What is the largest Carnival cruise ship? Currently, the largest Carnival ship is the Carnival Jubilee, both in tonnage and passenger capacity. Set to launch in late 2023, it will join sister ship Carnival Celebration, which will set sail for the first time in 2022, with a total tonnage of 183,521 tonnes and 5,374 passengers with double capacity.
It’s easy to remember that, in general, the newest ships are the biggest Carnival ships. However, because Festival cruise line With more than two dozen ships in its fleet, it can be difficult to keep track of the ships that fall between the newest and the oldest.
So to help you out, here’s a list of Carnival ships, largest to smallest, based on tonnage — the vessel’s internal capacity, measured in volume.
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Festival cruise ships by size
1. Masquerade Festival
Size: 183,521 total tons.
passenger capacity: 5,374.
Maiden voyage: 2023.
2. Masquerade Festival
Size: 183,521 total tons.
passenger capacity: 5,374.
Maiden voyage: 2022.
3. Mardi Gras . Festival
Size: 180,800 total tons.
passenger capacity: 5.282.
Maiden voyage: 2021.
4. Venice Carnival (formerly Costa Venezia)
Size: 135,225 total tons.
passenger capacity: 4,072
Maiden voyage: 2019 (renamed in 2023).
5. Firenze Festival (formerly Costa Firenze)
Size: 135,156 total tons.
passenger capacity: 4.126.
Maiden voyage: 2021 (renamed 2024).
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6. Festival panorama
Size: 133,500 total tons.
passenger capacity: 4.008.
Maiden voyage: 2019.
7. Festival Horizon
Size: 133,500 total tons.
passenger capacity: 3,960.
Maiden voyage: 2018.
8. Vista Masquerade Festival
Size: 133,500 total tons.
passenger capacity: 3,934.
Maiden voyage: 2016.
9. Festive breeze
Size: 130,000 total tons.
passenger capacity: 3,690.
Maiden voyage: 2012.
10. Festival magic
Size: 130,000 total tons.
passenger capacity: 3,690.
Maiden voyage: 2011.
11. Festive Dreams
Size: 130,000 total tons.
passenger capacity: 3,646.
Maiden voyage: 2009.
12. Splendid Festival
Size: 113,300 total tons.
passenger capacity: 3,012.
Maiden voyage: 2008.
13. Freedom Festival
Size: 110,000 total tons.
passenger capacity: 2.980.
Maiden voyage: 2007.
14. Valor Festival
Size: 110,000 total tons.
passenger capacity: 2.980.
Maiden voyage: 2004.
15. Festival of Glory
Size: 110,000 total tons.
passenger capacity: 2.980.
Maiden voyage: 2003.
16. Conquer the festival
Size: 110,000 total tons.
passenger capacity: 2.980.
Maiden voyage: 2002.
17. Freedom Carnival
Size: 110,000 total tons.
passenger capacity: 2.974.
Maiden voyage: 2005.
18. Carnival Sunshine (formerly Carnival Destiny)
Size: 102,853 total tons.
passenger capacity: 3,002.
Maiden voyage: 1996 (overhaul and renamed 2013).
19. Carnival Radiance (formerly Carnival Victory)
Size: 101,509 total tons.
passenger capacity: 2.984.
Maiden voyage: 2000 (overhaul and renamed in 2021).
20. Sunrise Festival (formerly Triumph Festival)
Size: 101,509 total tons.
passenger capacity: 2.984.
Maiden voyage: 1999 (overhaul and renamed in 2019).
21. Luminosa Carnival (formerly Costa Luminosa)
Size: 92,720 total tons.
passenger capacity: 2,260.
Maiden voyage: 2009 (overhaul and renamed 2022).
22. Festive miracles
Size: 88,500 total tons.
passenger capacity: 2.124.
Maiden voyage: 2004.
23. Festival Legend
Size: 88,500 total tons.
passenger capacity: 2.124.
Maiden voyage: 2002.
24. Festive pride
Size: 88,500 total tons.
passenger capacity: 2.124.
Maiden voyage: 2002.
25. Festive spirit
Size: 88,500 total tons.
passenger capacity: 2.124.
Maiden voyage: 2001.
26. Festival heaven
Size: 71,925 total tons.
passenger capacity: 2.124.
Maiden voyage: 1998.
27. Masquerade Festival
Size: 71,909 total tons.
passenger capacity: 2,190.
Maiden voyage: 1998.
What is the biggest Carnival ship?
The largest Carnival ships, Carnival Celebration (2022) and Carnival Jubilee, will set sail in late 2023. They are roughly the same size, each with a gross tonnage of 183,521 tons and a capacity of 5,374 passengers.
Both ships are old ships, named after two members of Carnival’s original fleet. They feature cutting-edge entertainment, luxury cabin options, multiple dining options, an onboard brewery, lots of seating areas and deck entertainment — rope courses, water slides and even roller coasters — on par with what you might find at an amusement park.
What is the smallest Carnival ship?
The smallest Carnival cruise ship is the Carnival Elation, the carrier’s second oldest. With a total weight of 71,909 tonnes, it carried only 2,190 passengers — less than half the number that can be carried on Carnival’s Excel-class ships.
Is the larger Carnival ship coming?
At the time of publication, Carnival Cruise Line was building its newest ship, the Carnival Jubilee. It’s one of two ships – including its sister Carnival Celebration – to share the title of “largest Carnival ship”.
After the Jubilee Carnival, for the first time in years, the line was empty of orders.
What is the Carnival Jubilee tonnage?
Carnival Jubilee is 183,521 gross tons. Not to be confused with weight, gross registered tonnage measures a ship’s dimensions in terms of internal volume and what a ship can hold or hold. Each registered ton is equivalent to 100 cubic feet of space.
What is the difference between large and small Carnival ships?
One of the biggest differences is that Carnival’s smallest ships can carry between 2,100 and 3,000 passengers, while the largest can hold more than 5,000. In addition, the largest vessels have a total tonnage of more than 180,000 tons, while the smallest ships with a gross tonnage of less than 90,000 tons are registered.
Smaller ships don’t have the space to offer as many attractions as large ships, but Carnival has invested $500 million over five years to make their fleet more uniform, regardless of vessel size.
Thanks to this initiative, all ships now have locations including Alchemy Bar, Guy Fieri’s Guy’s Burger Joint — now a staple, along with barbecue and brewed beer on some ships — and The Punchliner Comedy Club, among other popular amenities, is now the hallmark of the Carnival.
Besides the obvious size difference between large and small cruise ships, smaller ships also tend to be older than larger ones.
Decoration is a deadly gift for the age of a Carnival ship. Older hardware boasts interiors designed by Joe Farcus, a renowned architect known for his fun, extravagant style that uses bright colors, whimsical art installations and neon light. (He’s also responsible for the line’s iconic “whaletail” funnels.) Newer vessels tend to have a more toned look.
Finally, fare is a factor. The smaller the ship, the more likely it is to make short, affordable journeys. The main exceptions to this rule are Festival Itineraries, which are offered a few times per year and have itineraries lasting two weeks or more.
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