Carnival Cruise Line has officially started construction on its next generation of mega-ships, beginning with Carnival Destiny in 2029.
The name was revealed during the ship’s steel-cutting ceremony at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, on July 10, 2026. Carnival Destiny will be the first vessel in the new Ace Class, followed by two sister ships scheduled for 2031 and 2033.
Although Carnival has only shared a limited number of details, its first announcement makes the company’s ambitions clear. Destiny is expected to be larger than Carnival’s current Excel Class, carry nearly 8,000 guests at maximum capacity and introduce a substantially different style of ship.
That puts it in the same general mega-ship conversation as MSC World America, MSC Cruises’ 216,638-gross-ton flagship sailing from Miami.
However, this is not yet a complete ship-to-ship comparison. MSC World America is already sailing with a known collection of restaurants, attractions, entertainment venues and cabin categories. Carnival Destiny is still three years away, and Carnival has not revealed most of its individual venues.
Instead, this is an early look at how the ships compare based on what Carnival has announced so far and what Destiny’s design direction may tell us about the future of Carnival cruising.
Carnival Destiny and MSC World America at a Glance
| Feature | Carnival Destiny | MSC World America |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | Carnival Cruise Line | MSC Cruises |
| Ship class | Ace Class | World Class |
| Current status | Construction started | In service |
| Scheduled debut | Summer 2029 | Entered service in 2025 |
| Gross tonnage | Approximately 230,000, based on the original order | 216,638 |
| Maximum guest capacity | Nearly 8,000, based on the original order | 6,764 |
| Staterooms | More than 3,000 expected | 2,614 |
| Main design concept | Outward-facing spaces and extensive ocean views | Seven districts with indoor and outdoor neighborhoods |
| Named attractions | Not yet announced | Cliffhanger, Jaw Drop, High Trail Ropes Course and more |
| Premium ship-within-a-ship area | Not announced | MSC Yacht Club |
| Exclusive destinations | Carnival’s Paradise Collection | Many sailings visit Ocean Cay |
The Destiny figures remain preliminary. When Carnival ordered the three ships in 2024, the vessels were described as nearly 230,000 gross tons, with more than 3,000 staterooms and space for almost 8,000 guests at maximum capacity. Carnival has not yet published a complete technical sheet for Destiny, so those numbers could change before the ship enters service.
MSC, meanwhile, lists World America at 216,638 gross tons, with 2,614 staterooms, 6,764 guests and 2,138 crew members.
Carnival Destiny May Be Bigger, but Size Is Only Part of the Story
Based on the original Ace Class order, Carnival Destiny should be somewhat larger than MSC World America.
Its expected capacity of nearly 8,000 guests would also place more people onboard than World America’s published maximum of 6,764. That sounds like a major difference, but maximum capacity does not tell us how crowded either ship will actually feel.
Much will depend on Destiny’s final layout, double-occupancy capacity, number of public venues and how successfully Carnival distributes passengers around the ship.
MSC World America is a massive vessel, but it uses seven separate districts to divide the experience into smaller areas. Families can gravitate toward Family Aventura, adults can retreat to the Zen Area, Yacht Club guests have their own private complex and the World Promenade provides an outdoor social hub near the back of the ship.
Carnival has not said whether Destiny will use a similar district or neighborhood system. However, the company’s early focus on open sightlines, outdoor spaces and new venue concepts suggests this will be more than a scaled-up version of Mardi Gras or Carnival Celebration.
The real question will not be which ship is larger. It will be which one uses its space more effectively.
Both Ships Put the Ocean Back Into the Mega-Ship Experience
The most interesting similarity between Carnival Destiny and MSC World America may be their focus on connecting passengers with the sea.
Large modern cruise ships can sometimes feel more like enclosed resorts than ships. Restaurants, shopping areas, theaters and activity zones may dominate the experience, while actual ocean views are surprisingly limited.
Carnival appears determined to address that criticism with Destiny.
The cruise line describes the ship as its most outward-facing mega-ship, with more than 4.5 acres of glass, large multistory glass walls, a reimagined Lanai deck and what Carnival says will be an unprecedented number of ocean-view balcony cabins. The goal is to create longer sightlines across the vessel and make the ocean visible from more public areas.
MSC World America already uses a similar philosophy in several key areas.
