Cruise: Canaveral, Miami

 

Carnival Cruise Line will deploy Carnival Elation to Port Canaveral for a series of year-round Caribbean cruises starting May 12, 2019.

 

The newly renovated ship will depart Canaveral Thursdays on four-day "long weekend" cruises departing to Freeport and Nassau in The Bahamas and Mondays and Saturdays on five-day voyages to Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic and Grand Turk in the Turks & Caicos.

 

Delivered new in 1998, the 2,130 passenger Carnival Elation recently underwent a makeover that included the addition of an aqua park, 38 new cabins, 98 balconies to existing staterooms, and a variety of food and beverage concepts. 

 

"We’re delighted to enhance our short cruise offerings from Port Canaveral with Carnival Elation, which emerged from dry dock better than ever with a host of food, beverage and entertainment options that our guests are sure to enjoy," said Christine Duffy, President of Carnival Cruise Line.

 

Elation is currently homeported in Jacksonville, where it will be replaced in 2019 by the 2,056-passenger Carnival Ecstasy.

 

Port Canaveral processed more than 4.5 million cruise passengers in FY 2016-17, making it one of the world’s three busiest cruise ports.  

 

Port Canaveral is proud of its partnership with Carnival Cruise Line and we look forward to welcoming Carnival Elation in 2019," said Port CEO Capt. John Murray. "Today’s announcement is another endorsement that our ongoing investments in state-of-the-art terminals and commitment to excellence in cruise operations continues to earn the confidence of some of the world’s most successful cruise brands."

 

 

 

 

Geneva-based MSC Cruises joined port officials December 7 to celebrate the completion of cruise Terminal F at PortMiami. The brand-new facility will homeport MSC Seaside, MSC Cruises’ new flagship, as well as MSC Divina. 

 

The official ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez; Port Miami CEO Juan Kuryla, PPM®; Rick Sasso, chairman of MSC Cruises USA; Roberto Fusaro, president of MSC Cruises USA; and members of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners. 

 

"MSC Cruises is eager to continue growing its presence in South Florida and in the U.S.," said Mr. Sasso. "The completion of Terminal F is the culmination of a strong, longstanding partnership with PortMiami and a testament to our commitment to the region and our positive outlook for the future." 

 

Terminal F includes: 

• A two-story, 38,282-square-foot building addition
• Expanded waiting area with seating for up to 1,500 guests
• Ticketing hall with 60 new ticket counter positions
• A 1,100-square-foot VIP private waiting area for guests sailing in the expanded MSC Yacht Club on board MSC Seaside
• Dedicated 3,000-square-foot special group lounge
• Smoother disembarkation process with a more flexible and efficient baggage claim area
• Facility advancements for embarkation including some of the smart ship technology available on MSC Seaside

 

In partnership with PortMiami, MSC Cruises has been actively involved in the entire process of designing the new cruise terminal. 

 

MSC Seaside, the prototype of a new class of cruise ship, formally entered service on December 1 and will sail 7-night eastern and western Caribbean itineraries from PortMiami beginning December 21.  A sister ship, MSC Seaview, is due to enter service, and like MSC Seaside will be 1,060 feet long, 135 feet wide, 236 feet high, and be able to accommodate up to 5,179 cruise guests and 1,413 crew members. 

 

"We are extremely proud to be the homeport of MSC Seaside and excited for her arrival on December 21st," said PortMiami Director Kuryla. "We’re thankful to MSC Cruises for entrusting PortMiami with their innovative cruise ships and we look forward to our continued long-term partnership."

 

PortMiami set a world record by processing more than 5.3 million cruise travelers in fiscal year 2016-2017. That was up from almost 5.0 million the previous year and 4.9 million in FY 2014-15.