Carnival Cruise Line to Light the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball for 5th Year

Carnival Cruise Line is returning to New York’s Times Square to light the iconic New Year’s Eve Ball for the fifth year in a row. 

In addition to serving as the official cruise line sponsor for Times Square New Year’s Eve once again, Carnival will also sponsor one of the Times Square musical performances featured in “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2026” on ABC, which airs live beginning at 8 p.m. EST on December 31 and streams the next day on Hulu. 

Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc, will lead the company’s delegation as guests across Carnival’s fleet celebrate the new year with festivities at sea.  

“We’re thrilled to bring Carnival fun back to Times Square for our fifth year as we celebrate a phenomenal year for our company,” said Weinstein. “2025 has been transformative with the successful opening of Celebration Key, record-high guest satisfaction, and continued momentum across Carnival Corporation. As we light the Ball in 2026, we’re looking forward to delivering even more unforgettable vacation happiness to families around the world — something our guests repeatedly tell us we do so well.”

Carnival is celebrating major milestones from 2025, including welcoming the one-millionth guest to Celebration Key just this month. The exclusive destination in Grand Bahama, which sits on over a mile of white sand beach and is set among the largest freshwater lagoons in the Caribbean, has become a guest favourite since opening in July. 

The cruise line also launched a new way to tell its story. The “Carnival Is Calling” campaign kicked off in November, featuring the “Find Your Fun Again” commercials starring Emmy-winning actor, author, and humorist Nick Offerman. Offerman serves as the face of the campaign, leveraging his deadpan humor and sense of mischief to tackle America’s perceived fun deficit. 

“We enter 2026 with incredible momentum and deep gratitude for our amazing guests, dedicated team members, travel advisors and partners who make Carnival the leading cruise line,” said CCL president Christine Duffy. “As we ring in the new year, Celebration Key continues to be a must-visit destination for our guests, and we’re excited to keep delivering the fun, memorable vacations that our guests love while setting the stage for more success to come.”