Royal Caribbean International has announced its new Wonder of the Seas will homeport at Port Canaveral beginning November 2022, according to a press release.
The Wonder will sail seven-night itineraries to the Eastern and Western Caribbean from the port.
Destination highlights include Cozumel, Mexico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; and San Juan, Puerto Rico; and each cruise will visit Perfect Day at CocoCay.
“We’re very proud to have Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas homeport here, and we look forward to welcoming her next fall,” stated Capt. John Murray, Port CEO. “This is terrific news for our entire Port community and another endorsement of our commitment to excellence in providing a world-class experience for our cruise guests.”
Carnival Cruise Line has extended the availability of coronavirus testing at its homeports through the end of December 2021. This was announced in a Facebook post by the cruise line’s brand ambassador John Heald.
The testing is available for vaccinated guests who sail from Galveston, Baltimore, New Orleans and Long beach through DocGo and for vaccinated passengers sailing from Miami, Port Canaveral and Tampa via Rapid Cruise Testing.
Appointments must be made online and are non-refundable at the price of $100 per person.
Heald asked Carnival guests to use the homeport testing services only if they “exhausted all other ways to get tested such as tests by your local pharmacy, monitored home tests etc.”
“This will be more affordable plus most importantly it will give you peace of mind knowing you already have your negative result 48 hours before your fun starts,” Heald explained.
Any appointment made with the testing centres and not taken will not be refunded in December, according to him.
“The reason for this is that we had people not show up and then ask for a refund which in turn meant that people who wanted appointments could not get them. So, for December there will be no refunds made,” Heald explained.
Carnival Cruise Line’s celebratory cruise following the christening of its new flagship Mardi Gras last Saturday made its first stop with a call in San Juan, Puerto Rico, according to a press release.
As part of the festivities on Oct. 26, the reigning Miss Universe, Puerto Rico, Estefania Soto-Torres and the incoming Miss Universe, Puerto Rico, Michelle Colón welcomed some “very special guests” to their home island, Carnival said. The guests were Miss Universe Andrea Meza, Mardi Gras Godmother and Miss Universe, Dominican Republic, Kimberly Jiménez and Miss USA Asya Branch, as well as Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy.
The Mardi Gras was christened during a “Universe of Fun” celebration on Oct. 23 in Port Canaveral, Florida. The celebration marked the first ship naming ceremony held in the U.S. since the cruise industry’s restart this summer. Godmother Jiménez blessed the ship in both English and Spanish and activated the traditional champagne bottle break, officially naming the ship.
“We are thrilled to be back in Puerto Rico and allow our destinations to participate in the celebration of our new ship,” said Duffy. “And to be welcomed by the current and incoming Miss Universe, Puerto Rico has made it even more special.”
The Mardi Gras is the first cruise ship in the Americas to be powered by Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) and features BOLT, the first rollercoaster at sea.
The 5,200-passenger ship also features a host of entertainment experiences throughout its 19 decks and six themed zones, including the shipboard version of the hit TV show Family Feud and more than two dozen restaurants with venues from Guy Fieri, Emeril Lagasse, Rudi Sodamin and the line’s Chief Fun Officer Shaquille O’Neal.
The Mardi Gras is sailing year-round from Port Canaveral, offering seven-day itineraries to the eastern and western Caribbean.
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