An Introduction To Carnival Cruise Line Ships
As mentioned above, Carnivals 25 ships can be broken down into eight distinct groups or classes. A key detail about Carnival ships is that there are a lot of similarities from class to class within the Carnival fleet.
Unlike Royal Caribbean and some other cruise lines, Carnival doesnt always drastically change the design of its ships from class to class.
Related: The ultimate guide to Carnival Cruise Line
Instead, Carnival usually takes an incremental approach to design changes for its new classes of ships. Youll find a lot in common between the Vista class and Dream class, for instance. These two classes arent all that different in feel from the earlier Splendor and Conquest classes of ships, though they are a bit bigger.
That said, Carnival is in the midst of a major change in its philosophy on ship design. Its new Excel-class vessels which first debuted in 2021 with the arrival of Mardi Gras are far bigger than its earlier ships, and they have a lot of new features and amenities .
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At Carnival, as at other lines, the biggest ships in the fleet have the most amenities, eateries, lounges, bars and deck-top attractions than the smaller ships. This can be a huge plus for travelers who like to have a lot of options when vacationing. However, Carnivals biggest ships also sail with more passengers, which can be a turnoff if youre the kind of traveler who likes a more intimate experience.
Carnival Spirit Is The First Cruise Ship To Transit The Panama Canal This Season
Carnival Spirit officially kick-started the 2022-2023 Panama Canal cruise season this week, as it became the first cruise ship to pass through the iconic waterway. The cruise ship departed Seattle, Washington on September 20 for a 16-day voyage, during which the ship sailed along the Pacific coast to Mexico and Costa Rica. Carnival Spirit left the Pacific side of the Panama Canal on October 2nd and is now on its way to Miami.
Which Are The Biggest Carnival Cruise Ships
The biggest Carnival Cruise Ship is Carnival Mardi Gras,Celebration and Carnival Jubilee . All at 344.4m in length with a gross tonnage of 180,000, Mardi Gras, Celebration and Jubilee are almost 2.5 times heavier than Carnival Ecstacy and former ship Sensation which the smallest ships in the Carnival Fleet and carry over double the amount of passengers.
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Itinerary Of Carnival Cruise Line
IMPORTANT: In 2022, the CCL fleet leave the ships Carnival Ecstasy and Carnival Sensation .
The announcement was made on February 3, 2022, and triggered the following deployment changes:
- In Jacksonville, Ecstasy was replaced by Carnival Spirit, starting April 23rd. Ecstasy was repositioned to/homeported in Mobile for the period March 5 thru October 10. Carnival Sensation’s Mobile schedule was canceled.
- In Australia, Carnival Splendor’s schedule June 10 thru Sept 26, 2022, Carnival Spirit’s schedule June 5, 2022, thru October 5, 2023, were canceled.
- Carnival Sensation will not restart operations. Ecstasy’s last voyage for CCL departs October 10, 2022, from Mobile.
- Carnival Luminosa starts an inaugural season in Australia in November 2022, based on homeporting in Brisbane Queensland.
IMPORTANT: In 2023 starts the “COSTA by CARNIVAL” cruise program that targets CCL’s North American customers. The program is based on two newbuild Costa ships – Venezia followed by Firenze . Both Costa liners are CCL-managed .
Time To Celebrate Carnival Cruise Line Christens New Flagship Carnival Celebration In Miami Culminating Year
Terminal F at PortMiami Opens Ahead of Ship’s Inaugural Sailing
MIAMI, Nov. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Carnival Cruise Line’s new flagship Carnival Celebration arrived at its PortMiami homeport and was christened by actress Cassidy Gifford Sunday evening. The festivities were befitting of the ship’s name and underscored Carnival’s year-long celebration of 50 years of fun.
An innovative Excel-class sister to the groundbreaking , Carnival Celebration is launching year-round service from its hometown of Miami.
“This naming ceremony of our new flagship Carnival Celebration is the perfect culmination of our 50th birthday as this spectacular ship honors our past and signifies the fun and growth ahead,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Carnival Celebration builds on the success of our incredible and the many innovations we introduced with our Excel-class, including a top-deck roller coaster, and offers unique features all her own that give guests a truly incredible new cruise experience to have fun and make memories.”
Duffy spoke before an audience gathered for the ceremony in the ship’s three-deck-high atrium, Celebration Central. Carnival Celebration Godmother Cassidy Gifford christened the ship, with a traditional breaking of a champagne bottle, alongside Capt. Vincenzo Alcaras. Gifford was also joined by her mother, Kathie Lee Gifford, who served as godmother of Carnival Celebration’s namesake, M/S Celebration, which was similarly christened in 1987.
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Carnival Ships By Size
Click above to pin this Carnival Cruise Ships by Size Infograph to your cruise planning board, so you can refer back to it when choosing your next ship!
