CARNIVAL Cruise Line is launching its brand-new Festivale ship in spring 2027.
Going hand-in-hand with its name, there will be plenty of fun to be had on the Festivale liner, from the live music at outdoor festivals, to an entertainment centre spanning three decks and a huge waterpark .
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Carnival Cruise Line has recently announced it will be launching two new ships very soon, the Carnival Tropicale and the Carnival Festivale – which is set to launch in 2027.
Carnival Cruise said that its Festivale ship will have “immersive experiences in its pocket, family fun in its heart, and music in its soul.”
The liner is set to cost an estimated €900 million (£779 million) according to Cruise Mapper .
As expected, there will be plenty to do onboard, especially across the three-level family adventure zone called Sunsation.
On the very top of this zone on Deck 18 will be the Carnival WaterWorks Ultra, the ship’s waterpark .
It’s here that guests can have a go on the six water slides that vary from child-friendly to thrill-seeker level.
The slides include two raft rides and dual Racing Currents slides, as well as the kid-friendly Mini Racers double-slide and Mini Twister.
The water park hours will be extended on special evenings.
The Sunsation entertainment continues on Deck 16, which will be a family-friendly area with activities suitable for kids as well as dining.
Deck 17 will have the Vault Restrocade, a nostalgic arcade which will have a blend of classic and modern arcade games.
This deck also features the Treehouse, which is an adventure trail with netted bridges and obstacles as well as a dry slide. There’s also a toddler playground nearby.
During the evenings, some areas of Sunsation will stay open and have colourful lighting and a live DJ.
Just behind the ship’s central hub is Studio 724, where visitors can explore music through interactive technology.
The zone responds in real time to sound with lights and animations and invites those onboard to participate by mixing, recording, and listening.
On Deck 8 is ‘The Festival’, which, as it sounds, is literally a music festival on a cruise ship.
It has a brightly coloured promenade, lots of food and drink spots and of course, plenty of music playing.
Guests will also find lots of bars, a casino, an adults-only retreat, a spa and a comedy club onboard the Carnival Festivale.
The ship’s maiden voyage will be from Southampton and will stop at La Coruña and Vigo in Spain , Funchal on Madeira Island in Portugal , as well as Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
It will then cross the Atlantic Ocean to visit Grand Turk and arrive at its base in Port Canaveral.
There are plans for it to also offer routes around the Eastern and Southern Caribbean .
The fifth Excel-class ship, which is called Carnival Tropicale, is scheduled to be in action from spring 2028.
For more cruising, Assistant Travel Editor Sophie Swietochowski recently hopped aboard the world’s biggest cruise ship, Star of the Seas .
The ship has its very own Crown’s Edge experience which Sophie described as being “exhilarating”.
Passengers can climb over the side of the 16th deck and along an obstacle course that ends with a terrifying drop over the ocean – but you won’t fall in thanks to the harness.
The Star ship is 1,196 ft in length and can carry 7,600 passengers, alongside the crew.
There’s also The Lincoln Park Supper Club which is a 1920s themed dining experience as well as West End Theatre performances, plenty of bars and a casino.
And make sure to check out the little-known hack that experts swear by to save you hundreds when booking a cruise holiday .
