Building on a period of expansive growth, Carnival Cruise Line has outlined a strategic plan for the next five years, including new ships, fleet enhancement deployment and exclusive destinations.

Dubbed the “Innovation Itinerary,” Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy outlined the aggressive agenda at a media briefing this week aboard Carnival Celebration at PortMiami.

“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, she offered multiple upcoming developmental highlights:

• The opening of Celebration Key this July, followed by the expansion at RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay in 2026
• Delivery of the fourth and fifth Excel ships in 2027 and 2028; followed by the introduction of three ships in the new platform, Project Ace, beginning in 2029
• Fleet enhancements and new investments at some existing Carnival destinations.

New ships

Carnival Festivale renderingDuffy revealed that Carnival’s fourth Excel class ships will be named Carnival Festivale, debuting in spring 2027 and sailing from Port Canaveral, Fla. It will feature a new outdoor zone with a waterpark on the top three decks

And the line’s fifth Excel class ship will be Carnival Tropicale, similarly to Festivale taking an original names of an early Carnival ship. The homeport and open for sale date will be unveiled well ahead of the scheduled delivery of the ship 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.

Looking further ahead, Carnival’s exclusive new ship platform, currently called Project Ace, includes three ships at 230,000 gross tons each being built by Fincantieri that will be delivered in 2029, 2031 and 2033, respectively. With over 3,000 guest staterooms, the new ships will be the largest in the Carnival Corp. global fleet and will be able to carry almost 8,000 guests at full capacity.

Deployment updates: 

• When Carnival Festivale is delivered in spring 2027 and begins sailing from Port Canaveral, Mardi Gras will move to offering short cruises from the same homeport.
• Carnival will also return to year-round operations in Mobile, Alabama beginning in spring 2027.
• In addition, Carnival is exploring 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.

Guest Experience:

• Carnival will continue enhancing guest experiences through décor modernization, and new dining, beverage and entertainment experiences that will draw from features and concepts that will be introduced on its new ships.

Destinations:

Destinations frequented by the cruise line will be marketed as the new Paradise Collection by Carnival and include:

• The first exclusive destination that has been designed for Carnival guests, Celebration Key opens in July and is set to welcome 20 Carnival ships from 10 U.S. homeports on more than 1,400 sailings through 2027
• The line recently announced the expansion of RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, which has been consistently 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 this destination. The destination’s 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 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.

Loyalty  

Duffy rounded out the event by confirming that Carnival will be enhancing its existing loyalty program, the details of which are expected to be announced this summer, with enhancements taking effect in 2026.

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