Carnival Mardi Gras cruise ship departs from Port Canaveral

Carnival Mardi Gras cruise ship departs from Port Canaveral (Paul Hennessy/Getty Images)

Carnival shares glide higher as the cruise giant orders $2 billion worth of new ships

The world’s largest cruise operator is beefing up its fleet as it rides a wave of record bookings.

4/8/25 11:46AM

Carnival shares jumped as much as 7% in Tuesday’s market rally, snapping a recent losing streak as travel stocks bounce back from consumer spending jitters.

The bounce comes a day after Carnival announced a $2 billion order for two new ships for its German brand AIDA Cruises — the most popular cruise line in that country. The new midsize vessels, built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, are set for delivery in 2030 and 2032. Carnival is sailing with its largest fleet ever of 29 ships and plans to introduce five more by 2028.

The big ship buy comes just weeks after Carnival sailed past Q1 estimates with record profits, but issued a softer full-year outlook, sending shares lower. Still, the cruise operator is expanding its fleet as it scores record bookings, fueled by a mix of first-time guests, brand switchers, and loyal customers willing to pay premium prices.

Rival cruise lines Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line also jumped during the travel sector rally.

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