Building on a period of expansive growth, Carnival Cruise Line is outlining its strategic plans over the next five years with the introduction of its “Innovation Itinerary,” focused on three pillars: sailing the most fun fleet at sea; creating compelling experiences and destinations; and building more Carnival loyalists. The line’s President Christine Duffy provided details on new ships, deployment, fleet enhancements and exclusive destinations at a media briefing today aboard Carnival Celebration at PortMiami.

At the event, Duffy revealed that the fourth ship in Carnival’s award-winning Excel class ships will be named Carnival Festivale, continuing the tradition of giving these ships the names of the first Carnival ships that popularized cruise vacations for so many Americans.

Debuting in spring 2027, Carnival Festivale will sail from Port Canaveral, Florida. Reservation and itinerary details will be released this summer. In the meantime, those who want to be the first know can be notified by signing up here- Opens in new window.

Carnival Festivale will keep in the Carnival tradition of bringing innovation and fun with each new ship and will debut three brand new zones; two of which on Decks 6, 7, and 8 will celebrate music with new music-themed venues and immersive experiences, representing the ways in which music brings people together. One zone is inspired by the process of creating music, using cutting-edge media, interactive moments, immersive sound and transformative lighting to activate it throughout the cruise, while the other zone on deck 8 symbolizes the energetic vibes of outdoor music performances.  

Carnival sails more families than any other cruise line, welcoming one million children per year; and to better serve those families, Carnival Festivale will feature 1,000 interconnecting rooms, nearly 70% more than on the first three Excel ships. The expansion of the interconnecting rooms is in lieu of the Family Harbor staterooms on the existing Excel ships.  Carnival Festivale will also introduce a dedicated space for Carnival’s Turtles program which is for children six months to two years, and more experiences for them on the open decks. Overall spaces for Carnival’s youth programs will also be enhanced to support additional programming.

Carnival Festivale will also feature a new outdoor zone on the top three decks, named Sunsation Point, that is a vibrant and exhilarating family fun zone that promises endless entertainment and unforgettable memories for guests of all ages. On Deck 18, a main feature of Sunsation Point is Carnival Waterworks Ultra, the most family friendly water park at sea and the ultimate destination for splashy excitement. This new area will replace BOLT, the Ultimate Seacoaster that is the top deck feature on the existing Excel ships.

The expansive water park will feature six exhilarating slides, four of which are new to Carnival, including two family raft slides and, in the spirit of catering to all ages, slides that allow guests as little as three feet tall! Two different splash pads offer endless aquatic playtime with kids’ slides and spray toys, while dedicated baby splash areas that will let even the littlest cruisers get in on the fun. The treehouse inspired elevated adventure trail and toddler areas provide dry play activities with plenty of shaded seating nearby. A sports court, ropes course and jogging track along with a new miniature golf course, outdoor games and themed arcade spaces are also included in this zone. In the evening, Sunsation Point bursts with vibrant illumination and the fun continues into the night with special evening events that have extended water park hours, in addition to a DJ and other activities. This is a first for Carnival to open Waterworks at night and activate multi deck zones for guests of all ages to enjoy together in the evening.

Since this ship will be sailing from Port Canaveral alongside Mardi Gras, there will be new dining options. Carnival’s Chief Culinary Officer Emeril Lagasse is working closely with the Food and Beverage team to develop new concepts, including a new dining outlet that will replace ChiBang! But guests don’t have to worry as fan favorites Guy’s Burger Joint, Pig & Anchor Smokehouse Brewhouse and Big Chicken are a few of the staples that will continue. More details on dining options will be available in the coming months.

Duffy also revealed that the name of the line’s fifth Excel class ship will be Carnival Tropicale, also one of the original names of early Carnival ships. The homeport and open for sale date will be unveiled well ahead of the scheduled delivery of the ship in spring 2028. Many of the new features on Carnival Festivale will also be included on Carnival Tropicale, as well as some new concepts and theming.

Looking further ahead, Carnival’s exclusive new ship platform, currently called Project Ace, includes three ships at 230,000 gross tons each being built by Fincantieri that will be delivered in 2029, 2031 and 2033, respectively. With over 3,000 guest staterooms, the new ships will be the largest in the Carnival Corporation global fleet and will be able to deliver fun to more guests than any ship in the world when carrying almost 8,000 guests at full capacity. 
​
“These ships clearly represent the next generation of Fun ships. They will be experiences unto themselves, and, partnered with itineraries that call in part on our exclusive destinations, will provide amazing cruise vacations for guests,” said Duffy. “This class will introduce new dining outlets, entertainment, and re-imagined outer deck amenities. Our New Build team is in the midst of designing these vessels, so stay tuned for more as we get closer to delivery.”

