Tag Archives: Port of Miami

Virgin Cruises to launch from Miami with mid-size cruise ship

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Virgin Cruises has agreed a deal to have three ships built to start sailing from 2020 and “redefine” the cruise experience.

The 2,800-passenger vessels are due to be delivered between 2020 and 2022. Each will be 110,000 tons and also carry 1,150 crew.

The first vessel will be based in Miami offering seven-day Caribbean itineraries.

Virgin Cruises revealed today that it has signed a binding letter of intent with Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri for the trio of new mid-size ships.

Potential customers are being invited to visit the Virgin Cruises website to share their ideas on what the new cruise line can do to deliver an “incredible experience at sea”.

Virgin Cruises’ binding letter of intent with Fincantieri is the first part of a two-step process with both companies committed to signing a contract at the end of 2015.

Virgin Group founder, Sir Richard Branson, said: This is a very exciting day for Virgin and travellers around the globe.

“We now have the right partners in place to build a world-class cruise line that will redefine the cruising experience for good.

“The Virgin Cruises approach will appeal to cruisers and non-cruisers alike, and we look forward to being in Miami and delivering an experience for people who want a new way to cruise.”

The line’s chief executive, Tom McAlpine, said: “We are committed to making waves in the cruise industry, and partnering with Fincantieri and PortMiami sets Virgin Cruises up to do just that.

“Today’s announcement brings together important ingredients in our future success – Miami’s vibrant culture paired with the excellent port infrastructure and port team; and Fincantieri’s expertise in prototyping, their creativity and understanding of our vision.”

Six cruise ships dock at Port Canaveral

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Six cruise ships dock at Port Canaveral Craig Rubadoux/FLORIDA TODAY

Port Canaveral’s first-ever six-cruise-ship day was Sunday

It was more than a little crowded at Port Canaveral on today.

An unprecedented six cruise ships were on hand — four that are based here and two that are making port-of-call stops.

“It’s just a sign of things to come,” Port Canaveral Chief Executive Officer John Walsh said, as Port Canaveral battles to overtake the Port of Miami as the world’s No. 1 cruise port.

The port’s first six-ship day is a symbolic milestone in that quest.

There will be more six-ship days later this year at Port Canaveral and some seven-ship days as early as 2017, based on projected schedules, Walsh said.

Port Canaveral may need another cruise terminal in 2016

More cruise passengers in town translates into more businesses for hotels, restaurants, retailers and attractions.

“It’s just fantastic,” says Space Coast Office of Tourism Executive Director Eric Garvey. “Our area

just continues to elevate in profile.”

Additionally, the sail-outs of the ships Sunday afternoon and evening will be a spectacle for patrons of the restaurants and bars along the port’s Cove area, who will get a bonus of watching the ships head out the channel.

“We’ll be slammed,” predicts Michael Schwarz, general manager of Fishlips Waterfront Bar & Grill at the Cove. “We get a great crowd” to watch the cruise ships sailing out of the port.

Schwarz said crowds show up around 3 p.m., in anticipation of the ship departures starting around 4, and he expects his 500-seat restaurant/bar to be full.

Huge Quantum of the Seas arrives at Port Canaveral

Walsh said there will be 26,000 cruise “passenger movements” at Port Canaveral on Sunday. That is the total of passengers arriving at the end of their cruises on the four Port Canaveral-based ships, new passengers getting on those ships and passengers visiting the area on a cruise making a port-of-call stop. That’s about 5,000 more than the combined population of Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach.

“The growth is sort of refreshing,” Walsh said.

One drawback from the day: Traffic may be heavy on State Roads A1A and 528 on Sunday, with all the cruise passengers coming to and leaving the port.

“It will be hectic,” Walsh said. “I think A1A and 528 will start to see some push.”

Contact Berman at 321-242-3649 and dberman@floridatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @ByDave Berman and on Facebook at facebook.com/dave.berman.54.

SHIP SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY (Feb. 15)

Ships based at Port Canaveral:

•Carnival Liberty: Arrives at 7 a.m., leaves at 4 p.m. from Cruise Terminal 10

•Carnival Sunshine: Arrives at 6:30 a.m., leaves at 4 p.m. from Cruise Terminal 6

•Disney Magic: Arrives at 5:30 a.m., leaves at 4:45 p.m. from Cruise Terminal 8

•Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas: Arrives at 6 a.m., leaves at 4:30 p.m. from Cruise Terminal 1

Ships making port-of-call stop at Port Canaveral:

•Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas: Arrives at 10:30 a.m., leaves at 9:30 p.m. from Cruise Terminal 5

•Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas: Arrives at 1 p.m., leaves at 11 p.m. from Cruise Terminal 3

Note: Arrival and departure times are estimates

Source: Port Canaveral

 

Carnival Breeze and Liberty will sail from Galveston

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To make way for the new Carnival Vista when it is deployed in Miami in November 2016, Carnival Cruise Line will shift the Carnival Breeze to Galveston, Texas.

Also, Carnival will position the Carnival Liberty in Galveston in 2016. It has just repositioned Carnival Freedom to Galveston, where it is aggressively courting new business.

“Miami and Galveston are among our most popular points of embarkation, and deploying our newest, most innovative ships to these home ports speaks volumes about our confidence in growing these markets,” said Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president.

The Carnival Triumph and Magic, currently sailing from Galveston, will be redeployed with details to be announced at a later date.

Prior to the start-up of year-round service from Miami, Carnival Vista will operate a pair of voyages round trip from New York, beginning with a three-day cruise Nov. 4-7, 2016, followed by an 11-day voyage departing Nov. 7 and visiting Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas, Antigua and St. Maarten.

Carnival Vista will then offer an 11-day transit cruise from New York to Miami from Nov. 18-29, with calls at Grand Turk, Bonaire, Aruba and St. Maarten.

Its first cruise from Miami will be a four-day cruise to Grand Turk, departing Nov. 29. Thereafter it will do alternating six- and eight-day Caribbean itineraries, mixed with a few one-time, one-off voyages, Carnival said.