Milton: Carnival Paradise to Dock in Miami; Elation Schedule Change

Milton: Carnival Paradise to Dock in Miami; Elation Schedule Change

In a statement on its website, Carnival Cruise Line updated the status of vessels that have been affected by Hurricane Milton.

“Our Fleet Operations Center in Miami continues to monitor Milton, which has now downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone as it moves eastward in the Atlantic,” Carnival said.

“The safety of our guests and crew remains our priority, and our ships are sailing a safe distance from the storm,” the company added.

After sailing from Tampa on Oct. 6, 2024, the Carnival Paradise is now ending its current cruise in Miami on Friday, Oct. 11.

“Guests will have the option to return to the Tampa cruise terminal via complimentary shuttle or reboard the ship and remain onboard until Monday, Oct. 14,” Carnival explained.

Oct. 14, Carnival may dock the ship in either Port Canaveral or Tampa.

If the ship heads to Port Canaveral, a complimentary shuttle service to Tampa would be provided.

While the ship’s Oct. 10 sailing was recently cancelled, the Oct. 14 cruise may depart from Central Florida instead of Tampa.

“This voyage will be embarking in either Port Canaveral (complimentary shuttle service would be provided between Tampa and Port Canaveral) or Tampa (provided the port reopens by then),” Carnival explained.

Passengers will be informed of a decision via email and text alerts ahead of their departure, the company added.

Carnival also confirmed plans to operate a shortened cruise from Jacksonville onboard the Carnival Elation.

“The ship is now sailing a safe distance from the storm while we wait for clearance to return to Jacksonville. Due to strong winds and rough seas on Florida’s east coast, we will not be able to return before sometime Saturday, Oct. 12,” Carnival explained.

As a result, the cruise onboard the ship that was scheduled to depart on Oct. 10 is now expected to sail two days later.

While the sailing was initially set to visit destinations in the Bahamas, it will now feature no port visit, the company added.

Carnival previously confirmed delayed arrivals for additional ships in its fleet, including the Carnival Glory and the Carnival Sunrise.

Port Tampa Bay Announces Re-Opening

Port Tampa Bay Announces Re-Opening

Port Tampa Bay has resumed vessel operations and our port’s shipping channels are officially re-opened, with vessel movements restricted to daylight hours, the port announced on Saturday.

Throughout the storm, Port Tampa Bay coordinated with federal, state, and local agencies, as well as the maritime community, to respond to the impacts of Hurricane Milton.

In coordination with the Port Heavy Weather Advisory Group, and following detailed assessments of the port, waterways, and channels, the U.S. Coast Guard has reopened the port and set the port condition to normal, with a daylight hour restriction and one-way travel. Port staff fully assessed the docks, wharves, and terminals for safety.

Some of the first vessels to return will be fuel tankers, cruise ships and vessels carrying perishable cargo.

There will be changes to the following cruise schedules: Carnival Paradise, Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas and Margaritaville at Sea Islander.

Carnival Elation Resumes Service After Drydock

Carnival Elation Resumes Service After Drydock

The Carnival Elation is welcoming guests back today following a routine drydock at the Grand Bahama Shipyard.

After two weeks out of service, the 1998-built cruise ship is departing on a short cruise to the Bahamas.

Sailing from Jacksonville, the five-night itinerary features visits to Nassau and Princess Cays, as well as two full days at sea.

Now one of the oldest ships in the Carnival Cruise Line fleet, the Elation underwent routine maintenance during the shipyard visit.

Work carried out in the period included class inspections, technical overhauls and upgrades, as well as hotel upkeep and minor updates to public areas and cabins.

The vessel also became the latest to receive the Carnival’s new hull livery, which includes a stately navy-blue hull along with vibrant red and white accents running the entire length of the entire ship. First introduced by the Mardi Gras, the new colours are being added to the entire fleet.

In 2020, during its previous drydock, the Elation received several new venues, such as Bonsai Sushi Express, JavaBlue Café and Alchemy Bar.

A few years before, in 2017, the 70,367-ton vessel had also seen the addition of other signature venues and experiences of Carnival Cruise Line, including the company’s WaterWorks aquapark and new dining options like Guy’s Burger Joint, RedFrog Rum Bar, BlueIguana Cantina and BlueIguana Tequila Bar.

The Elation also received new cabins during both refits, with 38 extra cabins added in 2017 and 30 more added in 2020. Private balconies were also added to a total of 98 existing staterooms during the first refurbishment.

