Carnival Festivale Guide: WaterWorks Ultra, Cabins & 2027 Cruises

Carnival Festivale Overview

Carnival Festivale is Carnival Cruise Line's next Excel-class ship, scheduled to enter service in 2027. The 182,015-gross-ton ship measures 1,133 feet long and is designed for 5,356 guests at double occupancy, with 1,768 team members.

Although Festivale shares the Excel platform used by Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee, Carnival is giving the new ship a noticeably different identity. The biggest changes include music-inspired public spaces and Carnival WaterWorks Ultra, a major family water park that replaces the BOLT roller coaster found on the first three Excel-class ships.

Festivale is also being designed with families in mind. Carnival has confirmed nearly 1,000 connecting staterooms and a dedicated splash area where children in swim diapers can play in the water.

Travelers comparing ships can also explore our Cruise Ship Guides, Cruise Ship Comparison Tool and Find the Right Cruise Ship for You.

What Makes Carnival Festivale Different?

Carnival Festivale is the fourth ship in Carnival's Excel class, but it is not simply another version of Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration or Carnival Jubilee. Carnival is changing several of the class's headline features and giving Festivale a stronger focus on music and family activities.

The ship will have six themed zones. Two new music-inspired zones, Studio 724 and The Festival, are among the biggest changes. Studio 724 is planned as an immersive multimedia environment using lighting and sound, while The Festival brings the music theme outdoors with food, drinks and entertainment.

Another major difference is what Festivale will not have: BOLT. Instead of the roller coaster installed on Carnival's first three Excel-class ships, Festivale uses that upper-deck space for the expanded Sunsation Point family area and Carnival WaterWorks Ultra.

Carnival WaterWorks Ultra & Waterslides

Carnival WaterWorks Ultra is one of Carnival Festivale's signature attractions and is planned as the largest water park Carnival has built on one of its ships.

The water park will feature six waterslides. Among them are SunSoaker and Turning Tides, two family raft rides that allow multiple guests to ride together rather than limiting the experience to individual body slides.

WaterWorks Ultra is part of Sunsation Point, a larger open-air family activity area. For travelers choosing a ship primarily around pools, waterslides and family attractions, this is one of the most important differences between Festivale and the first three Excel-class ships.

Compare ships with water attractions in our Cruise Ships With Waterslides Guide.

Baby Splash Pad on Carnival Festivale

Carnival Festivale is especially notable for families cruising with babies and toddlers because Carnival has announced a dedicated splash pad designed for children who are still in swim diapers.

That distinction matters. Most cruise ship pools and water attractions do not permit children in diapers or swim diapers because of public-health requirements. A purpose-designed baby water facility can therefore make a meaningful difference for families traveling with very young children.

Festivale is included in our Cruise Ships With Baby Splash Zones database, where we track ships with water-play options specifically available to diapered children.

Cabins & Suites on Carnival Festivale

Carnival Festivale will offer a broad range of interior, ocean-view, balcony and suite accommodations. Published deck plans also show Cloud 9 Spa accommodations, Havana accommodations and multiple Carnival Excel suite categories.

Balcony choices include Cove Balconies, Junior Balconies, standard balconies, extended balconies, forward-view extended balconies and aft-view extended balconies. Suite choices include Ocean Suites, Deluxe Ocean View Suites and Carnival Excel suites, including Corner, Aft and Presidential configurations.

Family and group travelers should pay particular attention to connecting rooms. Carnival says Festivale will have nearly 1,000 connecting staterooms, roughly 70% more than its first three Excel-class ships.

For help choosing a room, see our Cruise Balcony Cabin Guide, Inside vs Oceanview vs Balcony vs Suite Guide, and Best Cabin Location Guide.

Dining on Carnival Festivale

Carnival has already announced a substantial dining lineup for Festivale, mixing new concepts with venues familiar to guests who have sailed other Carnival ships.

• Emeril's Coastal Seafood
• Fetaccine
• Uku Lei Lei
• Le Bistro Musicale
• Bonsai Sushi
• Bonsai Teppanyaki
• Big Chicken
• Street Eats
• Seafood Shack
• Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse | Brewhouse
• Guy's Burger Joint
• Steakhouse
• Swirls

The Festival zone will add Pizza Palooza and Rhythm & Rolls Deli to the outdoor food lineup. Carnival has indicated that additional details may still be announced before the ship enters service, so the final venue list may continue to evolve.

See our Cruise Dining Guide for more help understanding included and specialty dining.

Bars, Music & Nightlife

Music is central to Carnival Festivale's design. Studio 724 is planned as a deck-spanning multimedia experience built around light and sound, while The Mix is a music-inspired bar concept with a producer-themed atmosphere.

