If you’ve looked to book a cruise recently, you’ve probably noticed that the cruise industry map has long focused on hundreds of offerings in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. But the largest cruise line in the world just made a huge announcement that hints at where it thinks the industry is going. In 2027, Carnival Cruise Line will launch cruises to Africa — at least the northern edge of it — for the first time in the brand’s history.
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The World’s Largest Cruise Line Is Finally Sailing to Africa
Carnival announced on January 22 that the new sailings will be aboard the Carnival Sunshine, focused on Mediterranean and North Africa itineraries from May to October of 2027, sailing from Barcelona, Spain; and Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy. Cruises will stop at La Goulette (just outside the capital city of Tunis, Tunisia) and Tangier, Morocco, in addition to new or long-paused European stops. That includes Bari, Italy; Bar, Montenegro; and Ajaccio (Corsica), France; as well as Izmir, Turkey; and Italy’s Palermo and Genoa, among others. Interestingly, in addition to being a new port-of-call for Carnival, Bari, Italy, is also welcoming direct flights from the US for the first time ever, beginning in May 2026.
Why North Africa, and why now
A vendor in a souk (market) in Tangier, Morocco. Photo: Ady Candra/Shutterstock
Carnival hasn’t published a single, definitive reason for choosing Tunisia and Morocco, other than describing the expansion as delivering the “variety, adventure and memorable experiences our guests look forward to.” But the move supports a broad industry trend: cruising is growing in popularity again, and companies are both looking to maximize ever-popular destinations and include new offerings to draw in non-traditional cruisers and give repeat cruisers new options.
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the cruise industry’s main trade group, reports that 34.6 million passengers sailed in 2024, continuing a post-pandemic rebound that has pushed global cruising above pre-2019 levels. Though final numbers aren’t out yet, CLIA predicted 37.7 million passengers in 2025, with growth driven largely by customers in North America. While the Caribbean remains the dominant cruise region, the Mediterranean is the second-largest draw, explaining why cruise lines are adding new destinations that sail from southern Europe.
In that context, adding North Africa to already-existing European trips allows for an exciting expansion (adding a new continent) but doesn’t require Carnival to rearrange ships or create entirely new itineraries from scratch. Both Tangier and La Goulette are well-placed for ships already zigzagging between Spain, Italy and France. La Goulette especially is leaning hard into cruise travel, having welcomed 290,000 cruise visitors in 2025. It’s a 32 percent increase over 2024, and cruise lines always like to work with ports that are actively recruiting and friendly toward big ships.
What to do in Carnival’s new African cruise destinations
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Tangier is the quick-hit Morocco many cruisers imagine. It’s a gateway city on the Strait of Gibraltar with a long history and easy access to the old medina. While the company hasn’t yet announced excursions available from the city, other cruise companies offer activities like trips to the colorful Grand Socco market, Moroccan cooking classes, visits to the Kasbah Museum, and day trips to the seaside resort town of Asilah.
La Goulette in Tunis is often sold as a historical draw, with access to the famous ruins of Carthage, among others. While one could easily spend a full day roaming the 793-acre UNESCO archaeological site, other cruise companies offer alternate excursions, such as 4×4 tours, visits to the country’s first-eco farm, tours of the popular Bardo Museum (with one of the world’s largest collections of Roman mosaics), and shopping trips in traditional souks.
How Carnival’s Africa debut compares to other lines
What’s perhaps most interesting isn’t that cruise ships sail to Africa, as many already have for many years, but that the biggest cruise company in the world by both revenue and passenger volume is just now adding African ports to the lineup. For most of its history, Carnival has concentrated on the Caribbean, Mexico, and mainstream Mediterranean routes, which meant the market for cruises to Africa was open to competitors. And some competitors have long treated Morocco and Tunisia as staple stops. MSC Cruises operates several trips to La Goulette as part of its Mediterranean program, while Norwegian Cruise Line sails not only to North Africa, but to ports in South Africa, Namibia, Madagascar, and more.
That makes Carnival’s announcement less about taking guests to an “undiscovered” destination, and more about adding more variety to its already-popular Mediterranean lineup. 