On Sunday, April 6, Carnival Cruise Line’s Christine Duffy held a media briefing aboard Carnival Celebration at PortMiami where she outlined the cruise line’s 5-year strategic plan and introduced its “Innovation Itinerary.” The “Innovation Itinerary” focuses on three pillars: sailing the most fun fleet at sea; creating compelling experiences and destinations; and building more Carnival loyalists.
Duffy also revealed details of its new Excel-class ships. Two newbuilds are entering service in 2027 and 2028 and will be named Carnival Festivale and Carnival Tropicale respectively. The names continue Carnival’s tradition of reusing names of the first Carnival ships that made cruise vacations popular. These ships will be the fourth and fifth vessel’s in Carnival’s Excel-class and are under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany.
Speaking at the media briefing, Duffy said, “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. The excitement and energy continue at Carnival! 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. We are poised to continue our leadership position as both America’s Cruise Line and the World’s Most Popular Cruise Line.”
Carnival Festivale will debut from Port Canaveral, Florida in spring 2027. The vessel will feature an updated design with three brand new zones, more connecting rooms and enhanced youth venues.
Decks 6, 7, and 8 will showcase new music-themed venues and experiences. The venues on decks 6 and 7 will use interactive media, sound and lighting to create music throughout the cruise, while deck 8 will offer outdoor music performances.
Focusing on families, the vessel will feature 1,000 interconnecting rooms which will replace the Family Harbor staterooms found on current Excel-class ships. The Turtles program will have a dedicated space and more experiences for its young cruisers, while other youth programs will offer additional programming.
Instead of the BOLT, the Ultimate Seacoaster, guests will find a brand new outdoor zone named Sunsation Point spread across the top three decks of the ship. Deck 18 will feature Carnival Waterworks Ultra, a space Carnival calls “the most family friendly water park at sea and the ultimate destination for splashy excitement.” The venue will feature six waterslides, four of which are new to Carnival.
Guests will find splash pads, kids’ slides, a baby splash area, a sports court, a ropes course and a jogging track. There is also miniature golf, outdoor games and an arcade. Additionally, waterworks will feature evening activities and extended waterpark hours, a first for Carnival.
Duffy also talked about the “next generation of Fun ships” that is currently being called Project Ace. The project includes three ships weighing 230,000 gross tons each. They are currently being built by Fincantieri and are set to be delivered in 2029, 2030 and 2031. They will be the largest in the Carnival fleet with the ability to carry almost 8,000 guests at full capacity.
“These ships clearly represent the next generation of Fun ships. They will be experiences unto themselves, and, partnered with itineraries that call in part on our exclusive destinations, will provide amazing cruise vacations for guests,” said Duffy. “This class will introduce new dining outlets, entertainment, and re-imagined outer deck amenities. Our New Build team is in the midst of designing these vessels, so stay tuned for more as we get closer to delivery.”
Duffy offered other updates surrounding deployment of ships, exclusive destinations, and she mentioned there were changes coming in the loyalty program.
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