Immersive music venues, food-truck style delis, smokehouses, mini golf, six water slides, and an on-board game show experience.
These are just some of the lavish plans for two gigantic new cruise ships from Carnival Cruise Line, which is looking to shake up the seas with its forthcoming Carnival Festivale and Carnival Tropicale ships.
So far in 2025, it hasn’t necessarily been smooth sailing for Carnival. This year’s headline story for the cruise company has been the debut of Netflix’s Trainwreck: Poop Cruise, documenting the traumatic story of the fire on board the Carnival Triumph in 2013.
After the ship’s electrical cables were destroyed in the blaze, leaving it without working toilets, a revolting series of events unfolded as passengers were told to use their showers to pee and asked to defecate in red plastic biohazard bags.
On top of all that, in June, the company announced a ban on all handheld paper fans. In an eyebrow-raising letter given to those boarding its ships, Carnival claimed the items were prohibited in nightclubs or on any indoor dancefloors ‘for safety reasons.’
So, the company will no doubt be looking to turn things around somewhat with the debut of the Festivale in 2027 and the Tropicale in 2028.
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Bringing the party to destinations across Europe, the Caribbean and the Bahamas, the Festivale is estimated to cost €900,000,000 (£777,577,500), including Carnival’s biggest family-friendly waterpark to date.
With six water slides, there’ll be two family raft slides (the aptly named Turning Tides and SunSoaker), two racing slides (Racing Currents and Mini Racers), one twisty kids’ slide (the Mini Twister), and a spiral slide.
There’ll also be a splash pad designed specifically for babies, as well as a ropes course, and the opportunity to play basketball, pickleball, fussball and mini golf.
Thinking about a more adult-friendly retreat? The Serenity Adult-Only Retreat allows a little bit of child-free downtime, comprising an area of the ship exclusively sectioned off for over 21s. There’s also a bar included.
There are plenty of other opportunities to unwind and sample a tipple or two on board, as The Spark bar allows guests to order a cocktail based on their favourite flavours while enjoying live music performances.
Ramping up the fun festival vibe, Mix serves up music-inspired drinks like ‘Synth’ and ‘Hi-Fi.’ If you’re up for playing DJ too, you’ll also be handed the aux so you can play the tracks intended to accompany your aperitivo.
As well as a comedy club, there’ll be more live music to enjoy elsewhere on the ship, too, which is complete with its very own stage specifically designed for larger musical productions. Like Broadway, but on the water.
And if you like a bit of healthy competition, there’ll be games of Family Feud hosted on an immersive set, complete with a podium.
For a quieter pace, the Cloud 9 Spa has various treatments on offer, including massages and facials, and a thermal suite to amp up the relaxing vibes.
There are a few packages on offer, including the 15-day transatlantic option from Southampton, which passes through La Coruña and Vigo in Spain, Funchal in Portugal, Tenerife, and Grand Turk Island, finishing at Port Canaveral in Florida.
Wondering how much you’ll need in your piggy bank? Prices average out at $1,239 (£919.16) per person for a double room for the 15 days.
The Caribbean and Bahamas are also covered, travelling to the likes of Amber Cove, Half Moon Cay, Celebration Key, and Nassau.
Thinking ahead to 2028? While the details are currently limited on the Carnival Tropicale, we do know that the name pays tribute to the company’s first-ever ship in its name.
Let’s just hope that it doesn’t follow a similar trajectory to the Poop Cruise.
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