The build of Carnival Cruise Line’s third Excel-class ship is underway as the Meyer Werft in Germany celebrated the cutting of the first steel. The maritime tradition was honored at the Meyer Werft’s laser cutting center and dedicated to Carnival’s 50th birthday.
The newest LNG-powered cruise ship is the first Excel-class ship for Carnival built in Germany. Mardi Gras was constructed, and Carnival Celebration is being built at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.
The change in shipyard came as Carnival Corporation decided to assign Carnival Jubilee to Carnival Cruise Line instead of German cruise line AIDA Cruises.
Carnival and Meyer Werft Celebrate Cutting of First Steel
Meyer Werft has officially started building Carnival Cruise Line’s newest Excel-class cruise ship, Carnival Jubilee. Carnival Cruise Line and Meyer Werft representatives attended the ship’s steel cutting ceremony. The build period will take less time than her sisters, with the delivery date scheduled for the end of 2023 and the first cruise for October 30, 2023.
The shipbuilding team celebrated the maritime tradition with confetti and champagne at the Meyer Werft laser cutting center. The builders cut out a silhouette of the ship from the steel, which everyone in attendance signed. A special plaque was also cut from the same piece of steel to commemorate Carnival’s 50th birthday.
“It’s our birthday and with today’s steel cutting for Carnival Jubilee, this is a great way to honor the accomplishments of Carnival Cruise Line’s first 50 years and to celebrate the excitement ahead,” said Christine Duffy, Carnival Cruise Line’s president.
Once completed, the 344.5-meter, 182,800 gross tons Carnival Jubilee will be the third LNG-powered cruise ship sailing for the Miami-based cruise line. The hugely successful and popular sister ship Mardi Gras was released in 2021.
The second Excel-class cruise ship for Carnival Cruise line, Carnival Celebration, is scheduled for release in November this year. The arrival of vessel will mark the culmination of Carnival Cruise Line’s 50th birthday celebrations.
First Carnival Excel-Class Ship For Meyer Werft
Until 2021 there were no plans for a third LNG-powered cruise ship for Carnival Cruise Line. However, Carnival’s Mardi Gras was released and proved incredibly popular with guests, so Carnival Corporation switched the build from AIDA Cruises to Carnival.
So while the first two LNG-ships were built at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, Carnival Jubilee will be built at the world-famous Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany:
“This is the first ship Meyer Werft is building for Carnival Cruise Line and the first time a ship design has been transferred from Meyer Turku to Meyer Werft, which shows our flexibility,” said Jan Meyer, Meyer Werft’s managing director.
Carnival Jubilee will feature many of the same exciting experiences that have made Mardi Gras a massive success, despite the different build-location. This includes the first-of-its-kind roller coaster at sea, BOLT. She will also have a wide variety of exclusive features that will make Jubilee as popular as her older sister.
Carnival Jubilee Heads To Galveston
Carnival Jubilee will prove an important addition to the cruise offerings out of Galveston, Texas, which has seen a fair share of new cruise ships using the port as its homeport. Before she arrives here, she will be sailing one voyage from Southampton, in the UK.
Carnival Jubilee will sail for the first time on October 30, 2023. The maiden voyage will be an 18-day transatlantic crossing from Southampton, with calls in La Coruña and Vigo in Northern Spain; a call to Funchal, the capital of Madeira, Portugal; a visit to the Canary Islands of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas; and a call to Grand Turk in the Caribbean.
Carnival Jubilee’s first voyage in the United States will be a 7-day Western Caribbean cruise. As she sets sail from the Port of Galveston on November 18, she will be heading to Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico, and Mahagony Bay in Honduras.
