Carnival Sunrise Opens 2027-28 Miami Sailings
Carnival Cruise Line opened the next tranche of its 2027-28 program for Carnival Sunrise, keeping the ship in PortMiami on a steady diet of four to six day Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries from May 6, 2027 through spring 2028. The lineup leans into Carnival's new and refreshed private beach destinations, with many sailings calling at Celebration Key and RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, plus frequent calls at Nassau for simple long weekend getaways.
Carnival Sunrise from Miami, what is new
Carnival says Sunrise will complete more than 70 voyages in this window, with a majority centered on short breaks and a pair of six day holiday options. The Thanksgiving cruise departs November 22, 2027, for Celebration Key, Grand Cayman, and Montego Bay. The Christmas sailing departs December 20, 2027, bound for Celebration Key, Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic, and Grand Turk. These add a little extra range and variety to the otherwise compact schedule, useful for families aligning school calendars with holiday breaks.
Carnival's framing emphasizes the Miami homeport and the draw of its private destinations. Celebration Key is the line's purpose built beach day on Grand Bahama, while RelaxAway is the refreshed experience at Half Moon Cay. Expect these calls to dominate the marketing, and expect early sell through on cabanas and paid experiences that concentrate capacity in prime shaded areas near food and lagoon zones.
Latest developments
Today's opening follows Carnival's rolling 2027-28 deployment reveals across the fleet in October and November, which added Texas and other homeport details, then drilled into specific ship programs like Sunrise from Miami. Travelers who were waiting on short Bahamas dates for late 2027 now have concrete options to secure.
Analysis
For air travelers, Miami, Florida, remains one of the easiest cruise gateways in the U.S., with dense flight schedules and a short transfer to PortMiami. Short sailings are appealing, but they compress boarding day buffers, so aiming for morning arrivals into Miami International with at least a four hour cushion remains best practice. On return, plan flights from early afternoon onward to avoid stress if debarkation runs long.
Private destination days are capacity constrained by design. Even on a short cruise, a poor plan can turn a beach day into a long queue. Book loungers, shade, and signature experiences as soon as your booking window opens. If those are sold out, watch for additional inventory when final payment periods hit, because that often frees up extras.
Background Carnival's strategy for 2027-28 has been to seed demand with new private destination products, then layer in short, affordable itineraries from high lift homeports. Sunrise's schedule fits that pattern, maximizing Celebration Key and Half Moon Cay visibility on quick trips that minimize vacation days for U.S. travelers. Independent trade coverage notes the ship's program begins May 6, 2027 and runs through spring 2028, which aligns with the company's newsroom release.
Final thoughts
Carnival Sunrise's 2027-28 Miami program gives travelers compact, beach forward options with high convenience, and it adds two holiday six day itineraries for families who want a little more range. If the primary draw is a day at Celebration Key or RelaxAway, plan early, lock in shade and activities, and use mid day air schedules to keep the trip easy from end to end.