The port of Cadiz in Spain today welcomed the MSC Seascape for the ship’s maiden call before she sets sail across the Atlantic for her official naming ceremony on Dec. 7 in New York.
The maritime tradition of a Crest Exchange took place onboard MSC’s newest ship between Master of the Vessel Captain Francesco Di Palma and officials from the Spanish port authority and Cadiz’s Councillor for Tourism, Montemayor Mures.
The ship is operating a 17-night Grand Voyage from Europe to the USA with 3,255 guests onboard according to a company statement.
The MSC Seascape will next call Funchal in Madeira and King’s Wharf in Bermuda before arriving in Manhattan on Dec. 5.
MSC said the ship will be the cruise line’s first ship to be named in New York to reflect MSC Cruises’ commitment to the North American market and the ceremony will be celebrated at the city’s Manhattan Cruise Terminal.
The ship will sail to Miami immediately following the event for an inaugural season in the Caribbean with two different 7-night itineraries from PortMiami:
Eastern Caribbean: Calling at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve and Nassau in The Bahamas, San Juan in Puerto Rico, and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic
Western Caribbean: Calling at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Cozumel in Mexico, George Town in the Cayman Islands and Ocho Rios in Jamaica
Carnival Cruise Line today opened reservations for the inaugural season of its next new ship, the Carnival Venezia, which will begin sailing year-round from New York City starting June 15, 2023, and will showcase “Carnival Fun Italian Style,” the company said.
The ship will offer guests a wide range of sailing options, with 10 different cruise durations and 22 unique itineraries featuring visits to 25 ports across 14 countries.
“Our summer season in New York has been extremely popular, so increasing our offerings with a larger, newer ship that sails year-round provides the opportunity for more guests in the tri-state area and beyond to enjoy the convenience of sailing right from Manhattan,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Carnival Venezia will give guests our signature fun, combined with Italian theming, to beautiful destinations from The Bahamas and the Caribbean to Bermuda and Canada.”
Following a 15-day trans-Atlantic Carnival Journeys cruise from Barcelona that departs on May 29, 2023, the Carnival Venezia will sail a variety of cruises from New York’s Manhattan Cruise Terminal, and for the summer will alternate between sailing four-, five- six- and eight-day sailings to the Caribbean, Bermuda and ports in Canada and New England, including Halifax and Saint John.
Beginning Sept. 29, 2023, the ship will alternate between operating eight- to 12-day cruises to the Eastern Caribbean, Southern Caribbean and The Bahamas, visiting destinations like St. Thomas, San Juan and Aruba, along with four of Carnival’s private destinations: Half Moon Cay, Princess Cays, Amber Cove and Grand Turk. In addition, Carnival Venezia’s nine-day cruises will feature Miami as a port of call.
Sample Cruises:
Nine-Day sailing to Miami and the Bahamas (10/14/2023) – Miami, Nassau, Half Moon Cay and Freeport, Bahamas
10-day Eastern Caribbean sailing (1/23/2024) – Princess Cays, Bahamas; Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos; Amber Cove, Dominican Republic and San Juan, Puerto Rico
12-day Southern Caribbean Carnival Journeys sailing (2/11/2024) – Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Maarten
15-day Caribbean Carnival Journeys sailing (9/29/2023) – Grand Turk, Aruba, Curacao, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Maarten and St. Thomas
Built-in 2019 and set to undergo enhancements before entering service, Carnival Venezia will be home to many of the activities and experiences guests enjoy aboard other Carnival ships, including Carnival Waterworks, Piano Bar 88, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, Bonsai Sushi, Seafood Shack, Cloud 9 Salon & Spa and the Serenity Adult-Only Retreat.
In 2024, Carnival Cruise Line will welcome a second Carnival Fun Italian Style ship, when the Carnival Firenze joins the fleet, scheduled to sail year-round from Long Beach, Calif.
Ahead of its first complete season in the Caribbean, the two-week repositioning cruise sailed from Barcelona. It included visits to four additional ports in Spain: Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, Cartagena and Malaga.
Before arriving in Florida, the vessel also paid a visit to Nassau, the Bahamas.
Now set to sail from Port Canaveral on a weekly basis, the Oasis-Class ship will offer a year-round schedule of cruises to both the Western and Eastern Caribbean.
For its first sailing from Central Florida, the Wonder offers a seven-night itinerary to the Eastern Caribbean.
In addition to three full days at sea, the voyage features visits to St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Perfect Day at CocoCay.
A highlight of the deployment, the Royal Caribbean International private island in the Bahamas is set to be featured on most of Wonder’s cruises.
Other destinations set to be visited by the 5,448-guest ship include Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatán, Labadee, San Juan, Falmouth and more.
Built-in 2022, the Wonder is the latest vessel in the company’s Oasis Class and debuted as the world’s largest cruise ship.
Following the 2009-built Oasis of the Seas, the 2010-built Allure of the Seas, the 2016-built Harmony of the Seas and the 2018-built Symphony of the Seas, the vessel debuted new features, such as a lineup of more than 20 dining venues that include the all-new The Mason Jar Southern Restaurant & Bar.
With a menu of Southern staples and new twists on classics, the venue offers live music, a collection of more than a dozen American whiskey and more.
Completing the ship series, a sixth Oasis-Class vessel, the Utopia of the Seas, is set to debut in 2024.
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