Carnival Cruise Line is one of the most popular mainstream cruise lines at sea. Known for their affordability and most "fun ships" at sea, a cruise onboard a Carnival ship is sure to leave you with great memories and perhaps a countdown for your next cruise!
Today, Carnival has 24 ships in their fleet with another 3 expected to enter service between 2023 and 2024. Their ships range from 70,000 to over 184,000 gross registered tons! In fact, the Carnival Destiny -- which has since been renamed to Carnival Sunshine -- was the first-ever cruise ship to exceed 100,000 gross registered tons when she debuted in 1996!
Read more: 10 things Carnival Cruise Line does well
Starting in 2011, Carnival began their "Fun Ship 2.0" initiative, which was designed to upgrade some of their older ships' onboard dining, entertainment, and other public venues. In addition, new venues that became popular on newer ships were added, including Blue Iguana Tequila Bar and Guy's Burger Joint.
While Carnival may not have the largest ships at sea, they are certainly filled with fun and unique experiences. In 2021, for instance, they became the first cruise line to feature a roller coaster at sea with the introduction BOLT onboard the Excel Class' Mardi Gras. The third Excel Class, Carnival Jubilee, is expected to debut in December 2023.
Below, we have broken down Carnival Cruise Line's entire fleet based on ship size!
Excel Class
Unnamed Excel Class Ship
Meyer Werft announced that it reached an agreement with Carnival to build a fourth Excel Class ship, which will be a sister to the Carnival Jubilee, indicting that the size of the vessel should be similar.
Its scheduled delivery date is in 2027. At the time of writing, little is known about other onboard features.
Carnival Jubilee
Carnival Celebration successfully completed her sea trials in November 2023 and is one step closer to being delivered to the cruise line. Measuring 183,521 gross registered tons and coming in at 1,130 feet long, she will become one of Carnival's largest ships at sea.
She'll have the same maximum passenger capacity as Carnival Celebration, with the ability to hold over 6,600 guests in 2,687 staterooms.
Carnival Jubilee will be based out of Galveston, Texas and sail to the Western Caribbean.
Carnival Celebration
Entering service in November 2022, Carnival Celebration is the cruise line's newest ship. She's the second in Carnival's Excel Class, meaning that she is the second cruise ship in the world to feature a roller coaster at sea.
As of November 2023, Carnival Celebration is the largest ship in Carnival's fleet, weighing 183,521 gross registered tons with a maximum passenger capacity of 6,631 in 2,687 staterooms!
Like Mardi Gras, the ship is broken up into six different zones for guests to explore: Celebration Central, The Gateway, Summer Landing, 820 Biscayne, Lido, and The Ultimate Playground.
From now through at least April 2025, Carnival Celebration's home is Miami, Florida, and she will be making roundtrip Eastern, Western, and Southern Caribbean sailings ranging from 6- to 8-nights.
Read more: Best Carnival ship yet? My Carnival Celebration review
Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras was the first Excel Class ship to enter service. Unlike all other Carnival ships, the ship's name does not feature the "Carnival" prefix. This pays homage to the cruise line's very first ship which debuted in 1972.
At 180,800 gross registered tons, Mardi Gras is slightly smaller than Carnival Celebration; however, they both share the same maximum passenger capacity of 6,631 guests.
One thing Carnival fans might notice is that the beloved RedFrog Rum Bar was replaced with the two-deck RedFrog Tiki Bar. No worries, you can still find your favorite rum-based island cocktails here!
She sails 6- to 8-night Eastern, Western, and Southern Caribbean cruises out of Port Canaveral, Florida.
Vista Class
Carnival Venezia
As part of Carnival and Costa's "Costa by Carnival" initiative, Costa Venezia received a refit and became Carnival Venezia. She joined the fleet in mid-2023 and currently sails from New York City to the Bahamas and Caribbean, Bermuda, and Canada/New England. In late 2024, she'll move to Port Canaveral, Florida.
Carnival Venezia is the largest Vista Class ship measuring 135,500 gross registered tons with the ability to carry 5,113 passengers at maximum capacity. Technically, however, Carnival says that she is part of their Venice Class, although the design is almost identical to the Vista Class.
Carnival Venezia is different from other Vista Class ships because of her distinct Italian flair, which the cruise line is calling "Fun Italian Style." Of course, they will be bringing back fan favorites, such as Bonsai Teppanyaki, Piano Bar 88, WaterWorks, and SportsSqaure.
Carnival Panorama
Carnival Panorama was the last brand-new Vista Class ship to enter service for Carnival in 2019. She weighs 133,500 gross registered tons and is able to carry up to 5,097 passengers at maximum capacity.
