When it comes to Carnival Cruise Line’s next class of ship, the company is leaning heavily into the theory that bigger is better. After all, the newly-announced Carnival Destiny will carry nearly 1,500 more passengers than the biggest ship in their current fleet. Read on to see the other ways in which Carnival expects the first of her class to be a game changer.

How Big Will Carnival Destiny Be?

In announcing the new Ace class of ships, Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy shared that the first of three — Carnival Destiny — would debut in 2029. Her as-yet-unnamed sister ships are expected to enter service in 2031 and 2033.

So just how big will the ship be? Destiny will weigh in at around 230,000 gross tons and carry an estimated 8,000 passengers. For comparison, the biggest ships currently sailing for Carnival are the Jubilee and Celebration, each of which come in at around 180,000 gross tons and carry 6,600 guests at maximum capacity.

What Does ‘More Sea to See’ Mean?

Even as the ship’s construction was getting under way, Duffy rolled out the Ace class ship’s motto: “More Sea to See.” In explaining the catchphrase, Duffy said the new class was “designed to change how guests will experience the sea while on their cruise.” 

In essence, this means that Destiny will offer more access to the ocean than any other ship in Carnival’s fleet. How will this be accomplished? By featuring everything from a re-imagined lanai deck to what the exec said was “the most balcony cabins with ocean views at sea.”

If that phrasing seems unusual, it is clearly designed that way. Why? Keep in mind that many modern ships, including Royal Caribbean’s Oasis and Icon class, have balconies which overlook the center of the ship as opposed to the ocean. Translation: While those ships may have more total balconies, Carnival Destiny will have the largest number of, as they said “balcony cabins with ocean views.”

Duffy emphasized that the new concepts would “create ocean views from more places on board, bringing the ocean into constant view and redefining how guests will connect with the sea.” 

Carnival Destiny’s Other Big Offerings

While details were few, it was also announced that Destiny would be introducing new concepts at every turn. “More than 70 percent of our dining, entertainment and signature guest experience will be delivered brand new.” 

Read More: Carnival Rolls Out New Menus, Restaurants

Already, Carnival is in the process of making major changes where dining is concerned. A new menu is being rolled out across the entire fleet, and the upcoming Carnival Festivale and Carnival Tropicale will feature four new-to-Carnival dining venues.

What’s unclear at this point is whether these new venues are included in the plans for Carnival Destiny.

Where Will Carnival Destiny Sail To?

One thing Carnival did not mention with regards to Destiny’s future is exactly where the ship will be homeported. They did, however, reveal that the ship will be visiting Carnival’s Paradise Collection offerings in the Bahamas and Caribbean.

No word as of yet when bookings for the new ship will go on sale.

Read Next: How to decide between Half Moon Cay and Celebration Key

When it comes to seeking out information on their upcoming voyages, cruisers have a whole lot of options. Most are literally at their fingertips, given the vast amount of information that can be found on the internet. For many, Facebook has — for all its flaws — become a forum on which they can not only plan their trips but compare notes on everything from pricing to dinner plans.

How to Find Your Facebook Cruise Group

For nearly every sailing of a mainstream cruise line, you can pretty easily find a Facebook group. We’re not talking about pages devoted to a line or a ship, but rather to each individual sailing. Doing so is as simple as typing in a few words.

Generally speaking, you can find your sailing by typing in the name of the ship and the embarkation date. (For example, Norwegian Aqua August 29 2026.) In some cases, it takes a bit of experimentation. For example, this particular sailing could have been listed on Facebook as NCL Aqua and the date might show as 8/28. But with that basic information, you’ll be able to find and join the Facebook cruise group you’re looking for.

And that, friends, is where the fun — or trouble, depending on one’s perspective — begins!

Why Join a Facebook Cruise Group?

It’s safe to say that millions of people cruise every single year without bothering to find — let alone join — a corresponding Facebook group. So why might you consider doing so?

For many, Facebook groups provide an opportunity to extend their pre-cruise excitement. They get to chat with other people who will be on the same sailing. But it can also be a fantastic research tool, especially for those who are either first-time cruisers or perhaps trying a line which they’re not familiar with.

In nearly every case, there will be people in (or even monitoring) the group who have experience which might prove useful. It’s a great place to ask for everything from restaurant recommendations to disembarkation-day tips.

Facebook cruise groups are also a fantastic way to make plans with others. Often, someone will be organizing a slot pull, pub crawl or other socially-oriented event. Others might post messages hoping to connect with other solo cruisers.

When it comes to Facebook cruise groups, you never know what you’ll find. Of course, this can also lead to problems.

The Downside of Facebook Cruise Groups

Not everyone has great experiences in these types of groups, it’s worth noting. One very important factor which can influence every aspect of your Facebook group experience is the administrator or moderator who happen to be running the page. While most provide an environment in which people are excited to meet new people and have a good time, others assume what can only be called a more dictatorial stance.

The more controlling a moderator, the less fun a group is likely to be. While a good moderator will keep an eye out for scammers and spammers, making sure both get blocked, some take their duties a little too seriously.

It’s also important to be wary of exactly what you share in a Facebook group or on social media as a whole. Back in 2024, we reported on a woman who learned this lesson the hard way: After posting a photo which included her booking number, someone used that info to cancel her $12,000 sailing!

How to Get the Most Out of a Facebook Cruise Group

If you decide that you’re interested in joining a group, we have a few tips that might help you get the most out of the experience… and avoid some of the pitfalls!

• Join Quietly: Before you start sharing information or getting too friendly with complete strangers, get a feel for the vibe of the group. Make sure it’s right for you! If not, you can always exit just as quietly as you entered.

• Avoid Troublemakers: If someone is stirring up drama, do not engage. You might, however, check out their profile in order to make sure you steer clear of them once on board!

• Proceed With Caution: Remember, as more and more people join the group, you can’t be 100 percent sure with whom you’re interacting. Bad eggs have been known to infiltrate sailings they won’t actually be on for nefarious purposes ranging from sneaking into your direct messages to try and sell you something to tracking who’ll be out of town, leaving their home vacant and vulnerable!

• Be Active As You’re Comfortable With: Some people do little more than lurk, rarely posting or responding, while others dive in to organize events and chat with anyone and everyone. There is no right or wrong approach, it’s all about what you’re looking to get out of the group.

• Know When to Exit: When the cruise is over, connect with the people you’d like to keep in touch with… and then exit the group. We tend to find the exit shortly after boarding. Why? If there’s one thing we know, it’s that people love to post complaints. We’d just as soon not hear other people’s woes, especially about a trip we’re enjoying!