Carnival’s three-vessel deployed at Port Canaveral positions it as largest cruise operator there, with capacity to carry approximately 600,000 passengers annually. Carnival president and ceo Gerry Cahill cited Port Canaveral as a convenient departure point for millions of people in the Southeastern US and its ‘attractive port facilities and excellent flight options into nearby Orlando.’
Carnival Ecstasy will offer two different four-day itineraries, along with two different five-day itineraries. On Thursdays the ship will sail four-day cruises visiting Nassau and Half Moon Cay or Freeport. Five-day cruises will depart Mondays and Saturdays and call at Nassau, Freeport and Half Moon Cay or Key West.
The new schedule, combined with year-round three- and four-day Bahamas cruises aboard Carnival Sensation and seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean voyages on Carnival Dream, gives the Fun Ships brand a great variety of itinerary options.
Prior to repositioning to Port Canaveral, the Carnival Ecstasy will continue to operate from Galveston through Sept. 8 then from New Orleans Sept. 22 through Nov. 5, as previously scheduled. Carnival Elation will move from Mobile to New Orleans to operate year-round four- and five-day Western Caribbean cruises beginning Nov. 5, replacing the previously announced Carnival Ecstasy program.
Carnival Elation will joins Carnival Conquest in New Orleans, marking the first time Carnival has operated two ships from New Orleans in six years. Carnival will be the only brand with two ships based year-round in the city, carrying more than 350,000 passengers annually.
Cahill called the decision to leave Mobile a difficult one. ‘We are extremely grateful for the many years of tremendous partnership, support and cooperation provided by the Alabama Cruise Terminal team, the local leadership in Mobile, area travel agents and the community at large,’ he said. ‘Unfortunately, we have not been able to achieve favorable financial results with this program.’ Cahill said that although Carnival has consistently filled the ship, it has been at lower pricing relative to the rest of the fleet.
‘We have made every effort to drive higher demand and pricing through our sales and marketing initiatives and the deployment of a newer class of ship in 2009,’ he added. ‘However, we have not been successful in achieving a sustainable level of acceptable pricing.’
Cahill also noted the Mobile itineraries have ‘much higher’ relative fuel costs, an issue that will become even worse with the North American Emission Control Area’s (ECA) upcoming implementation. It is the first time a major operator has publicly cited the ECA as a factor in a deployment change. Carnival began sailing from Mobile in 2004, gradually expanding capacity there.
