Carnival goes big in Texas – Cruise News — Feb. 20, 2015

Carnival goes big in Texas

Cruise News — Feb. 20, 2015

Martina McBride helped Carnival Cruise Line launch Carnival Freedom from its new homeport of Galveston, Texas. The country music superstar performed in a Carnival LIVE! concert, part of a celebration that also honored (with a free overnight) U.S. military personnel and their families, in partnership with Operation Homefront.

Carnival Freedom‘s arrival into Galveston makes the port, at least for this season, Carnival’s second-largest homeport after Miami — temporarily shifting Port Canaveral down to the third spot.

Carnival Triumph and Carnival Magic also sail from Galveston. The three ships will carry 600,000 passengers annually, officials said.

Carnival Freedom, which underwent a $70 million refurbishment last year, will sail year-round cruises from Galveston to Mexico, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and Florida.

In addition to such Fun Ship 2.0 features as Guy’s Burger Joint, the Alchemy Bar, and the RedFrog Pub, Carnival Freedom is the first in the fleet to have a Dr. Seuss “Bookville” family playroom stocked with Dr. Seuss books — a feature that will also be on Carnival Vista when the newbuild debuts next year.

Carnival will go even bigger in Texas in 2016, positioning the two-year-old, 3,690-passenger Carnival Breeze in the Lone Star State. Also heading to Galveston in 2016 will be Carnival Liberty — Carnival Magic and Carnival Triumph will be repositioned elsewhere, while Carnival Freedom will stay put.

 

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^{Photo: Carnival Cruise Line}

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