5 Interesting Carnival Cruise Line Itineraries Taking Place This Year

With a fleet of 25 cruise ships and a global reach, Carnival Cruise Line is sailing from all major U.S. homeports in addition to having a presence in Europe and Australia.

Cruise Industry News selected some of the most interesting cruises being offered by the U.S.-based company still to take place in 2023.

Greenland and Canada from Baltimore
Ship: Carnival Legend
Date: August 13, 2023
Length: 14 nights
Homeports: Baltimore (United States)
Complete Itinerary: Sydney, St. Anthony and Corner Brook (Canada); Qaqortoq and Nanortalik (Greenland)

The Carnival Legend will offer a series of unique 14-night cruises to Greenland and Canada in August and September. Departing from Baltimore, the vessel is set to sail to the Arctic region, with itineraries that include visits to at least five ports.

On August 13, for instance, the vessel sails from Maryland on a two-week voyage that features stops at Sydney, St. Anthony and Corner Brook, in Canada, as well as Qaqortoq and Nanortalik, in Greenland.

British Islands and Ireland
Ship: Carnival Pride
Date: September 1, 2023
Length: Nine nights
Homeports: Dover (England)
Complete Itinerary: Greenock (Scotland); Dublin and Cork (Ireland); Belfast (Northern Ireland); Liverpool (England); and Holyhead (Wales)

Continuing its summer program in Europe, Carnival Pride is offering a nine-night cruise to the British Islands in September.

Sailing roundtrip from the Port of Dover, in England, the port-intensive itinerary sails to all of the major countries that are part of the United Kingdom, in addition to Ireland. Destinations set to be visited include Greenock, Dublin, Belfast, Liverpool, Holyhead and more.

Southern Caribbean with the Carnival Celebration
Ship: Carnival Celebration
Date: September 9, 2023
Length: Eight nights
Homeports: Miami (United States)
Complete Itinerary: Oranjestad (Aruba); Kralendijk (Bonaire); and Willemstad (Curaçao)

Adding more destinations to its regular cruise schedule, the Carnival Celebration is offering a few longer sailings to the Southern Caribbean during the remainder of the year.

Sailing from Carnival’s Terminal F in PortMiami, this eight-night cruise, for instance, is set to depart in September and features visits to the ABC Islands: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao.

Return to Mobile
Ship: Carnival Spirit
Date: October 6, 2023
Length: Eight nights
Homeports: Mobile (United States)
Complete Itinerary: Bimini, Freeport, Nassau and Half Moon Cay (Bahamas)

The Carnival Spirit will mark Carnival Cruise Line’s return to Mobile after a year-long gap. Starting in October, the 2001-built vessel will offer new itineraries from the Alabama homeport.

The first cruise of the program, for example, is an all-Bahamian trip that features visits to Bimini, Freeport and Nassau. Before returning to Mobile, the eight-night cruise also pays a visit to Half Moon Cay, one of Carnival Corporation’s private destinations in the country.

Mexican Riviera with La Paz
Ship: Carnival Panorama
Date: November 18, 2023
Length: Eight nights
Homeports: Long Beach (United States)
Complete Itinerary: La Paz, Mazatlán, Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta (Mexico)

Stepping away from its regular seven-night itinerary to the Mexican Riviera, the Carnival Panorama is offering a few longer sailings later this year.

On November 18, for instance, the ship sails from Long Beach on an eight-night cruise that, in addition to Mazatlán, Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta, adds a visit to another port of call: La Paz.

Britain Predicts a Record 2023 Cruise Season

According to numbers released by Cruise Britain, the cruise industry’s post-Covid transition year was a success with predictions for a projected record season in 2023, according to a press release.

“2022 was the first full year of cruise activity since the pandemic and really built upon the unprecedented success of the 2021 domestic season. What we are seeing now are the rewards for an industry that has consistently worked together to recover, regenerate and develop”, said Ian McQuade, chair of Cruise Britain. “Whilst Round Britain and Ireland cruise popularity continues to grow, we have now seen the successful return of itineraries where British port calls are part of a multi-country story of discovery.”

The previous record season for the UK was 2019 while in 2022, the UK welcomed a total of 2,176 cruise calls, which is a drop of 22 per cent compared to that record year. UK orts welcomed nearly 1.4 million guests, which is around 80 per cent of the 2019 numbers. In addition, visitors in 2022 brought around £100m to Britain’s coastal economies. 

“Looking ahead to this year, we see a very robust projected growth of 8 per cent in terms of port calls across the UK. Some regions such as the South West, North West and Scotland are reporting likely figures in excess of this national growth rate,” added McQuade. 

“This is a fantastic projection and the strength of the immediate growth trend is a testament to the increasing popularity of Britain as a cruise destination. We really can offer a port for every cruise ship currently sailing – from expedition ships to boutique and mid-range vessels up to the largest afloat.”

In the previous year, the UK welcomed 52 different cruise lines with ships visiting diverse ports including Belfast and Bristol, Portland and Portsmouth, Douglas (Isle of Man) and Dover, among others.

“The UK offers an incredibly diverse cruise holiday experience for guests and this is one of the most powerful reasons for the growth projections that we are seeing. Cruise Britain and all its members continue to work with cruise lines, industry partners and stakeholders, and government to support the development of cruise as a resilient and profitable sector of the travel industry,” concluded McQuade.

Cunard Unveils New Archive Exhibition

Cunard unveiled a new archive exhibition at the University of Liverpool’s Victoria Gallery & Museum on March 23, 2023.

According to a press release, Cunard’s “Travel in Style – Iconic Cunard Advertising in the 1920s and 1930s” exhibition was specially curated to display the cruise line’s seafaring heritage. It features original advertising materials and other documents from the past 100 years.

Lee Powell, vice president of brand and product at Cunard, said: “Cunard is world-renowned for inventing the golden era of ocean travel and this exhibition beautifully showcases the timelessness of our brand. Luxury, sophistication, and glamour are rooted in our DNA and these core values are as important to today’s guests as they were to travellers 100 years ago.

“While we cherish our heritage, we also use it as inspiration for forward-looking ideas when we plan for the future. Queen Anne is the next in a fine line for Cunard and she will be bursting with breath-taking moments around every corner; all of which contain subtle references to our history.”

The exhibition opens to the public on March 25 and will be on display in Gallery 5 at the museum.

The wider Cunard archives can be found at the University of Liverpool library with many records dating from the early part of the 1900s.

Siân Wilks, archivist (Cunard) at the University of Liverpool Library, said: “The Cunard archive contains most of the surviving business records produced by Cunard since it became a limited company in 1878. As a unique resource, the archive provides rich insight into the Company’s history and the social history of thousands of people whose lives Cunard impacted, including members of its crew, office staff and passengers.

“The exhibition will give visitors to Liverpool the opportunity to view a selection of original Cunard travel posters that are not normally accessible due to their large size and preservation requirements. Printed advertisements and ephemera will also be on display, which will include examples of memorabilia that have been donated by members of the public, reflecting their personal experiences of travelling with Cunard.”