She stands out in that she is the only cruise ship to feature a Sky Zone trampoline park! You will also find other Vista Class and other Carnival favorites onboard, including the SkyRide suspended bike, WaterWorks, a ropes course, Guy's Burger Joint, and Alchemy Bar.
Most of Carnival Panorama's cruises are to the Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles (Long Beach), California; however, there are two special "Carnival Journeys" itineraries available in 2024:
- 25-Day Transpacific from Singapore to Los Angeles
- 18-Day Transpacific from Los Angeles to Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan
Carnival Horizon
Compared to Carnival Panorama, Carnival Horizon's gross registered tonnage -- 133,500 -- is the same; however, the latter has a larger maximum passenger capacity of 5,101 guests.
She's only one year younger than Carnival Panorama, too, as she departed on her maiden voyage on April 2, 2018 from Barcelona, Spain.
Onboard, you will find an IMAX theatre, Punchliner Comedy Club, Cloud 9 Spa, and mini-golf, among many other activities and venues.
She sails to the Caribbean from Miami, Florida. From now through April 2025, you can find 6- and 8-night itineraries to the Eastern, Western, and Southern Caribbean.
Carnival Vista
Making her debut in May 2016, Carnival Vista was the first Vista Class ship and the first to feature the SkyRide, a pedal-powered bike that's suspended over the top deck of the ship.
At 133,500 gross registered tons, she weighs the same as her two sister ships. She does, however, have the smallest passenger capacity, as she can only carry a maximum of 4,977 guests.
As of March 2023, she is making 6- and 7-night roundtrip sailings to the Western Caribbean from Galveston, Texas. Starting in November 2023, she will be repositioned to Port Canaveral, Florida before being taken out of service for a month in January 2024 to undergo a dry dock. Once her refurbishment is complete, she will continue to sail out of Port Canaveral until April 2026.
Read more: I paid $3,600 for a suite on Carnival Vista - Take a look inside my spacious cabin
Dream Class
Carnival Breeze
Entering service in 2012, Carnival Breeze was the last Dream Class ship for the cruise line, and at 130,000 gross registered tons, she is not much smaller than Vista Class ships. At maximum capacity, Carnival Breeze can accommodate 4,891 passengers.
In terms of onboard amenities, you will find all of Carnival's standard favorites, such as SportSquare, the Punchliner Comedy Club, RedFrog Pub, Blue Iguana Tequila Bar, WaterWorks, and the adults-only Serenity Retreat.
Right now, she is sailing 4- and 5-night Western Caribbean cruises from Galveston, Texas.
Carnival Magic
Carnival Magic is only one year older than Carnival Breeze and was the first ship in the cruise line's fleet to include a ropes course. She has the same gross registered tonnage -- 130,000 -- as Carnival Breeze; however, she's only able to host up to 4,724 guests.
During her 2016 dry dock, many of her older venues were replaced with newer ones, such as the Alchemy Bar (which replaced Plaza Bar at Ocean Plaza), Pizzeria del Capitano (which replaced Carnival Deli), and RedFrog Rum Bar and Blue Iguana Tequila Bar (which replaced the pool bar.
Carnival Magic is bouncing from homeport to homeport over the next few months. In October 2023, Carnival Magic was moved to Miami, Florida, where she will reside until at least April 2026.
Carnival Dream
Carnival Dream is the namesake ship for the Dream Class and entered service in September 2009. Like the other two Dream Class ships, Carnival Dream's gross registered tonnage is 130,000. Her maximum passenger capacity, 4,633, is the lowest of the three.
She sails out of Galveston, Texas making 6-night cruises to the Western Caribbean, 8- and 14-night cruises to the Eastern Caribbean, as well as a singular 14-night cruise through the Panama Canal that departs on January 13, 2024.
Fun fact: Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked was filmed onboard Carnival Dream!
Splendor Class
Carnival Splendor
Carnival's Splendor Class is comprised of a single ship: Carnival Splendor. The ship was originally ordered for Costa Cruises' Concordia Class; however, it was transferred to Carnival during construction.
At 113,300 gross registered tons, she is noticeably smaller than Dream and Vista Class ships. Her maximum capacity is about 940 less than Carnival Breeze, or 3,948.
She received major upgrades when she went into dry dock in 2019. In addition to routine maintenance, Carnival's WaterWorks replaced the Twister Water Slide, the Aft pool on the Lido Deck was converted into the adults-only Serenity Retreat, Blue Iguana Tequila Bar and RedFrog Rum Bar replaced two pool bars, among other enhancements.