Sailing year-round from its homeport in Jacksonville, the 2,040-guest vessel offers a series of four- and five-night cruises to the Bahamas.

In addition to Nassau and Freeport, the itineraries feature visits to Bimini and Princess Cays – a private island destination owned by Princess Cruises.

Along with the Carnival Paradise, the Elation is one of the original eight Fantasy-Class ships that remains in service.

Royal Caribbean Ship Arrives in St. Vincent to Help Evacuate

The Serenade of the Seas from Royal Caribbean International arrived in St. Vincent on Friday to help evacuate residents following the eruption of the La Soufrière volcano.

It's one of two ships on the scene from Royal Caribbean Group, as the company also sent the Celebrity Reflection to help, while Carnival Cruise Line sent two ships as well: the Carnival Legend and Carnival Paradise.

"Love and huge respect to our crew who, as always, come together in unimaginable ways," said Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, in a Facebook post.

"Over the next few days, they’ll be welcoming guests, preparing provisions, and providing medical attention. I am so proud of our team and all the teams behind the scenes from Royal, Celebrity, and Carnival Cruises working day and night to make sure we assist the people of St. Vincent in any way we can."

 

Carnival Cruise Line to sell two more ships

Carnival Cruise Line to sell two more ships

Carnival Cruise Line has announced the sale of two more ships from its fleet.

Carnival Fascination and Carnival Imagination, which had previously been put on long-term lay-up status and removed from published itineraries, will leave the fleet.

Fascination launched in 1994 and Imagination in 1995. Carnival said their sales were in line with the corporation’s plan to ‘accelerate the removal of less efficient ships’ from its fleet.

This follows the sale of Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Inspiration in July.

When it returns to operations, Carnival will operate four upgraded Fantasy-class ships – Carnival Ecstasy, Carnival Sensation, Carnival Elation and Carnival Paradise – which are part of the line’s Fun Ship 2.0 enhancement program.

“While we are sad to see Carnival Fascination and Carnival Imagination leave our fleet, it is a necessary move as it allows us to focus on ships that offer the greatest variety of features and stateroom accommodations for our guests,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

Carnival is also to delay the return to the sailing of four ships until after dry dock enhancements are completed in the first half of 2021.

The impacted ships and itineraries are:

Carnival Magic: itineraries operating from Miami will be cancelled until March 13, 2021

Carnival Paradise: itineraries operating from Tampa will be cancelled until March 19, 2021

Carnival Valor: itineraries operating from New Orleans will be cancelled until April 29, 2021 (including a transatlantic cruise from New Orleans on January 25, 2021, and the return from Barcelona on February 26, 2021)

Carnival Spirit: itineraries operating from Brisbane will be cancelled through May 16, 2021, with the first sailing being the Singapore to Brisbane voyage embarking on June 12, 2021.

“This extended pause in our operations has also impacted shipyard availability, and we’ve had to reschedule required dry docks. As we continue to work through issues related to our eventual return to operations, we are committed to providing our guests and travel agent partners with certainty where we can, although we regret disappointing our guests.  We appreciate the continued support and understanding of our guests and hope to welcome them back on board soon,” Duffy said.

Cruise Lines Make More Hurricane Adjustments

The three major cruise lines announced more itinerary changes due to Hurricane Dorian following Thursday's itinerary change news, and more adjustments are expected to follow on Friday as the storm develops.

Carnival

The Carnival Paradise will now leave Tampa early on August 31, with Carnival asking guests to arrive at the cruise terminal between 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM.

For the Carnival Miracle, with the anticipation of a potential port closure on Sunday, this sailing will now operate as an eight-day sailing, departing on Saturday evening. 

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean has modified more sailings as a result of the impact of Hurricane Dorian.

Guests aboard the Navigator's August 30 sailing are now returning to Miami on Sept. 4 as opposed to Sept. 2, meaning the ship's Sept. 2 sailing will leave two days later.

The Empress will see guests get multiple days added to the itinerary. Unable to return to Miami this Sunday, the cruise now will add a call to Roatan, spend two days at sea, call in Nassau and then return to Miami on Sept. 4.

The Mariner will also get two days added to its current itinerary, returning to Port Canaveral on Sept. 4 as opposed to Sept. 2.

Norwegian

The Norwegian Breakaway will extend its port time in Cozumel until Sept. 1, giving guests a chance to disembark and return home or remain onboard if they choose.  Guests who choose to end their cruise in Cozumel will receive a 25% future cruise credit.

