By
Rebecca Gibson |
Carnival Cruise Lines is to boost its capacity on the US West Coast by deploying two of its Spirit-class ships in the region.
Sailing three different year-round, seven-day Mexican Riviera departures, Carnival Miracle will homeport in Long Beach, California from 4 October 2014. Carnival Legend will operate the line’s Alaska programme from Seattle in May 2015, while both ships will also offer four Hawaii cruises in 2015-2016.
“Carnival is the leader in West Coast cruising with more ships and itineraries than any other cruise operator,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival president and CEO. “Our travel agents partners have expressed an interest in a greater variety of West Coast options so we are very pleased to provide these attractive, value-packed ‘Fun Ship’ cruises to market to their clients.”
Carnival Miracle’s week-long itineraries include a new three-port, seven-day cruise featuring a full day in Mazatlán, Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta. The second two-port itinerary includes a stop in Cabo San Lucas and a two-day overnight stay in Puerto Vallarta, while the ship’s third itinerary features a visit to Puerto Vallarta and a two-day call at Cabo San Lucas. Guests calling at Cabo San Lucas can visit its famous white-sand beaches and El Arco, a 30-ft-high rock formation where the Pacific Ocean joins the Sea of Cortez.
Departing on the 17 October, 28 November 2015, and 16 November 2016, Carnival Miracle’s three, 15-day Hawaii cruises will operate roundtrip from Long Beach. Guests sailing on these itineraries can visit the islands of Maui, Honolulu, Kauai, Kona and Hilo, as well as Ensenada, Mexico.
Following its inaugural season in Australia, Carnival Legend will operate 16 cruises on the line’s seasonal Alaska programme from Seattle between 26 May to 8 September 2015. Port calls on the week-long voyages include the popular Alaskan towns of Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, as well as Victoria, the Tracy Arm Fjord and Glacier Bay. In addition, Carnival Legend will also operate an eight-day Glacier Bay voyage departing Vancouver on 18 May and arriving in Seattle on 26 May.
Guests can enjoy a range of shore excursions including helicopter flightseeing, rainforest canopy tours, hiking, canoeing and kayaking expeditions. The ship will have an onboard naturalist who will discuss the region’s history and identify animal and marine life from the bridge.
The 11-day Hawaii voyage on Carnival Legend will depart Honolulu on 7th May and arrive in Vancouver on the 18th May 2015, with extended stops in Kauai, Maui, Hilo and Kona, along with an overnight call in Honolulu.
Carnival Legend recently underwent an extensive makeover to install a host of new features including WaterWorks highlighted by Green Thunder, the fastest and steepest water attraction at sea. The ship was also fitted with the RedFrog Pub, a full-service Bonsai Sushi restaurant offering Asian specialties and Cherry On Top, a confections and novelty store.
Cahill said: “With these new deployments, we’re providing two spectacular Fun Ship 2.0-equipped ships with even more fantastic features for our guests to enjoy, as well as additional opportunities to experience the rich diversity of this popular sailing region.”
In March 2015, Carnival Miracle will undergo a drydock to add the line’s Fun Ship 2.0 features. The vessel already offers a Serenity adults-only retreat with its own pool and full bar service, the Punchliner Comedy Club presented by George Lopez, a wedding chapel, a 14,500 sq ft health and wellness facility, and an enclosed corkscrew water slide.