When Carnival Festivale is delivered in spring 2027 and begins sailing from Port Canaveral, Mardi Gras will move to offering short cruises from the same homeport.

“As new ships are introduced, this will allow us to upgrade capacity and hardware in key markets, with a particular focus on short cruises,” explained Duffy. “With short cruises on Mardi Gras, our guests who may not have the time to take a weeklong vacation can experience all the amazing features of our Excel class.”

Carnival has always been a leader in offering short cruises which appeal to first-time cruisers and families with more limited vacation time. Carnival offers short cruises from all of its homeports in the U.S. and Australia, with the exceptions of Baltimore and Seattle.

Duffy also reiterated Carnival’s commitment to serving the line’s secondary markets which are an important part of its portfolio as America’s Cruise Line by continuing to be an accessible vacation for 50 percent of the U.S. population that is within a five-hour drive of a Carnival cruise.
​
As part of this commitment, Carnival will return to year-round operations in Mobile, Alabama beginning in spring 2027. Carnival previously sailed year-round from Mobile and currently sails seasonally. In addition, Carnival is exploring moving a larger Conquest class ship to Baltimore in 2027 that can accommodate about 1,000 more guests than Carnival Pride, the Spirit class ship currently deployed from Baltimore.

​Coming in 2026, Mahogany Bay, Carnival’s destination in Roatan, Honduras, will be renamed Isla Tropicale and expanded to include a pool with a swim up bar and cabanas. Future enhancements will also include an expanded beach and a beach club.

Since first introducing Fun Ship 2.0 in 2011, Carnival has continually sought to enhance the guest experience on its ships. In order to continue to innovate, Carnival will be evolving the guest experience on its existing ships by making strategic enhancements.  Changes will include décor modernization, new dining, beverage and entertainment experiences that will draw from features and concepts that will be introduced on its new ships. More details will be revealed as dry dock and enhancement plans are finalized.

It’s not just ships that are part of the Innovation Itinerary, it’s also about exclusive destinations. Carnival Corporation already has the largest collection of cruise destinations across the Caribbean and Mexico that are utilized by many of its corporate brands. Carnival Cruise Line, as the largest year-round operator in these regions, is the line that frequents these destinations the most. Given this, the destinations are being enhanced and will be marketed as the new Paradise Collection by Carnival and include:

• The first exclusive destination that has been designed for Carnival guests, Celebration Key is a game-changer, opening in July. It offers guests the ultimate day in paradise. Twenty Carnival ships from 10 U.S. homeports on more than 1,400 sailings are already open for sale and will make visits to Celebration Key through 2027, with more to come.
  

• The line recently announced the expansion of RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, which has been consistently rated as one of the top destinations in the Caribbean.  The addition of a pier that can support Excel class and Project Ace ships will allow Carnival to bring its largest ships to this beautiful destination. The expansion is focused on unlocking more of the beach paradise Carnival guests love, making sure to preserve the pristine beach and lush, natural beauty of this island paradise. The destination’s enhancements will begin to be completed by summer 2026 and continue through the end of the year.
  

• Coming in 2026, Mahogany Bay, Carnival’s destination in Roatan, Honduras, will be renamed Isla Tropicale and expanded to include a pool with a swim up bar and cabanas. Future enhancements will also include an expanded beach and a beach club.
  

Duffy rounded out the event by confirming that Carnival will be enhancing its existing loyalty program, the details of which are expected to be announced this summer, with enhancements taking effect in 2026.

“Carnival has an incredibly loyal and passionate fan base who are advocates for our brand, our crew and the amazing vacations we deliver. We’ve had our existing VIFP loyalty recognition program in place since 2012 and as our fleet and business have grown, so has the VIFP program,” she said. “As we continue to grow, we are modifying the program to unlock greater value and engagement for our loyal guests.”

Duffy said updates will be announced this summer, giving guests and travel advisors plenty of time to learn about the changes.
​
For additional information on Carnival Cruise Line and to book a cruise vacation on Carnival, call 1-800-CARNIVAL, visit http://carnival.com- Opens in new window, or contact your favorite travel advisor or online travel site.

Hey Park Journey Readers!!

By now we're sure you've all heard about the Bolt Coaster that is debuting on the Carnival Mardi Gras in 2020. Well, our friends at The Coaster Guy have put together a group next December to not only spend 7 nights aboard the Mardi Gras cruising the Caribbean, but also to ride the all new Bolt Coaster.

We are already registered and wanted to offer you all a chance to register as well.

