New Carnival Festivale Takes a Major Leap Forward with Engine Installation
Key Aspects:
The Meyer Werft shipyard has completed the installation of Carnival Festivale’s massive engines.
Due to launch in May 2027, the ship is Carnival Cruise Line’s fourth Excel-class vessel.
Carnival Festival will homeport at Port Canaveral, Florida.
Carnival Festivale, Carnival Cruise Line’s fourth Excel-class ship, reached a major construction milestone at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany — the installation of her massive engine.
Strong enough to power the 182,800-gross-ton ship, the engine was placed during the weekend of March 21, 2026, roughly 14 months before Carnival Festivale is due to enter service.
The shipyard offered the construction update on its Facebook page.
“Last weekend, the engine was successfully installed. An important step in the construction process and a visible sign of progress on the road to completion,” Meyer Werft posted.
Typically, engines on newer cruise ships are located on lower decks, between aft and mid-ship. On newer cruise ships, engine rooms are found on the aft of the ship and on the lower decks.
They take up a huge amount of space, usually multiple decks, to accommodate not only the engines, but also fuel tanks, generators, and a control room.
Like her sister ships in Excel class, Carnival Festivale will be powered by liquified natural gas (LNG), which has lower emissions of CO2 than oil-based fuel.
Carnival Festivale’s May 2027 launch will surely be one of the most highly anticipated new ships of the year. The ship, accommodating 5,374 guests, follows the line’s first three Excel-class ships: Mardi Gras (2020), Carnival Celebration (2022), and Carnival Jubilee (2023).
A fifth in the class, Carnival Tropicale, is also under construction at Meyer Werft and is slated to debut in 2028. Carnival Festivale’s steel cutting was held nearly one year ago, on April 8, 2025, signaling the start of construction.
As earlier reported in Cruise Hive, Meyer Werft in February 2026 announced that the ship’s 949 pre-fab crew cabins had been manufactured and were ready to be installed on the vessel. The ship will employ 1,735 crew members.
In total, Carnival Festivale will have 3,585 staterooms for crew and guests. With all berths occupied, the new ship will have capacity for 6,600 guests.
Guest staterooms and suites, along with interior and exterior public spaces, have yet to be built. The next major milestone will be Carnival Festivale’s float-out from her construction bay, when the ship’s hull touches water for the first time.
After final outfitting, sea trials will be held, likely in the early part of 2027, when the ship’s engines, propulsion and navigation systems, and safety protocols will be tested prior to delivery to Carnival Cruise Line.
Newest Excel-Class Ship Is Bound For Florida
Carnival Festivale’s initial homeport in North America will be Port Canaveral, Florida, where she will operate 6- and 8-night Eastern and Southern Caribbean voyages.
The ship’s inaugural transatlantic cruise after leaving the Meyer Werft shipyard is a 15-night sailing departing from Southampton, UK, on May 2, 2027. Arriving in Port Canaveral on May 16, Carnival Festivale will operate a 4-night Bahamas cruise calling at Celebration Key and RelaxAway Half Moon Cay.
While Carnival Festivale will feature many venues and attractions found on other Excel-class ships, she will bring new experiences, too. Among them is a new outdoor zone, called Sunsation Point, which will span the ship’s top three decks.
The focal point will be Carnival Waterworks Ultra, a family-oriented water park with six slides, raft rides, and areas designed for young children.
New Carnival Festivale Takes a Major Leap Forward with Engine Installation