Carnival Corporation has adopted a strategy focused on optimizing operations by making decisions regarding the relocation of ships between its brands and changing the routes of ships from specific markets. In the wake of the global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the company has chosen a different approach from its competitors such as Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and MSC Cruises. While these other competitors are focusing on building and modernizing their fleets, Carnival Corporation is looking for calculated capacity growth and maximizing the use of existing assets.
Fleet Details and New Ship Construction
Carnival Corporation was the only major cruise brand not to introduce any new ships in 2026. The company's fleet consists of 92 cruise ships with approximately 270,000 beds, but the company has also delivered two ships, Costa Fortuna (with a capacity of 2,700 passengers) and Seabourn Sojourn (with a capacity of 458 passengers), to new owners.
New ship orders also align with the company's strategy. Although Carnival Corporation has the second highest number of beds on order (nearly 52,000), this figure only represents 19 percent of the current fleet capacity. Most of the orders are focused on Carnival Cruise Line, which will have five new ships by 2033, resulting in an increase in capacity of over 30 percent. Other brands such as AIDA and Princess Cruises also have long-term orders for ships to be delivered between 2035 and 2039.
Transformation and Updating of the Existing Fleet
Alongside a balanced growth strategy, Carnival Corporation is also focused on updating its existing ships. These updates include adding new cabins and modern amenities to the ships. The AIDA brand is currently entering the second phase of its update strategy and has upgraded three ships. Additionally, Holland America Line will begin its transformation program starting in 2027.
Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corporation, explains that the company seeks to add capacity in proportion to demand and its position in the market. He states that this balanced growth strategy will result in the addition of one to two ships per year. Furthermore, AIDA has fewer opportunities to increase capacity with higher-density ships, while Holland America ships will increase their capacity by adding 42 beds to each ship.
At the same time, Carnival Corporation has shown changes in its ship deployment strategy. It has recently been announced that Carnival Cruise Line will permanently remove two ships from Australia, eliminating nearly 5,000 beds from the market. Additionally, Costa has removed its last ship from Asia.
