Carnival Festivale Nears Exterior Completion at Meyer Werft

Carnival Cruise Line's fourth Excel-class ship, Carnival Festivale, is nearing exterior completion at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, with the 182,015-gross-ton vessel now showing its hull form, installed bridge and bow name in dry dock. The ship is scheduled to enter service on May 2, 2027, with an inaugural transatlantic sailing from Southampton.

Carnival Festivale is in the late structural phase, with float-out, outfitting, sea trials and delivery ahead. Once complete, the ship will carry 5,356 guests at double occupancy and homeport at Port Canaveral for Caribbean and Bahamas programs.

Hull work advances toward float-out

Photos released by Carnival show large hull sections being assembled and welded, with the Carnival Festivale name temporarily marked on the bow. The bow is still due to receive Carnival's blue paint treatment, with the ship name eventually displayed in gold.

Scaffolding remains in place around balcony areas as crews continue exterior work. Carnival's update said 949 crew cabins have been completed, while 2,636 passenger cabins remain under construction.

The ship's LNG-powered engine is installed. Work in the coming weeks and months will focus on completing the hull, adding remaining guest cabins and preparing the vessel for float-out.

Carnival Festivale is being built at Meyer Werft's inland yard on the River Ems, where completed cruise ships must ultimately transit downriver before reaching the sea. After float-out, interior and design work is expected to continue in a wet dock adjacent to the construction hall.

Waterpark and onboard work to follow

During the post-float-out phase, construction is also expected to begin on Carnival WaterWorks Ultra, which Carnival has described as its largest waterpark at sea. The area will include six waterslides, including two family raft slides named SunSoaker and Turning Tides.

The ship's scale is consistent with Carnival's Excel-class platform: about 1,130 feet long, roughly 137 to 138 feet wide, and designed with 18 decks, including 11 decks with cabins. Its maximum passenger capacity is listed at approximately 6,400 to 6,600 guests, with a crew complement of about 1,735 to 1,768.

After outfitting, Carnival Festivale will undergo sea trials before formal delivery to Carnival Cruise Line in a handover ceremony.

Port Canaveral deployment includes Celebration Key

Following its inaugural transatlantic crossing, Carnival Festivale will homeport at Port Canaveral, Florida, operating primarily six- to eight-night cruises to the Eastern and Southern Caribbean.

The ship will also operate shorter four- and five-night Bahamas cruises beginning May 19, 2027, and again from January 3, 2028. Every itinerary is scheduled to include Celebration Key, Carnival's Bahamas destination.

Celebration Key has been designed to handle about 12,000 guests at once when two large ships are docked simultaneously. Its annual capacity is initially listed at about 2 million guests, with planned expansion to as many as 4 million guests by 2028 through additional berthing capacity.