Carnival adds a new ship to its Caribbean fleet

Source: Orlando Sentinel
By Richard Tribou

Carnival Cruise Lines got its hands on its newest ship, the Carnival Breeze, in a ceremony at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.

The 130,000-ton, 3,600-passenger sister ship to the Carnival Magic and Carnival Dream becomes the 24th cruise ship in the line’s fleet. It will now head off on its inaugural cruise from Venice on June 3, sailing Mediterranean itineraries until this fall when it repositions to the Port of Miami.

“Carnival Breeze represents the continued evolution of our product, offering a huge array of branded experiences for our guests and inviting public spaces each with its own personality and character, all enhanced by the spirited fun that makes a Carnival cruise so memorable,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival president and CEO.

It begins year-round six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises out of Miami beginning Nov. 24, making it the largest Carnival ship to sail out of a South Florida port. The six-day sailings will visit Grand Turk, Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Nassau, The Bahamas. The eight-day sailings will alternate between a southern Caribbean itinerary featuring Grand Turk, La Romana (Dominican Republic), Curacao and Aruba. An eastern Caribbean route will visit St. Thomas/St. John, Antigua, Tortola and Nassau.

The Breeze will be similar to the Magic and Dream with the popular WaterWorks aqua park, SportSquare recreation complex with ropes courses, mini-golf and outdoor fitness area. The Lanai will be a wraparound promenade with whirlpools jutting out over the ship’s sides.

The look of the Breeze will be decidedly Caribbean in style, as in island breezes and tropical sunsets, created by Germany-based Partner Ship Design, focusing on bright colors and pastel hues.

The Breeze will be the first of the line’s ships to feature all of the Fun Ship 2.0 elements it plans to roll out fleetwide in time. The amenity program is a $500 million initiative that features new entertainment options, new venues and new celebrity partnerships such as comedian George Lopez, DJ Irie and Food Network star Guy Fieri.

One of the Fun Ship 2.0 entertainment options to debut aboard the Breeze will be the new Thrill 5D Theater, which presents high-def, 3D film with tangible enhancements similar to theme park attractions that interact with the viewer — things like squirting water, bubbles, and chairs that will tickle legs, blow air on guests’ necks and poke them in their seat. In addition, the seats themselves will move and vibrate to simulate motion, adding what Carnival deems a fifth dimension. It’s kind of like combining a ride like Universal’s Terminator 3-D with Spider-Man with a dose of Disney’s Stitch ride.

The Breeze is 101st ship sailed under the Carnival brand since the 1970s.

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