Carnival Celebration Arcade Prices: The Warehouse Arcade Packages & Power Hour
The Warehouse Arcade on Carnival Celebration can be a lot of fun, particularly for families traveling with children, but it is also one of those places where spending can add up surprisingly quickly.
During our Carnival Celebration cruise, I photographed the current token packages available at The Warehouse Arcade. The pricing structure is important because buying the smallest package repeatedly can cost considerably more for the same amount of arcade play than simply purchasing a larger package from the beginning.
There is also an Arcade Power Hour when games are offered at half price, making timing almost as important as choosing the right token package.
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Carnival Celebration Arcade Prices
The Warehouse Arcade uses token packages rather than charging a separate cash transaction every time you play. When this photo was taken aboard Carnival Celebration, these were the packages displayed:
- $20 – 100 tokens ($20 value)
- $40 – 230 tokens ($46 value)
- $60 – 375 tokens ($75 value)
- $80 – 565 tokens ($113 value)
- $100 – 800 tokens ($160 value)
The $100 package was specifically identified as the “Most Popular” option.
The screen also states that arcade packages are not refundable.
The $100 Arcade Package Is a Much Better Value
If you know your family is going to spend around $100 in the arcade anyway, repeatedly purchasing $20 packages is a bad deal compared with buying the $100 package from the beginning.
Here’s the math.
Five $20 purchases cost a total of $100 and provide:
- 100 tokens × 5 = 500 tokens
One $100 purchase provides:
- 800 tokens
For exactly the same $100, the larger package gives you 300 additional tokens.
That means you receive 60% more tokens for your money, or 1.6 times as many tokens, by purchasing the $100 package instead of buying five separate $20 packages.
The difference becomes even more significant if a child repeatedly runs out of tokens and the parents continue adding another $20 throughout the cruise.
Our Experience: The Arcade Bill Can Get Out of Control
We had a child traveling with our group, and this is exactly what happened.
Instead of purchasing one of the larger packages and rationing the tokens throughout the cruise, the parents kept purchasing another $20 package whenever the previous tokens were gone.
Twenty dollars. Then another $20. Then another.
By the end of the cruise, the arcade spending had climbed into the hundreds of dollars.
They knew they were spending the money, so there wasn’t a surprise charge involved. The problem was simply that they were buying the least efficient package over and over again.
I kept suggesting the same strategy: if you already know the child is going to spend $100 in the arcade, buy the $100 package and ration those 800 tokens throughout the cruise.
Had they done that, the same amount of money would have provided considerably more playing time.
Don’t Confuse Spending Less With Getting Better Value
There is an important distinction here.
If your child will genuinely play only a few games during the entire cruise, buying the $20 package makes perfect sense. There is no reason to spend $100 just because the larger package offers a better rate.
The problem occurs when you buy $20 because it feels cheaper, use all the tokens, and then repeatedly purchase another $20 package.
Once you reach $100 in total spending, you could have had 800 tokens instead of 500.
If you expect heavy arcade use, deciding on a budget at the beginning of the cruise can therefore save a substantial amount of money.
Watch for Carnival’s Half-Price Arcade Power Hour
There is another excellent way to stretch those tokens: Arcade Power Hour.
Carnival periodically schedules a Power Hour at The Warehouse Arcade during which games are half price.
The exact time can vary, so don’t assume it will occur at a particular hour on your sailing. On our Carnival Celebration cruise, we saw a half-price period scheduled during the morning, while Carnival has scheduled Power Hour at other times on other Celebration sailings.
Check the Carnival HUB app and the daily activities schedule during your cruise for “Power Hour at the Arcade.”
If your kids are serious about the arcade, this is one activity worth planning around.
Combining the larger token package with half-price Power Hour can stretch an arcade budget considerably further than repeatedly purchasing $20 packages and playing exclusively at regular prices.
How The Warehouse Arcade Works
Carnival’s onboard arcades use a cashless system connected to the guest’s Sail & Sign card.
