Carnival Magic Repositions to Miami

Carnival Magic in Palma, Majorca photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr account)

The Carnival Magic arrived in Miami today to kick off a series of cruises to the Caribbean.

Sailing from its new year-round homeport in South Florida, the 3,650-guest vessel is set to offer a series of six- to eight-night itineraries to different destinations in the region.

The first cruise of the program includes six days cruising to the Eastern Caribbean, with planned visits to Half Moon Cay, in the Bahamas; Grand Turk, in Turks and Caicos; and Amber Cove, in the Dominican Republic.

Cruises to the Western Caribbean are also part of the program, including six-night itineraries to Mexico and Belize, and seven-night cruises to Mexico and Honduras.

The Carnival Magic is also set to cruise to the Southern Caribbean from Miami, offering eight-night itineraries that feature destinations in Aruba, Curaçao, and more.

Other ports of call included in the ship’s itineraries include St. Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Philipsburg, in St. Maarten, Nassau, in the Bahamas, and more.

With the Carnival Magic now based in Miami as well, a total of five Carnival Cruise Line ships are sailing from the South Florida homeport on a year-round basis.

The Carnival Celebration, the Carnival Horizon, the Carnival Conquest and the Carnival Sunrise complete the company’s fleet in PortMiami.

Offering three- to eight-night cruises to the Bahamas and the Caribbean, the vessels sail to popular destinations in the region, such as Nassau, Princess Cays, George Town, La Romana, Puerto Rico and more.

A sister to the 2009-built Carnival Dream, the Carnival Magic originally entered service in 2011. Built in Italy by the Fincantieri shipyard, the vessel offers several facilities and attractions, including a large casino, a multi-level theater and an extensive array of dining venues.

The Magic also boasts innovative features, including an outdoors sports complex named Sports Square and The Lanai, a wrap-around promenade with whirlpools that extend out over the ship’s sides.

Five Cruise Ships and Nearly 20,000 Guests Visit St. Maarten

St. Maarten cruise port, photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)

Nearly 20,000 guests visited St. Maarten on Tuesday onboard five different cruise ships. Offering cruises to different parts of the Caribbean, the MSC Seaside, the Harmony of the Seas, the Carnival Magic, the Harmony of the Seas and the Norwegian Epic docked at the Port of Philipsburg.

Wrapping up a season in the Southern Caribbean, the MSC Seaside offers a seven-night voyage in the region.

After sailing from Martinique on April 8, the cruise also features visits to Guadeloupe, Antigua, Barbados and Dominica.

Following the round-trip itinerary, the MSC Cruises ship is set to reposition to Port Canaveral – its homeport for the upcoming summer season.

Meanwhile, the Harmony of the Seas offers a seven-night cruise to the Eastern Caribbean departing from Miami. The itinerary, which left South Florida on April 8, also includes visits to St. Thomas and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Another ship based in Florida, the Carnival Magic sailed from Port Canaveral on April 8 for an eight-night cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. In addition to St. Maarten, the Carnival Cruise Line ship is set to visit Grand Turk, San Juan and St. Kitts before returning to its homeport.

Also sailing from the Sunshine State, the Celebrity Constellation visited the Port of Philipsburg as part of a ten-night cruise that departed from Tampa on April 7. Set to be followed by a transatlantic crossing to Europe, the itinerary also features St. Thomas, San Juan, Dominican Republic and Antigua as ports of call.

Based in Puerto Rico, the Norwegian Epic offers a seven-night cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. The itinerary sailed from San Juan on April 9 and also includes visits to St. Lucia and other destinations in the region.

Set to reposition to the Mediterranean, the Norwegian Cruise Line ship offers an additional itinerary in the region before departing on a transatlantic crossing on April 22.

Carnival Restarts Homeport Operations in New York City

The Carnival Magic arrived in New York City on Thursday, marking the return of yet another homeport for the Carnival Cruise Line.

The vessel is now set to offer a series of four- to nine-night cruises to Bermuda, Canada and the Caribbean departing from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal.

For its first sailing from the city since 2019, the Magic is operating a four-night itinerary to Bermuda.

In addition to two and a half days at sea, the cruise includes an eight-hour stop in King’s Wharf.

Running through late September, the New York program also features different week-long itineraries to the Caribbean visiting Grand Turk, the Bahamas, San Juan, St. Maarten, St. Thomas and more.

In September, the ship is offering two sailings to Canada as well. Sailing seven-night itineraries, the cruises feature calls in Saint John, Sydney and Halifax.

A Dream-class vessel, the Carnival Magic debuted in 2011 and offers a host of facilities and services.

In addition to traditional features such as a casino and a theatre, the vessel has the SportsSquare, an expansive sports complex with a ropes course and an outdoor fitness area, and The Lanai, a wrap-around promenade with whirlpools that extend out over the ship’s sides.

The vessel also offers an indoor/outdoor café and live entertainment venue called Ocean Plaza, as well as Carnival WaterWorks aqua park and a Serenity adults-only retreat.

Other attractions include the RedFrog Pub, a Caribbean-inspired watering hole with its own private label beer, and Cucina del Capitano, an Italian family-style restaurant that brings the heritage of Carnival’s captains to the table.

After first welcoming guests back in July 2021, Carnival Cruise Line completed its restart plans last month.

On May 2, the Carnival Splendor became the last vessel to resume service for the brand, marking the return of its entire 23-ship fleet.

With the return to New York City, Carnival has also resumed revenue operations from 14 homeports.