by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 9:55 AM ET, Thu November 20, 2025
Carnival Cruise Line is changing things up for its 2027-28 deployment plan.
The cruise line is sending Carnival Sunshine to Galveston instead of Carnival Spirit, which will homeport in Tampa instead. The 3,000-guest Carnival Sunshine brings “added capacity” to the Texas port, according to the company.
“This move allows us to serve more guests in Galveston where we continue to see strong demand and introduce new, longer Caribbean itineraries for guests sailing from Tampa,” says Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
Carnival will have four ships sailing in Galveston starting in November 2027, offering four- to 10-day voyages to the Caribbean.
Shorter cruises will visit Mexico, including calls in Cozumel and Progreso, while longer sailings will visit destinations like Cozumel; Belize; Celebration Key; RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay; Grand Turk; Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; Limón, Costa Rica; Colón, Panama; Isla Tropicale, Roatán; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; and Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Carnival Sunshine will open eight new sailings, including a special 10-day itinerary visiting Cozumel, Isla Tropicale, Montego Bay and Grand Cayman.
Carnival Spirit will offer six-, seven- and eight-day itineraries from Tampa to destinations like Belize, Isla Tropicale and Grand Cayman, as well as Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Cozumel and Progresso, Mexico. Carnival Spirit will also offer six eight-day itineraries traveling to the Panama Canal, visiting destinations like Limón; Grand Cayman; and Colón. On January 30, 2028, the ship will offer a 13-day Carnival Journeys cruise visiting Grand Cayman, Limón, Colón, Aruba, Curaçao and Ocho Rios.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