Carnival Splendor is not based in the United States. Rather, she primarily sails a variety of different itineraries from Sydney, Australia, ranging from 3-nights to 12-nights:
- 3-night cruise to nowhere
- 4-night Tangalooma and Moreton Island cruise
- 5-night Tasmania cruise
- 6-night Melbourne Cup cruise
- 8-, 9-, 10-, and 12-night South Pacific cruises
- 10-night Great Barrier Reef cruise
- 10-, 11-, and 12-night New Zealand cruises
On July 21, 2024, she will depart on a 15-night one-way cruise from Singapore to Sydney.
Conquest Class
All five Conquest Class ships have the same gross registered tonnage of 110,000 and are 952 feet in length. Where they differ is maximum passenger occupancy, as some of the ships have additional berths inside of the cabins, increasing the total number of guests that the ship is able to carry.
Carnival Freedom
Departing on her maiden voyage on March 14, 2007, Carnival Freedom is the youngest Conquest Class vessel; she is also able to hold the most guests: 4,075.
Her last major dry dock was in 2019 during which the ship received WaterWorks, Bonsai Sushi Express, 324 additional berths, expanded retail space, relocated mini-golf course, as well as some ADA updates. Five years earlier in 2014 is when Carnival Freedom got Fun Ship 2.0 features.
Carnival Liberty
With 2,974 cabins, Carnival Liberty has the fewest staterooms compared to other Conquest Class ships, but she still carries more guests (3,966) at maximum capacity than a few of her older siblings.
In 2011, Carnival Liberty became the first ship to receive many of the Fun Ship 2.0 venues. During the same dry dock, some upgrades were made to the cabins, such as basic cosmetic enhancements, replacing all old televisions with flat screens, and converting 18 family cabins into balconies.
She is based in Port Canaveral, Florida though April 2024. While she's there, she will be making roundtrip 3- and 4-night cruises to the Bahamas. In May 2024, she will be repositioned to New Orleans, where she will go on 6- and 7-night Western Caribbean cruises, as well as the occasional 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise.
On December 1, 2024, she will sail on a 14-night cruise through the Panama Canal.
Carnival Valor
Carnival Valor made her grand debut on December 19, 2004. In 1,490 staterooms, she's able to accommodate a maximum of 3,806 guests.
Like her sisters, she has certain Fun Ship 2.0 amenities; however, she is one of only four ships in Carnival's fleet that does not have a WaterWorks onboard! That being said, you can find other fan favorites, including Guy's Burger Joint, Cherry on Top, Blue Iguana Cantina, and Club O2 for teenagers.
Carnival Valor sails out of New Orleans on 4- and 5-night Western Caribbean cruises. Some sailings allow for additional time in the port of Mexico on what the cruise line calls their "Cozumel Plus" itineraries, meaning that you will have extra time to explore and go on longer excursions.
Carnival Glory
Carnival Glory is a little over 20 years old, as she set sail on her maiden voyage on July 14, 2003! Like Carnival Valor, she is able to host up to 3,806 passengers.
In early 2022, she received a few minor updates, including routine hotel maintenance and cosmetic enhancements, JavaBlue Cafe, a Carnival Adventures Store, and an expanded casino.
From now through March 2024, Carnival Glory is making 6-, 7-, and 8-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean out of New Orleans, and on December 3, 2023, she'll embark on a 14-night Panama Canal cruise.
In April 2024, she will make a singular 14-night Transatlantic cruise from Barcelona to Port Canaveral after undergoing dry dock maintenance. Upon her arrival in Florida, she'll begin sailing 3- and 4-night cruises to the Bahamas.
Carnival Conquest
Delivered in 2002, Carnival Conquest was the first ship in the cruise line's Conquest Class. She can, however, hold more passengers (3,966) than a few of her sister ships.
Like Carnival Valor, she does not have a WaterWorks onboard. That being said, you can find the singular Twister Water Slide. In October 2022, Carnival Conquest got the new red, white, and blue hull design, as well as a Carnival Adventures Store, Dreams Studio, and expanded casino.
She's based out of Miami and sails on 3- and 4-night cruises to the Bahamas, as well as 4- and 5-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean.
Carnival Conquest also has a scheduled "Carnival Journeys" cruise: a 14-night Southern Caribbean cruise that departs on January 28, 2024.
Sunshine (Destiny) Class
All three ships in the former Destiny Class received complete refits and, thus, were renamed! The new name of the class became the Sunshine Class to pay homage to the first ship to undergo the transformation, as Carnival Destiny became Carnival Sunshine in 2013. While they are some of Carnival's older ships, they are actually not the smallest in terms of gross registered tons!
