Carnival Cruise Line has cut the first steel on its newest cruise ship: Carnival Jubilee.
The new ship, which is being built at Meyer Werft in Papenberg, Germany, is slated to debut in November 2023 in Galveston, Tex.
The news comes as Carnival marks the brand’s 50th anniversary this year.
“It’s our birthday and with [the] steel cutting for Carnival Jubilee, this is a great way to honor the accomplishments of Carnival Cruise Line’s first 50 years and to celebrate the excitement ahead,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
The 182,800-ton ship is part of Carnival’s Excel class.
“This is the first ship Meyer Werft is building for Carnival Cruise Line and the first time a ship design has been transferred from Meyer Turku to Meyer Werft, which shows our flexibility,” said Jan Meyer, Meyer Werft’s managing director.
Jubilee will be the sister ship to the recently-launched Mardi Gras, which sails out of Cape Canaveral, Fla.
Like Mardi Gras and other Excel-class ships, Jubilee will run on liquefied natural gas.
The ship’s first voyages will include seven-day itineraries to the Western Caribbean, including stops in Cozumel, Roatan and Mexico’s Costa Maya port.