Texas cruisers now have a Bahamas option without leaving the Gulf. Carnival Jubilee, based in Galveston since its late-2023 debut, has started sailing eight-night itineraries to the Bahamas after nearly three years of running only Western Caribbean routes. The new schedule runs regularly through 2028.

The flagship port stops are a big part of the appeal. The eight-night cruise calls at Nassau plus two of Carnival's own private destinations: Celebration Key, the line's purpose-built Grand Bahama resort, and RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, its quieter private island. Add three sea days and you get a trip that mixes beach time with proper days of lounging, eating and doing nothing much at all.

The ship itself is one of Carnival's biggest and newest. Built at Meyer Werft in Germany, Jubilee is the third vessel in the Excel class, runs on LNG, and carries around 5,400 passengers. It was designed specifically for the Texas market and sails year-round from Galveston.

The old itinerary hasn't disappeared. Jubilee continues to run Western Caribbean sailings between its Bahamas departures, now in a six-night format visiting Cozumel, Costa Maya's neighbour in Mexico, and Isla Tropicale — the recently renamed Carnival port on Roatán in Honduras' Bay Islands, formerly known as Mahogany Bay.

Galveston is quietly becoming a serious cruise hub. Carnival Dream and Carnival Breeze already sail from the port alongside Jubilee, and a fourth ship, Carnival Miracle, joins for a seasonal program in 2026-27. For anyone in Texas or the wider south-central US, that means drive-to-cruise access to both the Western Caribbean and, now, the Bahamas — no flight to Miami or Port Canaveral required.

The new Bahamas route suits travellers who want a longer cruise with lots of beach variety, since Carnival's private islands are the headliners. The shorter Western Caribbean option works if Mexico and Honduras sound more appealing. Either way, booking the Bahamas itinerary is the only way to tick off both Celebration Key and Half Moon Cay on a single Galveston departure.

First reported by Cruise Industry News.