Carnival Cruise Line has held the keel-laying ceremony for its latest Excel-class ship Carnival Jubilee.

The Texan-themed event, held at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, was attended by Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy, Meyer Werft MD Bernard Meyer and Carnival senior vice-president of newbuilds Ben Clement, among others.

Carnival Jubilee, which will be powered by liquefied natural gas, will begin sailing from Galveston, Texas in November 2023.

The ship will offer seven-day western Caribbean voyages with stops in Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico, as well as Mahogany Bay (Isla Roatan), Honduras.

Carnival Jubilee will share many of the same features found on Mardi Gras – including the Bolt rollercoaster, as well as new public venues, with “more details to be shared about those aspects closer now that construction is underway”, Carnival said.

Duffy said: “Our plans for Texas are as big as the state itself, and we’re looking forward to bringing guests aboard our third Excel-class ship that will be just as magnificent as her sister ships Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration.

“I’m ecstatic to be here for this important moment and witness construction now officially underway.

“Carnival Jubilee will significantly enhance our offerings from Galveston as the industry leader in the Texas cruise market and an important contributor to the Galveston tourism economy.”

In late June, Carnival revealed it is working with Costa Cruises to develop a new cruise concept.

Two ships, Costa Venezia and Costa Firenze, will transfer to the Carnival fleet, for the launch of the Costa by Carnival brand.