Carnival Cruise Line recently revealed the first installment of its 2027-2028 cruise schedule, and one of the most surprising announcements was the return of Carnival Dream to New Orleans, Louisiana.
Carnival Dream, a Dream Class ship with a passenger capacity of more than 4,600, will return to the Big Easy in 2027, ending her 8-year absence.
This move marks a shift in deployment strategy, as Carnival is bringing back a larger vessel to a market that's been served by smaller Conquest Class ships for years.
"More capacity with a larger ship means more tourism activity for Port NOLA and the region, where we’ve enjoyed a successful partnership for over three decades," said Christine Duffy, President of Carnival Cruise Line.
"As we roll out our deployment plans through the spring of 2028, we have great news to share with our homeport communities. Fun is on the move, and that means more options and more variety as guests book their future cruise vacations."
Carnival Dream will relocate to NOLA from Galveston, Texas, in May 2027
Keeping Carnival Dream in the Gulf allows Carnival Cruise Line to continue to offer cruises from convenient homeports, as not everyone has the means or desire to travel far to embark on a cruise.
Her two final sailings from Galveston will take place in May 2027. The first, departing on May 2, will be a weeklong Western Caribbean cruise, calling at Belize, Cozumel, and Isla Tropicale (formerly Mahogany Bay).
Carnival Dream's final cruise from Texas will commence on May 8, sailing to Key West, Florida; Celebration Key; and Nassau, Bahamas.
The ship will arrive in New Orleans on May 16, 2027, for the first time since 2019. Carnival Dream will offer 4- and 5-day voyages to Mexico, while Carnival Liberty will offer longer weeklong cruises.
Although not the largest ship in Carnival's fleet, Carnival Dream is bigger than Carnival Liberty, measuring 130,000 gross registered tons compared to Carnival Liberty's 110,000.
However, Carnival Liberty recently returned from a weeks-long dry dock that introduced new features and amenities for guests to enjoy, including the WaterWorks aqua park, an enhanced mini-golf course, Cloud9 Spa, a Heroes Tribute Bar & Lounge, and more.
Carnival Dream is set to undergo a dry dock before being relocated to Louisiana, too. Currently, she's scheduled to be out of service between February 7 and March 20, 2026, while receiving updates that include routine maintenance and upgrades to guest amenities.
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 traveled frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas during her freshman year of high school. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
