Sparks flew Friday at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy — literally, that's the whole point of a steel-cutting ceremony — as Carnival officially started construction on the first ship of its next-generation class, now formally named Ace Class. The ship itself got a name too, and it's a deep pull from the archives: Carnival Destiny.

If that name rings a bell, congratulations, you've been cruising a while. The original 1996 Carnival Destiny was the first cruise ship to crack 100,000 gross tons and, for a moment, the largest cruise ship on Earth. And here's the part I refuse to let go of: that original Destiny was rebuilt in 2013 and sails today as Carnival Sunshine. So Carnival now has the old Destiny sailing out of Norfolk while building a new Destiny in Italy. Somewhere a fleet historian is very happy, and it's me. I'm the fleet historian.

What we actually know

• Delivery: summer 2029, with two more Ace-Class sisters planned for 2031 and 2033.
• The pitch: Carnival says it'll be the most outward-facing megaship at sea — an unprecedented number of ocean-view balcony cabins, a reimagined lanai deck, and more than 4.5 acres of glass, including multi-story glass walls.
• On board: more than 70 percent of venues and attractions will be entirely new concepts for Carnival — new dining, new bars, new entertainment.
• Where it'll sail: destinations in Carnival's Paradise Collection across the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Mexico.

"Carnival Destiny builds on a legacy that changed cruising once before," said Carnival president Christine Duffy, who unveiled the name alongside a 3D hologram of the ship — because in 2026, a champagne bottle apparently doesn't cut it anymore.

Full details on features and experiences are promised later this year. Until then, the Golden Crew has roughly three years to argue about who gets the first balcony cabin. Place your bets.