Carnival Cruise Line has 29 ships in service, with five more set to join the fleet by the end of 2033. That’s more than any other cruise line in the world!
With nearly 30 ships and a diverse lineup, it can be tough to remember which ones are shiny and new – and which might be showing their age. That distinction matters, especially since sailing aboard a Carnival ship built in the early 2000s offers a very different experience compared to stepping onto a modern mega-liner with all the bells and whistles.
To make matters more confusing, Carnival has renamed and repurposed several older ships, sometimes making them feel “new” even when they’re not.
So if you’re wondering which ships are fresh off the block and which might come with some quirks, you’re in the right place. Here’s your essential guide to Carnival ships ranked by age – and a few you might want to think twice about before you book.
Carnival Ships in Age Order
This table shows all Carnival cruise ships from newest to oldest, as well as when they were last refurbished.
| Ship | Class | Year | Refurbished |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carnival Encounter | Adventure | Built 2002, joined Carnival 2025 | 2025 |
| Carnival Adventure | Adventure | Built 2001, joined Carnival 2025 | 2025 |
| Carnival Firenze | Venice | Built 2020, joined Carnival 2024 | 2024 |
| Carnival Jubilee | Excel | 2023 | |
| Carnival Venezia | Venice | Built 2020, joined Carnival 2023 | 2023 |
| Carnival Celebration | Excel | 2022 | – |
| Carnival Luminosa | Spirit | 2022 | 2022 |
| Mardi Gras | Excel | 2021 | – |
| Carnival Panorama | Vista | 2019 | 2024 |
| Carnival Horizon | Vista | 2018 | 2021 |
| Carnival Vista | Vista | 2016 | 2024 |
| Carnival Breeze | Dream | 2012 | 2023 |
| Carnival Magic | Dream | 2011 | 2021 |
| Carnival Dream | Dream | 2009 | 2022 |
| Carnival Splendor | Splendor | 2008 | 2024 |
| Carnival Freedom | Conquest | 2007 | 2023 |
| Carnival Liberty | Conquest | 2005 | 2025 |
| Carnival Miracle | Sprit | 2004 | 2025 |
| Carnival Valor | Conquest | 2004 | 2025 |
| Carnival Glory | Conquest | 2003 | 2024 |
| Carnival Conquest | Conquest | 2002 | 2022 |
| Carnival Legend | Sprit | 2002 | 2024 |
| Carnival Pride | Sprit | 2002 | 2023 |
| Carnival Spirit | Sprit | 2001 | 2025 |
| Carnival Radiance | Sunshine | 2000 | 2024 |
| Carnival Sunrise | Sunshine | 1999 | 2024 |
| Carnival Elation | Fantasy | 1998 | 2023 |
| Carnival Paradise | Fantasy | 1998 | 2023 |
| Carnival Sunshine | Sunshine | 1996 | 2025 |
Although some Carnival cruise ships are pretty old, every ship undergoes an extensive dry dock refurbishment at least every five years. So even if you choose one of the oldest ships, you can rest assured that everything will be in good working order and looking nice and fresh.
Carnival Cruise Line acquired Costa Luminosa from Costa Cruises, renamed her Carnival Luminosa, and added her to the fleet in September 2022.
Then Costa Venezia was renamed Carnival Venezia and relaunched in 2023. To complete the trio of ex-Costa ships, Costa Firenze launched as Carnival Firenze in 2024.
And then in 2025, the ex-P&O Australia ships joined the fleet as the new Adventure Class.
You can read more about those here: The Newest Carnival Ships
Five More Ships Are On Order
Carnival Cruise Line has confirmed two additional Excel-class ships: Carnival Festivale, debuting in spring 2027, and Carnival Tropicale, scheduled for spring 2028. These will join sister ships Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee.
While they’ll share many amenities with the existing ships, these new vessels will not feature the BOLT rollercoaster – instead, guests can look forward to an enhanced WaterWorks waterpark with exciting new slides.
Looking further ahead, Carnival is developing a brand-new class of vessels known internally as Project Ace. Scheduled for delivery in 2029, 2031, and 2033, these three ships will each be approximately 230,000 GT.
Built by Fincantieri, they will feature 3,000 guest staterooms and be able to accommodate nearly 8,000 guests at full capacity, making them by far the largest in Carnival’s fleet.
Carnival Sunshine Is Still Shining on as the Oldest Ship
The oldest Carnival ship in service is the Carnival Sunshine, which was launched in 1996. This Sunshine-class ship was known as Carnival Destiny until it was renamed in 2013 during a refit.
