Carnival Cruise Lines’ boss Gerry Cahill today confirmed that the 3,690-passenger ship Carnival Breeze will be sailing in the Mediterranean next summer.
Breeze is a sister to Carnival Magic, which was launched in Venice at the weekend and is currently sailing on its maiden voyage to Barcelona, from where it will be operating seven, nine and 12-night Mediterranean cruises throughout the summer. In October it will move to its new home in Galveston, Texas.
Cahill told me recently that the number of UK passengers booking Carnival cruises has doubled since last year, but he accepts that most of the passengers on Magic will be flying to Spain from the US.
He has no plans to emulate rival Royal Caribbean – who have 12 ships in Europe this summer. “You’ll never see Carnival sending 12 ships to Europe. I feel pretty comfortable when we have one ship in Europe. I probably would not feel so comfortable if we had more than that,” he said.
Breeze is currently under construction at Monfalcone in north-east Italy (picture above) and although the Carnival corporation is building new vessels for its Costa and Princess brands, no more are currently on order to carry its distinctive red, white and blue winged funnel (left).
There are 3,735 passengers currently on board Magic, some of them three to a cabin and many of them Carnival staff and international media. Almost 2,000 are from the US and a further 339 from Canada. According to cruise director John Heald, there are 462 Russians and 167 from the Ukraine. The 47 Brits are on board are even outnumbered by Australians (306), Swiss (133) and Germans (52). Heald will no doubt be relieved at the fact there is only one French passenger.
The ship features Carnival’s first pub, the RedFrog, which has been so popular that it sold out of its trademark own-brand ThirstyFrog Red Ale within a day. Passengers are hoping new supplies can be brought aboard while the ship is in port at Dubrovnik today.
UPDATE: Carnival Breeze will begin its inaugural 2012 season with a 12-day maiden voyage departing from Venice on June 3 and arriving in Barcelona June 15. Ports of call include Dubrovnik, Croatia; Athens, Greece; Izmir, Turkey; Messina (Sicily), Olbia (Sardinia), Rome (Civitavecchia), and Livorno (Florence & Pisa), Italy; Monaco, Monte Carlo; and Marseilles, France.
Breeze will then begin a summer schedule of 12-day Mediterranean voyages from Barcelona, which will include regular visits to Marseilles or Monaco; Livorno; Naples; Dubrovnik; Venice; Civitavecchia, and Messina. Fares start from £899 per person, including scheduled flights from London and transfers.
On November 6 the ship will head off across the Atlantic, arriving in Miami on November 21. Ports of call on this voyage will include Palma de Mallorca and Malaga, Spain; Las Palmas, Canary Islands; Antigua and St. Maarten.
It will then begin a series of Caribbean cruises, with an eight-day southern Caribbean itinerary that features Grand Turk, La Romana (Dominican Republic), Curacao, and Aruba, along with an eight-day eastern Caribbean route visiting St. Thomas, Antigua, Tortola and Nassau. On alternating weeks the ship will sail six-night cruises to Grand Turk, Ocho Rios in Jamaica; and Nassau, Bahamas.
Carnival say the Caribbean itineraries will be year-round – so we will have to wait to see what ship will replace Breeze in the Mediterranean in 2013.
About the Author: John Honeywell
John Honeywell is a travel writer specialising in cruise ships and cruise travel. Winner of CLIA UK's Contribution to Cruise award 2017.
I think the Carinival Magic will be a brill cruise!!