Carnival Cruise Lines has announced it will expand capacity on its four- and five-day short cruise program from New Orleans by 34 percent when Carnival Triumph replaces Carnival Elation on this schedule next spring.
In turn, Carnival Elation will reposition to Jacksonville, FL, for year-round four- and five-day cruises and Carnival Fascination will shift to San Juan for year-round seven-day Caribbean cruises beginning in spring 2016. As previously announced, Carnival Liberty will replace Carnival Triumph on the line’s year-round four- and five- day cruise program from Galveston next spring.
Carnival Triumph will shift from Galveston to New Orleans to launch year-round four- and five-day cruises to Mexico beginning April 4, 2016. On this route, four-day “long weekend” cruises depart Thursdays and call at Cozumel while five-day cruises depart Mondays and Saturdays and visit Cozumel and Progreso. Carnival Triumph will also offer a special three-day cruise roundtrip from New Orleans April 8-11, 2016.
Carnival Triumph will join Carnival Dream, which operates year-round seven-day cruises from New Orleans. Together these two ships are expected to carry 450,000 guests annually from New Orleans. Carnival is the only cruise line to operate two year-round ships from New Orleans, the line said.
Carnival Triumph has undergone a dry dock that added a number of Fun Ship 2.0 amenities, including Guy’s Burger Joint, developed in tandem with Food Network star Guy Fieri, poolside watering holes BlueIguana Tequila Bar and RedFrog Rum Bar, the BlueIguana Cantina Mexican eatery, cocktail pharmacy-themed Alchemy Bar, and Cherry On Top, a “candy and more” store. Carnival Triumph also has more than 500 staterooms and suites with private balconies that are not generally available on other short cruises, the line said in a release.
Carnival Elation will shift from New Orleans to Jacksonville to operate year-round four- and five-day cruises from Jaxport beginning April 23, 2016, providing a newer ship on this cruise program.
Carnival Elation will assume Carnival Fascination’s four- and five-day schedule from Jacksonville and continue the only year-round program from that port. Four-day cruises depart Thursdays and visit Freeport and Nassau and five-day voyages depart Mondays and Thursdays and visit the private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay and Nassau.
In turn, Carnival Fascination will reposition to San Juan to operate year-round seven-day southern Caribbean cruises beginning April 24, 2016. These itineraries visit five Caribbean islands: St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and St. Maarten.
In anticipation of its new homeport, Carnival Elation will offer two longer length cruises in the Caribbean. An 11-day cruise will depart New Orleans April 2 and arrive in San Juan April 13, 2016, with port calls at Aruba, Curacao, Grenada, Barbados, Antigua and St. Thomas, while a 10-day cruise will sail from San Juan to Jacksonville April 13-23, 2016, stopping at Barbados, Grenada, Tobago, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and St. Thomas.
Carnival Fascination will also offer a special six-day cruise departing Jacksonville April 18 and arriving in San Juan April 24, 2016. Featured ports on this one-time voyage will include St. Thomas, St. Kitts and St. Maarten.
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