment in the center, and pools, the water park, and the BOLT coaster toward the top.

This deck-by-deck walkthrough follows that same route, highlighting cabin numbers, walking distances, and the small layout quirks that can make a real difference once you’re on board.

Quick Ship Facts Before We Start Walking

Keep this table handy. It’s the baseline everything else in this walkthrough builds on.

Deck 1 to 4: Where You Actually Board

Guests board on Deck 4, not Deck 1. Decks 1 through 3 are almost entirely crew areas and engineering spaces, so you won’t see them on any cabin map and there’s no reason to look for a stateroom down there.

Deck 3 is where Grand Central lives, the three-deck-tall atrium that acts as the ship’s main crossroads. Guest services, shore excursion desk, and the photo gallery all sit around this space. If you get turned around anywhere on Jubilee, Grand Central is your reset point because every elevator bank and staircase touches it.

One thing first-timers miss: the forward and aft elevator banks on Jubilee do not connect internally. You have to walk through a public deck (usually 5 or 8) to cross from forward cabins to aft cabins on the lower decks. Budget an extra five minutes if your dinner reservation is on the opposite end of the ship from your cabin.

Deck 5 to 8: Cabins Meet the Currents and Shores Zones

This middle stretch is where Jubilee breaks from its sister ships. Instead of copying Mardi Gras’ layout exactly, Carnival built two zones exclusive to Jubilee here.

Currents, spread across Decks 6 and 7, runs an underwater theme with LED ceiling panels that ripple like water and a bar called Dr. Inks, Ph.D. pouring sea-creature-inspired cocktails. It’s a good spot to know about because it’s usually far less crowded than Grand Central at the same hour.

Shores, on Deck 8, feels like a boardwalk: wood-plank flooring, a Ferris-wheel-style ceiling, and a run of dining that includes Rudi’s Seagrill, Cucina del Capitano, and Coastal Slice pizzeria. Jubilee doesn’t carry the Seafood Shack concept found on some other Carnival ships; Rudi’s Seagrill fills that seafood role instead, and the menu runs heavier on prepared plates than the counter-style setup you’d find at the Seafood Shack menu on Carnival’s other ships.

Cabins on Decks 6 through 8 are mostly interior and oceanview categories, with a run of obstructed-view balconies on Deck 7 aft that sit right above a public deck. Ask your travel agent to double-check for obstruction before booking one of these if an unblocked ocean view matters to you.

Deck 9: The Lido Deck Layer You’ll Use Every Day

Deck 9 carries the main pool, the buffet (Emperor’s Seafood & Grill area plus general Lido buffet stations), and the casual grab-and-go spots most guests default to for breakfast and lunch. It’s also the noisiest deck to sleep near if your cabin sits directly below it, since pool furniture gets moved and music starts early.

If your itinerary includes sea days, expect Deck 9 to fill up by 9:30am. The quieter pool alternative is Serenity on Deck 18, which we’ll get to shortly.

Deck 10 to 17: The Cabin Stack

This eight-deck stretch is almost entirely staterooms, and it’s the section most walkthroughs gloss over. A few things worth knowing before you pick a cabin number here:

• Deck 10 and 11 sit closest to the Lido noise above and the entertainment deck below, so they’re the busiest-feeling cabin decks. Good if you want quick access to everything, less good if you want quiet.
• Decks 14 through 17 are the calmest cabin decks on the ship. Fewer public spaces cut through them, and the walk to elevators is shorter because the footprint narrows toward the bow.
• Family Harbor staterooms cluster on Deck 8 forward, with their own private lounge and earlier access to some activities, a detail that rarely makes it into generic deck-plan listings.
• Cloud 9 Spa cabins sit on Deck 17, giving direct or near-direct access to the spa and thermal suite, worth the upcharge if spa access is a priority for your trip.

Cabin categories on Jubilee break into four broad groups: interior, oceanview, balcony (including extra-large Cove Balcony rooms on lower decks), and suites, which range from Excel Suites up to the two-story Loft suites near the top of the ship.

