Carnival expands Caribbean offerings, introduces new destinations for 2027-28 season (Courtesy of the Jacksonville Business Journal) — Carnival Cruise Line is keeping Jacksonville on its map of sunny getaways.
The company has unveiled its new 2027–28 itineraries, confirming that the Carnival Elation will continue sailing from Jaxport as part of a broader lineup of Caribbean and European cruises.
The move cements Jacksonville’s growing role in Carnival’s U.S. network, which saw a record 206,000 passengers board cruises from the city in 2024 — the highest in two decades. The Elation will continue offering four- and five-day trips to destinations like Nassau, Cozumel and Celebration Key, while sister ship Carnival Paradise sails from Tampa.
As competition heats up with Norwegian Cruise Line preparing to launch its own Jaxport departures next month, Carnival is signaling confidence in the city’s cruise market — and in Florida’s continued dominance in global leisure travel.
Overall, Carnival will offer a mix of Caribbean sailings from three U.S. homeports and expanded European voyages. Carnival Miracle will sail from Galveston, Texas, before heading to Europe for the summer season — while Carnival Elation and Carnival Paradise continue cruising from Jacksonville and Tampa.
“Along with the great summer 2027 season in Europe, the combination of our large and diverse fleet and roster of U.S. homeports allows us to bring more variety and adventure to the 2027/28 season,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, in a statement.
A year ago, Carnival announced that it had the highest number of passengers the cruise line had seen traveling out of Jaxport in 20 years. There were about 206,000 passengers boarding its cruises in Jacksonville throughout 2024.
In fact, the cruise business is so robust in Jacksonville that Carnival has attracted some competition. Norwegian Cruise Line will launch from Jaxport in November.
The 2,394-guest capacity Norwegian Gem will have its homeport in Jacksonville from November to April every year through 2028, offering seasonal cruises to The Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean.
Carnival operates from 13 U.S. and two Australian homeports, as well as seasonally from Europe and employs more than 50,000 workers.
Carnival’s fleet of 29 ships reflects a period of growth that continues with the addition of five ships through 2033: a fourth and fifth Excel class ship scheduled for 2027 and 2028 respectively; followed by three additional new ships from an innovative new class currently under development.
Carnival’s newest guest offering is its new exclusive destination, Celebration Key, which recently debuted on Grand Bahama.