Carnival Legend, once one of Australia’s favourite ships, emerges with new American look

• Carnival Legend, once the darling of the Australian cruise industry, has emerged with a new look.
• The ship has received a new ‘From Sea to Shining Sea’ bow crest ahead of the American Memorial Day weekend.
• It appears that some of the interior upgrades are designed to accommodate cruisers sailing on longer voyages.

Once, one of Australia’s favourite ships, Carnival Legend has emerged after a 16-day dry dock in Freeport in the Bahamas, where it will debut a new look ahead of the American Memorial Day weekend.

While the red funnel still remains, the ship has been Americanised with the new ‘From Sea to Shining Sea’ bow crest ahead of the weekend.

Inspired by ‘America the Beautiful’, the new bow crest celebrates the landscapes and oceans Carnival shares with guests across America.

Inside, the decor of the dining venues have also been updated with a new sleek and contemporary feel while the passenger cabins have been updated and refreshed, tailored for cruisers on travelling on longer sailings.

Carnival Legend for instance this season, will be sailing on 12-night itineraries from Dover in London, visiting Le Havre in France as well as Bilbao and La Coruna in Spain, Lisbon in Portugal before arriving in Rome.

There are also dedicated Dover to Dover in the United Kingdom itineraries in August while later in the year, Carnival Legend is homeported in Tampa, Florida, sailing Western Caribbean itineraries that range from seven nights to eight nights.

Carnival Cruise Line’s plan is to roll out the new look across its American-based ships during dry docks and new builds, except for Carnival Jubilee and the new Carnival Tropicale which is set to launch in 2028.  

The Carnival Tropicale and Carnival Jubilee will display the Texas star on their bows. Carnival Magic will be next on the list to receive the new crest when it returns to PortMiami from dry dock on May 26.

“With the debut of this new crest, we’re reinforcing what guests have long known: Carnival is proud to be America’s Cruise Line,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

“We sail coast to coast and connect with millions of guests every year, and this crest reflects the reach of our brand across the U.S. – from the communities we visit to the memories we help create at sea.”

The crest’s debut comes as Carnival prepares to celebrate America250, the nation’s 250th anniversary. From June 4 to July 4, guests across the fleet will enjoy patriotic events, including trivia, crafts and ship meet-ups timed for July 4 fireworks on both coasts.