Texas Oil Spill Impacts Cruise Ships

An aerial photograph of the staging area for oil spill response operations
occurring at the Texas City Dike, March 23, 2013. The efforts are the
result of a collision between the bulk carrier Summer Wind and the Kirby
Barge 27706, which occurred Saturday, in the Houston Ship Channel.
(U.S Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Manda M. Emery)

Port of Galveston 

While the Port of Galveston is open, the U.S. Coast Guard had closed the shipping lane and restricted traffic in the area.

UPDATE: March 24, 2014   4:00 PM (Source:  John Heald Carnival Sr. Cruise Director) Carnival Magic to undergo hull cleaning due to oil spill Moving to another pier to allow Carnival Triumph to disembark / embark passengers Carnival Triumph embarkation 8 PM UPDATE: March 24, 2014   Noon Carnival Magic, Carnival Triumph and Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas are all being held at the Galveston port. Magic and Navigator of the Seas were scheduled to depart yesterday, while Triumph was supposed to leave today. Princess' Caribbean Princess has now been stuck in Houston's Bayport terminal since Saturday.

Update 5: Texas City “Y” incident response

Update 3: Texas City "Y" incident response

The Bolivar ferry remains closed to traffic, and a safety zone, established on Saturday to ensure the well-being of response workers and prevent the further spread of oil, has been extended from lighted buoy 40 to lighted buoy 3 on the Houston Ship Channel. This safety zone restricts the transit of vessels not involved in the response from entering the area.

Coast Guard officials did allow two cruise ships to travel through the incident area by late afternoon to minimize inconvenience to the thousands of passengers aboard and limit economic impacts from the spill. However, neither vessel will be allowed to leave the port again until deemed safe to do so.

Persons with questions regarding the cruise ships’ transit plans are urged to contact those individual cruise lines for specific information.

There are several response vessels on site attempting to protect the environment from this spill.
Read More

References:

U.S. Coast Guard

Port of Galveston

Perhaps it is ironic, but this incident occurred just 2 days prior to the 25th Anniversary of the Exxon Valdez disaster.

Here is a video published by Greenpeace:
The United States of Oil Spills (25th Anniversary of Exxon Valdez)

Duty Free Texas Style

Sailing From Galveston?
Know Before You Go



The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) has begun collecting personal importation taxes on alcohol and cigarettes from passengers returning from cruises in Galveston as of this month.

If you purchase liquor or cigarettes during your cruise, you may have to pay importation taxes when you return to port in Galveston.
It doesn't matter if you purchased the items on board the ship or while in one of the ports of call.

According to the press release issued by the TABC, Section 107.07 of the Alcoholic Beverage Code, in effect for over 40 years, requires that each adult (21 years old and over) importing alcoholic beverages into the state for personal consumption pay the state tax and an administrative fee of $3.00. The law limits personal importation by an adult to once every 30 days with limits of: 1 gallon of distilled spirits, 3 gallons of wine, and 288 ounces of malt beverages (24 12-ounce containers). Persons importing alcoholic beverages must personally accompany the product as it enters the state. View the detailed list of the taxes for both cigarettes and alcoholic beverages.

TABC operates several collection points along the Texas / Mexico border but Galveston is the first seaport to set up shop for collecting the taxes.   Plans call for the port of Houston-Bayport later in the fall of this year as well.

Once passengers clear U.S. Customs, they can pay the tax to TABC personnel via cash or credit card.  The agency says they have worked with port officials to make sure the process doesn't disrupt port operations.

Note that these taxes are in addition to any tax imposed due U.S. Customs.  For more information about allowances, see the U.S. State Department website (Customs Duty Information).

Carnival Triumph Engine Fire

No Casualties or Injuries

A small engine fire broke out Sunday morning onboard Carnival Triumph while it was about 150 miles off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula.

(Source: Carnival Cruise Line Facebook Page)

The ship’s automatic fire extinguishing systems activated and the fire was contained to the aft engine room. At this time, the fire is fully extinguished.

Carnival reported that no casualties or injuries to guests or crew have been reported.  

Running on Emergency Power  

The ship is currently without propulsion and is operating on emergency generator power while the ship's technical crew assesses the damage and attempts to restore power. In the meantime, a tugboat is being dispatched to the ship's location in the event it is needed. All appropriate authorities including U.S. Coast Guard have been notified

There are 3,143 guests and 1,086 crew on board and all guests have been asked to remain in the ship’s public areas and open decks for their comfort. Guests are being provided with food and refreshments, and all guests on the current voyage will receive a full refund inclusive of gratuities and any transportation expenses.


