What are the newest Carnival ships? Here’s a list of all Carnival cruise ships by age
What is the newest Carnival cruise ship? With Carnival Cruise Line frequently turning out new ships and adopting others from sister brand Costa, it can be difficult to keep track of the line’s more than two dozen vessels.
As with many things, the shiniest and most recently built hardware is often the most exciting. The newest Carnival cruise ships are the line’s largest, and they offer tons of activities like trivia, dance parties, bingo and nightly shows; top-deck amenities like water parks, ropes courses and even roller coasters; a staggering variety of cuisines, from steak and Italian to sushi; ample bars and lounges; and some of the biggest and most exclusive accommodations in the fleet.
As a general guide, Carnival Cruise Line’s ships are divided into eight classes, with the Excel, Venice and Vista classes being the latest to debut.
If you’re interested in sorting them by the year they debuted, here’s a list of the newest to oldest Carnival ships to help you figure out which is right for you.
Note: All passenger numbers listed are double occupancy (two people per cabin).
Carnival ships by age
1. Carnival Jubilee
Maiden voyage: 2023
Size: 183,521 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 5,374
2. Carnival Celebration
Maiden voyage: 2022
Size: 183,521 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 5,374
3. Mardi Gras
Maiden voyage: 2021
Size: 180,800 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 5,282
4. Carnival Firenze (formerly Costa Firenze)
Maiden voyage: 2021 (renamed in 2024)
Size: 135,156 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 4,126
5. Carnival Panorama
Maiden voyage: 2019
Size: 133,500 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 4,008
6. Carnival Venezia (formerly Costa Venezia)
Maiden voyage: 2019 (renamed in 2023)
Size: 135,225 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 4,090
7. Carnival Horizon
Maiden voyage: 2018
Size: 133,500 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,960
8. Carnival Vista
Maiden voyage: 2016
Size: 133,500 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,934
9. Carnival Breeze
Maiden voyage: 2012
Size: 130,000 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,690
10. Carnival Magic
Maiden voyage: 2011
Size: 130,000 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,690
11. Carnival Dream
Maiden voyage: 2009
Size: 130,000 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,646
12. Carnival Luminosa (formerly Costa Luminosa)
Maiden voyage: 2009 (overhauled and renamed in 2022)
Size: 92,720 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,260
13. Carnival Splendor
Maiden voyage: 2008
Size: 113,300 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,012
14. Carnival Freedom
Maiden voyage: 2007
Size: 110,000 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,980
15. Carnival Liberty
Maiden voyage: 2005
Size: 110,000 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,974
16. Carnival Valor
Maiden voyage: 2004
Size: 110,000 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,980
17. Carnival Miracle
Maiden voyage: 2004
Size: 88,500 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,124
18. Carnival Glory
Maiden voyage: 2003
Size: 110,000 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,980
19. Carnival Legend
Maiden voyage: 2002
Size: 88,500 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,124
20. Carnival Conquest
Maiden voyage: 2002
Size: 110,000 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,980
21. Carnival Pride
Maiden voyage: 2002
Size: 88,500 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,134
22. Carnival Spirit
Maiden voyage: 2001
Size: 88,500 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,124
23. Carnival Radiance (formerly Carnival Victory)
Maiden voyage: 2000 (overhauled and renamed in 2021)
Size: 101,509 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,984
24. Carnival Sunrise (formerly Carnival Triumph)
Maiden voyage: 1999 (overhauled and renamed in 2019)
Size: 101,509 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,984
25. Carnival Paradise
Maiden voyage: 1998
Size: 71,925 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,124
26. Carnival Elation
Maiden voyage: 1998
Size: 71,909 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,190
27. Carnival Sunshine (formerly Carnival Destiny)
Maiden voyage: 1996 (overhauled and renamed in 2013)
Size: 102,853 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 3,002
What is the oldest Carnival ship?
The oldest Carnival ship is Carnival Sunshine. The vessel debuted in 1996 under the name Carnival Destiny — but the cruise line gutted it, redesigned it from bow to stern and renamed it Carnival Sunshine in 2013.
The elderly vessel now looks shiny and nearly new with an adults-only sundeck, a water park, a comedy club and several bars, lounges and restaurants, as well as a spa. Dr. Seuss characters also make appearances as part of Carnival’s Seuss at Sea programming.
What is the newest class of Carnival ships?
Carnival’s Excel Class is the newest of the line’s eight classes, comprising Mardi Gras (2021), Carnival Celebration (2022) and Carnival Jubilee (2023). Despite featuring a plethora of modern onboard amenities, all three ships are named for former members of Carnival’s founding 1972 fleet.
Are there any new Carnival ships being built?
Carnival has a fourth Excel Class ship on order, slated for delivery in 2027. At the time of publication, it had not yet been named. Sister Excel Class ships Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee were named as throwbacks to some of Carnival's first vessels. It's, therefore, reasonable to expect that the fourth ship in the class will also draw from the name of a previous ship.
Although the new ships bearing the old names give subtle nods to their predecessors, they’re exceptionally modern, offering state-of-the-art shows, excellent food and jaw-dropping top-deck entertainment, such as ropes courses, water parks and even roller coasters.
What are the newest Carnival cruise ships available for booking?
The line's first three Excel Class ships and Carnival Firenze — which debuted for sister line Costa Cruises as Costa Firenze in 2021 before joining the Carnival fleet in 2024 — are the line's newest vessels, and they're currently open for bookings.
What’s the difference between newer and older Carnival ships?
The biggest difference is that the line’s older vessels are considerably smaller than its newer ones. Carnival’s oldest ships carry between 2,100 and 3,000 passengers, while its newest can accommodate more than 5,000 people.
It’s a given that smaller ships don’t have as much room to offer every single amenity that the larger ones do, but Carnival has made significant investments in its vessels in an attempt to make them more uniform across the board, regardless of their age.
A testament to that is the rollout of its 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 also brought Guy Fieri to the high seas with Guy’s Burger Joint, a partnership that has expanded to include barbecue and microbrewed beer on the newest ships in the fleet.
Another difference is that newer vessels — those in the Vista Class and Excel Class — offer Havana Cabana staterooms, which include exclusive access to a dedicated bar and pool area just for people booked in the corresponding staterooms. On Excel Class ships, luxury-seeking travelers can book the biggest accommodations available: presidential suites, which measure 1,120 square feet and have 600-square-foot balconies.
The decor is one of the easiest ways to tell the age of a Carnival ship. Older hardware is decked out with 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 aesthetics of Carnival’s more recent ships fall more in line with other cruise lines — expect neutrals with pops of color here and there, but nothing terribly interesting.
Finally, fares are another key differentiator. The older the ship, the more likely it is to sail shorter itineraries at a lower price point.
Have more cruise questions? TPG has answers:
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- What is baked Alaska, and why is it paraded around cruise ships?
- What are the largest cruise ships in the world?
- What is a gentleman host on a cruise?
- What is the Jones Act and how does it affect cruise ships?
- What is a lido deck on a cruise ship?
- What’s a cruise cabin guarantee and will it save you money?
- What’s the difference between a cruise concierge and a butler?
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Cons
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- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.