As the summer heats up ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, Carnival Cruise Line is planning a special at-sea meetup for the holiday while working on a new class of ships and destination upgrades.
In celebration of America’s 250th birthday, Carnival will host seven ships sailing from the East Coast for a meetup and fireworks show on July 4 near Carnival’s exclusive destination in Grand Bahama, Celebration Key. Three ships will also meet up for a “front row seat” to Port of San Diego’s Big Bay Boom.
Carnival’s onboard activities will also feature patriotic displays, “US YAY!” parties with balloon drops, themed food and drinks, Red, White and Blue Deck Parties and patriotic appearances from Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat.
After the July Fourth festivities, Carnival has a new class of ships under development, private destination upgrades, changes to its rewards program and more. Here’s a roundup of the latest Carnival Cruise Line news.
Project Ace
Carnival’s new class of ships, currently called “Project Ace,” includes three 230,000-gross-ton megaships built by Fincantieri in Italy. Each will include more than 3,000 staterooms and will be the largest in the Carnival Corporation global fleet, with room for nearly 8,000 guests at full capacity.
During a recent media sailing aboard the Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy revealed that the steel-cutting ceremony for the first Project Ace ship, slated for delivery in 2029, would be on July 10. During that time, the company will reveal the ship’s exterior design before announcing more details this fall.
“We’re all building ships, and as we’re building them, they’re getting bigger and bigger. We’re on that bandwagon,” Duffy said. “What we’re able to do with a megaship in terms of experience that you can deliver to the guests on the ship, it is pretty incredible.”
The second and third ship of Project Ace will be delivered in 2031 and 2033, respectively.
Next year, the Excel-class Carnival Festivale, will arrive at Port Canaveral to join the fleet as the cruise line’s largest ship in service yet. In 2029, it will be eclipsed as the first Ace ship hits the water.
In 2027, Carnival will also reach a milestone with a total of 30 ships across its fleet.
Destination upgrades
While Carnival focuses on building more ships, the company is also upgrading its private destinations in the Caribbean.
The company recently cut the ribbon on the newly expanded RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, a private destination — about 100 miles southeast of Nassau — known and loved for its shimmering blue waters and pristine beaches. The north section of the destination now includes a pier that can accommodate two Carnival ships, a tram system, two food venues, six bars, cabanas, gift shops and more.
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The south end of the island will still be utilized by Holland America guests who will reach the destination by tender boats.
Carnival upgrades RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay in Bahamas for guests seeking pristine beaches
This week, Carnival completed a pier extension for Celebration Key in the Bahamas with two additional berths, allowing up to four ships to visit the destination at one time and a total of more than 13,000 guests.
Since opening one year ago, Celebration Key has welcomed approximately 2.5 million guests. The second year will see an estimated 3.5 million guests visit the destination.
Additionally, Carnival has unveiled a rebranding of Mahogany Bay, an exclusive destination in Roatán, Honduras, that first opened in 2009 and is now called Isla Tropicale. A pool area called Mangrove Bay adds 48,000 square feet of recreational space and a peninsula with cabanas, plus poolside daybeds.
In the years to come, Carnival plans to invest in its other Paradise Collection ports and cruise terminals: Grand Turks Cruise Center (Turks & Caicos), Amber Cove (Dominican Republic) and Puerta Maya (Cozumel, Mexico). Princess Cays in the Bahamas is also one of seven properties in the collection.
President’s cruise
Carnival Cruise Line is hosting its first-ever president’s cruise next year during a six-night voyage from Miami departing on Feb. 28.
Duffy and beloved Brand Ambassador John Heald will meet guests on board the newly refurbished Carnival Magic and host special events with Carnival fans.
Additionally, Carnival is hosting more SEA cruises (sailings exclusively for adults) with 30 total this year. The invite-only cruises have more casino offerings, elevated dining and a kid-free atmosphere.
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