Carnival has just announced that in 2012 the Carnival Glory will sail part of her summer Canada and New England out of Boston. The voyages will mirror her current 2011 schedule with 4 & 5 Night trips to St. John or Halifax and St. John respectively. Her Boston season will last from June 10th to July 26th. On June 3rd she’ll sail a special 7-night trip to Portland, Maine, Saint John, Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia. Following her trips in Boston, she’ll reop back to New York to finish out her summer season and sail her fall ones as well.
The Glory will join the Norwegian Dawn, sailing 7-night Bermuda, and the Maasdam, sailing 7-night Canada & New England both round trip out of Boston.
The 2 month assignment seems odd, I’ll admit. But it could be as simple as Carnival testing the waters to see if putting a ship in Boston for the full summer will be profitable.
Full Presser after the break:
For the first time, Carnival Cruise Lines will operate an extended schedule of voyages from Boston with a series of round-trip four- and five-day eastern Canada cruises aboard the 2,974-passenger Carnival Glory beginning in June 2012. Carnival will be the only cruise line offering short cruises from Boston to the Canadian Maritimes.
On the new program, Carnival Glory will sail from the recently refurbished Black Falcon Cruise Terminal on four-day “long weekend” cruises departing Thursdays to Saint John, New Brunswick, and five-day voyages departing Mondays and Saturdays to Halifax, Nova Scotia; and Saint John. The program will operate June 10 to July 26, 2012. A special seven-day cruise will be offered June 3-10, 2012, with visits to Portland, Maine; and Saint John, Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia.
“We are thrilled to offer these four- and five-day cruises from Boston which is not only a world-class destination but also provides a convenient and affordable drive-to homeport for millions of Northeastern U.S. residents,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival’s president and CEO. “Carnival Glory is a fantastic ‘Fun Ship’ with so much to offer and on these cruises guests can visit charming and historic cities in eastern Canadian Maritimes while enjoying all the fun and excitement that Carnival is known for.”
“Massport’s facilities are economic engines for the New England region and we expected our $11 million in capital improvements to the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal would not only be appreciated by the more than 300,000 passengers who use the facility each year, but it would generate renewed interest from cruise lines in the Port of Boston,” said Thomas J. Kinton Jr., Massport’s CEO & Executive Director. “Bringing Carnival Cruise Lines to Boston for regularly scheduled service is not only good economic news, it will provide New England residents more choices in cruising vacations.”
“We are pleased to welcome Carnival Cruise Lines to Boston, and will work to make their Boston-Canada sailings a success,” said Mike Leone, Massport’s Director of the Port. “Carnival Glory provides a great opportunity for New Englanders and others to enjoy Eastern Canada during the summer months, and the shorter itineraries will be a huge draw for those with limited vacation time or who are looking to getaway for an extended weekend.”
Saint John is a nature lover’s paradise, highlighted by such landmarks as Reversing Falls, where the highest tides in the world intersect with the St. John River and force it to flow backwards twice daily, and the Bay of Fundy, with its gorgeous backdrop of rugged rock formations. Also popular is Saint John’s Historic District, lined with stately Victorian homes, elegant churches and quaint boutiques and eateries.
Founded in 1749 and known as the “Gateway to the Canadian Atlantic,” Halifax is a charming yet cosmopolitan city with outstanding restaurants, shops, and museums and unique cultural experiences. Here, guests can visit Peggy’s Cove, a fishing village famous for its granite coastline, tour the city’s many lighthouses, or observe the changing of the guard at The Citadel, a centuries-old fortress. Other on-shore activities such as kayaking and hiking are also available.
Guests can also experience the many on-board facilities and features of the Carnival Glory – a 270-square-foot Seaside Theatre poolside LED screen displaying movies, concerts and other programming, a 13,300-square foot spa, four swimming pools – one with the line’s signature Twister Waterslide – along with spacious and modern play areas for children, ’tweens and teens, and Serenity, an exclusive adults-only retreat. A wide range of dining venues – from twin full-service dining rooms and a two-level casual poolside eatery featuring a 24-hour pizzeria to a sushi bar and a classic American steakhouse – are available, as well.
New York Cruises
Following its cruises from Boston, Carnival Glory will reposition to New York for a series of four-day voyages to Saint John and five-day voyages to Saint John and Halifax from August 1 through September 3, 2012. Carnival Glory will also offer five week-long fall foliage cruises round-trip from New York to Halifax, Saint John, Boston and Portland, Maine. Departure dates include September 8, 15, 22, and 29 and October 6, 2012.Norfolk Cruises
The ship will also operate a series of cruises round-trip from Norfolk, Va., in the spring and fall. Spring six-day Bahamas departures will be available on May 15, 21 and 27. In the fall, there will be a six-day Bahamas cruise on October 14 and 22; a five-day Bahamas cruise on October 28, and a special two-day cruise on October 20, 2012.Reservations
Reservations are currently being accepted for the Carnival Glory’s voyages from Boston, New York and Norfolk.For additional information and reservations, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.