Carnival Sunshine
When she made her debut as Carnival Destiny in 1996, she was the first cruise ship to ever exceed 100,000 gross tons. In 2013, she became the Carnival Sunshine after undergoing a complete transformation.
Today, she's 102,853 gross registered tons and can hold up to 3,758 passengers at full capacity.
Guests located in Virginia and the Carolinas can take advantage of her two homeports: Charleston, South Carolina and Norfolk, Virginia. She will be in Charleston through December 2024 where she makes 4-, 5-, and 6-night cruises to the Bahamas. Additionally, she sails on 8- and 10-night Eastern Caribbean cruises. She will be the last Carnival ship to sail out of Charleston, as the city decided not to return its contract with the cruise line.
Once she moves to Norfolk in February 2025, she'll make 6-night Bahamas cruises and 8-night Eastern Caribbean cruises.
Carnival Sunrise
Carnival Triumph was the second Destiny Class ship to undergo the refit (which cost $200 million), and in 2019, the ship officially became Carnival Sunrise. Prior to that, she sailed as Carnival Triumph from 1999 to 2019.
In terms of gross tonnage, she is slightly smaller than Carnival Sunshine, coming in at 101,509 gross registered tons. At maximum capacity, she can accommodate up to 3,873 guests.
Carnival Sunrise's homeport is Miami, Florida. From there, she sails on 4-night cruises to the Bahamas and Western Caribbean and 4- and 5-night cruises to the Eastern Caribbean.
Carnival Radiance
Carnival Victory was the last Destiny Class ship to be transformed. She sailed as Carnival Victory for twenty years from 2000 to 2020.
As a result, she was renamed Carnival Radiance. She shares the same gross registered tonnage of 101,509 as Carnival Sunrise, and at maximum capacity, she, too, can accommodate up to 3,873 guests.
She is based in Los Angeles, California and makes 3-, 4- and 6-night cruises to Baja Mexico and the Mexican Riviera, but she also has a few special 14-night "Carnival Journeys" cruises to Hawaii.
Spirit Class
Carnival Luminosa
Carnival Luminosa is the newest ship in the Spirit Class. In fact, she wasn't a Carnival ship to begin with! She was originally built for Costa Cruises and sailed as Costa Luminosa for about thirteen years before being transferred to Carnival Cruise Line as part of their "Costa by Carnival" initiative.
At 92,970 gross registered tons with a maximum passenger capacity of 2,286, she is the largest Spirit Class ship sailing for Carnival Cruise Line.
Prior to entering service for Carnival, she received many fan favorites, including the Alchemy Bar, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, RedFrog Rum Bar, Piano Bar 88, and The Punchliner Comedy Club. Unlike most Carnival ships, you won't find a WaterWorks or any kind of water slide onboard!
During the spring and winter months, Carnival Luminosa sails out of Brisbane, Australia. Itineraries range from 3-night cruises to nowhere to 7-night South Pacific cruises, 11-night Papua New Guinea cruises, and even a 31-night Transpacific cruise from Brisbane to Seattle, Washington.
From May through September, she'll be based in Seattle and sail to Alaska on 6-, 7-, and 8-night itineraries.
Carnival Miracle
Even though Carnival Miracle is younger than a few of the Conquest Class ships (she set sail in February 2004), that does not mean she's larger! All Spirit Class ships, with the exception of Carnival Luminosa, are 88,500 gross registered tons and can hold a maximum of 2,680 passengers in 1,062 staterooms.
Between her dry docks in 2020 and 2022, she has received an expanded casino, new hull design and paint scheme, WaterWorks, Guy's Burger Joint, Blue Iguana Cantina and Tequila Bar, RedFrog Rum Bar, Java Blue Cafe, Bonsai Sushi Express, The Cove (which replaced the video arcade on deck 4), and The Warehouse Arcade (which replaced the Raven Library and Chapel).
From now through May 2024, she sails from Los Angeles, California on 3- and 4-night Baja Mexico cruises, as well as 5- and 6-night Mexican Riviera cruises. She will return in September after moving to San Francisco for the summer. She has two upcoming "Carnival Journeys" sailings from Los Angeles:
- 14-night roundtrip cruise to Alaska departing on April 21, 2024
- 15-night roundtrip cruise to Hawaii departing on January 6, February 17, and April 6, 2024.