The  Norwegian Sun departed from Port Canaveral, Florida Thursday, August 29, 2019, as scheduled. The calls to Nassau, Great Stirrup Cay and Freeport, Bahamas have been cancelled. Instead, the ship will spend a day at sea on Friday, August 30 and will call to Cozumel, Mexico on August 31. She will remain at sea on September 1 and is scheduled to return to Port Canaveral on September 2.

Carnival Cruise Line to sail in Med in 2020

Carnival Cruise Line to sail in Med in 2020

Carnival Cruise Line is returning to Europe in 2020 with revamped ship Carnival Radiance.

The vessel will sail in the Mediterranean from Barcelona from April 29, 2020, following a $200 million refit in dry dock in Cadiz.

Carnival Radiance will run a ten-day itinerary followed by nine-and 12-day departures visiting destinations throughout the region, including Italy, France, Croatia, Greece, Malta and Spain.

The ship will then embark on a 13-day transatlantic crossing from Barcelona on June 11 to 24, to be in place for an inaugural season in New York, including the first Cuba cruises from the city.

The ship will also offer four five- to seven-day voyages from Norfolk, Virginia, in October and November 2020, also including calls into Cuba.

Carnival Radiance will reposition to Port Canaveral in Florida to sail a winter schedule of six- to eight-day cruises to the Caribbean and Cuba from November 8, 2020.

Carnival Radiance and Carnival Sunrise will each undergo extensive refits in 2019 and 2020 respectively to add new food, drink and entertainment options, including aqua parks and an open-air recreation complex.

The new-look Carnival Sunrise will operate a series of long weekend cruises from New York to Bermuda as well as longer Caribbean voyages and calls into Cuba from May 21, 2020.

The line also has three new ships due for delivery – the 133,500-ton Carnival Panorama set to enter service in 2019 and two as-yet-unnamed 180,000-ton ships in 2020 and 2022.

MSC Cruises chief warns yields could drop amid mass growth

MSC Cruises chief warns yields could drop amid mass growth

MSC Seaview

Cruise line yields could fall in the future due to the volume of new ships entering the market in the next decade, according to the boss of MSC Cruises.

A total of 106 ships are expected to launch between 2017-26, including 12 alone from MSC Cruises. Other mainstream cruise brands such as Royal Caribbean International has six ships on its order books and Norwegian Cruise Line has seven. 48 expedition and luxury ships are also planned.

Asked whether occupancy levels were at risk of falling from so much growth, chief executive Gianni Onorato told delegates at the ITT Conference in Sicily: “No, we are not crazy. But in difficult times it can have an impact on yields more than occupancy. So I think this will be more of an issue than occupancy levels.”

Onorato said the slowdown in cruise bookings last year in the UK was due to a “lack of capacity” in 2017 and said he was very “optimistic” about the British market going forward.

He said the biggest challenge facing cruise lines was future proofing ships which are built to last 20 years.

“Knowing what guests want in 2040 when you’re building them now is very difficult to predict so we need to have a flexible mindset and be able to follow guests’ needs (in terms of technology) but at the same time maintain human contact,” Onorato said.

Carnival schedules 20 more Cuba cruises in 2019

Carnival Paradise in Havana.

Carnival Cruise Line scheduled an additional 20 cruises in 2019 that will include visits to Cuba.

The cruises will be roundtrip from Tampa on the Carnival Paradise, which will sail five-day itineraries with a full day or an overnight in Havana.

The schedule includes:
Ten cruises overnighting in Havana with a visit to Key West -- departing March 2, April 13, May 25, June 22, July 6, Aug. 3 and 17, Sept. 14 and 28 and Oct. 26.

Six voyages featuring a day-long call in Havana and a visit to Cozumel -- departure dates are Jan. 5, March 16, May 11, Aug. 31, Nov. 9 and Dec. 7.

Four sailings featuring day-long calls to Havana, Key West and Cozumel -- departing Feb. 16, June 8, July 20 and Oct. 12.

The new schedule is in addition to the 17 recently announced Cuba cruises aboard Carnival Sensation departing from Miami in 2019.

Carnival Accepts Delivery of Horizon

PHOTO: Rendering of Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Horizon. (photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line)

Carnival Cruise Line’s new flagship, Carnival Horizon, was presented today at the Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. Carnival Corporation Chairman Micky Arison, as well as Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy, attended the ceremony.

A sister ship to the Carnival Vista, the 3,954-passenger Carnival Horizon features an IMAX Theatre, craft brewery and smokehouse, teppanyaki restaurant, ropes course and Dr. Seuss-themed water park.

