Carnival Cruise Line announce new ship, destinations and deployments

• The cruise line has revealed details around its newest ship, the Carnival Festivale.
• Carnival also revealed the name of its fifth Excel-class ship, set to launch in 2028.
• The announcements come as Carnival Encounter and Carnival Adventure launch in Australia.

Carnival Cruise Line is launching a new ship dedicated to sail out of Port Canaveral in the spring of 2027.

The Carnival Festivale will be the fourth ship in the line’s Excel Class and will be designed for families.

Onboard, there will be three brand new zones, two of which on Decks 6, 7, and 8 will celebrate music with new music-themed venues and immersive experiences.

Christine Duffy, the President of Carnival Cruise Line, also announced the name of the fifth Excel-class ship. The Carnival Tropicale, one of the original names of the early Carnival ships and will launch in the spring of 2028.

The announcements come as just this month, the new Carnival Encounter and Carnival Adventure started sailing, rebranded under the Carnival Cruise Line brand.

“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.

“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, plus fleet enhancements and new investments at some of our existing destinations.”

The activities on Carnival Festivale

There will also be a new Carnival Waterworks Ultra water park that has six waterslides – including family raft slides, splash pads, and more located in an outdoor area called Sunsation Point.

The area will replace the line’s BOLT: Ultimate Sea Coaster found on other Excel Class ships.

Other activities nearby to Sunsation Point include a treehouse-inspired elevated adventure trail and toddler areas for dry play activities.

There will also be a sports court, ropes course and jogging track long with a new miniature golf course, outdoor games and themed arcade spaces are also included in this zone.  In the evening, Sunsation Point bursts with vibrant illumination, and the fun continues 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 of all ages to enjoy together in the evening.

Food and dining options on the Carnival Festivale

Since this ship will be sailing from Port Canaveral alongside Mardi Gras, there will be new dining options.

Carnival’s Chief Culinary Officer Emeril Lagasse is working closely with the Food and Beverage team to develop new concepts, including a new dining outlet that will replace ChiBang!  

Fan favourites Guy’s Burger Joint, Pig & Anchor Smokehouse Brewhouse, and Big Chicken are a few of the staples that will continue.

The new destinations

The company also made some announcements and updates on deployments and new destinations. Carnival is one of the largest year-round operators in the Caribbean and Mexico, and its private islands and bespoke destinations will now be known as Paradise Collection by Carnival.

Celebration Key

The first exclusive destination that has been designed for Carnival guests, Celebration Key is a game-changer, opening in July.  It offers guests the ultimate day in paradise.  Twenty Carnival ships from 10 U.S. homeports on more than 1400 sailings are already open for sale and will make visits to Celebration Key through 2027, with more to come.

RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay

The line recently announced the expansion of RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay.  The addition of a pier that can support Excel class and Project Ace ships will allow Carnival to bring its largest ships to this beautiful destination.  The expansion is focused on unlocking more of the island, while preserving the pristine beach and lush, natural beauty. The destination’s enhancements will begin to be completed by summer 2026 and continue through the end of the year.

Mahogany Bay

Coming in 2026, 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.