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From MS Jubilee to Carnival Jubilee®

The name Jubilee spans two generations of Carnival history: an original Fun Ship that entered service in the 1980s and a modern Excel-class flagship that returned the name to Texas decades later.

One name. Two generations. A Carnival legacy returned to Galveston.

Original Carnival Jubilee at sea
The Original Jubilee · 1986–2004 Carnival Service

A Name From Carnival’s Formative Years

The original Jubilee entered Carnival service in 1986 as the second ship in Carnival’s Holiday-class generation, following Holiday and preceding Celebration. Built by Kockums Varv in Malmö, Sweden, Jubilee measured 47,262 gross tons and was among the largest purpose-built cruise ships of her era.

At roughly 223 meters in length, Jubilee carried approximately 1,486 passengers at standard capacity, with historical sources placing maximum accommodation higher. Her nine passenger decks, two Sulzer diesel engines, twin propellers and approximately 21.5-knot design speed reflected the scale and engineering of a major 1980s cruise ship.

Jubilee was more than a single-market ship. During an 18-year Carnival career, she served Florida, the West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, the Mexican Riviera and Caribbean markets. Her long service helped carry Carnival’s growing Fun Ship identity across North America during a formative period in the company’s expansion.

One chapter would later become especially important to the story of her modern namesake: Galveston, Texas.

The Original Jubilee at a Glance

A closer look at the ship that first carried the Jubilee name for Carnival.

Ship & Engineering

Builder: Kockums Varv · Malmö, Sweden

Entered Carnival service: 1986

Class: Holiday class

Gross tonnage: 47,262 GT

Length: approximately 223 meters / 733 feet

Passenger decks: 9

Propulsion: two Sulzer diesel engines / twin propellers

Design speed: approximately 21.5 knots

Guests, Service & Legacy

Passenger capacity: 1,486 in Carnival corporate records

Crew: approximately 670–680

Carnival career: 1986–2004

Major cruise regions: Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii and the Bahamas

Later names: Pacific Sun and Henna

Final chapter: retired after later service and dismantled in Alang, India, in 2017

The Jubilee Story

From a classic Fun Ship to a new generation of Carnival innovation.

1986

The Original Jubilee Enters Service

Built at Kockums Varv in Malmö, Sweden, Jubilee entered Carnival service in 1986. At 47,262 gross tons, she followed Holiday as the second member of the Holiday-class generation and preceded sister ship Celebration. Jubilee represented a significant step in Carnival’s 1980s fleet growth and helped define the larger, entertainment-focused Fun Ship experience that the company was developing.

1989–90s

West Coast, Alaska & Hawaii

Jubilee developed a strong West Coast identity. Historical records document Vancouver sailings to Alaska and Hawaii in 1989, while for many years she operated from Los Angeles/San Pedro to the Mexican Riviera, calling at destinations such as Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta. These deployments made Jubilee familiar to a generation of West Coast Carnival guests.

Later Years

Florida, the Caribbean & the Panama Canal

Later in her Carnival career, Jubilee returned to Florida and Caribbean service. Her deployment history included Miami, Tampa and voyages connecting Miami with San Diego through the Panama Canal. As newer generations of Carnival ships entered service, Jubilee continued working across the company’s expanding network rather than disappearing from the fleet.

2002

Jubilee Comes to Galveston

The original Jubilee joined Carnival’s growing Texas operation in 2002. Carnival had begun year-round Galveston cruising in 2000 with Celebration, making Jubilee part of the early history that established Carnival’s long relationship with the Port of Galveston.

2003–04

San Juan, Jacksonville & the End of a Carnival Era

Jubilee later operated from San Juan and then Jacksonville, which became her final Carnival homeport. Her final Carnival passenger cruise departed Jacksonville on August 26, 2004, for Nassau and Freeport. The sailing closed an 18-year Carnival career under the Jubilee name.

2004–12

A Second Career as Pacific Sun

Leaving Carnival did not end the ship’s working life. Jubilee transferred to P&O Cruises Australia in 2004 and became Pacific Sun. After refitting, she served the Australian cruise market, including operations from Sydney and later Brisbane. The former Jubilee continued carrying vacationers for years after her Carnival career had ended.

