Carnival Jubilee, which debuted from Galveston in December 2023, is still the newest Carnival ship built from scratch. Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter are the newest ships to join the fleet: both arrived in March 2025 when P&O Cruises Australia was folded into Carnival. Coming next are Carnival Festivale (May 2027, Port Canaveral), Carnival Tropicale (April 2028, Galveston) and Carnival Destiny, the first of the much bigger Ace class, in summer 2029.
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This guide lists the newest Carnival ships in order as of late 2026, with class, size and homeport for each. It also covers the renamed ships that can make the fleet look newer than it is, and what to think about if you want a newer ship without paying top dollar.
Newest Carnival Ships at a Glance (2026)
Carnival lists 31 ships on its fleet page, counting the two still under construction. The table runs from the most recent arrival back through the last ten years. “Joined Carnival” is the year the ship started sailing for Carnival, which is not always the year it was built.
| Ship | Class | Joined Carnival | Approx. GT / guests | Homeport (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carnival Adventure | Grand (ex-Princess) | 2025 (built 2001) | 108,700 / about 2,600 | Sydney |
| Carnival Encounter | Grand (ex-Princess) | 2025 (built 2002) | about 109,000 / about 2,600 | Brisbane |
| Carnival Firenze | Venice (ex-Costa) | 2024 (built 2021) | 135,500 / about 4,100 | Long Beach |
| Carnival Jubilee | Excel | 2023 (new build) | 183,500 / about 5,400 | Galveston |
| Carnival Venezia | Venice (ex-Costa) | 2023 (built 2019) | 135,200 / about 4,200 | Port Canaveral |
| Carnival Celebration | Excel | 2022 (new build) | 183,500 / about 5,400 | Miami |
| Carnival Luminosa | Spirit-based (ex-Costa) | 2022 (built 2009) | 92,700 / about 2,300 | Brisbane |
| Mardi Gras | Excel | 2021 (new build) | 181,800 / about 5,300 | Port Canaveral |
| Carnival Panorama | Vista | 2019 (new build) | 133,900 / about 4,000 | Long Beach |
| Carnival Horizon | Vista | 2018 (new build) | 133,600 / about 4,000 | Miami |
Guest figures are double occupancy and rounded. Homeports change with the seasons, so check the individual ship page on Carnival’s fleet site for your sailing date.
Newest Carnival Ships in Order of Debut
If you only want ships that Carnival built for itself, the order from newest to oldest is:
- Carnival Jubilee (December 2023): the third Excel-class ship, sailing seven-night Western Caribbean cruises from Galveston.
- Carnival Celebration (November 2022): the second Excel ship, sailing from Miami. It has the Excel features, including the BOLT roller coaster and themed zones.
- Mardi Gras (July 2021): the first Excel ship and the first in North America to run on LNG. It was also the first cruise ship with a roller coaster. If you’re thinking of booking one of its suites, our guide to every suite on Carnival Mardi Gras compares them.
- Carnival Panorama (December 2019): the third Vista-class ship and the first Carnival new build on the West Coast in two decades. It has Sky Zone trampolines and SkyRide.
- Carnival Horizon (April 2018): the second Vista-class ship, with Dr. Seuss WaterWorks and the Havana area.
Adventure, Encounter, Firenze, Venezia and Luminosa joined later than some of these, but they were built for other Carnival Corporation brands. That is why “newest Carnival ship” means different ships on different websites.
Future Carnival Ships: 2027, 2028 and 2029
Carnival has three new ships confirmed and two more planned. Here is the timeline as of October 2026.
Carnival Festivale (May 2027, Port Canaveral)
Festivale is the fourth Excel-class ship. It is being built at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, and floated out of its building dock in late September 2026. It will sail six- to eight-night Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral starting in May 2027, alongside Mardi Gras. Many of these cruises will call at Celebration Key. Festivale will carry about 5,200 guests and runs on LNG. Its main new feature is Sunsation Point, a family zone with Carnival WaterWorks Ultra, a six-slide waterpark that Carnival calls its biggest yet.
Carnival Tropicale (April 2028, Galveston)
Tropicale is the fifth and final Excel-class ship. Steel cutting took place in September 2026, and bookings opened that same month. Its first sailing is scheduled from Galveston on 15 April 2028, on 4- to 8-day Caribbean cruises. New dining concepts include Uku Lei Lei (Hawaiian and Asian), Fetaccine (Greek and Italian) and Emeril’s Coastal Seafood. The ship also gets a Route 66-themed Fairway 66 mini-golf course and the same WaterWorks Ultra waterpark as Festivale.
