The keel has been laid for Carnival Cruise Line’s third Excel-class ship, Carnival Jubilee, marking a big milestone as construction continues at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany.
The vessel is scheduled to begin sailing from the gulf port of Galveston, Texas in 2023. At the keel laying ceremony, Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy was joined by Meyer Werft Managing Director Bernard Meyer and Carnival’s Senior Vice President of Newbuilds Ben Clement to celebrate the milestone by placing coins under a 375-ton keel block wearing — of course — cowboy hat-shaped hard hats.
The coins signify good luck for the ship, and will remain under its foundation as it is built. One of the coins is an official ship coin, which depicts Carnival Jubilee alongside the original MS Jubilee from 1986. Later, the coins will be placed in a special compartment near the mast as permanent fixtures of the ship.
“Our plans for Texas are as big as the state itself, and we’re looking forward to bringing guests aboard our third Excel-class ship that will be just as magnificent as her sister ships Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration,” said Duffy.
“I’m ecstatic to be here for this important moment and witness construction now officially underway. Carnival Jubilee will significantly enhance our offerings from Galveston as the industry leader in the Texas cruise market and an important contributor to the Galveston tourism economy.”
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Carnival Jubilee will be the first Carnival Cruise Line ship built in Papenburg, Germany. Jubilee‘s sister ships, Carnival Celebration and Mardi Gras, were both built by Meyer Turku in Finland.
Meyer Werft has already built four other liquefied natural gas-powered ships for other lines under the Carnival Corporation umbrella; after her sister ships, Jubilee will be the third Carnival Cruise Line ship to run on the cleaner burning fossil fuel.
“We are pleased to take another symbolic step in the construction of Carnival Jubilee with the keel laying. The Meyer team will once again produce an advanced and innovative cruise ship that will provide a great vacation for millions of passengers,” said Meyer.
Carnival Jubilee will share many of the same features that Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration have, including the BOLT roller coaster. She will also include unique experiences and venues of her own.
The vessel is scheduled to begin sailing from Galveston in November 2023, offering seven-night western Caribbean cruises to Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Roatán.
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