2012–17

Henna and the Final Chapter

After her P&O career, the ship was sold to Chinese interests and renamed Henna, operating for HNA Tourism Cruise. Following withdrawal from service, the former Jubilee was eventually sent to Alang, India, where she was dismantled in 2017—more than three decades after the ship first entered service.

2021

Carnival Announces the Name Will Return

As Carnival approached its 50th birthday, the cruise line announced that its third Excel-class ship would be named Carnival Jubilee. Carnival explained that it was resurrecting names of earlier ships that had been popular with guests, including Mardi Gras, Celebration and Jubilee. The company also specifically recalled that the original Jubilee had sailed from Galveston in 2002.

2022–23

A New Jubilee Takes Shape

The new ship was built in Germany as an Excel-class vessel. During construction, Carnival repeatedly connected the new ship with both the classic Jubilee name and Texas. When the ship floated out in 2023, a Texas star on the bow made that relationship unmistakable.

2023

The Name Returns to Galveston

Carnival Jubilee® entered service from Galveston in December 2023. More than two decades after the original Jubilee sailed from the Texas port, a new ship carrying the same name began a new chapter there—this time as a modern Excel-class vessel.

2024

A Texas Naming Celebration

Carnival formally named Carnival Jubilee® in Galveston with Gwen Stefani as godmother. The event marked the first cruise-ship christening in Galveston, and the city declared February 24 “Carnival Jubilee Day.”

Ports in the Original Jubilee Story

Across her Carnival career, Jubilee served a wide range of cruise markets. This heritage route highlights the principal ports associated with that story—and deliberately saves one especially important Carnival connection for the end.

FloridaMiami
→
CaliforniaLos Angeles
→
British ColumbiaVancouver
→
FloridaTampa
→
Puerto RicoSan Juan
→
FloridaJacksonville
→
TexasGALVESTON
Why Carnival Revisited the Name

Heritage Meets the Next Generation

Carnival’s decision to revive Jubilee was part of a broader heritage strategy as the company approached its 50th anniversary. Carnival brought back names associated with popular earlier ships—Mardi Gras, Celebration and Jubilee—for a new generation of vessels.

For Jubilee, there was an additional connection: Texas. When Carnival announced the modern Carnival Jubilee®, it specifically noted that the original Jubilee had sailed from Galveston in 2002. The new ship would return that historic Carnival name to the same port, more than two decades later.

The Texas connection became part of the new ship’s identity. Carnival Jubilee® carries a Texas star on her bow, and Carnival has described that symbol as a representation of its commitment to the Port of Galveston.

Modern Carnival Jubilee

Two Ships. One Name.

The scale changed. The technology changed. The Jubilee name endured.

Jubilee · 1986

Generation: Holiday class

Gross tonnage: 47,262 GT

Passenger capacity: 1,486 in Carnival corporate records

Carnival service: 1986–2004

Later identities: Pacific Sun and Henna

Legacy: A classic Fun Ship whose career stretched across multiple cruise regions and Carnival homeports—including Galveston.

Carnival Jubilee® · 2023

Generation: Excel class

Homeport: Galveston, Texas

Legacy continued: A historic Carnival name returned aboard one of the line’s newest generations of ships.

Why “Jubilee” Resonates With the Juneteenth Freedom Cruise™

Carnival’s documented reason for reviving the Jubilee name is rooted in Carnival’s own history and its decision to resurrect popular names from earlier ships. Carnival has not stated that the ship was named for Juneteenth.

For the Juneteenth Freedom Cruise™, however, the word jubilee carries an additional thematic resonance—evoking celebration, freedom, remembrance, renewal and legacy. That makes sailing from Galveston aboard a ship carrying the Jubilee name an especially meaningful setting for our own celebration.

Carnival heritage and Juneteenth heritage are distinct stories—but aboard Carnival Jubilee®, they create a powerful sense of place for this voyage.

Historical details should be maintained against Carnival Cruise Line’s published history and archival materials. Ship deployments and historical port references are presented as a planning and historical overview.