Several established Carnival venues are also scheduled to return, including Alchemy Bar, Piano Bar 88 and Limelight Lounge.

If you are considering Carnival's beverage package, compare your likely consumption before buying. Our Carnival CHEERS! Package Guide and Cruise Drink Package Calculator can help with that decision.

For embarkation-day priority benefits, see the Carnival Faster to the Fun (FTTF) Guide; availability and benefits can vary by ship and sailing.

Entertainment & Family Activities

Carnival Festivale is being positioned heavily toward family vacations, but its entertainment lineup extends beyond WaterWorks Ultra.

• Carnival WaterWorks Ultra
• The Spark
• Family Feud Live
• Playlist Productions
• The Punchliner Comedy Club
• Seuss at Sea
• Studio 724
• Sunsation Point
• Mini golf
• The Treehouse adventure course

The combination makes Festivale particularly interesting for multigenerational groups: younger children get dedicated family spaces and water play, older children and adults get larger attractions, and the ship retains Carnival's comedy, live entertainment and nightlife.

For a broader look at onboard options, visit our Cruise Entertainment Guide.

Serenity, Loft 19 & Cloud 9 Spa

Festivale is not exclusively focused on families. Carnival has confirmed Serenity Adult-Only Retreat and Cloud 9 Spa, giving adults quieter alternatives to the busier family areas.

Loft 19 also returns on Carnival Festivale. The retreat includes lounge space, an infinity whirlpool and rentable cabanas. Guests staying in Carnival Excel suites receive Loft 19 access, while cabanas can also be rented by other guests subject to availability.

Cloud 9 Spa accommodations are shown on Carnival's published deck plans in interior, ocean-view, balcony and suite categories.

Carnival Festivale Cruises From Port Canaveral

After entering service in 2027, Carnival Festivale is scheduled to cruise from Port Canaveral, Florida. Carnival's announced deployment centers primarily on six- and eight-day Caribbean itineraries.

That puts Festivale in one of the busiest cruise markets in the world and makes it particularly convenient for travelers combining a cruise with an Orlando-area vacation.

When comparing sailings, look beyond the fact that the ship is new. A six-day itinerary and an eight-day itinerary can offer substantially different port combinations and amounts of time aboard, so compare the itinerary alongside the ship.

Use our Cruise Ports Database and Cruise Ship vs Itinerary Guide when comparing options.

Carnival Festivale vs Carnival Celebration, Jubilee & Mardi Gras

Carnival Festivale belongs to the same Excel class as Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee, so travelers can expect similarities in overall size, neighborhood-style zones and the broad range of dining and entertainment associated with Carnival's largest ships.

The headline difference is the upper-deck attraction strategy. Mardi Gras, Celebration and Jubilee feature BOLT, while Festivale replaces the roller coaster with the expanded Sunsation Point and WaterWorks Ultra complex.

Festivale also places more emphasis on connecting cabins and adds a dedicated baby splash pad, making some of its most important changes specifically relevant to families.

Use our Cruise Ship Comparison Tool to compare Carnival Festivale with other ships across size, capacity and onboard features.

Who Should Cruise on Carnival Festivale?

Carnival Festivale should be especially interesting to families who want one of Carnival's largest ships but care more about water attractions and family activities than riding an onboard roller coaster.

Families traveling with babies or toddlers have an unusual advantage in the dedicated baby splash pad, while larger families and multigenerational groups may benefit from the ship's expanded inventory of connecting staterooms.

Couples and adults traveling without children still have Serenity, Loft 19, Cloud 9 Spa, specialty dining, bars, comedy and live entertainment. As with any large family-oriented ship, however, travelers who prefer a small-ship or quiet destination-focused experience should compare Festivale with other options before booking.

Best Tips for Booking Carnival Festivale

• Compare six- and eight-day itineraries rather than choosing only because Festivale is a new ship.
• Families needing connecting cabins should identify suitable combinations early because specific configurations can matter more than cabin category alone.
• If traveling with a baby or toddler, verify the current rules for the dedicated baby splash facility before sailing.
• Do not book Festivale expecting BOLT. The ship replaces the roller coaster with WaterWorks Ultra and the expanded Sunsation Point family area.
• Because Festivale has not yet entered service, recheck deck plans and venue information as your sailing approaches. Carnival notes that plans and features can change.
• If flying to Florida, consider arriving before embarkation day rather than risking a same-day travel disruption.
• Review our Cruise Embarkation Guide and Cruise Packing List before sailing.