What’s the Biggest Carnival Ship? Carnival Cruise Ships by Size

Carnival Cruise Line, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc, has earned a reputation for delivering fun-filled voyages and onboard activities. As the fleet expanded, the size of the vessel also grew, each outweighing its predecessors. In this article, we will ‘sail you’ through the Carnival Cruise ships by size, highlighting the biggest Carnival ship in the fleet. We will also explore their capacities, standout features, and popular destinations that make them shine.

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Carnival Cruise Ships by Size

Currently, it has 27 ships under its belt, and the number will soon increase to 29, with 2 more expected to be launched in 2027 and 2028.

Carnival Festivale, belonging to the Excel-class, the fourth in its class, is expected to set sail in 2027 from Port Canaveral. The ship is said to weigh 182,800 gross tons.
Carnival Tropicale, the fifth in the Excel class ship, will weigh 182,800 gross tons and is expected to set sail in 2028.

The list of newbies doesn’t stop here. Three more are underway, can be expected in 2029, 2031, and 2033, and are yet to be named. These are said to be larger in size, with 230,000 gross tons.

Without much further ado, let’s discuss Carnival Cruise ships by size. Obviously, the first question on everyone’s mind would be, what is the biggest Carnival Ship? And the answer to this is:

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Carnival Jubilee

Class: Excel Class

Gross tonnage: 183,521

Length: 345.03 (1,132 feet)

Home Port: Port of Galveston

Currently, with a gross tonnage of 183,521, the Carnival Jubilee is the largest ship in the fleet. It can accommodate 6,631 and 1,735 crew.

The biggest Carnival ship, Jubilee, first set sail from the Port of Galveston, US, on December 23, 2023. It is the third ship in the Excel class.

The ship houses 1226 guest rooms. The guests have access to 19 decks, 21 restaurants, and 5 pools.

Carnival Jubilee Highlights

BOLT Rollercoaster
Multi-story waterslides
SkyCourse and a ropes course
Adults-only Serenity Retreat
Marine‑themed Dr. Inks bar
Stylish Havana enclave.

Destinations

Popular itineraries include Western Caribbean sailings, including Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica.

Carnival Celebration

Class: Excel Class

Gross Tonnage: 183,521

Length: 344.5m (1,130 ft)

Home Port: Miami

Carnival Celebration is the second Excel-class ship and is the second biggest Carnival ship. It can accommodate 6,500 passengers and 1,735 crew. There is only a marginal difference in size between Jubilee and Celebration.

This sister ship of Jubilee, Celebration, made her maiden voyage, a 14-day transatlantic cruise from Southampton, England, to Miami, Florida, on November 6, 2022.

Carnival Celebration has 1226 guest rooms, and the guests have access to 19 decks, 21 restaurants, and 5 pools.

Carnival Celebration Highlights

Bolt Rollercoaster
WaterWorks park, ropes course
Havana cabins
Bar “The Gateway.”

Popular Destinations

Celebrations offers itineraries to the Eastern, Western, and Southern Caribbean, San Juan, Grand Turk, and Half Moon Cay.

Mardi Gras

Class: Excel Class

Gross Tonnage: 181,808

Length: 344.5 meters (1,130 ft)

Home Port: Port Canaveral

Mardi Gras is the third-largest Carnival cruise ship. The Mardi Gras, Carnival Cruise Line’s first Excel-class ship, had its maiden voyage on July 31, 2021, a week-long Caribbean voyage from Port Canaveral, Florida.

The ship has 19 passenger decks and can have a maximum of 6,500 passengers and 2,000 crew.

Mardi Gras was the first to introduce the roller coaster at sea, ‘Bolt.” It was also the first ship with “neighborhoods” or Zones. The ship boasts six themed zones, an expansive water park, and plenty of family activities. It is also the first in the Carnival Line to run on LNG.

Highlights

First roller coaster “Bolt”
Theme Park
Water park
Sports center

Popular Destinations

Mardi Gras offers Eastern Caribbean itineraries, including Nassau (Bahamas), Half Moon Cay (a private island), Amber Cove (Dominican Republic), and Celebration Key.

