Sarah Bretz, ContributorAt a media briefing on Sunday aboard Carnival Celebration in PortMiami, Carnival president Christine Duffy made lots of exciting announcements about the brand. Carnival Cruise Line is introducing its “Innovation Itinerary” plan, which has three pillars: operate the most fun fleet at sea, create compelling experiences and destinations, and build more Carnival loyalists.
New Carnival Cruise Ships
At the event, Duffy revealed the names of the fourth and fifth Excel-class ships coming to the fleet: Carnival Festivale and Carnival Tropicale — both names of some of the first Carnival ships.
Carnival Festivale
Debuting in spring 2027, Carnival Festivale will sail from Port Canaveral. It will feature three new zones, two of which on decks 6, 7, and 8 that will celebrate music with new music-themed venues and immersive experiences. One zone is inspired by the process of creating music, while the other symbolizes the energetic vibes of outdoor music performances.
Carnival Cruise Line welcomes one million kids per year, and to better serve families Carnival Festivale will feature 1,000 interconnecting rooms — nearly 70 percent more than on the first three Excel ships. The expansion of interconnecting staterooms is replacing the Family Harbor cabins on the first three Excel vessels. Festivale will also introduce a dedicated space for Carnival’s Turtles program, which is for kids six months to two years old. Spaces for Carnival’s youth programs will also be enhanced to support additional programming.
Carnival Festivale will also feature a new outdoor zone on the top three decks, called Sunsation Point. A main feature of the space is Carnival Waterworks Ultra, the most family-friendly water park at sea. This new area will replace the BOLT roller coaster that’s found on Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee.
The water park will include six slides, four of which are new to Carnival, including two family raft slides and — in the spirit of catering to all ages — slides that allow guests as little as three feet tall. Two different splash pads will include kids’ slides and spray toys, and dedicated baby splash areas will let even the tiniest cruisers in on the fun. The treehouse-inspired elevated adventure trail and toddler areas will offer dry play activities with plenty of shaded seating nearby. A sports court, ropes course, and jogging track along with a new mini golf course, outdoor games, and themed arcade spaces are also included in this zone.
In the evening, Sunsation Point will burst with vibrant illumination and the fun will continue into the night with special evening events that have extended water park hours, in addition to a DJ and other activities. This is a first for Carnival to open WaterWorks at night, and activate multi-deck zones for guests to enjoy together in the evening.
Carnival Festivale will feature new dining options as well, including a new venue that will replace Chibang. Carnival’s Chief Culinary Officer Emeril Lagasse is working closely with the Food and Beverage team to develop new concepts. Fan-favorites that will be returning include Guy’s Burger Joint, Pig & Anchor Smokehouse Brewhouse, and Big Chicken, among others.
Carnival Tropicale
Duffy also revealed that the name of the line’s fifth Excel-class ship will be Carnival Tropicale. The homeport and open for sale date will be unveiled at a later date, with the ship scheduled for delivery in spring 2028. Many of the new features on Carnival Festivale will also be included on Carnival Tropicale, as well as some new concepts and theming.
Project Ace
Looking further ahead, Carnival’s new ship platform, currently referred to as “Project Ace,” will include three ships that are the largest Carnival has ever built: 230,000 gross tons each. They will be built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and be delivered in 2029, 2031, and 2033. They’ll feature over 3,000 guest staterooms and carry almost 8,000 guests at full capacity.
For reference, these ships will be about the same size as Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas (which is 228,081 gross tons) and a bit smaller than the current world’s largest cruise ship Icon of the Seas (248,663 gross tons).
Carnival Destinations
Carnival Corporation-owned destinations around the Caribbean and Mexico are being enhanced and will be marketed as the new Paradise Collection by Carnival.
The first exclusive destination that has been designed for Carnival guests, Celebration Key, is set to open this July. Twenty Carnival ships from 10 U.S. homeports on more than 1,400 sailings are already open for sale and will make visits to Celebration Key through 2027, with more to come.
Carnival recently announced the expansion of RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, which has consistently been rated as one of the top destinations in the Caribbean. The addition of a pier that can support Excel-class and Project Ace ships will allow Carnival to bring its largest ships to the destination. Enhancements will begin to be completed by summer 2026 and continue through the end of the year.
Coming in 2026, Mahogany Bay, Carnival’s destination in Roatan, Honduras, will be renamed Isle Tropicale and expanded to include a pool with swim-up bar and cabanas. Future enhancements will also include an expanded beach and beach club.
Carnival Deployment Updates
When Carnival Festivale is delivered in spring 2027 and begins sailing from Port Canaveral, Mardi Gras will move to offer short cruises from the same homeport.
Duffy also reiterated Carnival’s commitment to serving the line’s secondary markets that are an important part of its portfolio as “America’s Cruise Line” by continuing to be an accessible vacation for 50 percent of the U.S. population that’s 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. The line previously sailed year-round from Mobile and currently sails from the port seasonally. In addition, Carnival is 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 Baltimore.
Carnival Ship Enhancements
Since first introducing Fun Ship 2.0 in 2011, Carnival has sought to enhance the guest experience on its ships. In order to continue to innovate, the line will be evolving the guest experience on its existing ships by making strategic enhancements. Changes will include décor modernization and new dining, beverage, and entertainment experiences that will draw from features and concepts that will be introduced on its new ships.
More details will be revealed as dry dock and enhancement plans are finalized.
Comments
What are your thoughts on the changes on the next two Excel-class ships? Are you excited or disappointed that Carnival will be building even larger ships with Project Ace? Drop us an anchor below and let us know!
