Starting this fall, Carnival Cruise Lines has expanded its 2014 program of longer cruises into Carnival Journeys, a set of one-of-a-kind nine- to 15-day sailings in the Caribbean, Central America, Hawaii and Mexico. The line has scheduled 28 departures from Los Angeles; Galveston, Texas; New Orleans; Miami and Port Canaveral, Fla.; New York; Baltimore, Md.; and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Starting with an 11-day cruise from New Orleans to San Juan on Oct. 4, the program will run through Nov. 27, 2016.
One itinerary already in operation works perfectly within the Carnival Journeys’ umbrella: Carnival’s Hawaii program, with 15-day round-trip Long Beach, Calif., sailings among them.
There’s also a back-to-back sales possibility that combines the country’s two most exotic states aboard the Legend: an 11-day Honolulu to Vancouver cruise, followed by an eight-day Glacier Bay cruise sailing from Vancouver. Another back-to-back sales opportunity, after Legend’s season in Australia, is an 18-day Sydney to Honolulu sailing, followed by a Honolulu to Long Beach 12-day cruise.
Terry Thornton, senior vice president of itinerary planning for Carnival, said the line has arranged unique experiences for the longer cruises, partnering with local chefs and restaurants to offer onboard cooking demonstrations of traditional dishes and opportunities to accompany a chef to local markets as well as dine at a local restaurant for a nominal fee. The line is doing the same thing with local entertainment, bringing in calypso, soca and Goombay music, for example.
“I don’t really like the term ‘enrichment,’” Thornton said. “We’re going to do these things in our own style, with a good dash of fun.”
According to Thornton, the element that makes a cruise is the staff.
“We want to give passengers a better chance to interact with the staff, so there will be question-and-answer sessions with crew, held at different times throughout the cruise, and a crew show as well,” Thorton added.
Thornton noted that it’s not only the West Coast departures that are of interest to the Western traveler.
“This client may well look to New Orleans or Galveston, Texas, as a preferred departure port, since there’s less time and money involved in air travel,” he said.
Bookings for all Carnival Journeys cruises are currently open.
The Details
Carnival Cruise Lineswww.carnival.com/journeys
