Sarah Bretz, ContributorJust over a month after announcing that it has ordered a fourth Excel-class ship for Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Corp. has just revealed that a fifth one is also on the way.
The cruise company has signed an agreement for the vessel with with Meyer Werft shipyard. It’s the same yard that built Carnival Jubilee and is set to build the not-yet-named fourth Excel-class ship. The fourth ship is scheduled to debut in 2027, while this fifth vessel is set to come out in 2028.
The latest order for Carnival Cruise Line will be the 11th Excellence-class vessel for Carnival Corporation overall, which includes the sub-classes Helios class and Excel class. Other vessels in the class are part of P&O Cruises, Costa Cruises, and AIDA Cruises.
“Since the introduction of Mardi Gras in 2021 and the subsequent expansion with Carnival Celebration in 2022 and Carnival Jubilee in 2023, these Excel-class ships are driving excitement, demand, and strong guest satisfaction ratings,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
The fifth Excel-class ship will be built on the same platform as its sisters. It will come in at around 180,000 gross tons and carry over 6,400 guests and 1,800 crew members. Like the other Excel ships, it will be powered by liquefied natural gas.
“Carnival Cruise Line continues to perform at an outstanding level, and we are focused on adding capacity across the company where it aligns with demand and our position in the marketplace,” said CEO of Carnival Corp. Josh Weinstein. “This measured capacity growth strategy will result in our adding one to two ships per year beginning in 2027, and we will be identifying additional fleet plans over the coming months for our cruise lines to meet capacity demand and improve execution across all aspects of our operation, with the benefit of yielding higher return on invested capital.”
Carnival Corporation’s order for Carnival’s fifth Excel-class ship is contingent upon financing. That’s expected to be completed later this year.
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