Carnival’s New Destiny Ship Honors Its 1996 Original

Carnival Cruise Line is making big waves with a brand-new ship — and it shares a famous name with a piece of cruise history.

The Original Carnival Destiny Lives On

The first Carnival Destiny launched back in 1996. It was a groundbreaking ship at the time, weighing in at 101,000 tons. Now, 30 years later, 65 crew members from that original delivery team are still working for Carnival Cruise Line.

Carnival President Christine Duffy spoke about this at a recent steel-cutting ceremony for the new Carnival Destiny. “I think that says a lot about the Carnival family, the culture and our leaders,” she said. It’s a pretty remarkable show of loyalty on both sides.

From Entry-Level to the Top

Many of those original crew members have climbed the ranks over the decades. “Many started in entry-level positions and have grown their careers across the fleet and in our headquarters offices,” Duffy added. Three deck officers from the original bridge team are now ship captains. Two technical officers have risen to become chief engineers.

Even Carnival’s well-known Brand Ambassador, John Heald, got his start on the original Destiny — as the ship’s Cruise Director.

Meet the Brand-New Carnival Destiny

A new Carnival Destiny is now officially in the works. Steel cutting has already begun at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monfalcone, Northern Italy. The ship is expected to enter service in 2029.

Massive Size and New Experiences

This new ship will be the first in Carnival’s new Ace-class series. It will weigh a jaw-dropping 230,000 tons and hold over 8,000 passengers at full capacity. That makes it the largest ship in Carnival’s entire fleet.

The new Destiny will offer more outward-facing spaces than any other ship in the fleet. More than 70% of the dining, drinks, and entertainment options will be completely new. More details about the ship’s features will be released later this year.

More New Ships on the Way

Carnival isn’t stopping with just one new ship. Two more Ace-class vessels are planned, with deliveries set for 2030 and 2031. Carnival is also building two Excel-class ships — the Carnival Festivale and the Carnival Tropicale — at Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany. Those ships are scheduled to arrive in 2027 and 2028.

It’s shaping up to be a very exciting few years for Carnival fans!