Carnival Festivale is right to trade Bolt for a bigger water park

Carnival is leaving the Bolt roller coaster off Carnival Festivale and expanding the ship’s water-play area instead. I’d make that trade. Raft attractions, shaded spaces for younger children and planned night swimming give the family deck a purpose beyond having the most eye-catching ride at sea.

Festivale floated for the first time in late September at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, the shipyard announced. Delivery is expected in spring 2027, followed by a May passenger debut and year-round service from Port Canaveral. The decision to replace Bolt is what distinguishes Festivale from Carnival’s earlier Excel-class ships.

A family deck with more ways to use it

The new outdoor family area, Sunsation Point, will span three decks. Its centerpiece is WaterWorks Ultra, which Carnival describes as its largest onboard water park.

The six-slide complex will include two multi-passenger raft attractions, Sun Soaker and Turning Tide. Younger guests will have splash pads and shaded play areas. Planned after-dark access will bring lighting effects, a live DJ and night swimming.

Bolt gave the earlier Excel ships a distinctive attraction. Leaving it behind is still a sensible design choice. The appeal of this replacement is its range, particularly the attention to younger guests who need something different from a headline thrill ride.

Sunsation Point will also include Fairway 66 mini golf, the Vault Retrocade arcade, a sports court and an elevated ropes course with two routes. Big Chicken, the Swirls frozen-dessert venue and Sunsation Sips will provide nearby food and drinks.

Festivale will introduce music-themed spaces and additional accommodation for families. At 182,015 gross tons, the LNG-powered vessel is designed for 5,356 passengers at double occupancy and approximately 1,735 crew. It follows Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee as Carnival’s fourth Excel-class ship.

Floating is a milestone, not the finish line

Meyer Werft flooded Festivale’s building dock to float and reposition the ship within the enclosed hall, freeing space for another vessel’s construction.

Construction began with steel cutting on April 8, 2025, followed by keel laying that August. The engines were installed in March 2026, and work in August included installation of the azimuth thruster pods.

Interior outfitting and completion of onboard systems remain ahead. Sea trials will follow to test propulsion, navigation and maneuverability. Carnival has not announced a specific handover date, naming ceremony timing or the ship’s godparent.

Southampton first, then a Florida homeport

The first passenger voyage is scheduled to leave Southampton on May 2, 2027. The 15-day transatlantic itinerary calls at La Coruna and Vigo in Spain, Funchal in Madeira, Tenerife in the Canary Islands and Grand Turk before reaching Port Canaveral on May 16.

Festivale’s first departure from its Florida homeport is scheduled for May 19, a four-day Bahamas cruise. Its regular program will primarily consist of six- and eight-night Caribbean itineraries, sharing Port Canaveral with sister ship Mardi Gras.

The schedule includes Carnival’s private destination Celebration Key on Grand Bahama, along with Amber Cove, San Juan, St. Thomas, St. Maarten and RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay. Southern Caribbean routes will include Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.

Tropicale follows from Galveston

The revised family-area design will also appear on Carnival Tropicale, the final ship in the Excel series that began with Mardi Gras in 2021. Tropicale’s lounges will draw their themes from the golden age of show business.

Meyer Werft began building Tropicale in early September with a Texas-themed steel-cutting ceremony attended by Carnival. The ship is scheduled to enter service from Galveston in April 2028, offering weeklong Caribbean and Bahamas cruises.

For Festivale, the planned after-dark access is the detail I’d want carried through properly into service. A larger water park is easy to advertise. The prospect of using it after dark is the stronger reason to leave Bolt behind.

See current Carnival Festivale fares and itineraries on Cruise Lookup.