A FOURTH Excel-class ship has been ordered for Carnival Cruise Line, which will be built by Meyer Werft in Germany. The new ship is scheduled for delivery in 2027 and will join other Carnival Excel-class vessels Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee.

The ship will carry more than 6,400 guests, which will make it by far Carnival’s largest vessel, able to carry around 1,200 more passengers than Mardi Gras. Carnival’s first new ship order in five years will be powered on a liquefied natural gas technology platform, with President Christine Duffy saying the Excel-class has proved exceptionally popular with its guests. “As the world’s most popular cruise line, this new ship enables us to continue the growth of our incredible fleet as we welcome our loyal guests back to cruise more frequently and attract new-to-cruise guests to experience all that a Carnival cruise has to offer,” she said.

Carnival Corporation Chief Executive Officer Josh Weinstein said the company is excited to resume its new ship program and further enhance its global fleet. “With one new build scheduled for delivery in 2025, none for 2026, and this order being our only expected new build in 2027, our responsible capital approach will support utilising our substantial free cash flow over the next several years to strategically improve our balance sheet, significantly reduce our leverage levels and continue to transfer value from debt holders to shareholders,” he said.

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