And that’s not to mention the Havana staterooms and suites, which include exclusive daytime access to a Cuban-themed bar and pool.

Grammy award-winner and actress Queen Latifah will christen the ship in New York City on May 23. Thereafter, Carnival Horizon will operate Mediterranean sailings out of Barcelona. She’ll move to New York for a series of Bermuda and Caribbean cruises before beginning six-night Caribbean sailings from Miami in the fall.

Another Vista-class vessel, Carnival Panorama, debuts in 2019. She’ll operate year-round from Southern California.

Carnival to sail Miami cruises to Havana

Carnival Sensation

Carnival Cruise Line will add Havana as a regular destination for a second ship in 2019, as the Carnival Sensation will sail Cuba-bound voyages from Miami.

The Carnival Paradise, sailing from Tampa, currently operates cruises that visit Havana.

In 2019, the Sensation will sail a series of 17 five-day cruises. The first voyage to feature Havana will depart April 22, 2019, and include Havana, Nassau and Princess Cays.

Carnival's Cuba ship getting upgrade

The Carnival Paradise in Havana.

The Carnival Paradise, a ship that sails Cuba cruises from Tampa, is undergoing an extensive month-long refurbishment in Freeport, Bahamas.

When the 20-year-old ship returns to service on March 26, it will have a water park, 38 new cabins, 98 balconies added to existing staterooms, and new bars and restaurants.

Among the new accommodations are two Grand Vista suites with floor-to-ceiling windows, 22 junior suites, two oceanview cabins and 12 interior accommodations. All staterooms will have new island-inspired interiors with bright colours.

The new dining and drinking options are establishments that are on many other Carnival ships:

The complimentary Guy's Burger Joint and BlueIguana Cantina, and the RedFrog Rum Bar and BlueIguana Tequila Bar.

The BlueIguana Cantina is a complimentary restaurant on the pool deck.

The WaterWorks Aqua Park on the Verandah Deck features the enclosed 300-foot-long Twister water slide, two 82-foot-long racing slides, and a splash zone for kids. 

A nine-hole miniature golf course has been relocated to Deck 14.

The Camp Ocean play area for kids ages 2-11 showcases the wonders of the sea and offers ocean-themed activities, including arts and crafts and science-oriented programming.

The Carnival Paradise's retail shops are being redesigned and will include Pandora and Guess.  The Cherry on Top sweets shop is also being added. The printed photo gallery is being replaced with a digital Pixels-branded platform that allows guests to identify and purchase images via their smartphones or at a nearby kiosk.

The Carnival Paradise's schedule includes four-day cruises to Cozumel and five-day cruises to Cozumel or Roatan, Grand Cayman or Key West. The ship also sails to Cuba with four-day cruises visiting Havana, five-day cruises calling at Havana and Cozumel or Key West, and eight-day voyages to Havana, Key West and Grand Cayman. 

Carnival Miracle Kicks Off Year-Round Schedule From Tampa

PHOTO: Carnival Miracle docked in Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos. (photo via Wikimedia Commons/HurricaneX31)

Carnival Cruise Line's 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle kicked off a year-round program of seven-day cruises from Tampa this weekend. The move doubles the line's capacity at the port and further bolsters its position as the leader in Caribbean cruising.

Carnival Miracle will offer the only year-round, longer-length cruise program from Port Tampa Bay, offering an unbeatable mix of destinations that appeal to a broad range of consumers, including families seeking an attractive and affordable vacation option.

Carnival Miracle joins Carnival Paradise which operates year-round four- to eight-day voyages from Tampa to the Caribbean and Cuba. Together, Carnival Miracle and Carnival Paradise will carry an estimated 280,000 passengers annually from Tampa – the most of any cruise operator.

"Carnival Cruise Line has been sailing from Tampa for nearly 25 years and we're thrilled to add a second year-round ship to provide our guests with an even greater variety of fantastic cruise vacation choices from this convenient homeport," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. "We would like to recognize our partners at Port Tampa Bay and the Tampa community, as well as our valued travel agent partners, for their efforts in making Tampa one of our most popular and successful embarkation ports," she added.

"We're delighted that Carnival Cruise Line will have two year-round cruise ships dedicated to the Tampa market," said Paul Anderson, President/CEO Port Tampa Bay. "It speaks to the record-breaking demand of passengers in the Tampa Bay area wanting to get on a Carnival cruise."