Voyages Impacted

Carnival  Triumph is currently on a four-day cruise that departed Galveston, Texas on Thursday. Carnival has contacted guests booked on the next voyage which was scheduled to depart tomorrow to make them aware of the situation and advise that tomorrow’s voyage will not depart as scheduled. Guests have the option of cancelling now and receiving a full refund or waiting for further information to determine if a shortened, partial voyage may be possible. 


UPDATED: 11 Feb 2013

The ship's technical crew has determined the vessel will need to be towed to port. A tugboat is en route to the ship's location and will tow the vessel to Progreso, Mexico, which is the closest port to the ship’s current location. This will enable us to disembark guests and get them home as quickly as possible. The ship is expected to arrive in Progreso Wednesday afternoon and guests will be flown from there back to the U.S. 

All guests on the current Carnival Triumph voyage will receive a full refund of the cruise, along with transportation expenses. In addition, they will receive a future cruise credit equal to the amount paid for this voyage, as well as reimbursement of all shipboard purchases during the voyage, with the exception of gift shop and casino charges.

The next two voyages of Carnival Triumph, scheduled to depart Monday, February 11 and Saturday, February 16 are being cancelled. Guests scheduled to sail on either of those voyages will receive a full refund, reimbursement for non-refundable travel expenses and a 25 percent discount on a future three to five-day cruise. Carnival is in contact with impacted guests to advise them of the situation.  

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Dwayne Bradley

GULF OF MEXICO - The Coast Guard Cutter Vigorous stands by to assist the cruise ship Carnival Triumph in the Gulf of Mexico, Feb. 11, 2013. The Carnival Triumph lost propulsion power after an engine room fire Feb. 10, 2013.

Carnival Triumph Statement (President & CEO Gerry Cahill releases statement)

Tugs Tow Triumph to Mobile 

After drifting without power some 90 miles due to strong currents, Carnival has opted to tow the disabled ship to port in Mobile, Alabama instead of Progresso, Mexico as originally planned.  That decision was announced Monday at 9:15 PM Eastern by the line.   It simplifies two problems - towing against a strong current and getting 900 people without passports back to the United States.
We'll talk about the latter topic in a separate column: Why We Recommend Passports

UPDATED: 12 Feb 2013

Carnival Triumph is on the move under tow by two tugboats.   She is racing along at about 7 knotts (about 8 MPH) and should arrive in Mobile Thursday afternoon.   Limited onboard systems remain functional according to Carnival with periodic problems with the sewage system.  The entertainment staff is doing what they can with activities planned to keep passengers entertained.  Meals and refreshments are being provided poolside in the grille which remained open the majority of the day yesterday and was open early this morning.

Passenger accounts are reporting poor conditions onboard as minimal power prevents systems from functioning.  

Return Travel Arrangements

Carnival Cruise Lines' President and CEO Gerry Cahill address reporters regarding Carnival Triumph during a press conference at the company's headquarters in Miami. 
 
"No one here from Carnival is happy about the conditions aboard ship… there is no question that conditions onboard are very challenging. Most of the public bathrooms, there are 23 public bathrooms, most of them are working," he said during a news conference in Miami. There is also a "good section" of passenger cabins, in the forward and midship sections of the ship, that are working.  



More than 1,500 hotels rooms in Mobile and New Orleans have been booked and 10 charter flights have been secured to fly passengers to Houston on Friday. For passengers with cars at the port of Galveston, buses have been arranged to bring them back.

Carnival is in the process of securing buses for a Thursday evening transfer from Mobile to Houston or Galveston for passengers who would rather get home sooner, Cahill said. 

UPDATED: 13 Feb 2013

Triumph Voyages cancelled through April 13, 2013
Additional Compensation for Guests

Carnival Triumph Additional Cancellations & Compensation 
 

UPDATED: 14 Feb 2013

Another setback for passengers aboard the stricken vessel.  Once again the ship is adrift because of a broken tow line.   Until the tow line can be repaired, the ship will not be underway again.   The ship is scheduled to arrive late tonight in Mobile, Alabama where passengers will board buses either to a hotel or back to Houston.

