Carnival is creating a new class category for the Costa ship transfers.

[Cherries Jubilee]

So does anyone know what ship will be in Baltimore when Legend is in Europe?

[Old Fart Cruisers]

It appears that the Pride will be in Baltimore for at least a year starting with the April 21, 2024 sailing. 

[jsglow]

37 minutes ago, Old Fart Cruisers said:

It appears that the Pride will be in Baltimore for at least a year starting with the April 21, 2024 sailing. 

Yep, they're just switching Pride and Legend out.

[Old Fart Cruisers]

Pride will be doing a 14-Day Southern Caribbean Journeys repositioning sailing from Tampa on Apr 7, 2024 and arriving in Baltimore on the 21st.  Looks like it could be an interesting itinerary.  

[Cherries Jubilee]

4 hours ago, Old Fart Cruisers said:

It appears that the Pride will be in Baltimore for at least a year starting with the April 21, 2024 sailing. 

Thank you! 

[Port of New Orleans]

On 12/14/2022 at 9:15 PM, staceyglow said:

What "sources"?

The Costa Captain of the Costa Venezia said this.

[Port of New Orleans]

On 12/15/2022 at 1:32 PM, CarnivalShips480 said:

Before I say anything, what are your sources?

The Costa Captain of the Costa Venezia said this on the cruise to me when we were talking.

[toad455]

Looks like just the Paradise in Tampa from April 2024 - Nov. 2024 until the Legend comes over for the winter.

[jsglow]

6 hours ago, toad455 said:

Looks like just the Paradise in Tampa from April 2024 - Nov. 2024 until the Legend comes over for the winter.

That's typical. Carnival has not run a 7 day from Tampa since the restart. I don't recall if they did prior to Covid. 

[tidecat]

2 hours ago, jsglow said:

That's typical. Carnival has not run a 7 day from Tampa since the restart. I don't recall if they did prior to Covid. 

The 7-day cruises run from late fall to early spring (i.e., the offseason for Europe). Miracle went to Tampa in 2018 to do those cruises: Carnival Miracle: Carnival Cruise Line deploys second ship to Tampa (usatoday.com).

 

The problem Carnival has now is that it has three ships with Alaska service instead of one, in addition to one ship in Europe. The season for both destinations during the summer months. Those ships have to go somewhere in the winter. So now Brisbane, Mobile, the #2 position in Tampa, and the #3 spot in Long Beach (at least through May of 2024 in the case of Long Beach; originally this was going to be San Diego) have become the offseason parking spots.

 

If Carnival transfers Magica and Fortuna in from Costa, this would allow them to plug some holes. One of them is going to have to be committed to Alaska service, though to be able to free up compatible inventory (i.e., fits under the Sunshine Skyway) for Tampa. Magica or Fortuna wintering in San Diego, like Miracle originally was scheduled to do, would make the most sense for that happening.  Luminosa staying Down Under year-round, or Mobile keeping Spirit year-round would likely require the other of Magica/Fortuna to be do a Panama Canal transit through the new locks each year - they are too wide for the original locks.

[toad455]

The Magica is expected to leave the Costa fleet. Whether it is flipped as a Carnival ship is still TBD. Regardless, with just 7 available ships that can actually sail out of Mobile, Tampa, Jacksonville & Baltimore, Carnival needs to decide what ships to homeport long-term. Can a Dream-class ship go to Australia instead? Keep the Spirit in Mobile, Paradise & Pride in Tampa, Legend in Baltimore, Elation in Jacksonville. Miracle & Luminosa can stay out west for Long Beach & Alaska.

Edited December 19, 2022 by toad455

[tidecat]

54 minutes ago, toad455 said:

The Magica is expected to leave the Costa fleet. Whether it is flipped as a Carnival ship is still TBD. Regardless, with just 7 available ships that can actually sail out of Mobile, Tampa, Jacksonville & Baltimore, Carnival needs to decide what ships to homeport long-term. Can a Dream-class ship go to Australia instead? Keep the Spirit in Mobile, Paradise & Pride in Tampa, Legend in Baltimore, Elation in Jacksonville. Miracle & Luminosa can stay out west for Long Beach & Alaska.

I don't believe there are any physical restrictions on any ships that can homeport in Australia, but the market will want a ship with Australian power ports. Right now those are Spirit, Splendor, Luminosa, and Legend. I think it would just be easier to keep Luminosa in Australia from October 2023 onwards after her Transpacific cruise.