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Category: Carnival Cruise Lines

  • Fire Erupts on Carnival Freedom

    Fire Erupts on Carnival Freedom

    The Carnival Freedom had a more eventful day than was planned on May 26th. A fire erupted on the ship as it was docked. Freedom, which has been sailing for Carnival since resuming service on October 9th, 2021, was sailing an itinerary in Turks and Caicos at the time of the disaster. Guests were indeed on board when the fire broke out, but there were luckily no reported injuries. The response to the fire was immediate, with Carnival brand ambassador John Heald saying, “Earlier this morning, Carnival Freedom’s emergency response team quickly activated and extinguished a fire inside the ship’s funnel while the ship was in Grand Turk.” Thanks to this fast response, guests were able to keep their trip going, with Heald adding, “All guests and crew are safe, and the ship’s guests were cleared by local authorities to go ashore.”

    For the guests, the fire was a frightening but ultimately safe event. The condition of the ship, though, isn’t yet known. Another unknown aspect of the fire is its origin. Fires on cruise ships are quite rare. Carnival hasn’t yet given word on if they have any theories, but we imagine that they are working hard to determine the cause. It doesn’t look like Freedom’s summer schedule is being modified just yet, but repairs relating to the fire could potentially put it out of commission for upcoming cruises from Port Canaveral.

    One of the last times that a major cruise ship caught on fire was in 2021. MSC Lirica was briefly aflame in March 2021, and it caused similar concern. That situation also produced no injuries or structural damage to the ship, and MSC Lirica is still safely sailing to this day. The MSC fire was certainly a one-time occurrence, and its similarities to the new Carnival fire give hope that this mishap won’t balloon into a larger issue.

    While this is certainly scary, let’s use this as a time to remember just how safe cruises usually are. Incidents that cause injuries are very rare on ships, with Cruise Critic noting that the rate of accidents has been on a downwards trend. Whether you’re concerned about fires, falling overboard, or even pirates, you can rest easy knowing that there’s not much to worry about.

    As Carnival investigates this fire, we’ll stay tuned in to give you any updates that might pop up. In all likelihood, though, this will be determined to be a freak accident. With luck, Freedom will be freely sailing all summer.

  • The Cruise Lines with the Best Water Parks

    The Cruise Lines with the Best Water Parks

    Water parks are some of the most fun things about cruises. From huge pools to towering slides, anyone in the family can enjoy them. As cruise ships get bigger and bigger, water parks are getting bigger and better as well. They offer the chance to relax or enjoy a lot of excitement depending on your mood, and they are a great way to pass time while waiting to get to the next destination. But knowing how great they can be brings up an important question: which cruise line should you choose to experience the best water parks in the industry?

    The answer to that question depends on your personal preferences. But in terms of water park popularity, your safest bet might just be Carnival. The cruise line is known for their family-friendly amenities and onboard experiences, so it makes total sense that they would have killer water parks. The majority of their ships feature their Carnival WaterWorks parks which are recognized as some of the most fun on any cruise vessel. All of them have massive waterslides – with some being more than 300 feet long – and Carnival Vista and Panorama boast psychedelic Kaleid-O-Slides. These parks also have side-by-side slides where you can race your friends and family to the bottom.

    Another solid choice for aquatic fun is Disney Cruise Line. Nearly all Disney ships have a water-based ride of some sort, but the star of the show is certainly the slide known as the AquaDuck. It appears on two different Disney ships, Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, and it’s a game changer. The slide traverses along the ship before actually hanging off of the side of the vessel. It’s a thrilling feeling to slide along above the ocean and then come back to the safety of the ship. Aside from this, Disney parks also have areas for younger kids to relax and play in the water.

    Royal Caribbean might seem like the ultimate cruise line for water parks, but it actually doesn’t feature the exciting water rides that you can find on Disney and Carnival ships. Still, their water parks are a lot of fun, especially for younger children. They have two parks, H20 Zone and Splashaway Bay. Each has a colorful and bright design accompanied by pools, buckets, and water cannons.

    Any of these three cruise lines would make an excellent choice for any water park fanatic. They all offer plenty of opportunities for excitement. Kids and adults love them equally, especially those crazy water slides!

