Carnival Announces Expansion with New Ships and Destinations

Carnival Cruise Line has unveiled an ambitious five-year strategic vision under the banner of “Innovation Itinerary,” focused on enhancing its fleet, experiences, and guest loyalty. At a recent media briefing held aboard Carnival Celebration at PortMiami, President Christine Duffy outlined the company’s expansion plans, including new ship launches, destination enhancements, and upgrades to its guest experience and loyalty program. Christine Duffy unveils Sunsation Point on Carnival Festivale At the event, Duffy announced that the fourth ship in Carnival’s award-winning Excel class will be named Carnival Festivale, paying tribute to the early Carnival ships that helped popularize cruising in the U.S. Debuting in spring 2027, Carnival Festivale will homeport in Port Canaveral, Florida, with reservations opening this summer. Carnival Festivale will introduce three new themed zones, two of which will celebrate music through immersive, sound-rich environments spanning Decks 6 to 8. “Carnival Festivale will keep in the Carnival tradition of bringing innovation and fun with each new ship,” said Duffy. The ship will also feature a new outdoor space called Sunsation Point, a family-focused area with the most expansive Carnival Waterworks Ultra park yet, replacing the BOLT rollercoaster from previous Excel ships. Designed for families, Festivale will feature 1,000 interconnecting rooms—nearly 70% more than on its predecessors, and introduce a dedicated area for the Turtles program (ages six months to two years). Youth programming spaces will also be expanded. Carnival’s Chief Culinary Officer Emeril Lagasse is collaborating with the food and beverage team to introduce a new dining outlet that will replace ChiBang! while retaining popular favorites like Guy’s Burger Joint and Big Chicken. Duffy also revealed that the fifth Excel-class ship will be named Carnival Tropicale, continuing the legacy theme. Scheduled for delivery in spring 2028, Tropicale will share many of Festivale’s new features while adding fresh concepts and theming. Looking further ahead, Carnival is preparing to launch a new ship class called Project Ace, with three 230,000-GT ships under construction by Fincantieri. Set for delivery in 2029, 2031, and 2033, each will carry nearly 8,000 guests, making them the largest in Carnival Corporation’s global fleet. “These ships clearly represent the next generation of Fun ships. They will be experiences unto themselves, and, partnered with itineraries that call in part on our exclusive destinations, will provide amazing cruise vacations for guests,” said Duffy. “Since our inception in 1972, we have defined and led the modern cruise industry and our plans for the next five years and beyond are no different. The excitement and energy continue at Carnival!”