Deck plans were posted to Carnival’s website soon after the new Excel-Class ship was announced. Everything looked familiar upon quick review, however two of our beloved areas that we enjoyed on the Mardi Gras were marked as having delayed roll-out. Well, we have finally learned the name of those two zones plus another familiar area has a new look and name to set it apart from Mardi Gras.

On February 23, 2022, the world became aware of the Six themed Zones: Celebration Central, The Gateway, Summer Landing, 820 Biscayne, Lido, and The Ultimate Playground.

Here’s a comparison of how each zone is similar and different to the zones on the Mardi Gras:

Zone	Carnival Mardi Gras	Carnival Celebration
1	Grand Central	Celebration Central
2	French Quarter	The Gateway
3	Summer Landing	Summer Landing
4	La Piazza	820 Biscayne
5	Lido	Lido
6	The Ultimate Playground	The Ultimate Playground

Celebration Central

Similar to the Grand Central on Mardi Gras, this area is expected to provide the “wow” factor to guests when they first walk onto the ship. To celebrate their 50th anniversary of welcoming guests on the high seas, Carnival has put some hidden features throughout this area. Celebration Central is a space of tranquility by day, with plenty of open seating throughout the area, JavaBlue Cafe serving hot coffees, and bistro-style eats, Cherry on Top with the candy sure to hit the sweet spot. By night, this area transforms into a magical space. Paying homage to the first Carnival cruise ship to don the iconic funnel is the Tropicale Bar. Upstairs you’ll find the Aquaria Bar which features a stunning ocean-glass themed mural which was pulled directly from the Carnival Victory. Easy access to the Punchliner Comedy Club and Piano Bar 88 is available before or after watching one of the fantastic performances in Celebration Central. You won’t have to go far to find the Bonsai twins on the top deck of this space. At the front of the ship, is the newly Grand Spectrum Theater.

The Gateway

This area is a total change out from the French Quarter. All of the venues in this space are still under wraps, waiting to be announced. One space that hasn’t changed, though, is Carnival Kitchen. The forward dining room has been named Carnivale Restaurant, while the aft (and much larger) dining room is named Festivale Restaurant.

Summer Landing

Similar in design to the Mardi Gras, the Summer Landing will feature Guy’s Pig and Anchor Smokehouse and Brewery, Heroes Tribute Lounge, and the Watering Hole. Consistent with her older sister, you’ll walk past Guest Services and Rudi’s Seagrill as your head forward on deck 8.

820 Biscayne

What’s in a name? After doing some research, I found out that 820 Biscayne is the original address for Carnival’s corporate office (read more about this here). It will be interesting to see if there’s a Miami flare to this zone. What is known, is Cucina Del Capitano is present in this space, and I would imagine an iteration of the Pizzeria Del Capitano will also appear nearby.

Lido and The Ultimate Playground

Both of these areas on the top-most decks are very similar to their counterparts on the Mardi Gras. Shaq’s Big Chicken is available after of the Lido Marketplace, and fan-favorite Street Eats appears to be forward with BlueIguana and the two-story RedFrog Tiki Bar in between. Making your way up to the highest deck, where the atmosphere is thin, you’ll find the excitement of the miniature golf course, interactive ropes course, and the highly successful Bolt: Ultimate Sea Coaster.

Conclusion

As more details are released about this exciting new ship, we will try to bring the information to you. We are excitedly looking forward to sailing on the Carnival Celebration in January 2023 and can’t wait to compare the interior spaces of this ship to the Mardi Gras..