What are the latest Carnival cruise ships? With Festival cruise line new ships often and adopt others from sister brand Costait can be difficult to track more than two dozen ships of the line.
As with most things, the most beautiful and most recently built hardware is often the most interesting. The newest Carnival cruise ships are the largest of the line and they offer a plethora of activities such as quizzes, dance parties, bingo and nightly shows; Deck amenities like a water park, ropes and even roller coaster; an incredible range of dishes, from steak to Italian to sushi; spacious bar and lounge; and some of the biggest and most exclusive accommodation in the fleet.
As a general guide, Carnival Cruise Line ships are divided into nine layerswith Excel classes, Venice and Vista are the latest to come out.
If you’re interested in sorting by the year they were built, here’s a list of the newest to oldest Carnival ships to help you figure out which is right for you.
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Festival train by age
1. Masquerade Festival
Maiden voyage: 2023.
Size: 183,521 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 5,374.
2. Masquerade Festival
Maiden voyage: 2022.
Size: 183,521 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 5,374.
3. Mardi Gras . Festival
Maiden voyage: 2021.
Size: 180,800 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 5,282.
4. Firenze Festival (formerly Costa Firenze)
Maiden voyage: 2021 (renamed 2024).
Size: 135,156 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 4.126.
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5. Festival panorama
Maiden voyage: 2019.
Size: 133,500 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 4.008.
6. Venice Carnival (formerly Costa Venezia)
Maiden voyage: 2019 (renamed in 2023).
Size: 135,225 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 4,072.
7. Festival Horizon
Maiden voyage: 2018.
Size: 133,500 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 3,960.
8. Vista Masquerade Festival
Maiden voyage: 2016.
Size: 133,500 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 3,934.
9. Festive breeze
Maiden voyage: 2012.
Size: 130,000 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 3,690.
10. Festival magic
Maiden voyage: 2011.
Size: 130,000 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 3,690.
11. Festive Dreams
Maiden voyage: 2009.
Size: 130,000 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 3,646.
12. Luminosa Carnival (formerly Costa Luminosa)
Maiden voyage: 2009 (overhaul and renamed 2022).
Size: 92,720 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 2,260.
13. Splendid Festival
Maiden voyage: 2008.
Size: 113,300 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 3,012.
14. Freedom Festival
Maiden voyage: 2007.
Size: 110,000 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 2.980.
15. Freedom Carnival
Maiden voyage: 2005.
Size: 110,000 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 2,974.
16. Valor Festival
Maiden voyage: 2004.
Size: 110,000 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 2.980.
17. Festive miracles
Maiden voyage: 2004.
Size: 88,500 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 2.124.
18. Festival of Glory
Maiden voyage: 2003.
Size: 110,000 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 2.980.
19. Festival Legend
Maiden voyage: 2002.
Size: 88,500 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 2.124.
20. Conquer the festival
Maiden voyage: 2002.
Size: 110,000 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 2.980.
21. Festive pride
Maiden voyage: 2002.
Size: 88,500 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 2.124.
22. Festive spirit
Maiden voyage: 2001.
Size: 88,500 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 2.124.
23. Radiant Festival (formerly Victory Festival)
Maiden voyage: 2000 (overhaul and renamed in 2021).
Size: 101,509 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 2,984.
24. Sunrise Festival (formerly Triumph Festival)
Maiden voyage: 1999 (overhaul and renamed 2019).
Size: 101,509 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 2,984.
25. Festival heaven
Maiden voyage: 1998.
Size: 71,925 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 2.124.
26. Masquerade Festival
Maiden voyage: 1998.
Size: 71,909 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 2.190.
27. Carnival Sunshine (formerly Carnival Destiny)
Maiden voyage: 1996 (overhaul and renamed 2013).
Size: 102,853 total tons.
Passenger capacity: 3.002.
What is the oldest Carnival ship?
The oldest Carnival ship is the Carnival Sunshine. The ship first debuted in 1996 as Carnival Destiny, but the cruise line gutted it, redesigned from bow to stern and renamed Carnival Sunshine in 2013.
The old ship now looks shiny and almost new with an adults-only sundeck, a water park, a comedy club and several bars, lounges, restaurants and spas. Seuss characters also appear as part of Carnival’s Seuss at Sea show.
Are there any new Carnival ships under construction?
At the time of publication, the Carnival Jubilee, the third ship in Carnival’s Excel class, is still under construction and is set to be delivered to Carnival in 2023.
The ship, with the sisters Mardi Gras and Carnival Cruises, designed as a return of the ship of the same name, which sailed for Carnival Cruise Line from 1986 to 2004.
While the new ships carry old names that give subtle nods to the ships that preceded them, they are exceptionally modern, offering cutting-edge art displays, great food and fun activities. Delightful onboard entertainment, such as rope courses, a water park, and even a roller coaster.
In addition, although construction is complete, the Costa Firenze — which has sailed its maiden voyage for Costa Cruises in 2021 — will become the Carnival Firenze when the ship transitions to Carnival in 2024.
What is the newest Carnival train available for booking?
Both the Carnival Jubilee and the Firenze Festival are open for reservation, with the former sailings starting in December 2023 and the latter set to set sail starting in May 2024.
Information on the first voyage of the ship is as follows:
- Carnival Jubilee, December 23, 2023: 7-night Western Caribbean cruise, round-trip from Galveston, Texas, from $1,819 per person.
- Carnival Firenze, May 2, 2024: five-night Mexican Riviera cruise, round-trip from Los Angeles’ Long Beach port, from $339 per person.
Both fares are for interior cabins without windows or balconies. The exact fare at the time of booking; They are subject to change without prior notice. Taxes and port charges are extra.
What is the latest class of Carnival ships?
Carnival’s Excel class is the newest of the service’s nine classes, which include Mardi Gras (2021), Carnival Celebration (2022) and Carnival, which will begin sailing at the end of 2023.
While there are plenty of modern amenities on board, all three ships are named after former members of Carnival’s founding fleet, which dates back to 1972.
What is the difference between newer and older Carnival ships?
The biggest difference is that the older ships of the line are significantly smaller than the newer ships. Carnival’s oldest ships carry between 2,100 and 3,000 passengers, while its newest can accommodate more than 5,000.
Obviously smaller ships don’t have as much room to offer all the amenities as larger ships, but Carnival has invested significantly in its ships in an attempt to make them more even across the board, regardless of their age.
A testament to that is the implementation of the Fun Ship 2.0 initiative, which cost $500 million and took five years to implement. It added the Punchliner Comedy Club and passenger favorite Alchemy Bar to most ships, and brought Guy Fieri to the high seas with Guy’s Burger Joint — a partnership that has expanded to include including barbecue and beer brewed aboard the newest ships in the fleet.
Another difference is that the newer ships – those in the Vista and Excel classes – offer Havana Cabana lounges, which include exclusive access to a pool area and a dedicated bar available only to those who have booked. in the respective living rooms. On board Excel-class ships, luxury-seeking travelers can book the largest rooms available: the Presidential Suite, measuring 1,120 square feet and featuring a 600-square-foot balcony.
Decoration is also an easy way to tell the age of a Carnival ship. Older hardware is decked out in fun colors, neon lights and art installations by renowned architect Joe Farcus, who previously designed Carnival’s ship interiors. (He’s also responsible for the line’s iconic “whale tail” funnels.) The aesthetic of Carnival’s more recent ships is similar to that of any other cruise line – expect colors neutral with splashes of color here and there but nothing too exciting.
In the end, the fare is a key differentiator. The older the ship, the more likely it is to make shorter journeys at a lower price.
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