When you register, make sure you indicate that you heard about the cruise through Park Journey (as shown below). We'll have some special treats just for those who join through us.

Click here to register for the Coaster Cruise!!

You can see all of the information about the Cruise below. 

Come join us on one of the very first sailings of this magnificent ship and spend a week riding a very unique roller coaster while visiting three exotic island locations - Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Turks & Caicos.

If you have never cruised before, absolutely everything is included! For less than a typical hotel room per night, you get your stateroom, all your food, entertainment, and stops in three exotic ports of call for an entire week. Here is what is included:


Stateroom Amenities

• Deluxe Balcony Stateroom (8G - upper deck, mid-ship)
• Private bathroom/shower
• 24-hour room service
• Nightly turndown service
• Television with movies

Food and Drink

• All meals and snacks are included
• Freshly prepared food in the main dining restaurants
• Casual dining in the Lido Restaurant
• Specialty eateries (BBQ, burgers, pasta, salads, hot dogs, tacos, seafood, stir fry, etc)
• 24-hour pizzeria
• Soft-serve ice cream and frozen yogurt
• Lemonade, iced tea, coffee, hot tea, hot chocolate, and water
• Spa Carnival menu (healthy, low in fat, calories, sodium, and cholesterol)

Onboard Activities - Day & Night

• Production shows and entertainment
• Live music
• Comedy acts
• Clubs, bars, and lounges (live dancing, karaoke, etc)
• Casino
• Pools and hot tubs
• Serenity adult-only retreat
• Fitness center/outdoor jogging track
• WaterWorks water park
• Sports (basketball, volleyball, dodgeball, ropes course, mini golf, foosball, etc)
• Library
• Carnival dive-in theater
• Poolside activities and entertainment
• Bolt: Ultimate Sea Coaster

Much like a theme park, the Mardi Gras will be made up of six distinct themed zones, with each area uniquely inspired to create a different atmosphere. This allows you to create your own personalized vacation, as you roam from zone to zone, each with different dining, drinking, entertainment, recreation, and relaxation options. The six zones are:


Grand Central
Your cruise will start in the main atrium, which is called Grand Central. The first thing you will notice are the high ceilings, giving you a peek at the fun happening on the three decks immediately above you. There will be lots of natural light streaming in from the floor to ceiling windows, providing you with amazing ocean views. It is here you can enjoy a nice cup of coffee while enjoying live music from the stage, or grabbing a handcrafted cocktail before a show.

The French Quarter
As the name implies, this zone is inspired by none other than New Orleans itself. The French Quarter is lined with bars and eateries worthy of their namesake, serving up everything from small plates to classic Hurricane cocktails straight from the bayou. There is also a hot jazz club, as well as funky little shops to explore.

Summer Landing
This zone is considered the greatest chill spot at sea! This is where you will find Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse and Brewhouse, with freshly smoked favorites designed by celebrity chef Guy Fieri. You can wash all that smoked meat goodness down with Parched Pig beers, which are brewed right onboard with a resident brewmaster. Of course, this is all available just mere feet from a swimming pool and hot tub.

La Piazza
This zone is home to the 24-hour Pizzeria del Capitano, with pizzas made to order using imported Italian flour and fresh mozzarella cheese. It will also house the specialty Italian restaurant Cucina del Capitano, as well as a new Mediterranean spot specializing in seafood. Look for roaming musicians that will enhance your time spent in this zone.

Lido
If you have ever sailed on a Carnival ship before, you should be familiar with the Lido deck. This is where a lot of outdoor fun happens. Wrapped around the pool, you'll find Guy's Burger Joint, the Seafood Shack, and the BlueIguana Cantina taco spot, which also serves amazing breakfast burritos! At night, grab some soft-serve from Swirls and pull up a lounge chair to watch the evening's Dive-In Movie on the giant TV screen.

The Ultimate Playground
Last, but certainly not least, is The Ultimate Playground. This zone has something for everyone. First and foremost is Bolt: Ultimate Sea Coaster, the first and only roller coaster at sea. There is also the largest WaterWorks water park that Carnival has ever built, with three huge spiraling slides. SportSquare has a full mini golf course, an elevated ropes course, a full basketball court, and more. That should be enough to get your blood pumping!

