Carnival Cruise Line Announces New Alaska, Hawaii and Mexico Cruises for 2028-29
Carnival Cruise Line has opened its 2028-29 West Coast season for bookings, and the lineup covers three ships, three dream destinations, and some of the most ambitious Carnival Journeys itineraries the cruise line has announced in years.
Three vessels — Carnival Adventure, Carnival Legend, and Carnival Spirit — will collectively operate sailings from Seattle, San Francisco, Long Beach, and Tampa, with itineraries ranging from quick three-day Baja getaways to 16-day Panama Canal crossings. All sailings are now open for bookings starting at $424 per person based on double occupancy.
The Carnival Journeys Sailings
Before getting into ship-by-ship specifics, it’s worth spotlighting the Carnival Journeys component of this announcement. Carnival Journeys are the cruise line’s extended sailings — typically 9 days or longer — designed for travelers who want more time, more ports, and a more immersive experience than a standard seven-night cruise delivers. The 2028-29 West Coast season includes some genuinely compelling options in this category.
Carnival Adventure will sail a nine-day Carnival Journeys Alaska voyage departing Seattle on September 12, 2028, followed immediately by a 16-day Carnival Journeys Hawaii sailing departing September 21.
Carnival Legend is offering a 13-day Carnival Journeys Alaska cruise departing April 28, 2028, and a 15-day Carnival Journeys Hawaii sailing departing September 14.
Carnival Spirit has the most ambitious Journeys program of the three — starting with a 16-day Carnival Journeys Panama Canal crossing departing Tampa on April 16, 2028, which repositions the ship to Seattle. Spirit will also operate a nine-day Carnival Journeys Alaska sailing and 11 separate Carnival Journeys Hawaii sailings across the season.
Carnival Adventure — Alaska from Seattle
Carnival Adventure’s 2028 season marks the ship’s Alaska debut — a first for this vessel. The ship will operate 18 seven-night Alaska Inside Passage & Glacier cruises departing from Seattle between May 9 and September 5, 2028.
Each sailing visits Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway, with scenic cruising through Endicott Arm Fjord and a call at Victoria, British Columbia, rounding out the itinerary. For fans of the ship who have followed Carnival Adventure’s Australian homeport in Sydney, the Alaska season represents a significant repositioning and an opportunity to sail a different and spectacular corner of the world.
Carnival Legend — Alaska and Baja Mexico from San Francisco
Carnival Legend returns to the West Coast with a dual-season program — Alaska in summer, Baja Mexico in spring and late summer — both operating from San Francisco.
The Alaska component covers nine 10-day sailings between May 15 and September 4, 2028, visiting Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan at Ward Cove, and Prince Rupert in British Columbia, with scenic cruising through Endicott Arm Fjord. The extended 10-day format gives these sailings more breathing room than the standard seven-night Alaska cruise — enough time for an extra port and a more relaxed pace through the Inside Passage.
On either side of the Alaska season, Carnival Legend will operate 10 four-day Baja Mexico cruises departing San Francisco between April and August 2028. These short getaway sailings visit Ensenada and offer an accessible, affordable option for West Coast cruisers looking for a quick escape without a long commitment.
Carnival Spirit — Alaska, Hawaii, and Mexico from Seattle and Long Beach
Carnival Spirit has the most geographically ambitious season of the three ships, operating across multiple homeports and covering three entirely different destinations.
The season begins with that 16-day Carnival Journeys Panama Canal sailing departing Tampa on April 16, which repositions the ship to Seattle for its Alaska season. From Seattle, Spirit will operate 18 seven-day Alaska cruises between May 11 and September 7, 2028, visiting Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, and Victoria, with Endicott Arm Fjord scenic cruising. Extended nine-night Alaska sailings are also available, adding Sitka and Icy Strait Point to the itinerary for passengers looking for deeper Alaska immersion.
After the Alaska season concludes, Carnival Spirit repositions to Long Beach in October 2028 for a Hawaii and Mexico program running through spring 2029. The Hawaii itineraries visit Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii Island — covering all four major islands in a single sailing. The Long Beach schedule also features three-day Baja Mexico getaways, five-day Mexican Riviera cruises, and eight-day Mexican Riviera sailings visiting Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, Mazatlán, and Puerto Vallarta.
How to Book
All 2028-29 West Coast sailings are now open for booking through Carnival.com or any preferred travel professional. Pricing starts at $424 per person based on double occupancy — a starting point that puts some of these West Coast itineraries, including Alaska, within reach of a broader range of travelers than the premium pricing associated with some expedition cruise lines that visit the same region.
For anyone who has been waiting for Carnival to open up long-range West Coast options, the full lineup is now available.
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