Carnival Destiny and the Ace Class (2029, 2031, 2033)
In 2024 Carnival Corporation ordered three ships of almost 230,000 gross tons from Fincantieri, each designed for about 8,000 guests. The first was named Carnival Destiny at its steel cutting in Monfalcone, Italy, on 10 July 2026. It is due in summer 2029 and will be the first of the new Ace class. Carnival says it will have the most outward-facing design at sea, more than 4.5 acres of glass and more balcony cabins than any other ship. More than 70% of its venues will be new to Carnival. Sister ships are planned for 2031 and 2033. Homeports, deck plans and pricing have not been announced.
Ships That Joined Carnival From Other Brands
Several of the newest Carnival cruise ships were transferred from other brands rather than built new. Keep this in mind when comparing them with a true new build.
- Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter (2025): formerly P&O Australia’s Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter, and before that Golden Princess and Star Princess. They began sailing for Carnival at the end of March 2025, when P&O Cruises Australia was absorbed into Carnival. Adventure sails from Sydney and Encounter from Brisbane. Both are mainly for the Australian market.
- Carnival Firenze (2024): the former Costa Firenze, with “Carnival Fun Italian Style” theming. It currently sails from Long Beach. Carnival plans to move it to Miami in spring 2027 and to New York for summer 2027.
- Carnival Venezia (2023): the former Costa Venezia, which first sailed from New York and now sails from Central Florida. It is set to move to year-round Miami sailings from late May 2027.
- Carnival Luminosa (2022): the former Costa Luminosa, mainly based in Australia.
Renamed Carnival Ships: Sunshine, Sunrise and Radiance
Three older ships were rebuilt in big dry docks and given new names. They can show up on “new ship” lists, but their hulls are much older:
- Carnival Sunshine: the original Carnival Destiny (1996), renamed in 2013. The name Destiny is now going to the 2029 Ace-class ship, so look at the year when you search.
- Carnival Sunrise: the former Carnival Triumph (1999), renamed in 2019 after a refit of about $200 million.
- Carnival Radiance: the former Carnival Victory (2000), renamed in late 2021 after a similar refit.
These ships have updated bars, dining and water areas, but cabin layouts and public spaces are still those of their original class. Older ships have more cabins with tricky locations, so it’s worth reading our list of Carnival cruise cabins to avoid before you pick one.
Is the Newest Carnival Ship Worth Paying Extra For?
Most comparison lists skip this question. The answer depends on what you want from the trip:
- Choose an Excel ship (Mardi Gras, Celebration, Jubilee and later Festivale) for the roller coaster, the most dining options and the newest cabins. Fares are usually the highest in the fleet, especially during school holidays.
- Choose Venezia or Firenze if you want a fairly new ship that feels calmer and has an Italian theme. They are often cheaper than an Excel sailing of the same length.
- Choose a Vista-class ship (Vista, Horizon, Panorama) if you want a ship about half the size of an Excel with plenty of family activities. Havana cabins and Cloud 9 spa cabins are good value upgrades. Our guide to Carnival Cloud 9 spa rooms explains whether they’re worth it.
- Wait for Festivale if you sail from Florida with children and the waterpark matters most. Inaugural-season fares are often high, and some sailings sell out early.
One more tip: the year a ship joined the fleet only tells you so much. A recent dry dock matters too. Carnival refreshes older ships regularly, and a recently refurbished Dream-class ship can feel more up to date than a ship that hasn’t had work done in years. If you’d like to compare with another big line, see our guide to Royal Caribbean ships by age.
Still deciding on a cruise line? See how Carnival compares with Norwegian Cruise Line on fares, drinks packages and private islands.
Whichever ship you choose, it is worth checking which of the popular Carnival cruise directors is scheduled on board for your sail date.
Once you have picked a ship, you can trim the fare by paying with discounted Carnival gift cards bought through retailer and rewards offers.
FAQs
What is Carnival’s newest ship in 2026?
The newest ship Carnival built itself is Carnival Jubilee (December 2023). The newest ships to join the fleet are Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter, which moved over from P&O Australia in March 2025. No brand-new Carnival ship debuts in 2026.
What is Carnival’s newest ship for 2027?
Carnival Festivale, the fourth Excel-class ship, starts sailing from Port Canaveral in May 2027 with about 5,200 guests and the new WaterWorks Ultra waterpark.
What is the biggest Carnival ship?
The Excel-class ships are currently the biggest, at around 180,000 to 183,500 gross tons. Carnival Destiny, due in summer 2029, will be bigger still at close to 230,000 gross tons and about 8,000 guests.
Which Carnival ships are the oldest?
The oldest ships still sailing are the Fantasy-class Carnival Paradise and Carnival Elation from the late 1990s, plus Carnival Sunshine, which was originally built in 1996 as Carnival Destiny.
Is Carnival Destiny a new ship or an old one?
Both, depending on the date. The original Carnival Destiny (1996) is now Carnival Sunshine. The new Carnival Destiny is the first Ace-class ship and is due in summer 2029.