That’s every Carnival Cruise Ship currently active in their fleet, along with a couple newer ships coming down the pipeline. You can see the vast difference in ship size. This is particularly dramatic when looking at Carnival’s newest planned ship, the Carnival Celebration! Here’s a visual representation showing the smallest of the fleet vs this new behemoth.
The experience on these two ships will be completely different! On the upcoming Carnival Celebration, you’ll be lucky to experience half of the venues on the ship. Whereas the smaller ships offer a more quaint and personal experience.
In just a day or two, you’ll have your bearings and likely a fixed routine on these ships. Which is better? That’s all going to depend on personal preferences!
We’ve create a new post to see how these ships rank on a global scale. Carnival has one ship that made the list of 20 Largest Cruise Ships in the World! Click to find out which vessel made it and where it ranks. There we also analyze Carnival’s average ship size versus all other lines!
Does Carnival Cruise Ship Size impact price?
Now on to sizing. To find your specific Carnival Cruise ship, feel free to use our menu below. Clicking on any will let you quickly jump to that ship’s stats.
Are Bigger Carnival Ships Better
There are advantages to both the bigger and smaller Carnival ships. The biggest ships are newer and have more facilities on board with bigger water parks and more stuff for kids to do.
The older, smaller ships in the Carnival fleet can be great too, though. The itineraries may be more destination focussed, so youll spend less time at sea during your cruise. Cruising on the older, smaller ships is usually a little cheaper, too.
One thing to consider with the older ships is that balcony rooms are rare. These ships have mostly interior and ocean view rooms.
Read more: Carnival Ships Ranked From Best To Worst
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Carnival Ship Facts And Figures
And if thats not enough we have put together some lists of facts and dining options on each Carnival Ship to help you choose your next cruise vacation. We have including how many restaurant are free and how many speciality dining options there are on each Carnival ship. We didnt include ice cream bars, and breakfast and brunch offerings as felt this was part of a particular dining room offering. However did add the Green Eggs and Ham breakfast, and steak upgrade at dinner as this is an extra cost on top of free Carnival Cruise Dining.
Former Carnival Cruise Ships
Carnival Cruise Line goes back beyond the older Fantasy-class vessels such as the Holiday-class and more. The very first was which we already mentioned further up, then came Carnivale which is, in fact, the oldest built ship. She didnt start sailing for Carnival Cruise Line until 1975.
Also Read: The Former Carnival Cruise Ships, Where Are They Now?
Festivale was built in 1962 but joined the fleet in 1977. Tropical was the first new cruise ship built for Carnival Cruise Line in 1982. The new Holiday-class vessel also built for the cruise line helped grow the Fun ship fleet with Holiday arriving in 1985, Jubilee in 1986, and Celebration in 1987.
Heres the list of the former ships which have either been sold to other operators or scrapped:
- 1975 Carnivale
We look forward to the future Carnival cruise ships with the new era of LNG powered ships entering service. These new generation ships will grow Carnival even further bringing new features and innovation to the cruise vacation experience.
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Carnival Ships By Age: Newest To Oldest
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Carnival Cruise Line has 24 ships in service in 2022, with another two set to join the fleet in 2023 and another in 2024. Thats more than any other cruise line in the world!
With so many ships to choose from, it can be virtually impossible to remember which Carnival cruise ships are the newest and which are the older ones. But, with some stark contrasts between the newest and oldest ships in the Carnival fleet, this is something that youll probably want to know before you book.
After all, a cruise on a ship thats 20+ years old is going to be quite a different experience from what youll get if you choose one of Carnivals fun new mega-ships! And to further confuse things, Carnival has re-named several of its older ships, to create some new ships that are actually pretty old.
So, read on for a list of Carnival cruise ships by age, as well as some helpful info about the various ships in the fleet.
Best Budget: Carnival Conquest
Carnival Conquest is known for its especially budget-friendly rates and short cruises to the Bahamas and Caribbean.
Lip Sync Battle and Punchliner Comedy Club, Serenity Adult-Only Retreat with signature cocktails and hot tubs
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Some 3-day cruises start at just $129 per person
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2- to 4-day cruises to the Bahamas and 9- to 14-day Caribbean and Panama Canal cruises out of Miami
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Seuss-a-Palooza Parade
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This older ship was refurbished in 2017, but feels a bit dated
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Tends to attract a rowdier crowd
Perfect for those interested in cruising for the first time, the 2,980-passenger Carnival Conquest is known for budget-friendly rates and short cruises to the Bahamas and Caribbean. While Carnival Conquest has some of the Fun Ship 2.0 features like the Blue Iguana Tequila Bar , Guys Burger Joint, Red Frog Rum Bar, and the Alchemy Bar, you wont find the buzzworthy amenities like Sky Bikes or 4D theaters that you see on the newer ships.
