Carnival Cruise Line announced today that its third Excel-class ship — Carnival Jubilee, following the recently launched Mardi Gras and upcoming Carnival Celebration — will depart from Galveston to service the cruise market in Texas when it comes online in 2023.
“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, in a press release. “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.”
Jubilee will reintroduce the classic ship name to the port where its predecessor once sailed back in 2002 (ahead of Carnival’s 50th birthday in 2022, several names of previous ships, such as Jubilee, have been resurrected).
“We love Texas, and Texas loves Carnival. Galveston is one of our most popular homeports, and we draw guests to Texas from across the midwest, southwest and western U.S. Bringing a brand-new ship to a market is a big commitment, and it’s one we gladly make for the greater Galveston community and entire region,” added Duffy.
We love Texas, and Texas loves Carnival. Galveston is one of our most popular homeports, and we draw guests to Texas from across the midwest, southwest and western U.S.
The news was revealed at the annual CruiseWorld conference in Miami Beach, Fla. (hosted by Northstar Travel Group, the parent company of TravelAge West), where Duffy was joined by a seven-foot-tall cowboy. The figure had been present around the convention for the previous 24 hours as a tease that “something big is coming to Texas.”
Carnival further confirmed that its entire existing U.S. fleet will be back in operation by March 2022.
Like its sister ships, the 182,800-ton, 5,400-guest Jubilee will be powered by environmentally friendly liquefied natural gas (LNG). Other common features carried over will include a Bolt roller coaster; enhanced accommodations and dining; plus half a dozen themed ship regions — like the French Quarter on Mardi Gras — two of which will be entirely new to Jubilee.
Carnival Jubilee will sail on seven-day western Caribbean itineraries, and bookings will open in early 2022.
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