It's been over 20 years since Carnival held the title of having the largest cruise ship in the world. Although they're still far from reclaiming that title, they are working on their largest cruise ships ever. Dubbed "Project Ace," this upcoming class will redefine what Carnival offers at sea.
While the cruise line hasn't released many specifics, Project Ace will surpass the current Excel Class ships in size and capacity. Not only that, but the ships will feature new dining venues, entertainment options, and re-imagined outdoor decks.
Carnival has confirmed that the first Project Ace cruise ship, which is still unnamed, will be delivered in 2029, followed by two more vessels in 2031 and 2033, respectively.
"These ships clearly represent the next generation of Fun ships. They will be experiences unto themselves, and, partnered with itineraries that call in part on our exclusive destinations, will provide amazing cruise vacations for guests," said Christine Duffy, Carnival Cruise Line's President.
"This class will introduce new dining outlets, entertainment, and re-imagined outer deck amenities. Our New Build team is in the midst of designing these vessels, so stay tuned for more as we get closer to delivery."
This article was last updated on August 5, 2025.
Carnival Project Ace cruise ship size
Measuring around 230,000 gross registered tons (GRT), Project Ace suggests that Carnival is ready to compete on a bigger scale alongside giants like Icon of the Seas and MSC World America. Comparatively, Icon of the Seas measures 248,663 GRT, whereas MSC World America comes in at around 215,000 GRT.
As of August 2025, Carnival's largest ships are those within its innovative Excel Class. Carnival Jubilee, the line's newest Excel ship, measures 183,521 GRT. This means that Project Ace ships will be considerably larger than Carnival Jubilee, Celebration, and Mardi Gras.
In fact, Project Ace ships mark the first time that Carnival will surpass the 200,000 GRT threshold. The cruise line's two upcoming Excel ships, Carnival Festivale (2027) and Carnival Tropicale (2028), will measure close to 180,000 GRT.
Project Ace capacity
Carnival has not revealed much about these cruise ships, but we know they are going to be huge. With over 3,000 staterooms, they will have more cabins than the world's largest cruise ship. At full capacity, Project Ace ships will be able to carry around 8,000 guests.
Comparatively, Icon of the Seas has 2,805 staterooms and can accommodate 7,600 passengers at maximum capacity.
It's also unclear where the ships will be homeported. However, Cruise Fever reported that Ben Clement, Carnival's Executive Vice President of Maritime & New Builds, confirmed that PortMiami's Terminal F will be able to accommodate a Project Ace ship. This doesn't mean it's where the first Ace ship will sail from, though.
Read more: Carnival Cruise Ships by Size: Biggest to Smallest
What Carnival fans are saying about the new ship class
Project Ace has divided longtime Carnival fans. Some are excited about a newer mega-ship, while others are worried about crowd control.
"HARD PASS. To each their own. Way too peoplely for us. We don’t vacation to be basically cattle herded. Yuck," silvercrikhix wrote on a Cruise Critic discussion board.
n6uqqq added, "Just too big for me. I am good up to Vista class but Spirit class is my sweet spot. I hope they keep them around another decade."
Read more: How Carnival is stuffing more people on its new cruise ships
Another user brought up concerns about the space-to-passenger ratios. "Oasis class [ships] are essentially the same size as the planned tonnage of these ACE ships but max out at over 1,500 passengers less. Carnival already has some of the worst space to passenger ratios among the mainstream cruise lines, these number[s] will greatly eclipse the worst ratio by far," said jerseyjjs.
Still, some are trying to give Carnival the benefit of the doubt.
"I was concerned the Mardi Gras would be 'too big', but it wasn't. It will really depend on how well Carnival handles boarding & debarking, and how much public space is available," ProgRockCruiser wrote.
"If Carnival adds a deck or two of public areas with bars, casual dining, more entertainment venues, more pools, and doubles the number of GS spots, it could be quite enjoyable."
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!
