Carnival Orders Three 8,000 Guest Cruise Ships, New Class

Carnival Corporation (CCL) has announced a significant fleet expansion with an order for three mega cruise ships for its Carnival Cruise Line brand.

These ships, each nearly 230,000 gross registered tons, will be designed and constructed by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and are scheduled for delivery in the summers of 2029, 2031, and 2033.

This order is part of Carnival Cruise Line’s broader expansion strategy. Earlier this year, Carnival Corporation placed its first new-build orders in five years for two additional Excel-class ships, which will join the fleet in 2027 and 2028.

Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said, “For this next generation ship, we are focused on creating innovative guest experiences that will take Carnival Cruise Line into the future with new FUN features and excitement that we know our guests will LOVE.”

This is in addition to the previously announced message that Carnival is transferring five vessels from its sister brands to Carnival Cruise Line between 2023 (Costa Cruises) and March 2025 (P&O Cruises Australia) to increase guest capacity.

Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc, emphasized the importance of Carnival Cruise Line to the company’s growth strategy. “We are doubling down on the growth of Carnival Cruise Line – our highest-returning brand – to keep up with the incredibly strong demand we continue to see for the world’s most popular cruise line,” said Weinstein.

Details on New Carnival Cruise Ships

The new ships, featuring over 3,000 guest staterooms and a total capacity of nearly 8,000 guests, will be the largest in Carnival Corporation’s fleet.

For reference, the largest cruise ship in the world is the Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, with 250,000 gross registered tons. The Oasis-class, with 225,000 gross registered tons each, is in second place.

The vessels will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and equipped with advanced energy efficiency, waste management, and emission reduction technologies. Design details and itineraries for the new ships will be announced in the future.