Carnival Sunshine to Homeport in Galveston

New Deployment Supports Continued Growth in the Texas Market

Photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line.

Carnival Cruise Line has announced a change in its 2027/28 deployment plan, saying that Carnival Sunshine will homeport in Galveston, Texas, in place of Carnival Spirit, which will now homeport in Tampa, Fla. Sailing 3,000 guests, Carnival Sunshine brings added capacity to Galveston to support the market’s growing demand for cruising, while also homeporting the ship at the Port of Galveston for the very first time. Carnival Spirit’s move to Tampa includes offering a variety of new Caribbean itineraries.

“We’re excited to introduce Carnival Sunshine to Galveston for the first time and bring Carnival Spirit to Tampa,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “This move allows us to serve more guests in Galveston where we continue to see strong demand and introduce new, longer Caribbean itineraries for guests sailing from Tampa.”

With Carnival Sunshine’s arrival, Carnival maintains its four-ship plan in Galveston, offering a wide range of four- to 10-day Caribbean sailings beginning Nov. 2027. Shorter cruises will visit Mexico, including calls in Cozumel and Progreso, while longer sailings will reach a broader selection of destinations, including Cozumel; Belize; Celebration Key; RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay; Grand Turk; Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; Limón, Costa Rica; Colón, Panama; Isla Tropicale, Roatán; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; and Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Additionally, Carnival Sunshine will open eight new sailings, including a special 10-day itinerary visiting Cozumel, Isla Tropicale, Montego Bay, and Grand Cayman.

Located at the entrance to Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel, the Port of Galveston has been a thriving maritime commercial center since 1825. Just 45 minutes from open seas, the 840-acre port has infrastructure and assets to serve growing cruise, cargo and commercial businesses. The port is the fourth-ranked cruise home port in the U.S. with four cruise terminals. In 2026 the port projects 445 sailings and 3.9 million passenger movements, a new record for the port. Galveston also leases and maintains a wide range of cargo facilities on the deep-water Galveston Harbor, which is ranked among the top 40 busiest U.S. cargo waterways.