Passenger discontent appears to be growing as the situation with limited food, water, and toilets lasts even longer.   Pictures posted on the internet show passengers with make-shift signs asking for Help.

Carnival has deployed more than 200 staff to assist in getting the passengers home.

UPDATE FROM CARNIVAL's Page:

Earlier today additional provisions and another generator were delivered via helicopter, to aid in the addition of more hotel services on board.

The Carnival Triumph is currently just outside the mouth of the channel and is expected to enter shortly. Local pilots and other officials have boarded. While this trip could be accomplished in about 3 hours with power, under the circumstances today we expect this to take anywhere from 7 – 10 hours.

We’ve coordinated the arrival process with the Coast Guard and Port Authorities. Two hundred team members were mobilized to be here to assist with the arrival and travel plans for our guests as they debark the ship.
 

U.S. Coast Guard Provides Additional Aid

A Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile MH-60 helicopter crew transported approximately 3,000 pounds of equipment, which included a generator and electrical cables, from the offshore supply vessel Lana Rose to the Carnival Cruise Ship Triumph Wednesday afternoon in the Gulf of Mexico.  The generator will be used to help provide additional power to the cruise ship.

Third Tug Boat Enroute
Carnival has dispatched a third tugboat to assist in towing Carnival Triumph to port. The tugboat is currently en route from Port Fourchon, Louisiana and is expected to arrive at the ship this evening to further support the vessel’s return to Mobile, Alabama on Thursday. The U.S. Coast Guard continues to be on the scene as the ship is in tow.
 

Contact Information

Carnival has contacted the designated emergency contacts for all guests on board. Concerned family and loved ones of guests and crew may call 888.290.5095 or 305.406.5534

We will provide updates as further details are released.  We are happy that emergency equipment functioned and that there were no injuries or casualties resulting from this incident.   

Timeline & Updates
 

10 Feb	Sunday Morning	Small Engine Fire Breaks Out & is Extinguished
10 Feb	All Day	Services knocked out; passengers confined to open decks
11 Feb	12:45 AM EST	USCG Vigorous onsite to assist
11 Feb	06:00 AM EST	Freshwater system; forward sewage, some power restored
11 Feb	Monday Morning	Carnival Elation offloaded food and water
11 Feb	03:00 PM EST	Carnival Legend arrives with food; transports patient needing dialysis
11 Feb	05:00 PM EST	Limited onboard systems restored; passengers return to cabins
11 Feb	Monday Evening	First of two tugboats arrive on scene
11 Feb	08:30 PM EST	Triumph will be towed to Mobile, Alabama, instead of Progreso, Mexico
11 Feb	10:00 AM - 10:00 PM	Meals & refreshments served at poolside grille
12 Feb	7:00 AM	Poolside grille open again for meals & refreshments
12 Feb	Tuesday Morning	Second tugboat arrived early in the morning
12 Feb	10:00 AM EST	Carnival Triumph under tow to Mobile (speed 7 knots)
12 Feb	Tuesday Evening	President and CEO, Gerry Cahill addresses media (watch video above)
13 Feb	2:30 PM EST	Third tugboat enroute to Triumph from Louisiana
13 Feb	2:30 PM EST	USCG Helicopter brings  generator and other supplies
13 Feb	5:45 PM EST	Additional cancellations and compensation announced
14 Feb	Thursday afternoon	Tow line breaks - ship is afloat until it can be repaired
14 Feb	Thursday afternoon	USCG medevacs female passenger who suffered stroke
14 Feb	4 PM EST	Tow line repaired and ship on the move
14 Feb	9 - 11 PM EST	Triumph expected to arrive in Mobile, AL
14 Feb	11:30 PM EST	Carnival Triumph is alongside pier in Mobile, AL

All Carnival Triumph guests should be back home with friends and family by now other than those who opted to stay a little longer in New Orleans and Galveston. Crew will be making their way to other ships or back to their homes over the next few days.


