Cruise Line Nostalgia: The Trend of Recycling Ship Names

Carnival Cruise Line has announced plans to name two upcoming ships, the Carnival Festivale and Carnival Tropicale, reviving names from its past, which reflects a growing trend among cruise lines to recycle vessel names. This trend is projected to see at least four new ships with previously used names entering service over the next few years.

The new Carnival Festivale, set to sail in 2027, pays homage to the original Festivale, an ocean liner that operated from 1977 to 1996. Similarly, the Carnival Tropicale, scheduled for 2028, is named after the brand’s inaugural newbuild, which accommodated 1,022 guests.

These new additions belong to Carnival’s Excel class, following the previous ships Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee, named in honor of earlier vessels from the 1970s and 1980s.

Royal Caribbean International is also embracing this naming convention by planning to name a future Icon-class ship after the Legend of the Seas, a ship that sailed from 1995 until 2017. Furthermore, Princess Cruises is continuing this trend with its Sphere class ships, starting with the recently launched Sun Princess and the upcoming new Star Princess, which also carries a historic name associated with two previously sailing vessels.

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