Key Aspects:
- Construction crews in Germany’s Meyer Werft Shipyard are making great progress on the completion of Carnival Festivale.
- Carnival shared a sneak peek of the new build, showing that the ship’s exterior is nearly finished.
- The fourth Excel-class ship is just one year away from entering service in May of 2027.
Carnival Cruise Line dropped a sneak peek at the upcoming Carnival Festivale, and it’s clear that the fourth Excel-class ship has come a long way since construction first began on April 8, 2025.
The cruise line shared pictures of the 182,015-gross ton vessel in dry dock at the Meyer Werft Shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, and the images are nothing short of impressive.
“Just 1 year out until Carnival Festivale sets sail. Here’s a little behind-the-scenes look at her coming together…” Carnival Cruise Line wrote in a caption with the images on Facebook.
The first picture shows the sections of the vessel’s massive hull, or the bottom of the ship, coming together. Several large steel pieces that will eventually be welded in a watertight seal are on full display.
A complementary image shows the name Carnival Festivale etched into the ship’s bow. However, the lettering is just a placeholder. The bow will eventually be painted blue and the name will be written in gold.
Another final picture shows the outside of the ship coming together, with scaffolding in place to build out the private guest balconies. Cruise Hive previously reported that the 949 crew cabins have already been completed, but the 2,636 passenger cabins are still in progress.
What Comes Next for Carnival Festivale?
The 5,356-guest ship still has just over a year before she enters service with an inaugural transatlantic cruise that departs from Southampton, UK, on May 2, 2027.
And while a year may sound like a long time, the newest Carnival ship still has to meet several milestones before she can officially begin her career at sea.
At this point, the exterior of the ship is nearly all put together and both the bridge and the massive LNG-powered engine have successfully been installed.
Over the next weeks to months, construction crews will continue perfecting the ship’s exterior, which includes the completion of the hull and installing any remaining guest cabins that haven’t already been put in place.
When the hull and the exterior of the ship is ready, Carnival Festivale will touch water for the first time in a float out ceremony, which will be her next major milestone.
Assuming all goes well, the remainder of the ship’s interior and design work will likely be completed in a wet dock. For reference, the shipyard has a wet dock conveniently located next to the big construction hall.
This is also when construction crews will begin to construct Carnival WaterWorks Ultra, which will be the biggest ever waterpark at sea in the history of Carnival Cruise Line.
The water-filled zone will feature six waterslides, including two family raft slides, known as the SunSoaker and Turning Tides.
As her launch date gets closer, the new ship will undergo her sea trials. Assuming she passes, she will then officially be delivered to Carnival Cruise Line during a traditional handover ceremony.
Where to Find Carnival Festivale
Carnival opened bookings for its newest fleet member in August of 2025, with sailings through April of 2028 available to book now through the cruise line.
The ship will homeport in Port Canaveral, Florida, and will primarily operate 6- to 8- night voyages to the Eastern and Southern Caribbean. There are also a couple of shorter 4- to 5-night voyages to the Bahamas, which embark on May 19, 2027, and Jan 3, 2028.
Notably, every single itinerary includes a visit to Celebration Key in the Bahamas, allowing guests to enjoy Carnival’s newest ship and newest private island simultaneously.
