<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2020-04-09</periodOfReport>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001125259</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>CARNIVAL PLC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>CUK</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001553147</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Thamm Michael Olaf</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O CARNIVAL CORPORATION</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>3655 N.W. 87TH AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>MIAMI</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>FL</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>33178</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <officerTitle>Group CEO - Costa Crociere</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Ordinary Shares</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2020-04-09</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>19270</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>11.9339</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>106661.207</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">The grant, which reflects the reporting person voluntarily deferring their salary for April to June 2020 in the form of restricted stock units (&quot;RSUs&quot;) as described in FN2, was approved by the Compensation Committee. The number of RSUs was determined by dividing the deferred salary by the closing price of a share of Carnival Corporation common stock on April 9, 2020, then rounding down to the nearest whole share.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Issued pursuant to the Carnival Corporation 2020 Stock Plan. The restriction on the RSUs lapses on February 12, 2021.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">The transaction was conducted in British Pounds. The grant price of GBP 9.66 was converted into US$ at the April 9, 2020 conversion rate of GBP1 = USD1.23539.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Includes shares acquired pursuant to the dividend reinvestment feature of the reporting person's brokerage account.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Michael O. Thamm</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2020-04-13</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