Passengers should pay close attention to the daily activity schedule, as most of the onboard fun is all about getting passengers out of the deck chair and actively involved.
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Carnival Splendor Arrives In Sydney Harbour To Kick
After a 23-day Trans-Pacific voyage Carnival Splendor arrived in Sydney Harbour. The ship was welcomed into the country with a special escort by sister brand P& O Cruises Australia’s Pacific Adventure before sailing past the Sydney Opera House and arriving in port. Her arrival marks the first cruise ship to enter Australian waters carrying international passengers in nearly three years.
Are The Newer Carnival 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 youll 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.
Youll 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 youre willing to give one of the older vessels a chance.
One thing to consider though, is that balcony rooms are pretty rare on Carnivals oldest ships. But if youd be happy with an Ocean View, then these can be a good option.
2. Choose a trusted travel agent with a best price guarantee.
Please dont book with any old company just because they have a cheap deal. I recommend that you find the best price and then take it to a trusted travel agent who will beat it, as well as giving you the best service.
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Carnival Cruise Ships By Age
This table shows all Carnival cruise ships from newest to oldest as well as when they were last refurbished.
| Ship | |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 2021 |
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 good.
Carnival Cruise Line acquired Carnival Luminosa from Costa Cruises, renamed the ship as Carnival Luminosa and added it to the Carnival fleet in September 2022.
Another two ships, Costa Venezia and Costa Firenze will be added in 2023 and 2024. You can read more about those here: The Newest Carnival Ships .
S: First New Build Ships
In 1982, Carnival introduced their first purpose-built ship, the Tropicale. This was the first ship on which the iconic winged funnel was introduced, which has since been used on all ships in the fleet it was designed by Joe Farcus, who would become a longtime Carnival Cruise Line design collaborator.
In 1984, Carnival would introduce a new television marketing campaign during this time, starring Kathie Lee Gifford, who continues to be a longtime collaborator with the line.
Following the success of the Tropicale, and increased competition in Miami with newer ships, Carnival ordered the Holiday in 1985, followed by the Jubilee in 1986 and Celebration in 1987.
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The Different Classes Of Carnival Ships
There are currently eight classes of Carnival cruise ships. Each ship in a particular class is almost identical, with some small differences. You can read more about each of the different classes here: Carnival Cruise Ship Classes Compared.
The table below shows the Carnival ship classes from largest to smallest, based on ship volume.
| Class |
|---|
| 70,367 |
List Of Carnival Ships By Age
Knowing the age of a cruise ship is essential.
While newer vessels arent necessarily better, if youre looking for the latest thrills, you might want to look at booking a voyage on a newer ship.
The differences are easy to see when comparing the oldest and newest vessels.
New cruise ships have newer technology, better amenities, more activities, and a broader range of entertainment options.
The table below shows Carnivals cruise ships from, newest to oldest.
| Ship Name |
|---|
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Best For Families: Carnival Vista
The Carnival Vista sees a large number of repeat cruisers, and kids of all ages will be thoroughly entertained with the nonstop action onboard.
Outdoor activities like a ropes course, suspended bike course, and mini golf family-exclusive staterooms that include free babysitting services
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Ship first set sail in 2018, so its still pretty new
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Cruises run from 25 days and 69 days
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Guests can book a VIP multicourse dinner at the Chefs Table
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Most decks have a mix of public areas and cabins, and light sleepers may find this arrangement too noisy
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The two pools are surprisingly small for such a large ship, and they can get crowded
Sailing from Galveston and Port Canaveral, Vista often has a large number of repeat Carnival cruisers, thanks to its nonstop action onboard. As the first and largest ship in the Vista class, the 3,934-passenger Vista set the bar high for sister cruises Horizon and Panorama .
Vista has plenty of unique at sea experiences, including the 4D Thrill Theater, complete with 3D glasses and added effects like air blowing, mist, and other sensory experiences. Theres also SkyRide , Kaleid-o-Slide , and an IMAX theater.
Who Owns Carnival Cruise Line
Ever wonder who owns Carnival Cruise Line? Coined as the Worlds Most Popular Cruise Line, this fleet has an amazing 50-year history.
Known as The Worlds Most Popular Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line was founded in 1972. Millions of guests board its fleet of ships annually.
Carnival Cruise Line is known for its party-like atmosphere thats fun for people of all ages. We discuss who owns Carnival Cruise Line and how it has developed over the past 50 years.
Carnival Cruise Line is a subsidiary of the British-AmericanCarnival Corporation & PLC and has its headquarters in Doral, Florida. Carnival Corp has over 100 ships in its fleet and operates across ten cruise brands.
It is a dual-listed company combining Panama Incorporated, which is the United States Carnival Corp and Carnival PLC .
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