Carnival To Enhance Leadership Position In Tampa And Long Beach With The Addition Of New Year-Round Ships

MIAMI, Nov. 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Cruise Line will expand capacity in two key markets with Carnival Miracle operating seven-day Caribbean cruises from Tampa and Carnival Splendor offering week-long Mexican Riviera cruises from Long Beach, Calif., beginning in 2018.

Prior to launching service from their new homeports, both ships will offer extended Panama Canal cruises in January 2018 that will feature a variety of spectacular ports throughout the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. Carnival Splendor will also operate unique 14-day Hawaii cruises round trip from Long Beach.

With these capacity increases, Carnival is further bolstering its leadership position in two popular homeports, adding a second year-round ship in Tampa with Carnival Miracle and a newer, larger vessel on the West Coast with Carnival Splendor.

"Tampa and Long Beach are both highly convenient and popular homeports and we're delighted to provide our guests with exciting new year-round cruise vacation choices in these two markets," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.   

Seven-Day Cruises From Tampa Aboard Carnival Miracle
Carnival Miracle will launch a year-round schedule of seven-day Caribbean sailings from Tampa Jan. 27, 2018, becoming the second ship based at the popular southwestern Florida port.  The week-long adventures depart on Saturdays and Sundays and feature four of the Caribbean's most popular ports of call: George Town, Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico; and Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan; and Belize City, Belize, each of which offer world-class beaches, water sports and a variety of shore excursion opportunities.

The seven-day voyages from Tampa are part of Carnival's exclusive Cozumel Plus program, which feature extended stays that provide guests even more opportunities to experience and explore one of the Caribbean's most diverse vacation destinations.  On Cozumel Plus itineraries, guests have access to a variety of new excursions, many taking place on Mexico's mainland – with unforgettable tours like swimming with whale sharks, visiting centuries-old ruins and swimming in hidden caverns, complementing nearly 50 existing tours already available.

The 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle joins the 2,052-passenger Carnival Paradise which operates year-round four- and five-day Caribbean cruises from Tampa.  Carnival is the only year-round cruise operator from Tampa. The two ships will offer the widest variety of four-, five- and seven-day itineraries from Tampa and carry 320,000 guests annually.

Week-Long Mexican Riviera Cruises Aboard Carnival Splendor
The 3,006-passenger Carnival Splendor will launch a year-round schedule of seven-day Mexican Riviera cruises from Long Beach, beginning Jan. 27, 2018, replacing Carnival Miracle and representing a 41 percent capacity increase on the line's week-long cruises from the West Coast.

Three different itineraries will be offered, each featuring stunning destinations along the Mexican Riviera. One itinerary visits Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta, another spends two days at Cabo San Lucas and a full day in Puerto Vallarta, and a third overnights in Puerto Vallarta with a day-long call in Cabo San Lucas, as well.  On these cruises, guests can relax on beautiful beaches, visit centuries-old historical sites and enjoy unforgettable dining and shopping experiences.

Carnival Splendor will join Carnival Inspiration and Carnival Imagination which both offer three- and four-day Baja cruises from Long Beach.  With the addition of Carnival Splendor, the line will carry upwards of 700,000 guests annually from Southern California, operating nearly 250 three- to 14-day cruises a year.  

Exciting Panama Canal and Hawaii Cruises
Carnival Splendor will also offer a special 13-day Panama Canal cruise departing Miami Jan. 14, and arriving in Long Beach Jan. 27, 2018, becoming the first Carnival ship to transit the newly opened Panama Canal locks and providing guests the opportunity to experience this engineering marvel firsthand.  The cruise will visit Cartagena prior to the Panama Canal transit, then call at Puntarenas, Costa Rica; Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala; and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. 

Additionally, Carnival Splendor will operate two 14-day Carnival Journeys cruises to Hawaii round-trip from Long Beach – one departing Oct. 13, 2018, and the other Dec. 1, 2018 and visiting four breathtaking Hawaiian destinations – Maui, Honolulu, Kona and Hilo, as well as a call at Ensenada, Mexico.

Carnival Miracle will offer a 14-day Panama Canal cruise departing Long Beach, Calif., Jan. 13, and arriving in Tampa Jan. 27, 2018.  Ports of call include Cabo San Lucas; Puerto Quetzal; and Puntarenas; followed by a transit of the Panama Canal, then stops at Cartagena, Colombia; and George Town, Grand Cayman. Carnival Miracle will also offer a unique eight-day Panama Canal cruise round-trip from Tampa April 14-22, 2018, with stops at Limon, Costa Rica; prior to a partial transit of the Panama Canal, then a call at Grand Cayman.

A special 14-day Carnival Journeys cruise featuring a partial transit of the Panama Canal along with visits to Cozumel, Limon, Cartagena, Aruba, Curacao and Ocho Rios, will also be offered by Carnival Miracle round-trip from Tampa Dec. 2-16, 2018.

Guests sailing on Carnival Journeys cruises enjoy unique local dining and entertainment experiences and a number of shipboard enrichment activities. 

Wide Variety of On-Board Amenities and Features
Carnival Miracle and Carnival Splendor each offer a variety of onboard amenities, including an elegant American-style steakhouse, a Serenity adults-only retreat, multiple swimming pools, a cascading water slide, and luxurious spa facilities.

Family friendly options include complimentary programs for kids in three age groups, as well as the exclusive Seuss at Sea program, operated in conjunction with Dr. Seuss Enterprises.

Additional Information and Reservations
For additional information and reservations on Carnival Cruise Line, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit www.carnival.com. 

Carnival can also be found on:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/carnivalcruise 
Facebook Fan Page: www.facebook.com/carnival 
YouTube: www.youtube.com/carnival 
Instagram: www.instagram.com/carnival 

Journalists also can visit Carnival's media site, www.carnival-news.com or follow the line's PR department on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CarnivalPR.

About Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival, a unit of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), is "The World's Most Popular Cruise Line®" with 25 ships operating three- to 16-day voyages to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.  The 133,500-ton Carnival Horizon is currently under construction and set to debut in 2018. Additionally, two new 180,000-ton ships are scheduled to enter service in 2020 and 2022. 

SOURCE Carnival Cruise Line

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