Carnival Cruise Line Names New Ship Carnival Celebration

Carnival Cruise Line named its next Excel-class ship arriving in November 2022 the Carnival Celebration. Its delivery will coincide with the company’s 50th birthday festivities.

A number of Carnival’s celebrity partners, including Kathie Lee Gifford, Guy Fieri and Shaquille O’Neal, unwrapped boxes that revealed the letters of the Celebration name in a series of videos on social media.

The name Celebration is a throwback to one of the line’s early ships.

Carnival Celebration, which will debut from PortMiami in November 2022, is a sister ship to the Mardi Gras, the first in the Excel series scheduled to enter service on Feb. 6, 2021 from Port Canaveral.

“The name Carnival Celebration couldn’t be more perfect for a ship that will be a key component of our 50th Birthday festivities,” said Carnival President Christine Duffy. “Many thanks to our celebrity partners who helped us officially ‘unbox the fun’ and reveal the name of a ship that promises to be a spectacular addition to our fleet. Carnival Celebration is our 50th Birthday present to our guests!”

Carnival Celebration will include many of the features that will debut on Mardi Gras, including BOLT, the first roller coaster at sea, along with some unique design features created specifically for this vessel.

Carnival’s 50th birthday celebration kicks off in March 2022 – the company’s birthday month – with a series of commemorative sailings that will feature special entertainment and itineraries then continue all year long.

Carnival Celebration’s itineraries will be announced over the coming weeks and its cruises will open for sale in October.