Carnival Legend to Homeport in Galveston in 2025

Carnival Cruise Line announced that the Carnival Legend will be homeporting in Galveston in 2025, offering Western Caribbean sailings ranging from four to ten nights.

In addition, the Carnival Legend will offer two Panama Canal voyages, according to a statement.

“Carnival Legend’s deployment in Galveston strengthens our already robust portfolio of sailings from Texas, adding more variety to the offered itineraries, as well as another ship choice, and more opportunities for cruises to Mexico and other Western Caribbean that fit any vacation length,” said Fred Stein, Carnival’s vice president of revenue planning and deployment.

From the fall of 2025 through early 2026, the Carnival Legend will alternate between shorter and longer itineraries. Among the available sailings is a five-day voyage that visits Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico. Seven newly available 10-day itineraries feature ports of call in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Mahogany Bay, Roatan; Belize and Cozumel, Mexico.

Additionally, an eight-day Christmas sailing departing on December 18, 2025, will visit Mahogany Bay, Roatan; Belize and Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico.

Ahead of its move to Galveston, the ship will sail a 16-day Carnival Journeys sailing departing from San Francisco on October 6, 2025. Ports of call include Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and Puntarenas, Costa Rica before transiting the Panama Canal, and then Cartagena, Colombia before arriving in Galveston. A second 14-day Carnival Journeys cruise sails roundtrip from Galveston and departs on February 2, 2026. Ports of call include Montego Bay, Jamaica; Aruba; Curacao; Cartagena, Colombia; Colon (Panama Canal), Panama; Limon, Costa Rica and Cozumel, Mexico. Additionally, the Carnival Legend will offer three 10-day Panama Canal sailings departing on Oct. 27 Dec. 8, 2025, and March 16, 2026.

The Carnival Legend’s Galveston cruises open for sale on September 21.

Celebrity Cruises Reveals Details on Celebrity Ascent

Celebrity Cruises revealed details about its upcoming ship, the Celebrity Ascent, set to launch this November.

The Celebrity Ascent will be based in South Florida for the 2023-2024 Caribbean season.

The ship will offer departures from Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale from December 2023 to April 2024, exploring destinations like the Bahamas, Grand Cayman, Puerto Rico, and the British Virgin Islands before heading to Europe for a summer of Mediterranean cruises, according to a press release.

“I am so excited to introduce the world to Celebrity Ascent and continue the legacy of Celebrity’s Edge Series,” said Celebrity Cruises’ President Laura Hodges Bethge. “First launched in 2018, the Edge Series transformed what cruising could be and its ships like Edge, Apex and Beyond quickly became consumer favorites. Continuously striving to offer travellers a better way to enjoy travel and reach the world around them, we are so proud of what we have built and look forward to welcoming both seasoned and new cruisers alike.”

In addition to returning favourites such as the Theatre, the Rooftop Garden and the Sunset Bar, guests can look forward to new experiences including:

  • Redesigned Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud restaurant;
  • A plant-based tasting menu at Eden Restaurant;
  • Le Petit Chef dinner;
  • Bourbon offerings and tastings;
  • The Martini Bar;
  • Revitalized Main Dining Experience inspired by the culture of champagne.
  • The outdoor terrace at Blu.

The ship will also feature nightly entertainment at the Resort Deck, new production shows, a reimagined Casino floor and a redesigned art gallery. In addition, guests will have the opportunity to shop travel and home accessories at The Sunset Collection by Nate Berkus

Royal Caribbean Ship Saves Men Trapped at Sea for 20 Days

Royal Caribbean's Empress of the SeasPHOTO: Royal Caribbean International’s Empress of the Seas. (photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean International)A Royal Caribbean ship forced to change its itinerary due to storms found and rescued two sailors Friday who had been stranded at sea for 20 days.

According to the Miami Herald, Royal Caribbean’s Empress of the Seas departed from Miami on December 17 and was sailing between Grand Cayman and Jamaica as part of the storm-impacted itinerary.

Crew members operating the radar system for the Empress of the Seas noticed an anomaly that turned out to be a small fishing boat floating in the water. Royal Caribbean called for emergency rescue and pulled the two men who had been stranded for 20 days out of the water.

Royal Caribbean Chief Meteorologist James Van Fleet shared images of the rescue and praised the quick thinking of the ship’s crew on Twitter:

View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter

James Van Fleet@JamesVanFleet

More pics to share from @RoyalCaribbean rescuing 2 Mariners who had been at Sea for 20 DAYS in that small boat between and ! See last pic for story. UNREAL and so PROUD of Officers and Crew! Thank you @jleberle and @caryjames007 for pics.

228 people are talking about this

The Empress of the Seas is scheduled to return to Miami on December 23 after visits to George Town, Grand Cayman Island; Cienfuegos, Cuba; and Havana, Cuba.