Related Posts:

• Why We Recommend Passports
• Carnival Triumph Statement
• Carnival Triumph Additional Cancellations & Compensation
• Carnival Triumph Arrives in Mobile  
• Carnival Triumph Truth or Dare
• Triumph Fire Investigation  
• Costs Mounting for Carnival Triumph

Disney Fans with Kids Mickey has a Great Offer

Kids Sail Free on Select Cruises from Galveston

Disney Magic 6-Night and 8-Night Sailings Kids ages 17 and under can sail FREE on select 6-night and 8-night Disney Cruise Line® sailings from Galveston, Texas. To take advantage of this offer, kids must travel with two full-fare Guests in the same stateroom in categories 4A - 11B on select cruises from January 4 - March 1, 2013. new 8-night Bahamian itinerary sailing from Galveston exciting 6- and 8-night Western Caribbean cruises Check Availability

Castaway Cay With the new 8-night Bahamian itinerary sailing from Galveston, you can visit the Walt Disney World® Resort and Disney’s own private island paradise, Castaway Cay. Walt Disney World® Included in the cruise fare on this itinerary is a 1-Day Magic Your Way® Ticket with Park Hopper® Option for each Guest and complimentary round-trip transportation between the ship and the Resort.

We seldom include cruise offers in our column, but when something like this crosses our desk, we would be remiss if we didn't share this with our readers.   Our Facebook Fans learned about the offer yesterday shortly after we got the notification from Disney Travel.   

Notice that if you take advantage of this and book the 8-night itinerary, you also get a 1-day  Magic Your Way® Ticket with Park Hopper® Option for each Guest and complimentary round-trip transportation between the ship and the Resort.   That alone is worth in excess of and additional $400 savings for a family of four.

Offer Details:

To take advantage of this offer, kids must travel with two full-fare Guests in the same stateroom in categories 4A - 11B on select cruises from Jan. 4 - March 1, 2013. Government Taxes and Fees are approximately $52 per person for 6-night Western Caribbean cruises, $66 per person for 8-night Western Caribbean cruises, and $84 per person for 8-night Bahamian cruises (all amounts subject to change).

Travel Window:

• Most sail dates January 4 - March 1, 2013

Additional Details:

• Must mention booking code KFO at time of booking
• This offer is only available to residents of the U.S. and Canada
• Offer applies only to stateroom categories 4A - 11B
• Excludes suites, category 11C staterooms and GTY categories with restrictions (VGT, OGT, IGT)
• The number of staterooms allocated for this offer is limited
• Stateroom accommodations for four or more Guests are limited and based on availability at the time of booking
• This offer cannot be combined with any other special offers or discounts
• Additional Terms and Conditions apply

Have you Wanted to Take the Family on a Disney Cruise

Call Us Today to Book this Offer Before it is Sold Out

You may also be interested in:
Current Disney Offers

Judge Holding Carnival Triumph In Galveston

Legal Motion

Filed in Galveston

Carnival Triumph

Departure Held

In a bizarre turn of events, a Federal Judge issued an order  holding the Carnival Triumph in the port of Galveston.

UPDATE:  Carnival Triumph to Sail on Schedule after Carnival Corp. reaches an agreement with the Federal Court

Result of Costa Concordia Litigation

The litigation in question relates to a $10M lawsuit brought about by a passenger who sailed on the Costa Concordia in Italy this past January. The Costa Concordia is a vessel operated by Costa Cruises. Carnival Cruise Lines and Costa Cruises are both part of a global organization called Carnival Corporation & plc, however, the two cruise lines operate completely independently.

Port of Galveston Director Mike Mierzwa recommended passengers continue on with plans to sail today in the event Carnival can resolve legal issues.

A federal judge Friday ordered the cruise ship held in Galveston as part a $10 million lawsuit filed by the family of a German tourist who died aboard the Costa Concordia shipwreck off the Italian coast, according to Bloomberg news service.

The Triumph apparently was ordered held because it is home-ported in Galveston, which is in the U.S. District Court system's Southern District of Texas. It was not clear why the litigation was filed in Texas rather than in some other federal district. 

“The court finds that the conditions for an attachment of defendants’ joint and collective property within this district, mainly the MS Carnival Triumph, appear to exist upon an admiralty and maritime claim,” U.S. Magistrate Judge John Froeschner of Galveston said in the warrant, Bloomberg reports.

The Carnival Triumph would be allowed to unload passengers and cargo and move between berths within the port until a “prompt hearing” can be scheduled, at which “the plaintiff shall be required to show why the attachment and garnishment should not be vacated,” according to the order, Bloomberg reports.

