Carnival Corporation has signed an agreement with Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany for a new Excel-class ship for its Carnival Cruise Line brand.
The 180,000-tonne vessel, which is due for delivery in 2028, will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and designed to carry more than 6,400 guests and 1,800 crew.
It will be the 11th Excel-class ship in the corporation’s fleet across four of its brands and the fifth belonging to Carnival Cruise Line.
Carnival Cruise Line’s fourth Excel-class ship is due to make its debut in spring 2027.
“Carnival’s Excel-class fleet will soon be a quintet of these very popular ships that provide outstanding guest amenities and tremendous operating efficiencies,” said Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy (pictured).
“Since the introduction of Mardi Gras in 2021 and the subsequent expansion with Carnival Celebration in 2022 and Carnival Jubilee in 2023, these Excel-class ships are driving excitement, demand, and strong guest satisfaction ratings.”
Josh Weinstein, chief executive of Carnival Corporation, said: “Carnival Cruise Line continues to perform at an outstanding level, and we are focused on adding capacity across the company where it aligns with demand and our position in the marketplace.
“This measured capacity growth strategy will result in our adding one to two ships per year beginning in 2027, and we will be identifying additional fleet plans over the coming months for our cruise lines to meet capacity demand and improve execution across all aspects of our operation, with the benefit of yielding higher return on invested capital.”
The order of the line’s newest Excel-class ship, which has not yet been named, is dependent on financing, which is expected to be completed later this year.