  • The Most Adventurous Carnival Cruise Destinations

    The Most Adventurous Carnival Cruise Destinations

    Carnival Cruise is known for affordable and convenient itineraries. But they also offer many cruises to very adventurous destinations. They sail all around the world, and their iconic Caribbean cruises are only a small portion of their full cruise calendar. Whether you’re interested in spotting rare wildlife, sailing beneath ice-capped mountains, or visiting obscure and harsh environments, there’s a Carnival itinerary for you.

    One of our absolute favorite spots for an adventurous Carnival cruise is New Zealand. The nation is known for being home to multiple different biomes from subtropical forests to alpine regions. Carnival itineraries in the area leave from Sydney, Australia and visit incredible locations such as the Bay of Islands and Fiordland Park. Although you’ll be able to take in beautiful sites like fjords and coastal communities, the average price of these itineraries is still low. Most are between $600 and $700. With travel restrictions in Australia easing recently, now is a great time to take advantage of Carnival’s awesome New Zealand itineraries.

    Another amazing cruise destination that can’t be missed is Alaska. Carnival has a number of different itineraries to The Last Frontier, and all of them give travelers many opportunities for adventure. Their six-day Alaskan cruise from Seattle is a great example: you’ll get to explore Juneau and Ketchikan in addition to sailing through the scenic Tracy Arm Fjord. You can walk across a glacier, hop in a plane for some flightseeing, or even climb a mountain during your stay in Alaska. The prices are great, with itineraries starting at just $319. If you’ve never been to the state before, booking a Carnival cruise from Seattle is an excellent way to plan your first visit.

    As exciting as Alaska is, it’s still a pretty well-traveled area. If you want to get more off the beaten path, you can check out Carnival’s cruises to Tasmania. The largest Australian island, Tasmania is known for diverse flora and fauna. Yes, you might even get the chance to see a Tasmanian devil during your visit! Many of these itineraries feature stops in Hobart, the island’s capital city. You can climb up to the city’s skyline on Mount Wellington or go surfing in Clifton Beach. Of course, if you’re feeling like having more of a relaxed vacation, Tasmania has plenty of opportunities for that as well. From Sydney, itineraries to Tasmania begin at just $297.

    Opting for more adventurous destinations is a great way to get even more out of a cruise vacation. There’s nothing wrong with the usual locations like Mexico and Aruba, but heading to places that offer exciting experiences can be even more fun. Carnival allows you to do that at an affordable price.

  • Cruise Demand is Going Up Once Again

    Cruise Demand is Going Up Once Again

    The demand for cruises has been a bit shaky over the past few years. While it has generally remained high despite the pandemic, it has had low periods recently. Thankfully, a myriad of factors are combining to bring demand for cruises up once again. Both Royal Caribbean and Carnival have been reporting high booking numbers, signalling a bright future for the cruise industry.

    On April 4th, 2022, Carnival released some very exciting news: they had broken single-week booking numbers at the end of March. During the week of March 28th to April 3rd, the iconic cruise line saw more bookings than they ever had before. For the most part, Carnival contributed this success to the general reawakening of the industry. In a statement, the president of Carnival cited “the excitement of the industry’s restart, our successful return of our entire fleet,” and a few other factors as being the driving reasons. According to Cruise Industry News, their new record-shattering week showed “a double-digit increase from the previous record seven-day booking total.”

    Similarly, Royal Caribbean also recently broke personal booking records. In fact, they broke two! March 26th to April 1st was their busiest booking week of all time, and one of the days within that week was also their single most successful day ever. Michael Bayley, the CEO and president of the cruise line, spoke about the exciting news during a press release on April 8th. “The enthusiasm and excitement for the successful return of cruising is undeniable. We could not have reached this incredible milestone without the unwavering support of our loyal guests, our valued travel advisors and partners, and the Royal Caribbean International team around the world,” he said.

    This is great news for both Royal and Carnival, and one can assume that this same level of demand is being seen throughout the entire industry. Of course, whether this trend continues or not largely depends on the COVID-19 situation. Historically, large waves of infections have resulted in tighter restrictions on cruise ships, and that led to lower interest in cruise travel. The CDC has now lowered their cruise warning, though, and the current situation is looking very optimistic.

    Could things change drastically in the next few months and tip the industry back on its head? It is possible. But there is enough momentum behind cruising right now that heavy restrictions would likely need to be put into place to slow the excitement. We’ll have to wait and see how the spring and summer seasons play out.

