Carnival Cruise Line makes surprising move with its first mega-ship
The first Excel-class ship will be giving something cruisers have been asking for.
Carnival Cruise Line has been offering short cruises of 3, 4, and 5 days for many years. But it is an area of cruising where it has lagged behind a key competitor in recent years.
The short cruise strategy has been a cornerstone of Royal Caribbean’s plans, and something that, quite frankly, has been a strength of Carnival’s main competitor.
Royal Caribbean has been offering short cruises on its massive Oasis-class ships for some time, first on Allure of the Seas. It even launched a brand-new ship (Utopia of the Seas) directly into short sailings last year, and is set to start offering 3- and 4-night cruises on its popular Wonder of the Seas in the Fall.
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Short cruises appeal to people who either can’t get away for an entire week or simply don’t want to be on a ship for that long. And from the cruise line’s perspective, short cruises often command higher fares on a per-night basis, plus they can be a great way to attract new customers to the cruise line.
However, in Carnival’s case, one common complaint (among some cruisers) has been that the line typically uses its oldest and smallest ships for short cruises. Not only does it not offer short cruises on its flagship Excel-class ships, but it doesn’t offer short sailings on the few classes of ships that came before it.
Of course, some people enjoy the smaller ships, finding the newer ones a bit overwhelming. But Royal Caribbean has proven that there’s clearly a market for short sailings on the biggest and newest ships, and it appears that Carnival has taken notice.
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Carnival upgrades its short cruise plans
At a recent media briefing, Carnival made several major announcements, including the name and homeport of its upcoming fourth Excel-class ship. The Carnival Festivale will debut in Spring 2027 and will call Port Canaveral, Florida home. We also now know that the fifth Excel-class ship will be named Carnival Tropicale, and will debut approximately one year later, although its home port is yet to be revealed.
What’s particularly significant about this news is that Carnival already has one of its Excel-class ships homeported in Port Canaveral, the first-in-class Mardi Gras.
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Mardi Gras will continue to call Port Canaveral home. But once Carnival Festivale is delivered and begins sailing, Mardi Gras will begin offering short cruises.
“With short cruises on Mardi Gras, our guests who may not have the time to take a weeklong vacation can experience all the amazing features of our Excel class," Carnival President Christine Duffy said.
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Carnival has not shared some details
To be clear, there are a lot of details yet to be revealed. For starters, we don’t have any idea what itineraries Mardi Gras will be sailing once it begins its short cruise schedule.
Duffy said that Carnival Festivale’s itinerary details will be released this summer, so presumably we’ll get a look at Mardi Gras’ 2027 schedule as well.
Mardi Gras will likely stop at Carnival's new private destination, Celebration Key. That port, a sort of answer to Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at Coco Cay, opens in July.
Whatever the particulars end up being, this is likely welcome news for cruisers who prefer short sailings but also like to consider the ship as a destination, not just the vessel taking them from port to port.
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