Carnival Adds New Short Cruises to The Bahamas on Mardi Gras — Bookings Now Open
Carnival Cruise Line is giving guests a new way to enjoy its biggest and most innovative ships — in less time.
For the first time, the cruise line is offering short itineraries on an Excel-class vessel, with Carnival Mardi Gras set to sail four- and five-night cruises from Port Canaveral beginning May 22, 2027.
The four-night voyages will call at Celebration Key and RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, while the five-night sailings will add Nassau to the itinerary. Bookings for these new shorter cruises are now open.
This shift to shorter trips comes as Carnival prepares to welcome Carnival Festivale to the fleet in spring 2027, also sailing from Port Canaveral. The addition will allow the line to diversify offerings between weeklong voyages and quick getaways.
Meanwhile, sister ship Carnival Celebration will remain based in PortMiami through at least April 2028, continuing her popular Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings.
Eastern itineraries will include stops like Celebration Key, Amber Cove, Grand Turk, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, San Juan, RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, and Nassau. Western Caribbean cruises will feature Celebration Key, Cozumel, and Isla Tropicale (formerly Mahogany Bay).
Carnival President Christine Duffy said the move brings even more flexibility for travelers:
“Mardi Gras introduced a number of new entertainment and dining options along with the first roller coaster at sea, so it’s fitting that this ship will take on another first for us as the largest-ever to sail short cruises. This will give our guests more variety as they choose their next family vacation – whether that’s a short getaway on Mardi Gras from Port Canaveral or a week-long sailing on her beautiful sister Carnival Celebration from Miami.”
The announcement is part of Carnival’s ongoing 2027–2028 deployment schedule, which will be revealed in stages over the coming months.
Two additional Excel-class ships are on the horizon — Carnival Tropicale in 2028 and Carnival Festivale in 2027 — ensuring even more capacity and itinerary options for the world’s most popular cruise line.
