Carnival Cruise Line has outlined its strategic growth plans over the next five years with the introduction of an Innovation Itinerary focused on three pillars: sailing the most fun fleet at sea; creating compelling experiences and destinations; and building more Carnival loyalists. 

Christine Duffy, President, Carnival Cruise Line, provided details on new ships, deployment, fleet enhancements and exclusive destinations at a media briefing over the weekend aboard Carnival Celebration at PortMiami. 

“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,” said Duffy. “The excitement and energy continue at Carnival. Having just integrated two ships into the Carnival fleet in Australia, we now stand at 29 ships, the largest global fleet in our history.” 

“Looking ahead, we have the opening of Celebration Key this July, followed by our expansion at RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay in 2026; the delivery of our fourth and fifth Excel ships in 2027 and 2028; and then the introduction of three ships in our new platform, Project Ace, beginning in 2029.” 

Duffy added that these plans were in addition to fleet enhancements and new investments at some of the cruise line’s existing destinations.  “We are poised to continue our leadership position as both America’s Cruise Line and the World’s Most Popular Cruise Line,” she said.

New Ships

At the event, Duffy revealed that the fourth ship in Carnival’s award-winning Excel class ships will be named Carnival Festivale, continuing the tradition of giving these ships the names of the first Carnival ships that made cruise vacations mainstream for Americans back in the 1970s.

Debuting in spring 2027, Carnival Festivale will sail from Port Canaveral, Florida and will debut three brand new zones; two of which on Decks 6, 7, and 8 will celebrate music with new music-themed venues and immersive experiences. 

To better serve families, with Carnival accommodating more than a million children annually, Carnival Festivale will feature 1,000 interconnecting staterooms, nearly 70% more than on the first three Excel ships.  

The expansion of the interconnecting rooms is in lieu of the Family Harbor staterooms on the existing Excel ships, but Carnival Festivale will also introduce a dedicated space for Carnival’s Turtles programme for children six months to two years, with more experiences for them on the open decks.  

Overall spaces for Carnival’s youth programmes will also be enhanced to support additional programming.

Carnival Festivale will also feature a new outdoor family fun zone on the top three decks, named Sunsation Point, featuring Carnival Waterworks Ultra, the most family-friendly water park at sea. This new area will replace BOLT, the Ultimate Seacoaster that is the top deck feature on the existing Excel ships.

Sailing roundtrip from Port Canaveral alongside Mardi Gras, there will be new dining options aboard Carnival Festivale, but fan favourites Guy’s Burger Joint, Pig & Anchor Smokehouse Brewhouse and Big Chicken are a few of the staples that will continue. More details on dining options will be available in the coming months.

Duffy also revealed that the name of the line’s fifth Excel class ship will be Carnival Tropicale, also one of the original names of early Carnival ships. The homeport and open for sale date will be unveiled well ahead of the scheduled delivery of the ship in spring 2028. 

Many of the new features on Carnival Festivale will also be included on Carnival Tropicale, as well as some new concepts, according to Duffy.

When Mardi Gras was launched in 2020, she was the largest cruise ship in the Carnival fleet at 180,000 gross tons, but Carnival’s new platform, Project Ace, which includes three ships at 230,000 gross tons each, will be some of the largest cruise vessels in the world. 

Under construction at Fincantieri, the new mega-ships will be delivered in 2029, 2031 and 2033, respectively. With over 3,000 guest staterooms, the ships will be the largest in the Carnival Corporation global fleet, carrying almost 8,000 guests at full capacity. 

“These ships clearly represent the next generation of Fun ships,” said Duffy. “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.”

“This class will introduce new dining outlets, entertainment, and re-imagined outer deck amenities. Our New Build team is in the midst of designing these vessels, so stay tuned for more as we get closer to delivery,” she added.

Deployment Updates

To accommodate the growth of its fleet, Carnival Cruise Line has announced a range of itinerary updates for the coming years. When Carnival Festivale is delivered in spring 2027 and begins sailing from Port Canaveral, Mardi Gras will move to offering short cruises from the same homeport.

“As new ships are introduced, this will allow us to upgrade capacity and hardware in key markets, with a particular focus on short cruises,” explained Duffy. “With short cruises on Mardi Gras, our guests who may not have the time to take a weeklong vacation can experience all the amazing features of our Excel class.”

Carnival has always been a leader in offering short cruises which appeal to first-time cruisers and families with more limited vacation time.  Carnival offers short cruises from all its homeports in the US and Australia, with the exceptions of Baltimore and Seattle.

Duffy also reiterated Carnival’s commitment to serving the line’s secondary markets which are an important part of its portfolio as America’s Cruise Line by continuing to be an accessible vacation for 50 percent of the US population that is within a five-hour drive of a Carnival cruise. 

As part of this commitment, Carnival will return to year-round operations in Mobile, Alabama beginning in spring 2027. Carnival previously sailed year-round from Mobile and currently sails seasonally. 

In addition, Carnival is exploring moving a larger Conquest class ship to Baltimore in 2027 that can accommodate about 1,000 more guests than Carnival Pride, the Spirit class ship currently deployed from the city.    

Guest Experience

Building on its Fun Ship 2.0 modernisation announced in 2011, Carnival will continue to enhance the guest experience on its ships, evolving the guest experience on existing ships through strategic enhancements.  

Changes will include décor modernisation, new dining, beverage, and entertainment experiences drawn from features and concepts that will be introduced on its new ships. More details will be revealed as dry dock and enhancement plans are finalised.

Destinations

As part of the Innovation Itinerary, destinations will also be enhanced. Carnival Corporation already has the largest collection of cruise destinations across the Caribbean and Mexico and since Carnival Cruise Line is the largest year-round operator in these regions, the ports are being enhanced and will be marketed as the new Paradise Collection by Carnival.

Paradise Collection includes:

Celebration Key, the first exclusive destination designed for Carnival guests. Opening in July, it will feature on 1,400 sailings through 2027 of 20 Carnival ships from 10 US homeports.

RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay will be updated with a pier that can support Excel class and Project Ace ships, while preserving the pristine beach and lush, natural beauty of the island. The destination’s enhancements will begin to be completed by summer 2026 and continue through the end of the year.

Mahogany Bay, Carnival’s destination in Roatan, Honduras, will be renamed Isla Tropicale and expanded to include a pool with a swim up bar and cabanas.  Future enhancements will also include an expanded beach and a beach club, with the opening set for 2026.

Loyalty programme

Duffy rounded out the event by confirming that Carnival will be enhancing its existing loyalty programme, the details of which are expected to be announced this summer, with enhancements taking effect in 2026. 

“Carnival has an incredibly loyal and passionate fan base who are advocates for our brand, our crew and the amazing vacations we deliver,” she said.

“We’ve had our existing VIFP loyalty recognition programme in place since 2012 and as our fleet and business has grown, so has the VIFP programme,” she said. “As we continue to grow, we are modifying the programme to unlock greater value and engagement for our loyal guests.”

Duffy said updates will be announced this summer, giving guests and travel advisors plenty of time to learn about the changes.