Carnival Sunshine was groundbreaking in the 1990s as the first-ever ship to exceed 100,000 gross tonnes in size. Modern cruise ships are now much larger, with Royal Caribbean’s largest ship, Icon of the Seas, exceeding 250,000 gross tonnes.
Prior to October 2022, the oldest Carnival ship in service was the Carnival Ecstasy, which was launched in 1991. This Fantasy-class ship was also one of the smallest ships in the Carnival fleet, accommodating just 2,606 guests across 10 decks.
A Fond Farewell – Scrapped Ships for Carnival
Here’s a list of Carnival ships that have been scrapped recently:
- Carnival Ecstasy was scrapped in Turkey in November 2022 at 31 years of age.
- Carnival Sensation retired in February 2022. The ship never restarted operations after the global pause in 2020.
- Carnival Fascination left the Carnival fleet in September 2020. After initial plans to be turned into a floating hotel fell through, the ship was scrapped in Pakistan.
- Carnival Imagination was sold in September 2020 after a long lay-up. The ship then headed to Turkey to be scrapped.
- Carnival Inspiration was sold for recycling in July 2020 along with the Carnival Fantasy.
- Carnival Fantasy was the first ship to leave the fleet in July 2020 as a result of the shutdown. The ship was scrapped in Turkey.
The Big Question – Are Newer Ships Better?
Many people believe that the newest Carnival cruise ships are the best. And if you want to ride a sky bike or rollercoaster high above the top deck, then they might well be.
However, even the oldest Carnival cruise ships have water slides, splash parks, mini golf, kids’ clubs, casinos, and nightclubs, so you’ll never be short of something to do.
Carnival cruises can be very loud and brash, so you may even find that sharing your ship with 5,000 other guests is a little too much and prefer the atmosphere of a smaller 2,000-passenger ship.
To find out which Carnival cruise ship is considered the best, I collated the review scores from all of the major cruise review sites. You can find the verdict here: Carnival Ships Ranked From Best To Worst, and in this video…
You’ll also want to think about the price. People are willing to pay a premium to be among the first to try the latest and greatest new ships, so there are some real bargains to be had if you’re willing to give one of the older vessels a chance.
One thing to consider, though, is that balcony rooms are pretty rare on Carnival’s oldest ships. But if you’d be happy with an Ocean View, then these can be a good option.
Suggested read: What to Expect From Carnival’s Ocean View Rooms
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A Full List of All Ships (With Info and Photos)
Here’s some more information about each of the ships in the Carnival Cruise Line Fleet, along with photos…
Carnival Adventure
The former Pacific Adventure, Carnival Adventure, offers sailings from Australia and blends classic features with newer Carnival touches for a fun-packed family getaway.
Carnival Encounter
Just like sister ship Carnival Adventure, the newly-renamed Carnival Encounter retains everything that guests loved from the old Pacific Encounter, but with a ‘Carnival’ fun refresh.
Carnival Firenze
Carnival Firenze launched in 2021 as Costa Firenze and is the second in the Venice Class.
Carnival Jubilee
Carnival Jubilee is Carnival’s newest cruise ship in terms of new builds, launching in December 2023. This Excel-class cruise ship is a sister ship to Carnival Celebration and Mardi Gras.
Carnival Venezia
Carnival Venezia was the first of the Venice-class ships to transfer over from Costa. She made her debut as Costa Venezia for Costa Cruises in May 2019 and was originally made to serve the Chinese market. In 2023, the ship was transferred to Carnival and renovated before making her debut for Carnival.
Carnival Celebration
Carnival Celebration launched in 2022. This Excel-class cruise ship is a sister ship to Mardi Gras and the second ship to feature the BOLT rollercoaster. Carnival Celebration cruises out of Miami all year round.
Carnival Luminosa
Carnival Luminosa was launched for Costa Cruises as Costa Luminosa in 2009. While Carnival calls this a Spirit-class ship, the design also features elements from the Vista Class. She was transferred to the Carnival fleet in 2022.
Mardi Gras
Carnival’s Mardi Gras cruise ship was launched in 2021. This Excel-class cruise ship can accommodate up to 6,500 passengers at maximum occupancy as well as a crew of 2,000.
Carnival Panorama
Carnival Panorama launched in 2019. This Vista-class cruise ship can accommodate 4,008 guests and was the flagship of Carnival Cruise Line until Mardi Gras was launched.
