Carnival Cruise Line has signed a deal with leading German shipbuilder Meyer Werft to build its fourth Excel class cruise ship, set to launch in early 2027.

The new 180,000-ton ship, powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), will carry more than 6400 guests. It is the 10th Excel-class in the corporation’s fleet across four of its brands.

It will join the current Excel-class ships Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee. 

“Our Excel-class ships have been a tremendous addition to the Carnival fleet and proven very popular with our guests,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. 

“This new ship enables us to continue the growth of our incredible fleet as we welcome our loyal guests back to cruise more frequently and attract new-to-cruise guests to experience all that a Carnival cruise has to offer.”

First new build in five years

It will be the first newbuild for Carnival Corporation in five years.

“As the world’s most popular cruise line, this new ship enables us to continue the growth of our incredible fleet as we welcome our loyal guests back to cruise more frequently and attract new-to-cruise guests to experience all that a Carnival cruise has to offer,” Duffy said.

Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest global cruise company with a portfolio that includes P&O Cruises (Australia), Carnival Cruise Line, Cunard, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, Holland America Line, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises and P&O Cruises (UK)., CEO

Josh Weinstein said more cruise ships are scheduled from Carnival Corporation in the next few years.

“Building on our strong performance and growing momentum around the world, we are excited to resume our newbuild program and further enhance our global fleet with yet another state-of-the-art ship that will wow Carnival Cruise Line’s guests,” said Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corporation.