In a press release issued on December 4th, Carnival Cruise Line announced that they welcomed Carnival Jubilee, the third ship in its award-winning Excel-class, during a delivery event with ship builder Meyer Werft in Bremerhaven, Germany. As the 26th Fun Ship in the Carnival fleet, Carnival Jubilee begins its journey to Galveston, Texas. where it will bring added capacity and offer an exciting mix of new entertainment, dining and fun to one of the cruise line’s most popular homeports.
Carnival President Christine Duffy, alongside Ben Clement, Carnival’s SVP of New Builds, Refurbishments & Product Innovation, and the ship’s senior officers, joined Meyer Werft Managing Director Jan Meyer, to welcome Carnival Jubilee, the first Carnival ship to be built in Papenburg, Germany. Once in Texas, Carnival Jubilee and her team will welcome guests for the first time on Dec. 23. The ship will sail from Galveston year-round on week-long Western Caribbean voyages.
“Carnival Jubilee is the fifth additional ship we’ve welcomed into our fleet since 2021 and an integral part of our growth strategy. This ship will bring our most dynamic offering of fun to one of our most popular homeports and will be a great addition to our plans to remain the number one cruise line in Galveston,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “From the thrill of the roller coaster, BOLT, to a piece of paradise at the Serenity retreat, and so much more, we’re delivering a new level of fun for our guests sailing from Galveston that will complement our current and upcoming operations there.”
In addition to Carnival Jubilee, additions to the Carnival fleet since 2021 include Mardi Gras (2021), Carnival Luminosa (2022), Carnival Celebration (2022), and Carnival Venezia (2023). Carnival Firenze will join the fleet in April 2024.
Carnival Jubilee ushers in a significant expansion of capacity from Galveston, one of Carnival’s top homeports. Carnival was the first cruise line to sail year-round from Galveston in 2001, and the new ship with a Texas star on its bow is a Texas-sized symbol of the cruise line’s loyal and intense following by guests and travel advisors in the region. Carnival Jubilee will join Carnival Breeze and Carnival Dream at the port as part of a four-ship deployment plan that will be complete when Carnival Miracle repositions to Galveston in October 2024.
Over the past month, Carnival Jubilee’s captain and senior officers have led the final trials to test the ship’s seaworthiness, completing many technical and nautical operations ahead of its transatlantic voyage and arrival to Galveston on Dec. 20. The 183,000 gross-ton ship can accommodate approximately 6,400 guests at full capacity, plus 1,750 crew. The ship is Carnival’s third to be powered by a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) propulsion system, the first cruise ship to run on LNG from Galveston and will operate out of Terminal 25 at the Port of Galveston which underwent a recent $53 million investment to accommodate the ship and provide an enhanced guest experience.
