Carnival Cruise Line names new ship, reveals Texas homeport

Carnival Cruise Line will bring one of its largest new ships to Galveston, which will serve as the homeport for the line's third Excel-class vessel. Carnival also revealed Thursday that, in keeping with the class' throwback naming scheme, the ship will be called Carnival Jubilee.

"Carnival was the first cruise line to offer year-round cruising from Galveston in 2000, and we have continued to grow our presence and support of the Port of Galveston's expansion, so we are thrilled to bring our brand-new Carnival Jubilee to Texas and the greater southwest region," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. "This beautiful, innovative ship will bring an entirely new cruise experience to our guests, and we've got some great surprises to fun it up in ways we know they are going to love."

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The original Carnival Jubilee debuted in 1986 as the second ship in the line's now-retired Holiday Class. The new version is set to begin sailing in 2023, offering seven-day Western Caribbean itineraries from its Texas base.

Sister ships Mardi Gras, which began sailing earlier this year, and recently named Carnival Celebration, which will join the fleet in 2022, also bear the monikers of some of the line's early vessels.

All three ships run on a hybrid fuel system, which operates partially on liquefied natural gas -- a cleaner-burning fuel that helps to decrease air pollutants and particulates. LNG is just one of several environmental initiatives the line is undertaking on its newest hardware.

Like the other ships in its class, Carnival Jubilee will offer the BOLT roller coaster, numerous dining options, new designs for suites and staterooms and a three-deck atrium that overlooks the ocean and converts to an entertainment venue at night. The ship will also be divided into six zones, two of which will be brand-new concepts to be revealed at a later date.