Carnival Horizon
The Carnival Horizon cruise ship launched in the spring of 2018. This Vista-class cruise ship can accommodate 3,960 guests, slightly less than sister ship Carnival Panorama.
Carnival Vista
Carnival Vista was launched in 2016. The first of Carnival’s Vista-Class ships, this ship was highly-anticipated, marking the end of a four-year-long pause in shipbuilding for the cruise line.
Carnival Breeze
The Carnival Breeze cruise ship is over ten years old, but still extremely popular. The ship was launched in 2012 and was last refurbished in 2023. Carnival Breeze is a Dream-class cruise ship and can accommodate 3,690 guests and 1,386 crew members.
Carnival Magic
The Carnival Magic launched in 2011, and the ship was last refurbished in May 2021 and now has the new blue, white and red livery. Carnival Magic is a Dream-class cruise ship and can accommodate 3,690 guests.
Carnival Dream
Carnival Dream was launched in 2009. The most advanced cruise ship in the world at the time, this ship was last refurbished in 2021. Like the other Dream-class ships, she can accommodate around 3,600 guests at double occupancy.
Carnival Splendor
Carnival Splendor launched in 2009 and was last refurbished in 2024. She is the only Splendor-class ship in Carnival’s fleet. This is because she was originally ordered by Costa Cruises as a sister ship to the Costa Concordia, which tragically sank in 2012.
Carnival Freedom
Carnival Freedom is a cruise ship that was launched in 2007. She has since been refurbished in 2023. The last of Carnival’s Conquest-class ships, she can accommodate 2,980 guests at double occupancy.
Carnival Liberty
Carnival Liberty was launched in 2005. This ship has been refurbished several times. In 2011, she was the first ship to receive the FUN 2.0 enhancements, and in 2021, she received the new blue, white and red livery. Most recently, in July 2025, she underwent a major dry dock with upgrades including a new WaterWorks aqua park, refreshed spa, and updated youth areas.
Carnival Miracle
The Carnival Miracle cruise ship launched in 2004 and was recently refurbished in 2025. Carnival Miracle is a Spirit-class cruise ship, offering more space per passenger than any other ship in the fleet.
Carnival Valor
Carnival Valor launched in 2004. However, she was refurbished recently in 2025. This Conquest-class cruise ship accommodates just under 3,000 guests.
Carnival Glory
Carnival Glory made her debut in 2003 but was last refurbished in 2024. This cruise ship is a Conquest-class ship, accommodating around 3,000 guests.
Carnival Conquest
Launched in 2002, the Carnival Conquest cruise ship was the first of a new class of ships for Carnival Cruise Line, back in the day. The ship was last refurbished in 2022.
Carnival Legend
The Carnival Legend cruise ship was launched in 2002 and was last refurbished in 2024. Carnival Legend is a Spirit-class cruise ship with space for 2,124 passengers – relatively small compared to most modern cruise ships.
Carnival Pride
Carnival Pride is a Spirit-class cruise ship. Launched in 2002, this ship is now over 20 years old but was last refurbished in 2023. Carnival Pride can carry just 2,124 passengers but is one of the most spacious ships in Carnival’s fleet.
Carnival Spirit
Carnival Spirit debuted in 2001. This first of the spacious Spirit-class ships, Carnival Spirit, was refurbished recently in 2025.
Carnival Radiance
Carnival Radiance was first launched in 2000 under the name Carnival Victory. In 2021, the ship underwent a huge $200 million bow-to-stern makeover, was given the new livery and was christened again with the new name. She was last refurbished in 2024.
Carnival Sunrise
Carnival Sunrise started off as Carnival Triumph in 1999. But in 2019, the ship underwent a $200 million transformation that took 38 days to complete. She was then christened again with the new name – Carnival Sunrise. She was last refurbished in 2024.
Carnival Elation
The Carnival Elation cruise ship was launched in 1998 and was last refurbished in 2023. One of the smallest in Carnival’s fleet, Carnival Elation is a Fantasy-class cruise ship and can accommodate 2,130 guests.
Carnival Paradise
Just like Carnival Elation, Carnival Paradise also made her debut in 1998. This Fantasy-class cruise ship was last refurbished in 2023.
Carnival Sunshine
Carnival Sunshine was originally named Carnival Destiny when the ship was launched in 1996. In 2013, the ship underwent a $155 million transformation, which saw an entire deck added to the front third of the ship and the addition of 182 more cabins. She was last refurbished very recently in 2025.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
