Carnival Cruise Line has announced it is streamlining ticketing for its shore excursions. The cruise line will soon exclusively use digital ticketing eliminating the need for physical tickets. Early this year, the platform was successfully launched in Australia and is currently being piloted with some tour operators in certain destinations in the Bahamas and the Caribbean.
Carnival Cruise Line intends for all excursions from its new exclusive destination, Celebration Key, to be digitally ticketed when it opens July 19, 2025. With the new system, guests will use their Sail & Sign card to check-in for their booked excursions.
The new platform will link with the cruise line’s HUB App to provide digital confirmation of booked excursions. The app will also allow guests to receive notifications for details such as meeting times and locations as well as view and book shore excursions with last-minute availability since everything will be in real time.
“Our new ticketless platform prioritizes convenience for our guests and equips our tour operator partners with better tools, making the shore excursion experience more seamless, efficient and enjoyable,” said Sam Ackrill, vice president of shore excursions for Carnival Cruise Line. “Eliminating the need for physical tickets and streamlining the process of checking in for shore excursions will be a great benefit, but the real-time functionality that’s built into our platform will give tour operators more opportunities and guests more choices.”
Carnival is rolling out the system to destinations most visited by its fleet while working to be sure operators are trained on the new platform. Once the platform is fully functional for Celebration Key, Carnival will continue to work with operators throughout the Bahamas, the Caribbean and Mexico. Carnival expects to successfully launch the program in these areas by the end of 2025. The cruise line will then move to excursions offered in Alaska and Europe, with the platform expected to be available by summer 2026.