Here are some additional artist renderings of what different parts of the ship will look like

Bolt: Ultimate Sea Coaster
The Bolt roller coaster is an industry first! Never before has anyone ever been so bold as to attach a roller coaster to the top of a cruise ship. Leave it to a Carnival Fun Ship to do what we've been dreaming about for years! This coaster is located at the highest point of the ship, giving you 360 degree ocean views as you circle the iconic red, white, and blue Carnival whale tail funnel. Unlike traditional roller coasters, this one is not powered by gravity, as there is no lift hill. Instead, it's electric powered, so you launch out of the station, and you control how fast (or slow) you go on the track. Here are some stats:

• Manufactured by Maurer Rides - Spike model
• Two-person inline cars
• 800' single vertical rail
• Maximum speed: 40 MPH
• Minimum rider height: 43 inches
• Maximum rider height: 76 inches

NOTE: This will be an upcharge attraction, requiring an additional fee to ride. It is not included in your base cruise fare. Carnival has yet to publish pricing for the ride, so we have no idea what it will cost. However, we are providing a $50/cabin onboard credit that can be used to purchase tickets. We want to ensure that everyone in our group has the opportunity to experience this ride without going out of pocket while on the cruise.


Cruising 101
For those of you who have never cruised before, I would like to explain a few basics. First and foremost, cruising is a lot of fun!! This is not your grandfather's cruise. Think of it as a nice hotel room, situated inside a small city of entertainment, that moves from country to country as you sleep. Every day you wake up, there's something new to see and do. You will have the entire day to explore the city and/or country, having fun and creating new memories. For those days at sea, there is a ton of things to do on the ship. In fact, you will likely not even get to do or experience everything that you want just because there is so much there. Between the shows, bars, entertainers, sports, restaurants...you will never get bored. I promise!


As I mentioned above, absolutely everything you need for the week is included in your base cruise fare; room, meals, entertainment, etc. Just like a hotel, your room will be made up daily, and you'll never go hungry. However, sodas and alcoholic drinks are not included. You can either pay for them as you go, or you can buy a drink package, either soda or alcoholic. They're basically unlimited, all-you-can-drink options that make drinking onboard much easier, and a whole lot less expensive. If you think you might drink more than five drinks a day, then a drink package will save you a ton of money. Ask me for details.


Shore excursions are another cruise add-on that are very popular. Every port of call has different vendors that provide local adventures you can go on, for a fee. Depending on the location, you can ride horses on the beach, go wine tasting in the valley, sail around the island on a catamaran, go golfing, scuba diving, zip lining through the jungle, or any number of fun things in that area. Ask me for details.


The staterooms we have chosen for this group are some of the nicest cabins on the ship. They are on a high floor, for great visibility, and are mostly located mid-ship, so you are never that far from your room. They also have private balconies, so you can sit outside in total privacy and watch the world float by. While in port, you may even have a beautiful view of the island or surrounding area. If you'd like to spring for something even nicer, or perhaps bigger, we can certainly arrange that for whatever the nominal price difference is. If you'd like to try and save a little money, we can also downgrade your room for an ocean view or inside cabin. Talk to me if you think you might like something different.


The base price for this cruise that we have locked in with Carnival is $964/person, based on double occupancy, not including port fees and taxes. This means that you need to commit to two people in each cabin to get this price. If you're a solo traveler, there is a 200% supplement charge, which is a fancy way of saying that you'll basically be paying double for the privilege of having the cabin to yourself. Each cabin will either have one king size bed, or two twins, based on your preference during booking. The port fees and taxes are just that. They are fees that Carnival gets charged every time they dock in a foreign port. They take that cost and split it up amongst the passengers, so everybody pays their fair share. This amount varies on every cruise, based on the ports you call on, and how many of them there are. For this cruise, it's $127.52/person and there's no getting out of it. Therefore, when you look at the total cost for this cruise, it comes to $1,091.52/person. We only have a limited number of cabins guaranteed at this rate. Once they are gone, we can still book you into the group, but the cost will be based on whatever the prevailing rate is that day. Bottom line is - book soon to guarantee the best price.


This cruise comes out to be just under $156/person per day for the entire week. You can barely find a decent hotel room for that, not to mention all the food you care to eat, entertainment, transportation between multiple countries, all on a brand new ship. And, don't forget that you will also get a brand new coaster credit that all of your friends will be jealous of! It really is a tremendous value for a wonderful vacation!


You also do not need to pay for the entire cruise right away. Since we do not sail until December 2020, you have almost two whole years to save for it. All you need to pay now is a small deposit to lock in a cabin on the ship. For a nominal deposit of $250/person, you not only guarantee your spot on the ship, but you also get to pick out your exact cabin. The sooner you sign up, the better cabin selection there is to choose from. The rest of the money isn't due until Sep 21, 2020. You can wait and pay it all at once, or you can make smaller payments along the way. However you want to do it. You can also rest assured that everything is 100% refundable up until that same date, Sep 21, 2020. Two years is a long ways away and we never know what the future holds for us. If something comes up and you can't make the trip, you can rest assured that you can get your money back up until Sep 21, 2020. Even after that date, you can still get a refund, but there will be penalties involved. The closer to the cruise date you cancel, the more severe the penalties are. I will go over all the dates with you when you book.