Source: Galveston Daily News: Carnival 'optimistic' Triumph will sail on time today

Senior Carnival Cruise Director, John Heald writes on his blog:

"We want to assure you that we are working diligently through the appropriate legal channels to get this matter resolved as soon as possible. We are optimistic the issues regarding the Carnival Triumph will be resolved and the ship will depart on its scheduled voyage later today.

In the meantime, we are proceeding with our normal embarkation process."

Carnival Triumph is scheduled to depart at  6 PM local time on a five-day cruise to Yucatan and Cozumel.

According to John Heald,  the safety briefing has been held and the U.S. Marshall's should be clearing the ship for an on-time departure.   2012 continues to be an abnormal year for the cruise industry.

We will do our best to bring you the latest news, so we do hope you bookmark this blog and also become fans on our Facebook Page.

Carnival Triumph Cruise Delayed Due to Fog

Port of Galveston 

Fogged In

Carnival Triumph 

Departure Delayed

The port of Galveston is a great place to start your cruise vacation.  The boardwalk has shops and restaurants for you to enjoy before departure.

Galveston Channel Closed

Due to dense fog (zero visibility) Galveston channel was closed today.  Therefore, Carnival Triumph’s arrival today Saturday, January 21st was delayed until conditions improved sufficiently for the channel to reopen for marine traffic. Carnival Triumph remained at anchorage at the pilot station.

Passengers Updated by Cruise Director

It looks like the fog is starting to clear nearer to the terminal and the island. It’s still pretty thick where we are. In his last announcement, Captain Los said that we might be able to board the pilot by 11:15am. This would put us alongside at 12:45pm or 1:00pm. At this point, the phone lines have been opened and are complimentary so that guests can update/change travel arrangements. We’re going to start serving lunch in about an hour. Hopefully, the fog will clear soon.

Arriving Passengers:  TEXT CCL1 to 36500 for text updates

UPDATE:  Carnival Travel Advisories

The port of Galveston is now open. Check-in is scheduled from 3:00PM–6:30PM and Triumph will set sail around 7:30PM 

No impact to the itinerary 

  ###

It is out of respect for the passengers, family, and crew of those aboard Costa Concordia, that we have been restricting our posts to that accident and related safety information.  We will continue our coverage of that tragedy, but will once again start to return to coverage of other topics of interest to our readers.   We thank you for your understanding.  Please continue to pray for all those impacted by this tragedy.   

Disney Cruise 2012 Deployment Includes NYC

Captain Mickey Meets the Statue of Liberty                                                           Credit: ©Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line

Sails Into Big Apple

& Other Destinations for 2012

New Itineraries and Ports for 2012

Great things are happening from coast to coast in 2012! Disney Cruise Line now offers cruises departing from exciting ports like New York, Seattle, Galveston and Los Angeles to a variety of fantastic new destinations. Disney is cruising to more of your favorite vacation destinations than ever before.

Sailing from New York City, Galveston, Seattle, Los Angeles

Fleet expansion is enabling Disney to sail out of ports other than Port Canaveral, Florida.  The Disney Dream entered service in January, and a fourth ship, the Disney Fantasy, is scheduled to launch next April.

Beginning May 25, 2012, the Disney Magic will sail a total of 20 cruises from New York, including eight-night cruises to the Bahamas and five-night cruises up the New England coast to Canada.  The Magic will sail 12 seven-night cruises from Galveston to the Western Caribbean, starting Sept. 22, 2012.

Disney is operating Alaska cruises for the first time starting next month. The Wonder will sail out of Vancouver this year and in 2012, it will sail 7-Night Alaska Cruises from Seattle, Washington.

Disney Wonder will sail 7-Night Mexican Riviera cruises from Los Angeles for the majority of 2012 and four 7-Night Pacific Coast cruises from Los Angeles.  For the first time, the Wonder will operate one 15-night voyage to Hawaii from Los Angeles, visiting the Big Island, Oahu, Maui and Kauai.

