Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Legend has returned to service following her 16-day dry dock at the Grand Bahamas Shipyard in Freeport, Bahamas.
During Brand Ambassador John Heald’s daily video early Wednesday morning he stated, “Sometime this week we’ll be welcoming back Carnival Legend from dry dock, and we have something really lovely to show you about that, so stay tuned.”
A few hours later, “something really lovely” was shown to be a brand new crest on Carnival Legend’s bow. The crest, which is entitled “From Sea to Shining Sea,” is inspired by “America the Beautiful” and celebrates the beauty of the landscapes and oceans guests enjoy as they sail from coast to coast.
“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.”
Carnival invited veterans from the Miami Veteran Affairs Healthcare System to view the new crest. The veterans also received Carnival’s America250 challenge coins in honor of their service. The cruise line welcomes more members of the military, past and present, than any other cruise line, and honors them during a military appreciation gathering during every US sailing.
The new crest, which features the Carnival whale tail, two stars and “Carnival,” debuts just ahead of Memorial Day, as well as the nation’s 250th anniversary. Carnival will celebrate America250 between June 4 and July 4 with patriotic events and a meet-up of ships featuring timed fireworks on July 4th on both coasts.
The new branding further reinforces the cruise line’s position as American’s Cruise Line and is expected to roll out across the Carnival fleet as they enter drydock, as well as new builds. The next ship to display the new crest will be Carnival Magic when she returns from drydock to PortMiami this weekend. Galveston-based Carnival Jubilee and Carnival Tropicale (2028) will be the only two US based ships that will not receive the new crest as they will continue to display the Texas star on their bows.
In addition to the new bow crest, Carnival Legend received routine maintenance, hull cleaning and painting. Her technical systems were updated and her carpets and upholstery were refreshed. Her previous drydock included significant updates to her staterooms, and the addition of the Heroes Tribute Bar & Lounge, which honors military veterans.
Carnival Legend departed from Miami, Florida, on a 4-day round-trip Bahamas cruise Wednesday evening. When she returns on May 24, 2026, she will begin a 14-day transatlantic cruise to sail a summer season from Dover, UK, followed by a fall season of Mediterranean sailings from Rome, before returning to the United States to homeport from Tampa for the winter. In April, she will head to Alaska.
Carnival Magic is expected to return to service on May 26, 2026. After a 4-day roundtrip Bahamas sailing that will visit Half Moon Cay, RelaxAway and Nassau, she will offer 6- and 8-night Eastern Caribbean and Southern Caribbean voyages through at least March 2028.
Carnival has four more ships scheduled for drydock for the remainder of 2026. Carnival Freedom (September 1 – October 8), Carnival Radiance (September 12 – October 2), Carnival Venezia (October 6 – November 14), and Carnival Luminosa (October 23 – November 29).