Seven-Day Sailings from Tampa

On its week-long Tampa-based cruise program, Carnival Miracle departs Port Tampa Bay Saturdays or Sundays calling at four popular western Caribbean ports: Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Mahogany Bay (Roatan) and Belize, each known for their world-class beaches, varied shore excursion opportunities, centuries-old historical sites and excellent dining and shopping experiences.

These voyages from Tampa are part of Carnival's exclusive Cozumel Plus program, which features extended stays that provide guests even more opportunities to experience and explore one of the Caribbean's most diverse vacation destinations with a variety of exciting and unforgettable excursion choices, many taking place on Mexico's mainland.

New Six- to 14-Day Cruises to the Caribbean, Panama Canal

Carnival recently added several six- to 14-day sailings aboard Carnival Miracle visiting spectacular ports throughout the Caribbean as well as an unforgettable opportunity to experience a partial transit of the Panama Canal. During the transit, guests will experience one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World and sail on Gatun Lake, one of the largest man-made bodies of water in the world.

The new six-day voyages feature day-long stops at Cozumel, Belize, and Costa Maya or Mahogany Bay. Departure dates include Sept. 2 and Nov. 11, 2018, and Jan. 27 and March 31, 2019.

Eight-day Panama Canal cruises depart April 14 and Sept. 8, 2018, and Feb. 2 and April 6, 2019, and include a partial transit of the Panama Canal along with stops at Limon (Costa Rica) and Grand Cayman. There's also an eight-day, five-port Caribbean cruise that departs Nov. 17, 2019, visiting Cozumel, Costa Maya, Mahogany Bay, Belize and Grand Cayman.

Miracle will also offer a 14-day Carnival Journeys Panama Canal cruise round-trip from Tampa Dec. 2-16, 2018, featuring Cozumel and Limon prior to a partial Panama Canal transit followed by visits to Cartagena (Colombia), Aruba, Curacao and Montego Bay (Jamaica). Guests sailing on Journeys cruises enjoy unique local dining and entertainment experiences and a number of shipboard-enrichment activities.

Signature Carnival Innovations

Guests sailing aboard Carnival Miracle can enjoy a wide range of onboard choices, the Caribbean-inspired RedFrog Pub, the cocktail pharmacy-themed Alchemy Bar, Nick and Nora's steakhouse located atop the ship's 10-deck-high atrium, a luxurious 14,500-square-foot spa, and a Serenity adults-only retreat. Of the ship's 1,062 staterooms, 80 percent offer either an ocean view or private balcony.

Family-friendly options include Seuss at Sea, an exclusive partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, Hasbro, The Game Show, with larger-than-life adaptations of the company's iconic games and complimentary programming for children in three age groups – Camp Ocean (ages 2-11), Circle "C" (12-14) and Club O2 (15-17).

Carnival devotes more resources to travel agents

Carnival Paradise

Carnival Cruise Line will carve out four new sales territories in fast-growing areas of the country, each to be headed by a business development manager.

At the same time, Carnival made other changes to its sales structure, including the formation of a program to focus management attention on independent agents.

The four new territories are Boston and Rhode Island; Jacksonville, Fla.; western Texas; and the four corners region that includes parts of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado.

Carnival also highlighted the formation of a new groups desk that was inaugurated earlier in October. The desk is designed to provide additional technical support for travel agent questions related to group bookings, Carnival said. It can be reached at (800) 327-5782.

"We created these new sales regions and the independent agent program to provide added business development support for travel partners," said Carnival vice president of sales and trade marketing Adolfo Perez. "The growth in these geographies and the independent agent channel, combined with our recent preferred supplier agreements with Travelsavers/Nest, Signature, and Ensemble, make this the right time for us to expand our field team resources."

Carnival adds five more Cuba cruises for 2018

Carnival Cruise Line has tacked on five more voyages featuring extended calls in Havana in 2018.

Like the previously scheduled ones, the cruises are on the Carnival Paradise sailing from Tampa.

They include three five-day cruises to Havana and Cozumel or Key West departing Feb. 17, July 2 and Sept. 5, 2018; a six-day sailing featuring Havana and Grand Cayman departing Aug. 26, 2018; and an eight-day voyage with stops at Havana, Grand Cayman and Cozumel departing Aug. 18, 2018.  

All of the cruises include a day-long call and overnight in Havana and the eight-day cruise offers two full days at the Cuban capital.

Ships' productions put Cuban culture in the spotlight

Dancers and musicians perform in "Amor Cubano" at the opening of Carnival Cruise Line's new rehearsal studio in Davie, Fla. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst

Cuba, the hottest cruise destination of the last year, has now become the hottest theme in cruise ship entertainment.

