A ship American cruise fans have never had the chance to sail on is finally crossing the Pacific. Carnival Adventure, which has spent recent years based in Sydney, will make its U.S. debut in summer 2028 with a season of Alaska cruises from Seattle.
The vessel has an interesting backstory. Built in 2001 for Princess Cruises, the 109,000-ton, 2,600-passenger ship later sailed for P&O Australia for four years before that brand folded into Carnival Cruise Line in early 2025. It has continued operating from Sydney since the transfer, and Carnival says it will keep adding varied itineraries there through 2027 before repositioning to North America.
According to Carnival's newly released deployment plans, the Adventure will homeport in Seattle from May through September 2028. Its core product will be seven-night Alaska roundtrips calling at Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan, plus a stop in Victoria, British Columbia — with scenic cruising through Endicott Arm Fjord and the Inside Passage built in. A nine-night Carnival Journeys sailing in September 2028 adds Sitka to the list.
The season wraps up in style: a 16-night Carnival Journeys voyage from Seattle to Hawaii and Canada, with visits to Nawiliwili, Honolulu, Kahului and Hilo. After that, expect the ship to head back to Australia for the 2028-29 winter season, though repositioning itineraries haven't been announced yet.
The Adventure won't be alone on the West Coast. Carnival's 2028 deployment also puts the Carnival Spirit and Carnival Legend in the region, sailing to Alaska, Mexico and Hawaii from Seattle, Long Beach and San Francisco between April and September.
Why it matters: Alaska from Seattle is one of the most competitive cruise markets around, and adding a ship with Princess pedigree gives travellers a new option at a different size class than many of the megaships now plying that route. It's also good news for anyone in Australia who's curious — the ship stays down under through 2027, so there's still time to try it in Sydney before it moves. Cruise pickers planning an Alaska trip for 2028 may want to watch for when these itineraries open for sale, since early-booking fares on seven-night Inside Passage cruises tend to be the sharpest.