One expense that people don't often warn new cruisers about is the gratuities. The cruise lines charge all guests a flat gratuity per person, per day, for the duration of the cruise. This covers the tips for all the various people that will wait on you throughout each day, such as your cabin steward, bartenders, and restaurant wait staff. For Carnival, this is currently set at $13.99/day, or $97.93/person for the entire week ($15.99/person for suites). This can either be prepaid before the cruise, or it will be added to your onboard account that must be settled before you depart. If you choose not to pre-pay it, you will have the opportunity to discuss it with Guest Services at the end of your cruise if you are dissatisfied for any reason. They will do their best to make it right with you. The gratuities are the only mandatory expense that is not included in your cruise fare. I mention it here because I never want anyone getting to the end of a cruise that I arranged and get blindsided with an unexpected expense.


In Closing
This is going to be an amazing cruise! A brand new ship, a new roller coaster, three amazing islands...how could it not be? All that is missing right now is you! I will be personally escorting this group, so I really hope to see you there! Be sure to click on the Cruise Information tab above to see more specifics about the ship and where we will be going. If you already know you want to go for sure, click on the Register tab above and fill out the form. It won't collect any credit card information, but it will alert me to call you and we can walk through the details. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me (310.424.5591). -Kurt Dahlin


Grab all your coaster friends and join us on this amazing adventure!!

Hi everybody, and welcome to Part Three of our Cruise aboard the Carnival Splendor in August. Sorry it's taken so long to get to part three but, well, it was scary season. 

We promise the wait is worth it, as today we're looking at our shore excursion in Puerto Vallarta which was all kinds of amazing.

​
And lastly we'll take one last look around the ship which is actually in dry-dock right now getting refurbished before going to it's new home in Australia. Definitely interested to see how it will look when it's done. 

If you missed Part One or Part Two of our cruise, be sure to check them out!! 

Good Morning Puerto Vallarta!! 

Absolutely beautiful

We sat and watched them docking, it was super cool. 

Amazing music to greet us!! 

And I met a friend!! 

Today we are going on a snorkel adventure!! 

It was nice that we could just walk from one ship to another right in the port. 

Let's go have some fun!! 

So at this point of the update, we switched to our 10+ year old Olympus Tough camera. It's not the best camera, but it's water proof and drop proof. 

Our excursion was put on by Vallarta Adventure and they couldn't have been more amazing. 

First stop was Majahuitas for a bit of snorkeling. 

And of course, each update must include a video of me looking like an idiot. =) 

Oooooh, Fishy, Fishy, Fishy, Fish

As you can see, the water was amazing. 

Floating around in the ocean

Then it was off to Yelapa. This looks like a postcard. The only way to get here is by boat, which is kind of awesome. 

There were two options here, the first included a hike to a waterfall and the second included extra time relaxing on the beach. We took option 2. 

Is it wrong I want to buy one of those condo's and just work from here? No? Good. 

We spent the next 2 hours lounging in the sun, enjoying the amazingly warm water and just enjoying our amazing vacation. 

After finding our relaxation it was time to head back to the ship. 

These are the faces of two totally relaxed and content people. 

The crew put on a really fun show as we made our way back to port. 

So long Mexico, we've got two sea days coming up!! 

Dinner that night was pasta something, and it was amazing. 

And bread pudding

Rockin' night at the theater. It was awesome!! 

Over the next two days we spent a lot of time exploring the ship and of course relaxing A LOT. This also included our second formal night. 

​We've come to refer to this as our "Prom Picture". 

Our last day at Sea

Had to get our St Jude shirt!! 

And of course get a selfie with our amazing Cruise Director Leigh

Oh, and Bingo with the amazing Captain Cash (who's a huge Disney fan we found out) 

Also, just a shout out to the amazing service team at all of the restaurants, our room steward and basically everybody. You get SO spoiled while on a cruise, nothing can prepare you for the amount of pampering. 

Flatbread, it was so freaking amazing. 

Baked Alaska

Our final Sunset 

We're not really "party" people, but we had such a fun time the last night at the departure party. 

Sadly, the next morning we woke up to find ourselves pulling into Long Beach. 

Get out. We mean, Please, Get out. (a little Jungle Cruise humor)

Thank YOU Carnival!! 

So that's our trip, we hope you enjoyed our adventure and we seriously can't wait until the next one. It's literally our Xmas present to each other this year.