  • Great 2023 Carnival Cruise Line Itineraries

    Great 2023 Carnival Cruise Line Itineraries

    We won’t fault you if you’re already thinking of the 2023 cruise season. Carnival has plenty of itineraries that you can look forward to. At the moment, the status of the industry in 2022 looks a bit shaky, so it may make sense to book cruises for next year. It’s not too early in the year to be thinking about the future! To help you get excited, here are three cool 2023 itineraries from Carnival ranging from cheap and quick trips to adventures that are a bit more exciting.

    The Bahamas from Miami, FL

    A cruise vacation doesn’t need to be a major outing that requires you to take time off from work and away from your family. It can just be a short weekend jaunt to paradise, if that’s what you’re looking for. (And we have no idea why you wouldn’t be looking for that. Because it’s awesome.) There are multiple departure dates on this cruise throughout 2023, so you can pretty much just plan it for whenever works for you. And the best part? It’s very affordable at just $161. You start in Miami, spend a day in Nassau, and then return. Need we say more? We needn’t, but if you do wanna check out the details, head over here.

    Europe from London (Dover), England

    Want to spend a week cruising around Europe and taking in beautiful, historic sights? Yeah, we do too. It’s actually a pretty reasonable goal, too! This itinerary from Carnival departs on September 10th, 2023 and lasts for nine days. From London, you’ll visit various amazing locales around Spain and Portugal before settling at Rome. Travelers from the U.S. will need to arrange flights to London and from Rome, but that shouldn’t be too challenging. And for such a magnificent nine day cruise, the starting price of $774 isn’t bad at all. Read more on Carnival’s site.

    Canada and New England from Baltimore, MD

    This is a cruise that isn’t going to be for everyone. Not only is it in a relatively underrated location (most American cruise travelers head south rather than north), but it’s also definitely a commitment. This itinerary lasts for two weeks and starts at $1999. Still, you really get a bang for your buck. You’ll visit unbelievable locations like Nanortalik and Qaqortoq, small communities that are actually a part of Greenland. This is one adventure you certainly won’t forget. Just remember to save up some time off from work. Check it out here.

    The rest of Carnival’s 2023 calendar can be viewed here. Take a look if you’d like to see your other options!

  • Carnival Cruises Moves Forward with New Ships

    Carnival Cruises Moves Forward with New Ships

    Carnival is building up forward momentum despite the industry’s uncertain state. They have multiple new ships on the horizon. They currently have a fleet of 23 ships across eight classes, with the Carnival Mardi Gras being their largest by far. Let’s take a look at the new ships that are set to debut in the next few years.

    Unnamed Fortuna class ship

    The new ship that is prepared to sail the soonest is an unnamed ship that will belong to a class of its own, the Fortuna class. Carnival is expecting that the ship will sail for them sometime in summer of 2022. Before it can do that, though, it will need to undergo some serious changes. This actually isn’t a newbuild ship; instead, it’s the ship formerly known as Costa Magica. That means that Carnival will need to convert it to match with their fleet. As it was built in 2004, we can also expect some upgrades. The vessel is 102,874 tons, making it in the lower half of the brand’s fleet in terms of size. As it stands currently, we can expect a capacity of about 2700 guests.

    Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee

    Shortly after Carnival introduces the reformed Costa Magica to the world, they will be sailing with two new ships: Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee. Both are being built currently, but Celebration is nearing completion. It is expected to sail in fall of 2022. Jubilee will finish after Celebration and will sail beginning some time in 2023. As their names suggest, they will both be sister ships to Carnival’s flagship vessel, Mardi Gras. Interestingly, though, both are planned to be slightly larger than Mardi Gras. Celebration checks in at 183,900 tons while Jubilee will be a bit less at 182,800 tons. We don’t know too much about them yet, but we do know that Celebration will sail from Miami, Florida while Jubilee will sail from Galveston, Texas.

    Back in business

    These new ships will breathe some life into Carnival. The cruise line, like many others, is currently taking a phased approach back into sailing. It seems they are optimistic about the future, though, and they are slowly getting more and more of their fleet out onto the water. Carnival Pride sailed from Tampa, Florida on November 14th, marking their return to the port.

    All signs point towards Carnival successfully implementing these new ships and reinvigorating their brand after some shaky times during the pandemic. We’re looking forward to it!

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