CCL-Carnival Cruise Line has announced a revision to its 2027-2028 deployment strategy, involving a reassignment of two vessels. The Carnival Sunshine will be repositioned to homeport in Galveston, Texas, a role originally intended for the Carnival Spirit. Consequently, the Carnival Spirit will now be based in Tampa, Florida.
This deployment shift introduces the 3,000-guest Carnival Sunshine to the Port of Galveston for the first time, providing additional capacity to meet growing demand from that market. The relocation maintains the company's presence of four ships in Galveston, with a schedule of Caribbean voyages ranging from 4 to 10 days commencing in November 2027. The shorter itineraries will primarily call at Mexican ports such as Cozumel and Progreso, while the longer sailings will expand to destinations including Belize, Costa Rica, and Panama.
Christine Duffy, the president of Carnival Cruise Line, stated that the move enables the company to accommodate more guests in the high-demand Galveston market while simultaneously introducing new, longer Caribbean itineraries from Tampa. From Tampa, the Carnival Spirit will offer a variety of 6- to 8-day Caribbean sailings, including select 8-day voyages that transit to the Panama Canal. A 13-day Carnival Journeys cruise is also scheduled for January 2028, featuring an extended itinerary to destinations such as Aruba and Curacao.