Regular or Carry-on Luggage?
 

If you just bring carry-on luggage on a cruise (big Carnival Ship), is it a lot easier/faster to get on and off the ship? If it does make a difference, how much time do you save? Is it a hassle getting your luggage at the end of the cruise?

Regardless of which cruise lline you are on, unless you have priority, not really easier/faster with carry on luggage only. Most of the so call delay on leaving a ship has more to do with security, the number of people getting off within a short time etc. Luggage is not really the biggest problem.
Once you left the ship and into the cruise terminal, getting your luggage is as easy and faster than getting your luggage at the airport.
I don't know if Carnival offer 'walk-off" service. My last trip on the Ruby Princess, they offer walked off service but yo have to let them know in advance. You get to leave at 7:30 am instead of 8 am but you just take your luggage and go. All your luggage, not just carry ons. They have stated that no one is availbe to help you.
It wasn't offer my previous Princess cruises so I don't know if it is new or unique to the ship or a test program.
The last time I was on a Carival, getting luggage is a breeze. With that said, you still go to your designated area, at desiganted time and waited to be "herded" or "shepparded" off the ship.
I think Carnival also offer direct check through luggage service where your bags will go to the airport directly if you are on domestic flghts only. Princess offers that but unless you have priority, you still have to go through the drill, desiganted time, place and follow the queue.

Great info - thanks so much!

How can you survive a cruise with carry on luggage?

I just was on an 8 day Carnival cruise to Mexico. Once on board I learned they now have a luggage service where at the end of your cruise (if you are catching a flight) your bags will be picked up the night before as always and taken straight to the airport and cheked in for you the morning of arrival. The next time you see your bag is at your home airport. The price ranged from around $20-40 depending on the airline. It's mostly the major airlines that offer the service. But it was well worth it. We had pre-printed our boarding passes, got off the ship (with a small carry on) took a cab to the airport proceeded directly to security and then to our gate.

I have done that on my Akaskan cruise (Princess) 18 months ago. One piece somehow ended up somewhere else. Took them almost 2 weeks to find it and get it back.
I called the head office and they said you have to wait a week before you can ,ake a lost claim. I told them I don't want to make a claim for money, I just want my dirty underwears back. They said you have to fill out the form and I said I did at the airport with their staff. I guess they lost the form too ...
I ask for a phone number in Alaska, called LD to Alaska, spoke to a nice lady (an accountant who picked up the phone becasue the recptionist is on a break), she found my luggage at their unclaimed lost and found, send it back to me via Fedex. It's a happy ending and I appaulded her for her great effort and customer service. And that's not ven her job.
I got a run around from the the people who is suppose to do the job but didn't.
Okay, I better stop now as I am hyperventilating.
Don't let my bad experience change your decision as it was suppose to be pretty simple and effortless.