Carnival Cruise Line has opened bookings for the Carnival Tropicale, its newest ship and the fifth and final addition to its Excel class.

Announcing the opening of bookings, the cruise line highlighted new entertainment options onboard, including:

• Sunsation Point, a multi-deck family fun zone
• Carnival WaterWorks Ultra, featuring six waterslides, including SunSoaker, Turning Tides, Racing Currents and splash areas
• a redesigned Fairway 66 Mini Golf course
• sports courts
• the Treehouse Adventure Trail
• new arcade spaces, such as The Vault Retrocade.

Some of the dining venues onboard will entail Uku Lei Lei, offering Hawaiian-inspired cuisine with Asian influences; Fetaccine, blending Greek and Italian flavors; and Emeril’s Coastal Seafood, showcasing seafood dishes inspired by America’s coastlines and created in partnership with Carnival’s Chief Culinary Officer Chef Emeril Lagasse.

New entertainment experiences and exclusive spaces inspired by the golden era of show business will also be available, additional details of which will be revealed in the months ahead.

The LNG-powered ship, which will be displaying the Star of Texas on her bow, is set to homeport in Galveston after its delivery in 2028.

Its inaugural sailing is scheduled for April 15, 2028.

“Today marks an exciting day for Carnival Tropicale as guests can now begin planning their vacations aboard this incredible new ship,” said Ben Clement, EVP of maritime and newbuilds at Carnival Cruise Line.

“From innovative attractions and dining to unforgettable destinations throughout the Caribbean, The Bahamas and Mexico, Carnival Tropicale will bring an exciting new vacation option to Texas when she debuts in 2028.”

Accommodating 6,000 guests, the Tropicale will offer four-, five-, six- and eight-day cruises calling at Carnival’s exclusive Paradise Collection destinations, including Celebration Key, RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, Isla Tropicale and Puerta Maya, as well as Caribbean ports like Progreso and Nassau.

As teased yesterday, a western-themed celebration of the ship’s progression from concept to reality was also hosted at Meyer Werft’s Papenburg shipyard to honor the ship’s future home and Carnival’s connection to Texas.

Heads of the two companies wore custom cowboy hard hats and western attire amid Texas-inspired décor while the shipyard team enjoyed Texas-style barbecue.

André Walter, Meyer Werft CEO, added that he is delighted to experience his first construction celebration as the new CEO of Meyer Werft.