Carnival to Reposition Three Ships

Carnival Cruise Line will reposition three of its newest and largest ships to new homeports in 2018. In September 2018 Carnival Vista will move to Galveston, Carnival Breeze will reposition to Port Canaveral and Carnival Magic will shift to Miami.

Carnival Vista

Beginning September 23, 2018, the newest ship in Carnival's fleet, the 133,500-ton Carnival Vista, will begin sailing from Galveston and offer western Caribbean itineraries. The Port ranks as one of Carnival’s most successful homeports.

“We’re delighted to continue our expansion at the Port of Galveston with the spectacular new Carnival Vista, which is a wonderful addition to our Texas fleet,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, who added that Carnival has extended its contract with the Port of Galveston through 2025. 

“Deploying our newest, largest and most innovative ship to Galveston clearly demonstrates our confidence in the market and the popularity of Carnival Cruise Line in Texas. The port has done a fantastic job accommodating our growth,” she added.

Carnival Vista, which debuted in 2016, will join Carnival Freedom and Carnival Valor sailing year-round from Galveston. Together, these three ships will carry more than 650,000 guests annually from Galveston – the most of any cruise operator.

Carnival Breeze

Carnival Breeze will be the newest and largest Carnival ship to sail from Port Canaveral. The 130,000-ton ship joins Carnival Sunshine and Carnival Liberty and annually will carry 650,000 guests from its new homeport. Carnival Breeze will start alternating eastern and western Caribbean cruises beginning October 6, 2018.

Carnival Magic

Carnival Magic will launch a year-round schedule of seven-day alternating eastern and western Caribbean cruises departing from PortMiami beginning September 30, 2018. The 130,000-ton Carnival Magic underwent an extensive multimillion-dollar makeover in 2016 that added a variety of dining and bar innovations. Carnival Magic will join Carnival Glory, Carnival Sensation, and Carnival Victory at the line's busiest homeport.

New Destination

The private Bahamian destination of Princess Cays has been added to the itineraries of six Carnival Cruise Line ships beginning in May 2017. Carnival Cruise Line ships are expected to make 40 calls to Princess Cays in 2017 and 98 the following year. 

Located on the southern tip of the island of Eleuthera in The Bahamas and operated by Carnival's sister company Princess Cruises, Princess Cays is a tropical location with miles of unspoiled white-sand beaches and crystal clear waters teeming with fish. The facility includes a 40-acre complex highlighted by an observation tower offering panoramic views of the island, along with bars, restaurants and retail shops with local crafts, souvenirs and artwork.  

Various operational enhancements, including the addition of larger, more efficient tenders to facilitate getting guests ashore quickly and comfortably, are currently underway.

Princess Cays will be featured on the following Carnival itineraries in 2017: select seven-day cruises aboard Carnival Pride from Baltimore; five-day voyages aboard Carnival Ecstasy from Charleston; eight-day sailings on Carnival Conquest from Fort Lauderdale; five-day voyages on Carnival Elation from Jacksonville; four-day voyages aboard Carnival Liberty from Port Canaveral; and four-day cruises aboard Carnival Sensation from Miami.

Princess Cays is one of several private destinations and cruise facilities operated by Carnival Corporation.  Others include Half Moon Cay (Bahamas), Grand Turk (Turks & Caicos), Puerta Maya (Cozumel), Mahogany Bay (Roatan) and Amber Cove (Dominican Republic).

In December 2016, Carnival Corporation achieved the most profitable year in the company's history as well as record fourth quarter earnings.