Carnival’s HUB App to Replace Paper Shore Excursion Tickets
For many cruisers, choosing their shore excursions is one of the most fun tasks to complete in the run-up to embarkation day, as the anticipation of exploring port call destinations mounts.
At Carnival Cruise Line, guests booking their shore tours through the line will soon switch to a fully digital experience, as paper tickets for excursions are being phased out. The new process is still in pilot test mode following a rollout of the new platform in Australia in early 2025.
Currently, the cruise line is going paperless for some excursions in the Bahamas and Caribbean, and by mid-July 2025, all excursions from its new private destination, Celebration Key, will be digitally ticketed.
Under the new system, cruisers will check-in for their booked excursions using their Sail & Sign card — the cruise line-issued ID card guests receive at embarkation.
The line’s new platform links the card to Carnival’s HUB app, enabling guests to receive notifications from the app about excursion meeting times and locations.
It also allows guests to check the availability of shore tours and book them last minute using the app.
“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,” added Ackrill.
Operators are still being trained to use the new platform, and come July 19, 2025, when Celebration Key opens on Grand Bahama Island, all excursions from the destination will be digitally accessed.
Carnival Vista will be the line’s first ship to visit the new private destination. The port call will be made during the ship’s July 12, 2025 departure of an 8-night Southern Caribbean voyage from Port Canaveral. The ship will arrive on opening day.
Read Also: 20 Must-Know Things About The Carnival Hub App
Following the introduction of digital-ticket excursions from Celebration Key, the cruise line will expand the process to more port calls in the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and Mexico. The rollout is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
The cruise line will then turn its attention to Alaska and Europe excursions, with the platform expected to be operational by summer 2026.
Why Some Guests Might Not Like a Ticketless Policy
One possible downside to phasing out paper tickets for shore excursions is that the new platform requires all guests who have booked shore excursions through the cruise line to use the line’s HUB app.
While most cruise guests use the app, some might prefer to avoid it, particularly older cruisers with limited knowledge about downloading and using apps in general.
Like other cruise line apps, Carnival’s can be used for many onboard tasks, such as checking in for a cruise, making dinner reservations, booking spa appointments, and other things.
The app receives updates from time to time, increasing its usefulness to guests. In 2024, for instance, the line began using the app to issue party invitations to Diamond and Platinum loyalty club guests.
Previously, only paper invitations were issued. In this case though, the line did not phase out the paper invites; it only uses the app to send an e-reminder to the VIP guests.
Another update in recent years improved the app’s casino section, enabling guests to track their Point and Player Bank information and learn about casino events.
The HUB app can be accessed using the ship’s WiFi, regardless of whether a guest has purchased an internet package.