READ MORE: Disney Cruise Line Unveils New Itineraries and Ports for 2012 – Disney Ships Bound for New York, Galveston and Seattle (April 6, 2011)

Disney Magic	8-Night Bahamian Cruises  from New York City Port Canaveral, FL (the gateway to Walt Disney World Resort) Nassau Disney's own Castaway Cay And 4 fun-filled days at sea
Disney Magic	5-Night Canada/New England Coast Cruises from New York City Halifax, Nova Scotia Saint John, New Brunswick And 2 glorious days at sea
Disney Magic or Fantasy	7-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Galveston Grand Cayman Costa Maya, Mexico Cozumel, Mexico 3 relaxing days at sea
Disney Wonder	7-Night Alaska Cruise from Seattle Tracy Arm Skagway Juneau Ketchikan Victoria, British Columbia Relaxing day at sea
Disney Wonder	15-night Hawaii Cruise from Los Angeles Hilo, Hawai`i Kahului, Maui Honolulu, O`ahu Nawiliwili, Kauai Ensenada, Mexico 9 luxurious days at sea

Photos are courtesy of Disney Cruise Line

Princess Galveston Deployment 2012-13

Galveston, TX - Sea Wall

More Ships Sailing 

From Galveston

2012-13
Caribbean Season

Princess Cruises announced that for the first time since 2007, they will be returning to Galveston, Texas sailing Western Caribbean Itineraries.

Crown Princess  will offer 19 departures from Galveston between December 22, 2012 and April 27, 2013. The seven-day R/T Western Caribbean itinerary includes ports of call at Costa Maya, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; and Cozumel, Mexico.

The 113,700 GT Crown Princess has a passenger capacity of 3,070 and offers many signature features including a piazza-style atrium with International Café and Vines wine bar; the 300-square-foot Movies Under the Stars poolside theater; The Sanctuary, an adults-only "oasis of tranquility"; and a variety of dining, recreation and entertainment options. 

The addition of Crown Princess to Galveston, TX will add additional passenger capacity to a growing market amongst one of the 23 U.S.  home-port options for cruise passengers.   Galveston's famous Sea Wall is a great place to take a stroll, shop among the seaside shops, dine at one of the popular seafood restaurants, or relax in your hotel before your cruise.

Princess Executives & Galveston Officials Comment

"We've received a great deal of feedback from cruisers interested in sailing from Galveston again," said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. "So we're excited to be returning in 2012 to bring our Western Caribbean sailings back to Texas."

"Welcoming back Princess Cruises and hosting Crown Princess is a great addition to the Texas cruise market. We're excited that the return of Princess Cruises will offer our passengers additional options of cruise vacations sailing from Texas' premiere cruise port," said Steven M. Cernak, Galveston port director. 

The remainder of the Princess Cruises Caribbean schedule will be announced later this month. We will bring you additional information about their schedules, as well as those for the other cruise lines.

Magic Coming to Galveston

Everything is Big in Texas

Including Carnival Magic 

Galveston, Texas will become the new home for Carnival Cruise Lines' new ship, Carnival Magic. Beginning November 14, 2011, Carnival Magic will operate 7-night Caribbean cruises from it's new homeport.  The Carnival Dream and Magic are the largest ships in Carnival's fleet so it is fitting that one of those two ships will be sailing from Texas.

Select from two different itineraries: a seven-day Western Caribbean voyage to Montego Bay, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, and a week-long Eastern Caribbean cruise to Nassau, Freeport, and Key West.

Carnival Big Screen
&
Waterworks

Carnival Magic Highlights

Class and type: Dream class cruise ship Tonnage: gross tonnage (GT) of 130,000 tons Length: 1,004 feet (306.02 m) Beam: 122 feet (37.19 m) (37m) Decks: 14 decks Propulsion: 6 Wärtsilä 12V46 engines (75,600kw) Speed: 22.5-knot (42 km/h; 26 mph) Capacity: 3,652 Passengers Crew: 1,369

Like its sister ship, the Carnival Dream, the Carnival Magic features exciting amenities including a spectacular water park, an exclusive adults-only retreat, a wrap-around promenade with whirlpools that extend out over the ship's sides, and expansive spa and children's facilities.

Carnival Magic has a range of stateroom choices, including family-friendly, five-berth deluxe two-bathroom ocean view accommodations; cove balcony cabins located closer to the water line; and special spa staterooms.  Some special unique features will be announced in the future.

The Carnival Magic will debut in Europe in May 2011, offering seven-, nine- and 12-day Mediterranean voyages from Barcelona May 1 to October 16, 2011; followed by a 16-day trans-Atlantic crossing from Barcelona to Galveston departing October 28, 2011. 


For more information about Carnival Magic Itineraries, click here.


Perhaps you are close enough to drive to Galveston instead of flying there.   If so, the addition of this new large ship will give you opportunities to sail to the Eastern and Western Caribbean from close to home.