The Miami-based line said it would add an extra two ships by 2023, including an Excel class vessel which had originally been “assigned” to Aida Cruises and will arrive in late 2023, as well as taking ownership of Costa Magica from mid-2022 after it has been converted into a Carnival-branded ship.

These moves will be addition to two new ships already planned for Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet including Mardi Gras, the first Excel class ship, which starts sailing from Florida next month, and Carnival Celebration arriving in late 2022 to mark Carnival’s 50th birthday.

The four new ships will take Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet up to 27 by the end of 2023.

Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said: “We are excited about these additions to our fleet which reflect the strong position that Carnival has established in the US, the pent-up demand we continue to see for cruise vacations, and the overall plans by Carnival Corporation to optimise capacity and growth in key markets. 

“While our immediate focus is on our restart of guest operations this summer, this is another cause for excitement at Carnival, and we will be announcing more detailed plans about homeports, itineraries and ship names very soon.”