Carnival Cruise Line Reveals First-Ever African Port Visits

Carnival Cruise Line has released details of the 2027/28 deployment for Carnival Sunshine, including the line’s first-ever visits to ports on the African continent. The ship will also visits several new European destinations and will be ideally positioned for the solar eclipse of August 2027.

From the end of May 2027 through October 2027, Carnival Sunshine will operate a series of Mediterranean and North African cruises, offering a mix of week-long or longer sailings departing from Barcelona and Civitavecchia. The itineraries are designed to support back-to-back bookings and feature calls across Italy, Spain, France, Turkey, Montenegro, Tunisia, and Morocco.

The deployment includes Carnival’s first-ever visits to Africa, with calls in La Goulette (Tunis), Tunisia, and Tangier, Morocco, along with new European ports such as Bari, Italy; Bar, Montenegro; and Ajaccio (Corsica), France.

Carnival Sunshine also will return to several ports not visited by the cruise line in many years, such as Genoa, Salerno, Palermo and Catania in Italy; Palma de Mallorca, Spain; and Izmir, Turkey.

“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 president Christine Duffy. “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.”

A highlight of the season is a solar eclipse cruise departing July 25, 2027, from Barcelona, positioning the ship along the path of maximum visibility for the event on Aug. 2, 2027. The itinerary will include visits to Marseilles, France; Genoa, Salerno, and Catania, Italy; Valletta, Malta; and La Goulette, Tunisia, and will feature themed programming and onboard activities celebrating the eclipse.

Carnival Sunshine will begin its European program with a 15-day transatlantic sailing from Norfolk to Dover, departing May 15, 2027. It will then sail form Dover to Barcelona calling on ports across Western Europe. At the end of the season, Sunshine will depart Barcelona for Miami, giving guests a second opportunity to enjoy an extended ocean crossing with visits to Alicante and Malaga, Spain; and Tangier, Morocco.

In addition to these sailings, Carnival Sunshine will offer a diverse lineup of 15 Europe sailings throughout the season. The program includes one sailing from Dover, four departures from Civitavecchia (Rome), and 10 sailings from Barcelona.

Following its return to the U.S., the ship will launch a new series of 10-day and four-day cruises from Galveston, starting Nov. 17, 2027, joining Carnival Breeze, Carnival Horizon, and Carnival Jubilee in the homeport.