Preparations for Carnival Jubilee Underway At Galveston

The imminent arrival of Carnival Jubilee to the Port of Galveston has many excited. However, before thousands of cruise passengers can set foot onboard the newest member of Carnival Cruise Line’s Excel-class fleet, preparations need to be made. 

One of those is how the vessel will be refueling while in port. Carnival Jubilee runs on the more environmentally friendly LNG, or liquified natural gas, and not on the standard marine diesel or heavy fuel oil that most cruise ships operate on. 

Seaside LNG and Carnival Corporation Enter Bunkering Agreement 

Preparations for the arrival of Carnival Jubilee are underway at Galveston Wharves, where the vessel is expected to arrive in December.

One crucial area that needs to be addressed is how the Excel-class cruise ship will be refueling between cruises. To tackle the issue, Carnival Corporation has entered a new agreement with LNG supplier Seaside LNG. 

The two parties have entered into a term bunkering agreement to fuel the first LNG-propelled cruise ship to call Galveston, Texas its homeport. LNG is widely considered to be a much cleaner burning fuel than traditional maritime fuels and is an important transition fuel for the cruise industry’s pledge to achieve its 2050 net carbon-zero goals.

“LNG delivers immediate greenhouse gas emission reductions and is the best available market-ready fuel to help cut ship emissions now – so Carnival Corporation is investing in LNG-powered vessels as part of our ambition to achieve net-zero carbon ship operations by 2050,” said Tom Strang, Senior Vice President of Maritime Affairs, Carnival Corporation.

The bunkering procedure will utilize the Clean Jacksonville, Seaside’s dedicated LNG barge, which will be repositioning from Florida to Texas. This ensures that Carnival Jubilee receives its inaugural LNG delivery by December 2023, with the infrastructure being put in place by the Port of Galveston and multiple stakeholders.

“We were the first to introduce LNG-powered cruise ships into the North American market, and we’ll be the first to introduce our LNG fleet to Galveston with the Carnival Jubilee. We appreciate Seaside for moving quickly to mobilize, find supply, and bring the parties together to create a new LNG supply chain to support our LNG bunkering needs,” Strang continued.

Sea Trials Signal Approaching Debut

Following a transit through Germany’s Ems River, Carnival Jubilee reached Eemshaven, the Netherlands, earlier this month in preparation for her final outfitting and sea trials.

Scheduled to begin on November 5, Carnival Jubilee is currently at sea sailing north of Denmark. Once her sea trials have been successfully completed, and Carnival Cruise Line and Meyer Werft sign off, she will be officially handed over to the cruise line. 

Carnival Jubilee is set to embark on its first cruise with guests from the Port of Galveston on December 23, offering guests 7-night Western Caribbean cruises visiting Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico as well as Roatan, Honduras.

Once she does arrive in Galveston, she will be welcomed to a fully remodeled and re-imagined Terminal 25. The Port of Galveston has invested $53 million in the cruise terminal, both to welcome Carnival Jubilee guests to a terminal that befits the newest ship in the Carnival fleet and as something that will boost the cruise industry in Galveston. 

“We’re looking forward to welcoming the beautiful new Carnival Jubilee to our improved cruise terminal,” said Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO. “We’re proud to have Carnival Cruise Line, our long-time cruise partner, choose Galveston as the home port for its newest ship.” 

The terminal’s upgrade includes state-of-the-art gangways, elevators, escalators, and a revamped roof, all contributing to a seamless embarkation and debarkation process for guests. 

The 250,800 gross tons Carnival Jubilee is the sister ship to Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration, accommodating over 5,000 guests, with a total capacity of 6,631 when fully booked.