The island's recent opening to U.S. tourism is inspiring show producers and casting directors at several of the Miami-based cruise lines, and production teams are using it as a springboard to explore Cuban culture and stress the authenticity of the music, costuming and overall approach.

Each of the three contemporary cruise brands in South Florida either has a Cuba-

themed show on its ships or has one in development.

Royal Caribbean International's "Bailamos" is already being staged on the Empress of the Seas as that ship sails from Tampa on itineraries that include Havana. Carnival Cruise Line is shifting a production of its "Amor Cubano" show to the Carnival Paradise when it begins Cuba sailings in June.

Carnival Paradise

Norwegian Cruise Line, meanwhile, is preparing an ambitious show developed by Tony Award-winning choreographer Warren Carlyle for the debut of its next ship, the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Bliss, in 2018.

It was perhaps telling that when Carnival held an open house for its new 45,000-square-foot entertainment rehearsal hall, Carnival Studios, in Davie, Fla., earlier this month, the show it chose to highlight was "Amor Cubano."

The show is a blend of Spanish and English language songs, sung and danced by a cast of 12 and backed by a four-piece Cuban band. It is performed against a backdrop of scenes from Cuba projected on a 480-square-foot LED screen.

Kerry Stables, director of creative development in Carnival's entertainment department, said the show was proposed in 2015 by Peter Flynn, a Broadway director who had done five shows previously with Carnival's creative team.

Stables said Carnival chose the show because it only had one other Latin show in its repertoire, which was a "Latin pop crossover style."

In contrast, "Amor Cubano" is authentic enough that audience members born on the island have cried during some of the numbers, said Sarah Beth Reno, Carnival's entertainment vice president.

The show, which debuted on the Carnival Vista, was added to the Carnival Glory in the fall of 2016 and will open on the Carnival Paradise next month.

"Once the announcement was made about the Paradise going to Cuba, it was a given that we should add the show to that ship, as well, to truly expand the guests' experience while enjoying Cuba first hand," Stables said.

Royal Caribbean's cruise to Cuba aboard the Empress of the Seas features two shows that have elements of Cuban entertainment. The first, "Bailamos," which means "let's dance" in Spanish, showcases Latin music in a broad range of styles, from nostalgic Hollywood to new musicals on Broadway.

Empress of the Seas

The second, called "Three," is a tribute to showgirls of yesterday, today and tomorrow. The costuming, with its towering feather headdresses, is reminiscent of those that tourists in Havana can see if they visit the legendary Tropicana Cabaret for its two-hour outdoor extravaganza.

At Norwegian Cruise Line, the entertainment team has been working for nine months on an original musical.

"It's basically going to be a celebration of Cuban culture and Cuban music," said Richard Ambrose, Norwegian's vice president of entertainment. "It's also going to be [cast with] Cuban or Cuban-American artists. So it's really going to be an authentic feel, under the helm of Broadway's best."

Ambrose said the costuming will be done by New York-based Cuban-American fashion designer Isabel Toledo, while the art direction and scenic design will go to her husband, artist Ruben Toledo.

The show is targeted for the Norwegian Bliss, which debuts in June 2018 in Seattle with "Jersey Boys" as its lead show. Ambrose said the Cuban production will be equally exciting but in a different vein.

"We think this is going to blow the roof off entertainment, not only at sea but everywhere in the world," he said.

Norwegian Bliss

Carnival sending a second ship to Tampa

Carnival Miracle joins Splendor at Tampa

Carnival Cruise Line said it will deploy a second ship year-round from Tampa, designating the Carnival Miracle for seven-night Caribbean cruises from the port, starting in 2018.

Also, Carnival said it will put a bigger and newer ship, the Carnival Splendor, in Long Beach to do seven-night Mexican Riviera cruises.

The 2,124-passenger Miracle will join the Carnival Paradise in Tampa and will do extended stays in Cozumel, along with a broader array of excursions there.

The 3,006-passenger Splendor will replace the Carnival Miracle, joining the Carnival Inspiration and Carnival Imagination in Long Beach, where Carnival is in the process of expanding its terminal.

The Splendor will sail a 13-day Panama Canal cruise departing Miami on Jan. 14, 2018, and become the first Carnival ship to use the new locks opened this year.

Carnival said the Splendor will also sail two 14-night round trip Hawaii cruises in 2018 from Long Beach.