Carnival Venezia

Class: Venice Class

Gross Tonnage: 135,225

Length: 323.6 meters (1,061 ft 8 in)

Home Port: New York City (Manhattan) & Port Canaveral, Florida,

Initially a member of Costa’s fleet and launched in 2019 as the Costa Venezia, the Carnival Venezia sailed her maiden journey under the Carnival Cruise Line on May 29, 2023, from Barcelona to New York. It was later renamed Carnival Venezia on June 14, 2023.

Being a former part of Costa, it is comparatively smaller in size and features Italian and Venetian-themed décor, a slightly different décor than that of the Carnival fleet. It operates as “Carnival Fun Italian Style,” and even features a gondola in its main dining rooms, as well as themed restaurants.

Carnival Venezia has 2,116 cabins and suites and can accommodate a maximum capacity of 5,260 passengers and 1,278 crew. Passengers can access all 14 decks, which are filled with dining and other entertainment venues.

Highlights

Italian and Venetian décor
Gondolas in the restaurant
Terrazza Cabana
Bocce, ping pong, mini-golf, and ropes course
Waterworks
Adults-only Retreat

Popular Destinations

Carnival Venezia offers itineraries to the Western Caribbean and Bermuda.

Carnival Firenze

Class: Venice Class

Gross Tonnage: 135,156

Length: 323.63 m (1,061 ft 9 in)

Home Port: Long Beach, California

Similar to Carnival Venezia, Carnival Firenze was also a former ship of Costa, under the name Costa Firenze. On April 25, 2024, it was relaunched under Carnival Cruise and set sail for the first time from Long Beach, California, to the Mexican Riviera.

As with Carnival Venezia, Firenze brings Italian elegance with Florence-inspired décor, and themed dining rooms, in “Fun Italian Style.”

It features Italian-style dining, entertainment, and public spaces, including a dining room named after Michelangelo. It also has incorporated Carnival’s signature experiences.

The vessel has 2,136 passenger cabins, and the maximum passenger capacity is 5,260 passengers and 1,425 crew. Passengers can access 15 passenger decks.

Highlights

Themed dining includes Il Viaggio and pasta-making classes
Michelangelo dining room and the Moda Bar.
Serenity Adults Only Retreat

Destinations

Carnival Firenze sails the Mexican Riviera, offering itineraries to Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, and Mazatlán.

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Carnival Panorama

Class: Vista Class

Gross Tonnage: 135,596 

Length: 323.0 m (1,059 ft 9 in)

Homeport: Long Beach, California

Launched on December 11, 2019, Panorama’s opening sail was a three-day cruise from Long Beach to Ensenada. The largest of the three Vista Class ships, it features a trampoline park at sea, SkyRide biking aerial fun, a ropes course, and a water park.

The ship has 15 passenger decks and 2004 passenger cabins, and can accommodate a maximum of 5,146 and 1,450 crew.

Highlights

Trampoline park
ropes course
Parties and nightlife
Adults-only sun deck with two whirlpools.

Destinations

Carnival Panorama offers itineraries from Long Beach to the Mexican Riviera: Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, and Mazatlán.

Carnival Horizon

Class: Vista Class

Gross Tonnage: 133,596

Length: 321.56 meters (1,055 Feet)

Home Port: Miami

Carnival Horizon, the second of the Vista class, sailed her maiden voyage on April 2, 2018. It was a 13-day Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona, touching ports in Italy, Croatia, Greece, and Malta.

Mirroring Panorama’s vibe, Carnival Horizon also offers water slides, ropes courses, and Havana decks. It also has an IMAX theater, which is an additional bonus. The Punchliner Comedy Club and Playlist Productions are also highly rated onboard entertainment.

The vessel has 15 passenger decks and can accommodate a maximum capacity of 4,977 passengers in its 1,980 passenger cabins. It can also accommodate an additional 1,450 crew.

