Carnival Announces 2 New Ships for Galveston

Carnival Maintains a Four-Ship Galveston Deployment Plan as it Brings Two New Ships to Texas for 2027/28 Season

Carnival will continue to be the leading cruise line in Galveston, offering a variety of ships and itineraries, including visits to Celebration Key.

Fun is on the move and as part of Carnival Cruise Line’s 2027/28 deployment, Carnival Horizon and Carnival Spirit will homeport in Galveston for the first time, joining Carnival Breeze and Carnival Jubilee. The lineup of newly available sailings, ranging from quick four-day getaways to extended Carnival Journeys cruises, continues the cruise line’s commitment to delivering unmatched variety and more capacity than ever for Galveston cruisers.

In addition to the introduction of ships that are new to Galveston, highlights include an expanded seven-day program aboard Carnival Breeze, Bahamas sailings aboard Carnival Jubilee that feature Celebration Key, as well as unique Panama Canal and Journeys itineraries aboard Carnival Spirit.

“Galveston is one of our most popular homeports, and this new deployment continues our commitment to our Texas guests and the community by adding more variety than ever,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “The four ships that will sail from Galveston in 2027/28 are each of their own unique class. That means guests will have more choices as they personalize their future cruise vacations and choose the fun that’s right for them from Galveston.”

Carnival Horizon
The nearly 4,000 guests Carnival Horizon will first sail from Galveston on May 19, 2027 on a special eight-day Western Caribbean cruise with stops in Montego Bay, Grand Cayman and Isla Tropicale. Following that, the ship will offer four- and five-day cruises to the Western Caribbean. Carnival Horizon brings added capacity to Galveston, offering frequent departures to Cozumel and Progreso, with more than 70 sailings scheduled between May 2027 and April 2028.

The Vista-class ship encompasses a variety of dining selections like JiJi’s Asian Kitchen, Fahrenheit 555 and Cucina del Capitano; family-fun favorites for guests of all ages including SkyRide and Carnival WaterWorks; and top-tier entertainment including Playlist Production shows, comedy nights and live music.

Carnival Spirit
Carrying more than 2,000 guests, Carnival Spirit will begin sailing from Galveston on Oct. 11, 2027 and offer a wide variety of four-, five- and six-day Western Caribbean cruises featuring Cozumel, Progreso and Belize. After completing her season in Alaska and repositioning to Galveston via the Panama Canal, the Spirit-class ship will offer 11 10-day cruises to the Caribbean and Panama, as well as to the Eastern and Western Caribbean, in addition to the unique 16-day Panama Canal Journeys voyage from Seattle to Galveston departing on September 25, 2027, giving guests the chance to experience a full Panama Canal transit and destinations such as Cabo San Lucas, Puntarenas and Cartagena.

Guests can enjoy a variety of Carnival favorites while sailing Carnival Spirit, including popular dining and beverage spots like Guy’s Burger Joint, Bonsai Sushi and Alchemy Bar.

Carnival Breeze
Carnival Breeze will transition to a new seven-day schedule beginning in May 2027, offering both Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries that include calls at Celebration Key, Key West, Nassau, Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, Belize, and Isla Tropicale. Special sailings include an eight-day Christmas cruise on December 18, 2027, a 14-day Eastern Caribbean Journeys voyage on Oct. 16, 2027, and a 14-day Southern Caribbean Journeys cruise departing Jan. 29, 2028. The Dream-class ship carries nearly 4,000 guests offering popular Carnival amenities including SportsSquare, Carnival WaterWorks and Cloud9 Spa.

Carnival Jubilee
The fleet’s flagship Carnival Jubilee will continue sailing from Galveston with a mix of six- and eight-day cruises from May 2027 through April 2028. The six-day Western Caribbean itineraries will visit Cozumel and Isla Tropicale, while the eight-day Bahamas voyages will feature Nassau, Celebration Key and RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay.

Proudly featuring the Texas Star on its bow, the Excel-class ship carries more than 6,400 guests and was the first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) powered cruise ship to operate from Texas and the third Carnival ship to offer BOLT, the Ultimate SeaCoaster. Guests can enjoy more than 30 dining venues, bars and lounges with a variety of styles and flavors.

With this deployment, Carnival will continue to have four ships sailing regularly from Galveston throughout the 2027/28 season, reinforcing its position as the largest cruise operator from Texas. Carnival will announce further plans for its 2027/28 schedule in the coming weeks, with additional ship moves creating new cruise options in more homeports.