For the first time in its history, Carnival Cruise Line will include port calls in North Africa, namely Tunisia and Morocco, when Carnival Sunshine begins sailing a raft of new itineraries in 2027.

In addition to the new port destinations, the ship will sail a special itinerary featuring the total solar eclipse happening on August 2, 2027. The 10-day Carnival Journeys voyage departs Barcelona on July 25, 2027, and calls at Marseille, France; Genoa, Salerno, and Catania, Italy; plus Malta, and Tunis, Tunisia, before ending in Rome.

Carnival Sunshine is not the only ship in the brand’s fleet planning a solar eclipse cruise; Carnival Miracle also will operate an 11-day Carnival Journeys voyage from Dover, England, on July 29, 2027. The ship will spend August 2, 2027, at sea, enabling guests to enjoy the celestial phenomenon.

In its Carnival Sunshine announcement on January 22, 2026, Carnival Cruise Line detailed the numerous options offered to guests aboard the 3,002-passenger ship.

The ship, formerly called Carnival Destiny, is currently based year-round in Norfolk, Virginia, sailing a range of Caribbean cruises. On May 15, 2027, she will leave her US homeport bound first for Dover, England.  

From Dover, the ship will sail one 10-day voyage, ending in Barcelona, and then begin her series of Mediterranean cruises roundtrip from the Spanish port and between Barcelona and Rome.

New port calls in Tunis, Tunisia, and Tangier, Morocco, will bring an exotic flavor to the series, which also includes other new destinations, such as Bari, Italy; Bar, Montenegro; and Corsica, France.

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“We’re excited to bring Carnival Sunshine to an expanded lineup of destinations that offer our guests even more ways to explore Europe and beyond,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. 

“With our first-ever African ports, new European calls and once-in-a-lifetime eclipse sailing, this deployment delivers variety, adventure and memorable experiences our guests look forward to when sailing on Carnival,” Duffy added.

Ship Will Deploy to Galveston in Late 2027

In total, Carnival Sunshine will sail 15 voyages in Europe between May and November 2027 — one cruise from Dover, four from Rome, and 10 from Barcelona.

Some cruises feature Eastern Mediterranean destinations as well as Western, including a 10-day Greek Isles sailing that departs from Rome. Calls include Salerno, Italy, and four Greek ports, Katakolon, Athens, Izmir, and Mykonos. The itinerary also features a visit to Malta before ending in Barcelona.

When her series of European voyages ends in late October 2027, Carnival Sunshine will reposition to Galveston, Texas, for 4- and 10-day cruises in the Caribbean. The ship will become the line’s fourth ship based at the Gulf Coast port alongside Carnival Breeze, Carnival Horizon, and Carnival Jubilee.

Carnival Sunshine will homeport at Galveston until at least April 2028. The ship entered service in 1996 as Carnival Destiny, the first in the Destiny class. 

In 2013, she received a major renovation and was relaunched as Carnival Sunshine. The refit added several of the brand’s signature venues, including Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, and Bonsai Sushi, among other spaces.

Carnival Sunshine Opens a New Chapter as Carnival’s First Ship to Visit Africa