Carnival Corporation moved to defend its Gulf Coast turf on its second quarter 2026 earnings call, with President and CEO Josh Weinstein emphasizing the company’s 25-year head start in a region rival Royal Caribbean Group recently said it expects to dominate.

Carnival today sails approximately 1 million guests annually from Galveston and operates six ships from the market, which is soon to be seven with the arrival of the Carnival Tropicale in 2028, Weinstein said.

That scale extends to Gulf home ports in New Orleans, Mobile and Tampa, he noted.

Weinstein said the company has spent more than 25 years establishing what he called the industry’s leading presence on the Gulf Coast.

Combined with its destination portfolio and year-round deployment, that footprint provides a meaningful competitive advantage as demand grows throughout the region, he said.

The comments come after Royal Caribbean staked its own claim to the market.

On the company’s first quarter call on April 30, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said the group expected to own the Texas market as it relates to Caribbean cruising, pointing to its Galveston terminal and coming Perfect Day Mexico destination, where construction has since been halted.

Weinstein highlighted Carnival’s destination investments as central to its Western Caribbean position.

The company recently completed an enhanced pool and cabana offering at Isla Tropicale in Roatan, which he said pairs well with its Puerto Maya destination in Cozumel, a gateway to cultural and adventure experiences in Mexico.