Carnival sells itself as the “fun” cruise line for all who wish to vacation. Its tag line, “All for Fun. Fun for All,” implies that it provides fun to everyone indiscriminately. Indeed, Carnival stresses that anyone can enjoy this leisure. An advertisement promoting the Carnival Legend, for example, says the ship is “perfect for multi-generational family and friend groups” and “couples” (“Carnival Cruises: Carnival Legend”). Cruise critic reviewer Edward Vanknuckles further underscores this; when writing about the Carnival Inspiration, he concludes, “[T]his is a wonderful cruising opportunity—for everyone” (Vanknuckles). Like department stores at the turn of the twentieth century, cruise ships invite everyone, indiscriminate of class, to indulge in “fun”—which, ultimately, means consumption. Carnival’s “fun” entails escaping societal oppression, because leisure, in theory, directly contrasts work. Carnival’s commercial showing a goofy father evinces this idea. “He’s not talking about work, he’s not tucking in his shirt, he’s not checking messages every nine seconds,” the voiceover says, as the dad is pictured goofily dancing and taking selfies. Hence, all can escape reality and work by indulging in fun on board a Carnival ship, regardless of socioeconomic standing.

Carnival strives to advertise its affordability when selling this experience. “More Than You’d Expect For Less Than You’d Expect,” the cruise line’s website reads. The website strives to sell the cruise to the consumer by underlining affordability, and in doing so allows the consumer not to process what it sells. The website function “Vacation Planner” has Carnival pick a cruising experience for the consumer. The website also determines one’s budget, saying, “We know it’s not easy being the budgeter, so we’ve done all the research for you.” The research determines that Carnival offers “a week of vacation even an accountant can love.” Cruisers agree. Cruise Critic poster Zeta3 stresses that the “price is right,” a phrase Iluvdoxies repeats. In this regard, everyone feels like he/she can participate in this elite experience. Time2gocruzn underlines that even someone “not overly high class hoity toity” like himself can participate. “We are just your average Americans looking for a vacation that is good time at a good price and that is suitable and enjoyable for ALL of us,” he explains. Some cruisers worry that Carnival is possibly too inclusive. Rottweiler Puppy expresses concern that Carnival would be “the ghetto/white trash cruise line.” Rottweiler Puppy’s concern stems from the fact that an idealized cruise society devoid of class distinctions could permit “ghetto/white trash” cruisers to interact with others from higher socioeconomic background.

Nevertheless, levels of differentiation remain omnipresent; all are not equal on board a Carnival cruise. Some cruisers, for example, can attain a “VIFP – A Very Important Fun Person” status, which offers them “great benefit…member-only fares, specials, and more” (Carnival). Cruising staff refer to these VIFPs as “red cards,” as opposed to novice “blue card” cruisers (a reflection of what color their room cards are). Room options, meanwhile, show that one can purchase an interior, windowless room for $529, whereas a suite will cost $1249. The suite, a “spacious room that includes Priority check-in during embarkation,” offers the consumer a fancier experience, which Carnival promises will allow the cruiser to have even more fun. Carnival does the same with its excursions, which they sell at varying prices. Hence, Carnival reinforces differentiations in class, all while suggesting mass consumption obscures class inequality by nature of boarding a Carnival ship. As a result, some cruisers can falsely identify with the elite, thereby forgetting their economic oppression. One Cruise Critic poster noted this differentiation, observing that as “cruising is becoming more affordable, there is more a class differential showing up on the ships.” Carnival consequently replicates social divides while implying there are none on board.

  

Carnival attracts these cruisers with extensive advertising. Some of Carnival’s famous early advertisements include commercials starring Kathie Lee Gifford from the 1980s. The commercials feature Gifford singing on board a Carnival ship. She sings, “If they could see you now, out on a fun ship cruise, eating fancy food and doing what you choose, I’d like your friends back home to get a good look at the first great Carnival cruise you took!” She promises cruisers they will “live like a movie star,” then consistently repeats the refrain of the song: “If your friends could see you now!” The chorus of the commercial enforces Veblen’s theory of conspicuous leisure, as it makes leisure a spectacle that showcases a certain lifestyle to others. Carnival’s early commercials underscore a “vicarious consumption of goods,” as Veblen describes it (122). When Gifford sings about “buying all those gifts in a tropical port,” the gifts represent the conspicuous leisure in which a cruiser partakes—a marker of one’s lifestyle that can be transported back to ‘reality’ after vacation. The advertisement thus portrays cruising as a way in which people engage in conspicuous consumption to impress others. Another advertisement promises the consumer, “Get ready to hear, ‘Wow, that vacation looks great on you!’” which again makes cruising become a way to exhibit one’s leisure. Indeed, this strategy works on consumers. Mohavemommy explains that “part of my attraction (ok don’t shoot) was the Kathie Lee commercials. She looked like she was having so much fun!” Three other posters echo Mohavemommy’s sentiments, explaining that advertising primarily swayed them to choose Carnival.

While the Gifford commercials date back thirty years, Carnival continues to heavily advertise, encouraging consumers to join Carnival for fun. Carnival goes so far as to literally guarantee fun. The cruise line promises its cruisers a “110 percent refund, complimentary transportation, and a $100 shipboard credit on a future cruise” if the cruise does not live up to expectations. “You are statistically more likely to date a supermodel,” Carnival assures, “than you are to invoke the Great Vacation Guarantee” (“Carnival Cruise Lines Renewing Guarantee”). Carnival also guarantees a good time by hyping the party atmosphere onboard their ships. “Barhoppers have 16 bars and lounges to choose from,” said one press release for the Carnival Legend (“Carnival Cruises: Carnival Legend”). Cruisers accept these advertisements as indicative of the Carnival experience. Kristikae, for example, chose Carnival because of its reputation. “I was needing a break from reality and a 3 day non-stop party till you puke atmosphere was just what I was looking for,” she posts. Carnival, therefore, commoditizes fun, selling a specific experience and sentiment to consumers.

Despite this, Carnival underlines that cruising and “fun” are wholly separate from consumption. The cruise line sells itself as an all-inclusive vacation, for the fare includes dining, entertainment, gratuities, and accommodations. Furthermore, no cash or credit card transactions occur onboard. Cruisers send Carnival their credit card information beforehand, so that their room cards can be used for all transactions when cruising. Rather than real currency, there exists “Crui$e Ca$h.” Cruise Critic posters appreciate the financial simplicity, underlining that consumption plays no role in why they choose Carnival when cruising. Nonetheless, Carnival actually defines leisure by consumption—the cruise line constantly sells. Be it shore excursions, novelty glasses, spa experiences, bingo, gambling, art auctions, etc., Carnival always offers cruisers the chance to consume. Their online store “The Fun Shops” even allows cruisers to consume when not onboard. Hence, the cruise line sells itself as leisure free of consumption, but leisure ultimately replicates the work experience the cruiser wishes to escape. This is largely because, as James Twitchell argues, consumption enables happiness. To ensure cruisers have the “fun” they are promised, they are offered ample opportunity to engage in the physical act of consumption.