Carnival Unveils Details for Celebration Key’s Paradise Plaza and Calypso Lagoon

Posted on 24 March, 2024 by Spacejunkie2

Carnival Cruise Line revealed details for Paradise Plaza and Calypso Lagoon, two of the five portals at its new Celebration Key destination on Grand Bahama set to debut in July 2025.

Paradise Plaza will feature a promenade, a 10-story-high Suncastle, live music and more. Destination information will help guests decide how they want to spend their day, whether by playing water sports, joining shore excursions or relaxing. There is also a Bahamian-themed fountain and ice cream shop.

The adult-friendly Calypso Lagoon, located west of Paradise Plaza, offers guests a chance to engage in athletic activities or take a dip in the freshwater lagoon surrounded by loungers, daybeds or cabanas.

On one side of the lagoon, guests will find a bar with nearly 50 swings so guests can dip their toes in the cool water while enjoying Bahamian cocktails. Additional bars are located around Calypso Lagoon as well as two full-service restaurants and casual snack shacks.

A section of Calypso Lagoon and the adjacent beach will be reserved for adults only. In this area, guests will find a swim-up bar with a DJ keeping the energy going all day.

“When guests see our Suncastle as they arrive at Celebration Key, they’ll know immediately they’re in for big FUN. Paradise Plaza will be the perfect welcome spot and will set the tone for the entire visit to this truly unique destination. These new details show the creative design that’s gone into the development of each portal, with Calypso Lagoon alone offering a wide variety of options to fill the day while honoring the beauty of Grand Bahama and celebrating Bahamian culture,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

Carnival: Wave Season Sales Exceeding Expectations

Posted on 31 January, 2024 by Spacejunkie2

Carnival Pride arriving in Liverpool UK, photo credit Spacejunkie2 Flickr Account.

Carnival Corporation announced that it has experienced an early and robust start to wave season (peak booking period), exceeding expectations, with bookings volumes since November hitting an all-time high.

According to a statement, for 2024, the company continues to have the best booked position on record, with both pricing (in constant currency) and occupancy considerably higher than 2023 levels.

The company said the first half of 2024 is almost fully booked and it said it believes its continued strong bookings momentum is expected to deliver outperformance during the year, offsetting the Red Sea rerouting impact.

Carnival Vista Crosses the Atlantic for Drydock in Spain

Posted on 18 January, 2024 by Spacejunkie2

The Carnival Vista just arrived in Europe for its upcoming routine drydock.

After leaving Port Canaveral on Jan. 8, the Carnival Cruise Line ship crossed the Atlantic on its way to Spain.

The 2016-built vessel is now set to undergo a two-week drydock at the Navantia shipyard in the Bay of Cádiz.

Work expected to be carried out onboard the Carnival Vista includes the addition of Carnival’s new hull livery, in addition to scheduled maintenance, class surveys and technical work.

The 135,000-ton vessel is also poised to see upkeep of its common areas and staterooms, as well as updates to facilities and venues.

Following the work, the Carnival Vista is set to cross the Atlantic on its back to North America before resuming service on Feb. 15.

On that day, the vessel sails from Port Canaveral for a three-night cruise to the Bahamas that features a visit to Nassau, in addition to a full day at sea.

After repositioning from Galveston in late 2023, the Carnival Vista kicked off a year-round program out of its new Central Florida homeport.

The ship’s regular schedule features six- and eight-night cruises to the Southern and the Eastern Caribbean.

Itineraries include popular ports of call in both regions, such as Half Moon Cay, Princess Cays, Aruba, Curaçao, San Juan, St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Nassau.

First in a series of three ships known as Vista Class, the Carnival Vista offers a series of features, including SkyRide, a suspended open-air cycling experience, and the Dreamscape, a three-deck-high LED sculpture located its main atrium.

The 4,000-guest cruise ship was later followed by the 2018-built Carnival Horizon, and the 2019-built Carnival Panorama.

Originally built for Costa Cruises, the 2019-built Carnival Venezia and the 2020-built Carnival Firenze are also considered part of the Vista Class.