MIAMI,Nov. 11, 2021/PRNewswire/ --On the heels of the rave reviews of its newest shipMardi Gras, Carnival Cruise Line today announced that its third Excel-class ship – to be named Carnival Jubilee – will be delivered in 2023 and based inGalveston, Tex.

The announcement about Carnival Jubilee was made the same day that Carnival confirmed that all 22 of its U.S.-based ships will be back in guest operations byMarch 2022. Nineteen ships had been confirmed by February, and now Carnival Sensation will restart fromMobile, Ala.effectiveMar. 5, Carnival Ecstasy will restart fromJacksonville, Fla.effectiveMar. 7, and Carnival Paradise will restart fromTampa, Fla.effectiveMar. 12.

"Carnival was the first cruise line to offer year-round cruising fromGalvestonin 2000, and we have continued to grow our presence and support of the Port ofGalveston'sexpansion, so we are thrilled to bring our brand-new Carnival Jubilee toTexasand the greater southwest region," saidChristine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. "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."

Carnival Jubilee will be the third in the Excel-class for Carnival, joining sistersMardi Gras,sailing from Port Canaveral since earlier this year, and Carnival Celebration, which will be delivered in late 2022 and based inMiami. The ships utilize a liquefied natural gas (LNG) technology platform. Carnival Corp. pioneered the introduction of LNG fuel in the passenger cruise sector as part of the company's ongoing commitment to sustainability and compliance throughout its global operations.Mardi Grasis the first LNG-powered cruise ship to operate inNorth America, and more information about the technology can be found inthis video.

However, this new Excel-class ship will not be the first Jubilee to sail fromGalveston. As it gets ready to celebrate its 50thbirthday in 2022, Carnival has resurrected some of the names of its previous ships that were popular with guests at the company's inception – such asMardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and now, Carnival Jubilee. Celebration was the first year-round ship positioned inGalvestonin 2000 and was soon joined by Jubilee in 2002. So now, just more than 21 years later, this new Carnival Jubilee – four times larger than her predecessor – will make her debut at the port ushering new ways for the next generation of cruise enthusiasts to have fun.

Today's announcement was made at the annual CruiseWorld travel advisor conference inMiami Beach, Fla.Creating an extra special moment during the event, Duffy was joined on stage by a seven-foot cowboy who had been positioned around the convention for the previous 24 hours teasing that "something big is coming toTexas." The more than 1,000 travel advisors in attendance cheered as the Carnival team revealed the news and passed outTexas-themed goodies and trinkets.

"We loveTexas, andTexasloves Carnival.Galvestonis one of our most popular homeports, and we draw guests toTexasfrom 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 greaterGalvestoncommunity and entire region," said Duffy.

Carnival Jubilee will arrive at 182,800 gross tons, with a capacity of more than 5,400guests and 1,700 crew. She'll be sailing seven-day westernCaribbeanitineraries and will include features from her sister ships that guests know and love including the BOLT roller coaster on the top deck, expanded dining options, new designs for suites and staterooms, and a stunning, three-deck atrium on the starboard side of the ship that overlooks the ocean and converts to an entertainment venue at night. The ship will also have six fun-filled zones like her sisters, two of which will be brand-new concepts to be revealed at a later date. Details on these just-for-Jubilee firsts and other exciting news will be shared over the coming months.

Carnival Jubilee will be open for sale in early 2022, and guests can register to be the "first to know" about the ship's itineraries and special sale promotionshere.

For additional information on Carnival Cruise Line and to book a cruise vacation, call 1-800-CARNIVAL, visitwww.carnival.com, or contact your favorite travel advisor or online travel site.

ABOUT CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE
Carnival Cruise Line is proud to be known as America's Cruise Line with a total of 24 ships, sailing from 14 U.S. homeports and employing more than 40,000 team members from 120 nationalities. Carnival's newest ship,Mardi Gras, featuring the first roller coaster at sea and the first cruise ship in the Americas powered by eco-friendly Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), sailed from Port Canaveral, Fla.,July 31, 2021. As part of its 50th Birthday festivities, Carnival Celebration, sister ship toMardi Gras, is scheduled to debut in late 2022 from PortMiami, as well as Carnival Jubilee fromGalvestonin 2023.

SOURCE Carnival Cruise Line