Key Aspects:
- Carnival Cruise Line continued to reveal its 2027-28 deployments, announcing a major expansion of its Hawaii program from Long Beach, California.
- Carnival Legend will offer 10 voyages to the Hawaiian Islands between October 2027 and March 2028, along with some Mexico cruises.
- In Norfolk, the newer Carnival Freedom will replace Carnival Sunshine, sailing cruises to the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Bermuda.
Carnival Cruise Line has opened for sale a slew of new voyages from East and West Coast ports in 2027-28, including its first full season of cruises to Hawaii.
The updated roster details the new deployment of Carnival Legend to Long Beach, California, and Carnival Freedom to Norfolk, Virginia, and the continued homeporting of Carnival Pride in Baltimore, Maryland.
The most noteworthy change is undoubtedly Carnival Legend’s assignment to Long Beach, where the ship will offer a full six months of cruises to the Hawaiian Islands from October 2027 to March 2028.
All of the Hawaii voyages are 14 days and are Carnival Journeys cruises, which are typically longer itineraries featuring less-visited destinations and offering special onboard activities.
Port calls will feature Honolulu, Maui, Kauai, Hilo, and Kona, Hawaii, and Ensenada, Mexico. Ten seasonal sailings will be offered, which is nearly double what the line is sailing through the 2026-27 season.
The 88,500-gross-ton Carnival Legend accommodates about 2,100 guests in double occupancy. The 101,509-gross-ton Carnival Radiance is currently deployed to Long Beach year-round, but sails just one 14-night cruise to Hawaii each month between November and April.
Carnival Legend will also offer 6- and 8-day Mexican Riviera cruises during the Long Beach deployment, with visits to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, and Ensenada, Mexico.
The cruise line has not yet announced its plans for Carnival Radiance, once Carnival Legend arrives on the scene.
Heading to the East Coast, Carnival Freedom will leave Port Canaveral for Norfolk in May 2027, replacing Carnival Sunshine.
There is little difference in guest capacity between the two ships, but the 2,980-guest Carnival Freedom is a much newer vessel, having launched in 2006 versus the 3,002-guest Carnival Sunshine (formerly Carnival Destiny), which entered service in 1996.
Carnival Freedom will kick off her Norfolk season with a 15-day Carnival Journeys cruise to the Southern Caribbean, with calls to Aruba, Curacao, Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Maarten, and St. Thomas.
Her roster of cruises includes 6-day Bahamas and Bermuda sailings, plus 8-day Eastern Caribbean voyages.
“This update to our 2027/28 [line-up] represents important pieces of our strategy to deliver more fun experiences that only Carnival can offer. With fun on the move, we’re creating new options – a newer ship for Norfolk and a new series dedicated to Hawaii sailings from Long Beach are both great examples of that,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
Cruise Line to Maintain Status Quo in Baltimore
In Baltimore, meanwhile, no major changes are planned, as the 2,134-guest Carnival Pride will continue to sail year-round to the Bahamas and the Caribbean, and seasonally to Bermuda.
Read Also: Carnival Cruise Line Cabins and Suites: What Are the Options?
Seven-day Bahamas sailings feature the line’s new private destination, Celebration Key, along with Nassau, RelaxAway Half Moon Cay, or Princess Cays.
A series of Carnival Journeys cruises, with a choice of 9-, 12-, and 14-day voyages, will visit destinations such as Aruba, Curaçao, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Antigua, Tortola, and Martinique.
More From Cruise Hive
The newly opened sailings from Long Beach, Norfolk, and Baltimore are the latest itinerary announcements from Carnival Cruise Line in recent weeks as it continues to nail down its 2027-28 deployments.
The most recent disclosure revealed that the line will assign two ships to Galveston that have never previously sailed from that port. Carnival Spirit and Carnival Horizon will make their maiden deployments to the Texas port, joining Carnival Breeze and Carnival Jubilee.