Highlights

IMAX theater
Waterpark
SkyRide
Serenity Adult-Only Retreat
Cloud 9 Spa and thermal suites
Havana Bar & Pool and Cuban cocktails
Waterworks
Carnival Players Club

Destinations

Carnival Horizon offers sailing from Miami to the Eastern and Western Caribbean, Key West, and the Bahamas.

Carnival Vista

Class: Vista Class

Gross Tonnage: 133,596

Length: 321.56 meters (1,055 Feet)

Home Port: Galveston, Texas

Carnival Vista, the first in the Vista class, entered her maiden voyage, a 13-day Europe cruise on May 1, 2016, from Trieste, Italy, to Barcelona, Spain.

This ship introduced zip-lining, SkyRide, and an onboard brewery. It has a Salvador Dalí–inspired décor. It is also popular for RedFrog Pub & Brewery.

Vista has a total of 1,967 passenger cabins and can accommodate 4,977 passengers and 1,450 crew members. The passengers have access to 15 decks.

Highlights

SkyRide
Zip-lining
Havana Bar & Pool
WaterWorks
Serenity Adult-Only Retreat
RedFrog Pub & Brewery

Destinations

Carnival Vista offers two main Caribbean itineraries from Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida.

Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Montego Bay
Cozumel, Belize, and Roatán

What Is the Smallest Ship in Carnival’s Fleet?

Class: Fantasy

Gross Tonnage: 70,367

Length: 261 m (855 ft)

Homeport: Jacksonville

The Carnival Elation is the line’s smallest ship, weighing 70,367 GT and having 10 passenger decks. It can accommodate up to 2,052 guests and around 900 crew. She is the smallest and oldest active ship. She had her maiden voyage on March 20, 1998.

Despite her size, Elation is fully modernized with 12 lounges and bars, three pools, and several hot tubs. The Alchemy Bar and RedFrog Rum Bar are popular venues. The ship offers big fun in an intimate setting.

Other Carnival Cruise Ships by Size

Carnival Breeze (Dream-Class)

Gross Tonnage: 130,000

Max Passenger Capacity: 3,690

Maiden Voyage: June 3, 2012

Carnival Magic (Dream-Class)

Gross Tonnage: 130,000 gross tons

Max Passenger Capacity: 4,724

Maiden Voyage: May 1, 2011

Carnival Dream (Dream-Class)

Gross Tonnage: 130,000

Max Passenger Capacity: 3,646

Maiden Voyage: September 21, 2009

Carnival Splendor (Concordia-Class)

Gross Tonnage: 113,300 gross tons

Max Passenger Capacity: 3,012

Maiden Voyage: July 2, 2008

Carnival Freedom (Conquest-Class)

Gross Tonnage: 110,000

Max Passenger Capacity: 2,980

Maiden Voyage: April 28, 2007

Carnival Valor (Conquest-Class)

Gross Tonnage: 110,000

Max Passenger Capacity: 2,974

Maiden Voyage: 2004

Carnival Glory (Conquest-class)

Gross Tonnage: 110,000 gross tons

Max Passenger Capacity: 2,980

Maiden Voyage: July 14, 2003

Carnival Conquest (Conquest-Class)

Gross Tonnage: 110,000 gross tons

Max Passenger Capacity: 2,980

Maiden Voyage: November 12, 2002

Carnival Liberty (Conquest Class)

Gross Tonnage: 110,000 gross tons

Max Passenger Capacity: 2,974

Maiden Voyage: July 20, 2005

Carnival Sunshine (Destiny-Class)

Gross Tonnage: 102,853

Max Passenger Capacity: 3,002

Maiden Voyage: November 15, 1996

Carnival Radiance (Destiny-Class)

Gross Tonnage: 101,509 gross tons

Max Passenger Capacity: 3,470

Maiden Voyage: October 15, 2000

Carnival Sunrise (Destiny-Class)

Gross Tonnage: 101,509 gross tons

Max Passenger Capacity: 2,984

Maiden Voyage: October 23, 1999

Carnival Luminosa (Spirit-Class)

Gross Tonnage: 92,600 gross tons

Max Passenger Capacity: 2,826

Maiden Voyage: June 30, 2008