Carnival Cruise Line announced that construction has officially begun on its next ship, the Carnival Festivale, with the first piece of steel cut Tuesday at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany.
The steel cutting ceremony is the first milestone of the ship’s construction, and the shipyard hosted a traditional ceremony to launch the beginning of the shipbuilding journey, the company said in a press release.
The Carnival Festivale will be Carnival’s fourth Excel class ship, powered by Liquefied Natural Gas. It will accommodate up to 6,400 guests.
“The steel being cut for our next new ship is music to my ears, which is in tune with many of the themed experiences the Carnival Festivale will bring to our guests,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
“From the music-themed zones to the expansive new water park we’ve planned for this ship, she will continue the tradition of infusing innovative new features into our fleet. Each of her three sister ships is a great success, and we are excited to once again partner with Meyer Werft as we continue to build upon the revolutionary Excel platform,” added Duffy.
Carnival revealed on Sunday that the ship will feature two music-themed zones on Decks 6, 7, and 8.
A new outdoor zone, Sunsation Point, will span the top three decks. The Carnival Waterworks Ultra water park will feature six slides, four of which are new, and include two family raft rides, two splash pads and dedicated baby splash areas.
Additional features include a treehouse-inspired elevated adventure trail, sports court, ropes course, re-imagined miniature golf and themed arcade spaces.
Sunsation Point will also host evening events with extended water park hours, DJs and activities, marking the first time Carnival opens Waterworks at night, the company said.
Sailing from Port Canaveral alongside the Mardi Gras, the Carnival Festivale will offer new dining concepts and favorites like Guy’s Burger Joint, Pig & Anchor Smokehouse Brewhouse and Shaq’s Big Chicken.