Carnival Venezia Heading to Port Canaveral in 2024

Posted on 17 May, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

Carnival Cruise Line announced the Venezia will move from New York to Port Canaveral in late 2024, according to a press release.

“The sailings we’re opening today will allow us to share this new signature fun with more guests and bring another truly dynamic offering to one of our most popular homeports,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Carnival Venezia’s seasonal operation in Port Canaveral will bring our deployment there to five vessels and give our valued Carnival guests another great option when sailing from Central Florida.”

The cruise line will reposition the Carnival Venezia from New York with a 12-day Southern Caribbean Carnival Journeys voyage which departs on December 6, 2024, with calls in St. Thomas, Aruba, Curacao and Grand Turk before arriving in Port Canaveral on December 18, 2024.

The ship will depart from Port Canaveral on the same day embarking on a four-day Bahamas cruise with visits to Nassau and Freeport. The Carnival Venezia will then sail 15 seven-day cruises and two 14-day Carnival Journeys voyages. The ship will return to New York in the spring of 2025.

Sailings aboard the Carnival Venezia from Port Canaveral currently on sale include:

Seven-day Exotic Eastern Caribbean cruise departing on December 22, 2024, with calls in Grand Turk; San Juan, Puerto Rico and St. Thomas;
Seven-Day Exotic Eastern Caribbean voyage departing on January 5, 2025, with visits to Amber Cove; San Juan, Puerto Rico and St. Thomas;
Seven-Day Exotic Western Caribbean cruise departing on December 29, 2024, January 26, 2025, and March 23, 2025, visiting Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan; Belize and Cozumel, Mexico;
Seven-Day Western Caribbean itinerary departing on February 9, 2025, and March 9, 2025, with stops at Nassau, Bahamas; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands;
Seven-Day Western Caribbean journey departing on April 6, 2025, and April 20, 2025, with calls in Nassau, Bahamas; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.

The two 14-day Caribbean cruises depart on January 12, 2025, and February 23, 2025.

The Carnival Venezia will set sail on its 15-day Carnival Journeys transatlantic sailing on May 29, 2023, from Barcelona.

The ship’s first cruise from New York to Bermuda is scheduled for June 15, 2023.

Port Canaveral Welcomes MSC Seaside for Inaugural Voyage

Posted on 29 April, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

Port Canaveral welcomed the MSC Seaside as its new homeported ship during a ceremony on Thursday.

The MSC vessel is set to sail three and four-night cruises to The Bahamas, and seven-night cruises to Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico, Belize.

“We are excited to welcome the MSC Seaside to Port Canaveral, yet another beautiful ship in the MSC Cruises lineup to call Port Canaveral home,” said Capt. John Murray, CEO of Port Canaveral.

“We are proud of our relationship with MSC Cruises and delighted to be the homeport for this new vessel class. Our Port is setting the standard for excellence in the industry. We’re committed to delivering a world-class experience for all cruise guests.”

MSC Cruises’ ship arrived at Port Canaveral on April 27 when port officials including Kevin Markey, chairman of Canaveral Port Authority presented the MSC Seaside’s captain Michele Di Mauro with a commemorative plaque to mark the ship’s first visit.

“The arrival of the MSC Seaside is another great milestone for Port Canaveral and the Space Coast region, further solidifying our position as the top cruise port in the world,” said Canaveral Port Authority Chairman Kevin Markey. “We are committed to continuing our efforts to responsibly grow our Port to promote the economic growth and prosperity of our local community and the state of Florida.”

MSC Cruises started sailing year-round from Port Canaveral in 2021 first with the MSC Divina and then with the MSC Meraviglia as well.

We built MSC Seaside specifically for Caribbean cruising, with an incredible amount of outdoor space and a sweeping waterfront promenade that allows guests to truly connect with the sea during their time onboard,” said Rubén A. Rodríguez, president of MSC Cruises USA.

“It’s a privilege for MSC Cruises to play a role in Port Canaveral’s growth with the deployment of yet another large and modern ship in our U.S. fleet. MSC Seaside’s beautiful amenities go hand in hand with our international heritage and the natural beauty and sustainability of Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, our private destination in The Bahamas, to represent our unique vision for Caribbean cruising. We’re thrilled to share that experience with guests sailing from Port Canaveral.”

MSC Meraviglia Arrives in NYC for Year-Round Sailings

Posted on 22 April, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

MSC Cruises MSC Meraviglia arrived at its new homeport in New York at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal from where it will sail year-round cruises, according to a press release.

This marks the first time that MSC Cruises has deployed a ship in New York for year-round sailings as part of efforts to strengthen its presence in the North American market.

The MSC Meraviglia will offer sailings ranging from six to 11 nights. Itineraries include:

The Bahamas and Florida – Seven to 11-night cruises with calls in Miami and Port Canaveral, Florida; Nassau and the cruise line’s private island Ocean Cay, The Bahamas; Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico.
Bermuda – Five and six-night voyages from Kings Wharf in Bermuda starting in August.
Canada and New England – 10 and 11-night sailings with calls in Newport, Boston and Portland in the U.S. and Saint John, Halifax, Charlottetown, and Sydney in Canada.

For international guests, MSC Cruises offers “Stay & Cruise” packages with an option to stay up to three nights in the city before embarking on the cruise. Guests can choose among several hotels including the Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan, Hotel Riu Plaza Times Square and the Park Central Hotel.

Additionally, guests can look forward to a free guided tour through Manhattan before embarking on the ship.