Construction kicks off on Carnival’s next LNG-powered Excel-class cruise ship

Carnival Cruise Line, part of cruise giant Carnival Corporation, and German shipbuilder Meyer Werft have marked the start of the construction of the former’s fourth, environmentally friendly Excel-class cruise vessel.

According to the builder, the ship, christened as Carnival Festivale, will be able to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG), because of which it is expected to achieve ‘significant’ reductions of harmful pollutant emissions.

The newbuild will reportedly boast a length of 344 meters and a 180,000 gross tonnage, with space for more than 6,400 guests. It is slated for delivery in 2027. Once handed over, the Carnival Festivale is scheduled to set sail from Port Canaveral, Florida, together with its sister vessel Mardi Gras, which is hailed as the Americas’ ‘inaugural’ LNG-fueled ship.

To remind, Mardi Gras was handed over to its owner back in 2020. In the following years, the cruise ship, which was constructed by Finnish builder Meyer Turku, was joined by sister vessels Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee.

More specifically, the cruise line marked the launching ceremony of its second Excel-class newbuild in February 2022, while the following unit, Carnival Jubilee, entered service in 2023 following delays.

Reflecting on the construction of the fourth unit, Meyer Werft Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Bernd Eikens commented that following the delivery of Carnival Jubilee, the new ship represented “the next logical step” in the partnership between the two companies.

In addition to this, it is worth noting that Carnival Cruise Line booked a fifth Excel-class cruise ship at Meyer Werft at the end of March 2024.

At the time of the order, it was disclosed that, with the booking secured, Meyer Werft and Meyer Turku will have built nine cruise ships with liquefied natural gas propulsion for four cruise lines in Carnival Corporation’s portfolio on a joint technical platform.