Guests purchase an arcade play package and then use their Sail & Sign card at the individual games. Tickets earned from eligible games are stored electronically and can be redeemed for prizes.
The arcade screen photographed aboard Carnival Celebration also includes an option to check the remaining balance and states that tickets can be redeemed for prizes at the Prize Hub.
Parents Should Set an Arcade Budget
If you’re traveling with children, setting an arcade budget before they begin playing is probably the most useful tip I can give.
It is extremely easy for a $20 purchase to feel insignificant. The problem is when that happens repeatedly throughout a seven-day cruise.
Carnival also allows parents or guardians to adjust the arcade spending limit for minors. That can be particularly useful if a child has access to their own Sail & Sign card.
A simple strategy would be:
- Decide how much you’re willing to spend for the entire cruise.
- Choose the package offering the best value within that budget.
- Explain that those tokens need to last.
- Check the remaining balance periodically.
- Look for Arcade Power Hour in the HUB app.
- Take advantage of half-price games when possible.
- Avoid automatically adding another $20 every time the balance reaches zero.
That doesn’t mean kids can’t enjoy the arcade. It simply keeps an entertaining activity from quietly becoming a several-hundred-dollar cruise expense.
Is the $100 Carnival Arcade Package Worth It?
It depends entirely on how much you intend to play.
For someone who might spend only $20 or $40 during the cruise, purchasing $100 worth of tokens simply to obtain the bonus makes no sense.
For a family that already expects to spend approximately $100, however, the numbers strongly favor the larger package.
Spending $100 through five $20 packages provides 500 tokens.
Spending $100 through the largest package provides 800 tokens.
That’s a substantial difference for exactly the same amount of money.
Carnival Celebration Arcade FAQ
How much are arcade tokens on Carnival Celebration?
When photographed aboard Carnival Celebration, The Warehouse Arcade offered packages ranging from $20 for 100 tokens to $100 for 800 tokens.
What is the best-value Carnival arcade package?
Among the packages displayed during our cruise, the $100 package offered the best value. It provided 800 tokens with a stated value of $160.
Is there a half-price arcade time on Carnival Celebration?
Yes. Carnival schedules an Arcade Power Hour when arcade games are half price. The time can vary by day and sailing, so check the Carnival HUB app and daily schedule onboard.
Should I buy $20 at a time for my child?
That can make sense if you’re limiting total arcade spending to $20. If you eventually expect to spend $100, however, purchasing five $20 packages provides only 500 tokens compared with 800 tokens from the $100 package.
Are Carnival arcade packages refundable?
The kiosk photographed aboard Carnival Celebration specifically states that packages are not refundable.
Can children spend money in the arcade with their Sail & Sign card?
Yes. Carnival’s arcade system uses the Sail & Sign card. Parents and guardians should pay attention to spending limits and can request adjustments to a minor’s arcade spending limit.
Can you win prizes at The Warehouse Arcade?
Yes. Eligible games award electronic tickets that can be accumulated and redeemed for prizes. The Carnival Celebration kiosk directs guests to redeem tickets at the Prize Hub.
Final Thoughts
The Warehouse Arcade on Carnival Celebration is a fun option for kids and adults, but a little planning can make a surprisingly large difference in how much entertainment you receive for your money.
If you’re only planning a few games, stick with a small package. But if you already know your family will spend around $100, buying repeated $20 packages is poor value. At the prices we photographed, $100 purchased in $20 increments would provide only 500 tokens, while the $100 package provided 800.
Then watch the Carnival HUB app for Arcade Power Hour and take advantage of the half-price games.
Our experience showed exactly why this matters. The child traveling with our group had plenty of fun, but repeatedly adding small packages eventually produced an arcade bill of several hundred dollars. With a larger package, a predetermined budget and better use of the half-price period, that same money could have provided significantly more time in the arcade.
The arcade itself wasn’t the problem. The lack of a plan was.
