Tag Archives: St. Thomas

Celebrity Xcel Named As Next Ship For Celebrity Cruises

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Celebrity Cruises announced today that the fifth ship in its Edge Series will be named Celebrity Xcel, and will debut in 2025. The company previously announced the ship would be methanol ready.

The reveal was made at Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, as executives from both Royal Caribbean Group and the yard celebrated the steel cutting.

“The Edge Series has shattered preconceived notions of cruising, and I am thrilled to announce our next bold step as a brand with Celebrity Xcel,” said Celebrity Cruises’ President Laura Hodges Bethge. “True to her name, this next ship will ‘Xcel’ beyond her sister ships with entirely new experiences, yet to be revealed, but that will change the game all over again.”

The Celebrity Xcel will make her debut in November 2025 in the Caribbean, sailing her inaugural winter season from Fort Lauderdale, on 7-night itineraries alternating between the Bahamas, Mexico and the Cayman Islands, and Puerto Plata, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten. The sailings are now open for sale.

Carnival Venezia Heading to Port Canaveral in 2024

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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. 

Carnival Restarts Homeport Operations in New York City

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The Carnival Magic arrived in New York City on Thursday, marking the return of yet another homeport for the Carnival Cruise Line.

The vessel is now set to offer a series of four- to nine-night cruises to Bermuda, Canada and the Caribbean departing from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal.

For its first sailing from the city since 2019, the Magic is operating a four-night itinerary to Bermuda.

In addition to two and a half days at sea, the cruise includes an eight-hour stop in King’s Wharf.

Running through late September, the New York program also features different week-long itineraries to the Caribbean visiting Grand Turk, the Bahamas, San Juan, St. Maarten, St. Thomas and more.

In September, the ship is offering two sailings to Canada as well. Sailing seven-night itineraries, the cruises feature calls in Saint John, Sydney and Halifax.

A Dream-class vessel, the Carnival Magic debuted in 2011 and offers a host of facilities and services.

In addition to traditional features such as a casino and a theatre, the vessel has the SportsSquare, an expansive sports complex with a ropes course and an outdoor fitness area, and The Lanai, a wrap-around promenade with whirlpools that extend out over the ship’s sides.

The vessel also offers an indoor/outdoor café and live entertainment venue called Ocean Plaza, as well as Carnival WaterWorks aqua park and a Serenity adults-only retreat.

Other attractions include the RedFrog Pub, a Caribbean-inspired watering hole with its own private label beer, and Cucina del Capitano, an Italian family-style restaurant that brings the heritage of Carnival’s captains to the table.

After first welcoming guests back in July 2021, Carnival Cruise Line completed its restart plans last month.

On May 2, the Carnival Splendor became the last vessel to resume service for the brand, marking the return of its entire 23-ship fleet.

With the return to New York City, Carnival has also resumed revenue operations from 14 homeports.