Carnival president Christine Duffy made two significant announcements on June 2, 2026, during a live broadcast aboard Carnival Sunrise at the opening of the expanded Half Moon Cay. The headline item was the cruise line's first-ever President's Cruise, a six-night Eastern Caribbean sailing departing Miami on February 28, 2027, aboard the freshly refurbished Carnival Magic. Duffy will sail alongside brand ambassador John Heald, with additional guest stars to be announced. Heald, who has 673,000 Facebook followers, called it his ninth annual fan cruise, now elevated to a company milestone.
The itinerary calls at Celebration Key in the Bahamas, Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic, and Grand Turk in Turks and Caicos. Guests wanting to join the fan experience must book by August 30, 2026, and then await further event details from Heald. With Carnival Magic carrying roughly 3,690 guests and demand from Heald's community historically outpacing supply, cabins are expected to move quickly.
Duffy also confirmed the steel-cutting ceremony for the first Project Ace ship, the first in a three-vessel order that will be the largest in Carnival's history, is set for July 10, 2026, at Fincantieri's Italian shipyard. That date marks 30 years to the day after Carnival Destiny was delivered from the same facility. The first Ace ship is targeted for delivery in 2029. Duffy said the event will also reveal the exterior design of the new class.