Carnival Cruise Line is expected to announce the first details of its next generation of new cruise ships on Friday, July 10, 2026.
According to Brand Ambassador John Heald, the company will make an announcement live from Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard in Italy.
“In this incredibly vast, huge in size building, something very special is going to be happening in the coming weeks, months and years,” he said in a video recorded at the yard.
“This is where ships begin their lives, from the first weld to the build and then the float out in the water,” he continued, while teasing Friday’s news.
The announcement will be broadcast on a YouTube livestream, which is scheduled to begin on July 10 at 5 AM EST.
Carnival announced a deal with Fincantieri for a new ship class in 2024, revealing plans to add three 230,000-ton vessels to its fleet between 2029 and 2031.
Ordered under the codename Project Ace, the new vessels are set to become the largest in the company’s fleet, ranking among the biggest cruise ships in the world.
While few details of the vessels have been announced, Carnival said that each ship will feature 3,000 passenger staterooms and will carry over 8,000 guests at maximum occupancy.
As Cruise Industry News reported at the time, Carnival Cruise Line’s President Christine Duffy later said that the new ships “will be experiences unto themselves.”
“Partnered with itineraries that call in part on our exclusive destinations, (these ships) will provide amazing cruise vacations for guests,” she noted.
Duffy also said that the Ace-class vessels will introduce new dining outlets, entertainment and re-imagined outer deck amenities.
The three new ships follow two additional Excel-class ships, which are currently being built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany.
With deliveries scheduled for 2027 and 2028, the Carnival Festivale and the Carnival Tropicale will introduce a slightly revised design compared to previous ships in the series.
Exclusive features of the two ships include Sunsation Point, a new outdoor zone on the top three decks equipped with a large waterpark and other entertainment venues.
