Carnival to base LNG-fueled Jubilee in Galveston

The 182,800 gross tons Carnival Jubilee will have a capacity for more than 5,400 guests and 1,700 crew.

Carnival Cruise Line yesterday announced that all 22 of its U.S.-based cruise ships will be back in guest operations by March 2022. And it used the annual CruiseWorld travel advisor conference in Miami Beach, Fla., to reveal that its third LNG-fueled Excel-class ship—to be named Carnival Jubilee—will be delivered in 2023 and based in Galveston, Texas.

“Carnival was the first cruise line to offer year-round cruising from Galveston in 2000, and we have continued to grow our presence and support of the Port of Galveston’s expansion, so we are thrilled to bring our brand-new Carnival Jubilee to Texas and the greater southwest region,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “This beautiful, innovative ship will bring an entirely new cruise experience to our guests, and we’ve got some great surprises to fun it up in ways we know they are going to love.”

Carnival Jubilee will join LNG-fueled Excel Class sisters Mardi Gras, sailing from Port Canaveral since earlier this year, and Carnival Celebration, which will be delivered in late 2022 and based in Miami.

The ship will not be the first Jubilee to sail from Galveston. As it gets ready to celebrate its 50th birthday in 2022, Carnival has resurrected some of the names of its previous ships popular with guests at the company’s inception—such as Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and now, Carnival Jubilee. Celebration was the first year-round ship positioned in Galveston in 2000 and was soon joined by Jubilee in 2002. In an indication of how cruising has evolved, the new Carnival Jubilee will be four times larger than her predecessor.

The 182,800 gross tons ship will have a capacity for more than 5,400 guests and 1,700 crew. Features will include a Bolt roller coaster on the top deck, expanded dining options, new designs for suites and staterooms, and a three-deck atrium on the starboard side of the ship that overlooks the ocean and converts to an entertainment venue at night.