Tag Archives: Mahogany Bay

Carnival Celebration Visits Mahogany Bay for the First Time

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Continuing its first cruise to the Western Caribbean, the new Carnival Celebration arrived at the Mahogany Bay Cruise Center for its maiden call on Thursday.

The call also marked the first time the new Carnival Cruise Line vessel visited Honduras.

After entering service with a transatlantic crossing in early November, the Celebration started its debut season on Nov. 21.

Following a special christening ceremony in Miami, the LNG-powered kicked off a series of week-long cruises to the Caribbean. After leaving Miami on Nov. 27, the ship’s current sailing also included the maiden visits to Mexico’s Cozumel and Costa Maya.

The 5,200-guest ship is now set to make regular visits to Mahogany Bay as part of its year-round schedule of Caribbean cruises.

Departing from Port Miami every Sunday, the itineraries also include visits to ports in the Eastern Caribbean.

Developed by Carnival Corporation in partnership with a local businessman, the Mahogany Bay Cruise Center opened in 2009.

A popular cruise destination in the Western Caribbean, the facility serves the Roatan island in Honduras Bay Islands.

In addition to a two-ship cruise pier, the cruise terminal offers a welcome centre and a variety of retail outlets, including two themed bars, a restaurant and several shops.

A chair lift system takes guests from the welcome centre to Mahogany Beach, a 10-acre private island featuring an 825-foot-long white-sand beach with a beach volleyball court and water sports opportunities.

Along with the new Celebration, the Carnival Pride also visited Mahogany Bay on Dec. 1. The vessel is presently offering a seven-night cruise to Mexico, Belize and Honduras departing from Tampa.

A third ship, the Norwegian Breakaway, was also docked at a different cruise terminal in Roatan. The Norwegian Cruise Line vessel is offering week-long Western Caribbean cruises departing from New Orleans.

Carnival’s Mardi Gras Completes One Year in Service

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The new Mardi Gras from Carnival Cruise Line has just completed its first year in service. As the first ship in Carnival Cruise Line’s XL-Class, the vessel welcomed its first guests on July 31, 2021.

On that day, it departed Port Canaveral on an inaugural cruise to the Eastern Caribbean.

The seven-night voyage included visits to San Juan, Amber Cove and Nassau and three full days at sea.

Continuing its debut season, the 5,200-guest ship offered other cruises in the region over the last year, also visiting the Western Caribbean and other destinations such as Cozumel, Roatán, Grand Turk, Mahogany Bay and more.

As the first LNG-powered cruise ship to be homeport in the United States, the Mardi Gras is considered one of the most eco-friendly vessels sailing from the country.

With several new features, the 183,900-ton ship is also the largest and one of the most innovative vessels ever built for Carnival.

Among its attractions are BOLT, the industry’s first roller coaster, and a selection of new dining venues, including Emeril’s Bistro 1396, Shaq’s Big Chicken, Chibang! and Street Eats.

The Mardi Gras is set to be joined by the second XL-Class vessel later this year when the new Carnival Celebration enters service.

Currently, under construction in Finland, the vessel is set to debut in November, kicking off a program of Caribbean cruises departing from PortMiami.  

Marking the arrival of the XL-Class to Texas, the Carnival Jubilee will be the third ship in the series. Based in Galveston, the ship is scheduled to enter service in November 2023.

In addition to the XL-Class vessels, the Carnival Cruise Line fleet is also receiving three extra ships over the next few years.

Presently sailing for Costa, the Carnival Luminosa will debut for the brand this November, with a series of cruises in Australia.

In 2023 and 2024, respectively, Carnival is also receiving the Costa Venezia and the Costa Firenze.

The Vista-Class ships will operate under the Costa by Carnival label, which combines Costa’s Italian hardware with Carnival’s service, entertainment and cuisine.

After All-Nighter, Carnival Glory Patched and Cruising

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Carnival Glory Repaired

The Carnival Glory has sailed on her Christmas cruise from New Orleans after an all-night effort to repair damage to the ship following a collision in Cozumel with the Carnival Legend on Friday.

Crews worked through the night to enclose the aft dining room which took the brunt of the damage, removing damage and welding in new steel to cover the opening. 

Carnival Glory

The 2003-built ship departed a day late on her itinerary, but passengers were able to board on Dec. 22 as scheduled. The itinerary called for a sea day on Dec. 23 followed by calls in Cozumel, Costa Maya, Mahogany Bay before two more sea days and a conclusion in New Orleans on Sunday, Dec. 29.

Carnival honored refunds for guests that opted not to join the sailing. For passengers embarking, they received one day pro-rated refund and a $100 onboard credit per stateroom.