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Carnival Cruise Line Orders Another Newbuild for 2028 Delivery

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Carnival Corporation announced it has signed an agreement with Meyer Werft shipyard for a fifth Excel Class cruise ship for its Carnival Cruise Line brand, set to be delivered in 2028.

This announcement confirms the addition of the 11th Excel Class ship to the corporation’s fleet across four brands, with Carnival Cruise Line operating the fifth vessel. This follows a February announcement for a newbuild for Carnival with a 2027 delivery date.

“Carnival’s Excel-class fleet will soon be a quintet of these very popular ships that provide outstanding guest amenities and tremendous operating efficiencies,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

“Since the introduction of Mardi Gras in 2021 and the subsequent expansion with Carnival Celebration in 2022 and Carnival Jubilee in 2023, these Excel-class ships are driving excitement, demand, and strong guest satisfaction ratings. With the arrival of Carnival Firenze in April, we are completing the addition of five ships to our fleet in less than 20 months, and then we will pivot to another phase of growth with these two Excel ships.”

Like its sister ships, the new vessel will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and designed to carry over 6,400 guests and 1,800 crew.

“This new order continues to balance our commitment to growth with our responsible capital approach to utilize strong 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,” said Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corporation.

“Carnival Cruise Line continues to perform at an outstanding level, and we are focused on adding capacity across the company where it aligns with demand and our position in the marketplace,” added Weinstein.

This measured capacity growth strategy will result in our adding one to two ships per year beginning in 2027, and we will be identifying additional fleet plans over the coming months for our cruise lines to meet capacity demand and improve execution across all aspects of our operation, with the benefit of yielding higher return on invested capital.”

“We are proud of the role the Excel Class from Meyer Werft and Meyer Turku has played in contributing to the success of Carnival Corporation for many years now. We look forward to continuing this success story together,” said Bernd Eikens, CEO of Meyer Group.

Carnival Freedom Battles Fire in Bahamas

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he Carnival Freedom suffered a fire on Saturday afternoon while sailing in stormy weather in the Bahamas.

Unconfirmed eyewitness reports posted to social media said the fire was due to a lightning strike, with the crew quickly getting the fire under control and eventually putting it out.

Video posted from passengers aboard showed the portside of Carnival’s whale-tail funnel on fire. Carnival Cruise Lien said on social media that part of the funnel had then fallen onto the open deck.

The ship reported the fire just after 3:00 p.m. local time while it was 20 miles off Eleuthera Island, Bahamas, heading to Freeport after a cancelled call to Princess Cay due to weather.

http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/6349626885112 

Carnival said the U.S. Coast Guard has been notified and that it had activated the company’s response team to support the ship’s crew.

“There are no operational issues with the ship’s systems and the ship is expected to arrive to Freeport on Sunday morning,” Carnival said in a statement posted on social media.

“The captain has made multiple announcements to guests and crew and advised all but essential safety personnel to stay away from all open decks. There are no injuries. The port side portion of the funnel has fallen onto Deck 10 and the fire response is putting out the flames.”

Carnival also said it did not expect any impact to the next Carnival Freedom voyage scheduled to depart from Port Canaveral on Monday, March 25.

Of note, the this is the same ship that had a funnel fire in 2022, with Carnival having to replace the funnel at a drydock in Spain late last year.

Carnival Unveils Details for Celebration Key’s Paradise Plaza and Calypso Lagoon

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Carnival Cruise Line revealed details for Paradise Plaza and Calypso Lagoon, two of the five portals at its new Celebration Key destination on Grand Bahama set to debut in July 2025.

Paradise Plaza will feature a promenade, a 10-story-high Suncastle, live music and more. Destination information will help guests decide how they want to spend their day, whether by playing water sports, joining shore excursions or relaxing. There is also a Bahamian-themed fountain and ice cream shop.

The adult-friendly Calypso Lagoon, located west of Paradise Plaza, offers guests a chance to engage in athletic activities or take a dip in the freshwater lagoon surrounded by loungers, daybeds or cabanas.

On one side of the lagoon, guests will find a bar with nearly 50 swings so guests can dip their toes in the cool water while enjoying Bahamian cocktails. Additional bars are located around Calypso Lagoon as well as two full-service restaurants and casual snack shacks.

A section of Calypso Lagoon and the adjacent beach will be reserved for adults only. In this area, guests will find a swim-up bar with a DJ keeping the energy going all day.

“When guests see our Suncastle as they arrive at Celebration Key, they’ll know immediately they’re in for big FUN. Paradise Plaza will be the perfect welcome spot and will set the tone for the entire visit to this truly unique destination. These new details show the creative design that’s gone into the development of each portal, with Calypso Lagoon alone offering a wide variety of options to fill the day while honoring the beauty of Grand Bahama and celebrating Bahamian culture,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.