How Carnival Keeps Its History Alive by Bringing Back Classic Ship Names

With the announcement that the first ship in Carnival Cruise Line’s highly anticipated Ace Class revealed as Carnival Destiny on Friday, July 10, 2026, many long-time Carnival guests are fondly remembering cruising on the ship years ago.

The original Carnival Destiny debuted in 1996 and served the line until a $155 million refit in 2013. Those renovations were so extensive she was renamed Carnival Sunshinethe name she still sails under today.

But why would Carnival Cruise Line be reusing the name for a ship that, technically, is still sailing with the fleet?

The continuity and nostalgia of names can be a big draw in many ways. When Carnival Destiny set sail 30 years ago, she was a record-breaking vessel as the first-ever cruise ship to surpass 100,000 gross tons, the largest ship by guest capacity in the world, and the first in the fleet to feature all the Fun Ship 2.0 amenities.

The new Carnival Destiny will undoubtedly set records of her own, first as the largest ship ever built for Carnival Cruise Line at an estimated 230,000 gross tons. The ship will also have the most oceanview balconies of any ship in the Carnival fleet, more connection to the sea, and surely other as-yet-unannounced record-breaking firsts.

That legacy resonates not only with the millions of guests who have sailed on the vessel in the past three decades, but also with crew members who have fond memories of their time on the ship.

During the steel cutting for the new ship, Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy noted that 65 crew members who served on the original ship are still working with the cruise line today. One of those is John Heald, who was the cruise director who brought Carnival Destiny into service and now serves as the line’s brand ambassador.

“I have to say, when you mentioned the name, I got goosebumps,” Heald told Duffy in a quick video following the steel cutting. “It’s just amazing.”

Other Carnival Ship Names Now in Service Again

Carnival Destiny is not the first name the cruise line has reused for a new vessel, or even a new class. All three ships in the Excel Class are reused names, all three from very early vessels that have long since been sold and scrapped.

Mardi Grasof course, was named after Carnival Cruise Line’s very first ship that debuted in 1972, the original Mardi Gras. This is the only ship in today’s Carnival fleet that does not have “Carnival” as part of her name, a deliberate choice to pay homage to the original ship and the cruise line’s history.

Carnival Celebration was named after the second ship in the Holiday class, while Carnival Jubilee was named after the third ship of that class. Interestingly, there has been no repeat of the name Holiday.

Read Also: Former Carnival Cruise Ships – Where Are They Now?

The next two upcoming Excel Class ships, Carnival Festivale (2027) and Carnival Tropicale (2028), are also named from former ships. Carnivale was the second ship ever to sail for the cruise line when she joined Mardi Gras in 1977, while Tropical was the first-ever new-build ship for Carnival Cruise Line when she debuted in 1982.

Rebranded Names

Several other ships in the Carnival fleet also have rebranded (but not quite reused) names. While there has never been another Carnival Venezia, Carnival Firenzeor Luminous Carnivalall three ships were previously Costa Cruises ships: Coast Venice, Costa Florenceand Costa Luminosa. When they were transferred to Carnival Cruise Line, their names were adjusted accordingly.

The same is true for Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounterboth of which were previously with P&O Cruises Australia before that line was dissolved and the ships rebranded for Carnival Cruise Line in March 2025.

What new ships may yet reuse names? With two more Ace Class ships already ordered, it’s possible there may one day be a new Carnival Holiday or Carnival Fantasy setting sail, bringing back beloved names with a new generation of innovation and fun.