The open-air World Promenade runs through the aft portion of the ship, surrounded by restaurants, bars, entertainment and balcony cabins. The promenade offers direct ocean views from the back of the vessel, while areas such as The Terraces, Zen Area and Aqua Deck place dining and relaxation spaces close to the water.
Carnival’s approach may ultimately look very different, but both cruise lines seem to recognize that guests want large ships packed with attractions without losing the feeling of being at sea.
World America Has Seven Established Districts
MSC World America organizes its public spaces into seven districts:
- Family Aventura
- Aqua Deck
- World Promenade
- World Galleria
- The Terraces
- Zen Area
- MSC Yacht Club
Each district serves a different purpose. Family Aventura concentrates many of the ship’s family attractions at the top aft of the vessel, while the adults-only Zen Area offers a quieter place to relax. The World Galleria acts as the main interior promenade, and the outdoor World Promenade combines dining, entertainment and ocean views.
This helps make World America feel like several smaller experiences within one very large ship.
Carnival has not revealed Destiny’s final layout, but it has promised that more than 70 percent of the ship’s venues and attractions will be completely new concepts for the brand. Those new concepts will reportedly include reimagined dining, next-generation bars and lounges, immersive entertainment and new outdoor spaces.
That is an ambitious claim.
It suggests Carnival is not simply planning to repeat familiar venues such as Guy’s Burger Joint, the RedFrog Tiki Bar and Celebration Central on a larger platform. Some Carnival favorites will almost certainly appear, but Destiny is being positioned as a major evolution rather than another variation of the existing Excel Class.
Until Carnival names those venues, however, World America has a clear advantage in any direct comparison because we already know what passengers can experience onboard.
MSC World America Already Has a Strong Attraction Lineup
MSC World America’s biggest headline attraction is Cliffhanger, an overwater swing ride that extends guests over the side of the ship.
Family Aventura also includes The Harbour outdoor family area, the High Trail Ropes Course and Jaw Drop, an 11-deck dry slide connecting the upper decks with the World Promenade. The ship also has an Aquapark, bumper cars inside the MSC Sportplex and Doremiland, MSC’s largest kids’ club complex.
Carnival has not revealed Destiny’s signature attraction.
That leaves several major questions:
Will Destiny have a roller coaster like BOLT on the Excel Class?
Will Carnival develop an entirely new thrill ride?
Will the ship include a large family activity zone similar to The Harbour?
Will the waterpark be substantially larger than those on existing Carnival ships?
Carnival’s statement that most venues and attractions will be new suggests there should be at least one major headline feature. We simply do not know what it is yet.
For now, MSC World America wins the attraction comparison by default. Its experiences are open and operating, while Destiny’s remain behind the curtain.
Dining Could Become One of Destiny’s Biggest Opportunities
MSC World America has 19 dining venues, ranging from main dining rooms and buffets to specialty restaurants and casual grab-and-go options.
Its most notable additions include the only Eataly restaurant at sea, the Greek-inspired Paxos, Paxos on the Go and Promenade Bites. The ship also includes familiar MSC venues such as Butcher’s Cut, Kaito Sushi, Kaito Teppanyaki and Hola! Tacos & Cantina.
Carnival already has one of the most recognizable casual dining lineups in cruising. Guy’s Burger Joint, Blue Iguana Cantina, Shaq’s Big Chicken and Guy’s Pig & Anchor have become important parts of the Carnival experience.
Destiny gives Carnival an opportunity to build on that strength while creating more original concepts for longer cruises and a larger ship.
Carnival has confirmed that Destiny will feature reimagined dining, but it has not named any restaurants or said which venues will be included in the cruise fare.
That distinction will matter.
MSC offers a mix of included and extra-cost restaurants, while Carnival has traditionally built a strong reputation around included casual food. If Destiny maintains that value while adding more upscale and internationally inspired options, dining could become one of the ship’s biggest advantages.
Carnival Has Not Announced an Answer to the MSC Yacht Club
One of the biggest unanswered questions is whether Carnival Destiny will include a true ship-within-a-ship complex.
MSC World America has the largest MSC Yacht Club in the fleet. The keycard-access area includes suites, a private lounge, its own restaurant, an outdoor pool deck and 24-hour butler and concierge service.