Deck 18: Summer Landing and Serenity

Deck 18 splits into two very different moods. On one side, Summer Landing hosts Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse and Brewhouse, Swirls for milkshakes and soft serve, and a rotating trio of food-truck-style stalls (Time Fries, Steam Dream, Mad Sizzle) that change their small-plate menu daily. On the other side, Serenity, the adults-only retreat, gives you a second pool deck without kids or loud music, which is the detail most competitor guides skip: if Deck 9 feels like a pool party, Deck 18’s Serenity is the quiet alternative most first-time cruisers don’t find until day three.

Deck 19: The Top Deck and BOLT

The top deck is The Ultimate Playground, and it’s genuinely worth planning your first sea afternoon around. Highlights include:

• BOLT: Ultimate Sea Coaster, the first roller coaster at sea. Riders sit on a motorbike-style vehicle and control their own speed across two laps of track cantilevered over the side of the ship. It’s an added-fee ride, roughly $15 per ride at last check, and lines build fast after lunch on sea days, so an early-morning or late-evening ride is your best bet for a short wait.
• WaterWorks water park, with multiple slides included in your fare.
• SportSquare, covering mini-golf, a ropes course, and a basketball court.
• Loft 19, a smaller pool and lounge area tucked at the very back of the deck, often overlooked because it’s a short walk past the main coaster crowd.

Practical tip from actual sailings: BOLT closes for weather more often than guests expect, particularly on windier Western Caribbean itineraries. If riding it is a priority, don’t save it for the last sea day.

Planning Your Cabin Around This Walkthrough

Once you’ve walked the ship on paper, the real decision is matching a deck to how you actually cruise. Families who want fast pool and buffet access tend to like Decks 10 or 11. Couples who want quiet gravitate to Decks 15 through 17. If nightlife and easy access to Grand Central matters more than a short elevator ride, cabins near Deck 5 or 6 make sense despite being farther from the top-deck attractions.

Budgeting for the trip matters just as much as the cabin location. Onboard spending adds up fast between BOLT rides, specialty dining, and drinks, so it’s worth working out a rough number before you sail using a guide like this 7-night cruise budget breakdown. Gratuities are automatically added per person per day, and if you’re comparing that cost against other lines, this cruise gratuities comparison lays out how Carnival stacks up. And if you want a fuller sense of what daily onboard spending actually looks like beyond the cruise fare, this onboard spending guide for first-time cruisers covers it in more detail.

A quick note from experience: the single biggest mistake I see first-time Jubilee guests make isn’t about the ship layout at all, it’s booking a cabin close to Grand Central thinking it means convenience, when in practice it means hearing the late-night entertainment through the wall until well past midnight. Walk the deck plan with your sleep schedule in mind, not just distance to the elevator.

Carnival Jubilee Walkthrough FAQ

Is Carnival Jubilee similar to Mardi Gras?

Yes, they share the same Excel Class hull and general zone concept, but Jubilee swaps in two exclusive zones, Currents and Shores, instead of copying Mardi Gras’ layout exactly.

How many decks does Carnival Jubilee have cabins on?

Cabins are spread across 11 of the ship’s 18 passenger decks, roughly Decks 5 through 8 and 10 through 17.

Is BOLT included in the cruise fare?

No, BOLT carries an added per-ride fee, separate from the water park and mini-golf, which are both included.

Which deck is quietest for sleeping on Carnival Jubilee?

Decks 15 through 17 tend to be the calmest since fewer public venues run through them and they sit away from both the Lido pool above and Grand Central below.

Where is Family Harbor located on Jubilee?

Family Harbor staterooms are on Deck 8 forward, with a private lounge exclusive to that program.

Does Carnival Jubilee have a Seafood Shack?

No. Jubilee uses Rudi’s Seagrill in the Shores zone instead of the Seafood Shack concept found on some other Carnival ships.

What’s the best time to ride BOLT to avoid lines?

Early morning right after breakfast or in the evening after dinner service, before and after the midday sea-day rush.

Is there an adults-only pool area on Carnival Jubilee?

Yes, Serenity on Deck 18 is reserved for guests 21 and older and runs quieter than the main Lido pool on Deck 9.