Carnival Cruise Line is shuffling the deck, partly in an effort to capitalize on Port Canaveral’s family cruise market.
As part of its strategy, Carnival will move Carnival Magic to Port Canaveral in April 2016 — eight months earlier than previously announced — to operate seven-day Caribbean cruises.
In a statement released Tuesday, Carnival President Christine Duffy said this ship redeployment and others are designed to “provide our guests and travel agent partners with exciting new options, featuring a variety of on-board innovations, and visiting top destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, Bahamas and Florida.”
She said the shifts will “enhance” Carnival’s “leadership position in two key home ports” — Port Canaveral and Galveston, Texas.
“Carnival Magic brings one of our newest generations of ships to the important and growing Port Canaveral market,” Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen said. “It will … further enhance our leadership position in Central Florida cruising.”