Carnival offers suites and premium cabin categories on its existing ships, but it does not currently have a direct equivalent to the Yacht Club.
Destiny’s unusually high number of ocean-view balcony cabins could lead to new premium accommodations, but Carnival has not announced a private suite neighborhood, exclusive restaurant or dedicated pool area.
This could become one of the clearest differences between the ships.
World America attempts to serve several types of passengers at once, including budget-conscious families, activity-focused cruisers and luxury travelers staying in the Yacht Club. Destiny may remain more focused on the traditional Carnival experience, where passengers share most of the ship’s main facilities regardless of cabin category.
Neither approach is automatically better, but Yacht Club guests will probably need much more information before viewing Destiny as a serious alternative.
Private Destinations Will Be Part of Both Experiences
Carnival has confirmed that Destiny will visit destinations within the Paradise Collection by Carnival.
That portfolio includes Carnival-exclusive destinations across the Caribbean, Bahamas and Mexico. Carnival specifically referenced Celebration Key, RelaxAway at Half Moon Cay and Isla Tropicale when discussing the new ship, although Destiny’s exact itineraries and homeport have not been announced.
MSC World America sails Caribbean cruises from Miami, with many itineraries including Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in The Bahamas. Eastern Caribbean sailings may also visit destinations such as San Juan and Puerto Plata, while Western Caribbean routes can include Costa Maya, Cozumel and Roatán.
The two cruise lines take somewhat different approaches.
MSC has built much of its Caribbean identity around one signature private island. Ocean Cay offers beaches, bars, water activities and evening events in a setting that feels more natural and less like a traditional theme park.
Carnival is building a broader collection of branded destinations, giving it more flexibility to pair different exclusive stops with different itineraries.
By the time Destiny launches in 2029, these private destinations may be almost as important as the onboard attractions.
What Carnival Still Needs to Reveal
There is far more that we do not know about Carnival Destiny than we currently know.
Carnival has not yet announced:
- The ship’s final dimensions and capacity
- Its homeport
- Its first itineraries
- Named restaurants and bars
- Included versus extra-cost dining
- Pools and water attractions
- Family and kids’ club facilities
- Adults-only spaces
- Entertainment venues and shows
- Cabin sizes and configurations
- Suite categories
- A ship-within-a-ship area
- Its signature thrill attraction
- The final deck layout
Carnival says more Destiny features and experiences will be announced later in 2026.
Each reveal should make the comparison with MSC World America more meaningful. Until then, any attempt to declare one ship better would be premature.
Is Carnival Destiny Being Built to Compete With MSC World America?
Carnival has not described Destiny as a direct response to MSC World America.
Still, it is difficult to ignore the broader cruise industry trend.
MSC, Royal Caribbean and Carnival are all designing ships that function as complete vacation destinations. These vessels combine resorts, amusement parks, entertainment districts, dining collections and private destinations into one package.
World America represents MSC’s strongest attempt yet to appeal directly to the North American cruise market. It combines MSC’s European roots with familiar American dining, entertainment and family experiences.
Carnival Destiny appears designed to move Carnival into the next stage of that competition.
The expected size, nearly 8,000-guest capacity, extensive glass, large number of balcony cabins and promise of mostly new venues all point toward a ship intended to compete at the highest level of the modern mega-ship market.
Whether Carnival can make a ship that large feel comfortable, easy to navigate and connected to the ocean will determine whether the Ace Class is a true leap forward or simply a bigger version of what came before.
Our Early Verdict
MSC World America is currently the more complete and proven ship because it exists.
Passengers know what its districts look like, which restaurants are onboard, how its attractions work and what separates the Yacht Club from the rest of the vessel.
Carnival Destiny is still mostly a promise.
It may eventually be larger than World America and could introduce a very different approach to ocean views, entertainment and outdoor spaces. Carnival’s claim that more than 70 percent of its venues and attractions will be new makes it one of the most interesting cruise ships currently under construction.
For MSC fans, Destiny is absolutely worth watching.
It will not replace World America, and the two ships will likely offer noticeably different onboard atmospheres. But Carnival is clearly preparing a major new competitor for the Caribbean mega-ship market.
The comparison will become much more interesting once Carnival starts revealing what guests will actually be able to eat, ride, watch and experience onboard.