While in San Francisco, she will offer a couple different itineraries for guests to choose from:
- 4- and 5-night Baja Mexico cruises
- 10- and 11-night cruises to Alaska
- 15-day Panama Canal cruise
- 15-day Hawaii cruise
Carnival Legend
Carnival Legend, like all Spirit Class ships, measures 88,500 gross registered tons and can accommodate 2,680 guests at full capacity. She has been sailing since 2002.
As of her last dry dock in August 2021, she has now the new hull design and paint scheme, a brand-new arcade, The Cove (which replaced the arcade on deck 4), Alchemy Bar, Blue Iguana Cantina and Tequila Bar, Guy's Burger Joint, RedFrog Rum Bar, additional retail outlets, and some enhancements to Camp Ocean and Circle "C," among other venues that were added in 2014.
There are numerous different itineraries offered on Carnival Legend, and guests can choose to depart from Baltimore, Maryland; Tampa, Florida; Barcelona, Spain; London, England; and Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy:
- 6- and 7-night Bermuda cruises from Baltimore
- 6- and 7-night Bahamas cruises from Baltimore
- 7- and 8-night Eastern Caribbean cruises from Baltimore
- A 12-night Transatlantic cruise from Baltimore to Barcelona that departs on April 15, 2024
- A 14-night Panama Canal cruise from Baltimore that departs once on January 14, 2024
- 6-, 7-, and 8-night Western Caribbean cruises from Tampa
- 8-night Panama Canal cruises from Tampa
- 8- and 9-night Europe cruises from Barcelona
- 9- and 12-night Europe cruises from London (Dover)
- 10-day Europe cruisers from Rome (Civitavecchia)
- 15-night Transatlantic cruise from Rome to Tampa on October 26, 2024
Carnival Pride
Carnival Pride entered service in 2002 and is 88,500 gross registered tons with the ability to carry up to 2,680 guests.
Her last major dry dock was in 2014, which is when she received fan favorites like WaterWorks, Guy's Burger Joint, RedFrog Pub, Cherry on Top, Playlist Productions, and Bonsai Sushi, among others. Like Carnival Legend and Miracle, Carnival Pride also got a new arcade that replaced the library and chapel as well as the Cove, which replaced the original arcade.
She offers itineraries similar to Carnival Legend, sailing from Baltimore, Maryland; Barcelona, Spain; London, England; and Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy.
Carnival Spirit
Carnival Spirit was the first-ever Spirit Class ship for Carnival Cruise Line, making her grand debut in April of 2001. She, too, is 88,500 gross registered tons with a maximum capacity of 2,680 guests.
She sails from Miami and Tampa, Florida, as well as Mobile, Alabama, to the Bahamas and Western Caribbean on itineraries ranging from 6- to 8-nights. In addition, she is scheduled to make two 14-night cruises through the Panama Canal from Tampa and Miami ending in Seattle to begin her summer season in Alaska.
From May through September of 2024, Carnival Spirit is going to make 7-night Alaska cruises from Seattle. Occasionally, she will embark on a 14-night cruise, too. The season ends with another 14-night cruise through the Panama Canal in order to reposition the ship to Florida.
Fantasy Class
Carnival Paradise
Carnival Paradise is less than thirty gross registered tons (71,925) more than Carnival Elation. Both ships were released in 1998, with Carnival Paradise entering service second in December.
It was during her dock dry in 2018 that she got many Fun Ship 2.0 features, as well as a few new ones, such as WaterWords, a mini-golf course, an additional deck (14) with 36 staterooms, Blue Iguana Tequila Bar, Guy's Burger Joint, and Camp Ocean (which replaced Camp Carnival).
She sails out of Tampa, Florida year-round and makes 4-, 5-, and 6-night cruises to the Western Caribbean. She will also sail on 5-night cruises to the Bahamas.
Carnival Elation
At 71,909 gross registered tons, Carnival Elation is Carnival Cruise Line's smallest ship, but at full capacity, she can carry 2,697 passengers, which is more than most of the Spirit Class ships. S
She, too, has 14 passenger decks, with the 14th being added during her dry dock in 2017. Since then, she's gotten other new features and venues:
- New hull design and paint scheme
- Spa Carnival branded as Cloud 9 Spa
- ADA sections added to the pool bar counters
- Bonsai Sushi Express
- JavaBlue Cafe (which replaced the Musical Cafe)
- Cherry on Top
- Limelight Lounge (which replaced Jekyll & Hyde Dance Club)
- Alchemy Bar (which replaced Gatsby's Great Bar)
Today, Carnival Elation is the only Carnival ship to sail out of Jacksonville, Florida. From there, she will cruise on 4- and 5-night Bahamas itineraries.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
