Carnival Magic will start departing from Norfolk

[mrlddst]

I was just watching my local news when they made the announcement. We will get a Carnival Ship for 5 yrs namely the Magic. 12 cruises at this point. Not sure of the exact schedule but I will definitely be taking a trip. 

 

https://www.13newsnow.com/article/life/norfolk-makes-a-five-year-deal-with-carnival-corporation/291-12573b7b-b5e2-4d71-b08f-c9a20cb64d66

Edited February 20, 2020 by mrlddst

[beacha]

1 hour ago, mrlddst said:

I was just watching my local news when they made the announcement. We will get a Carnival Ship for 5 yrs namely the Magic. 12 cruises at this point. Not sure of the exact schedule but I will definitely be taking a trip. 

 

https://www.13newsnow.com/article/life/norfolk-makes-a-five-year-deal-with-carnival-corporation/291-12573b7b-b5e2-4d71-b08f-c9a20cb64d66

I just saw this on the news,too. This is wonderful!

[shof515]

i guess that means the Magic will be most likely be New York ship for 5 years too. 

[BroadwayGirl]

And there go the cruises and time frames I wanted for NYC for 2021......ugh...they all went to Norfolk. 

[Jamman54]

11 minutes ago, shof515 said:

i guess that means the Magic will be most likely be New York ship for 5 years too. 

 

I believe that the agreement is that Norfolk will get a ship the next 5 years, doesn't mean it will be the Magic all 5 years. 

[shof515]

4 minutes ago, BroadwayGirl said:

And there go the cruises and time frames I wanted for NYC for 2021......ugh...they all went to Norfolk. 

Yep.. that is how i felt to. I was really hoping for more cruises out of NYC. It seems  Carnival is cutting back on  New York to extend Norfolk cruises. The Carnival Magic will in the NYC from June 21 to September 24, that is only like 3 months..very short time frame 😞

Edited February 20, 2020 by shof515

[BroadwayGirl]

4 minutes ago, shof515 said:

Yep.. that is how i felt to. I was really hoping for more cruises out of NYC. It seems  Carnival is cutting back on  New York to extend Norfolk cruises. The Carnival Magic will in the NYC from June 21 to September 24, that is only like 3 months..very short time frame 😞

 

We're in NJ so no flying and enjoy the bigger ship from NYC rather than Baltimore's smaller ship.   Being a child free couple, we choose to not cruise in the summer bc we don't have to as it's expensive then.  We prefer May, Sept, or October.   With having done CA/NE twice (2018 and this fall), we were hoping for Half Moon/Grand Turk or a 6/7 day Bermuda cruise out of NYC in May/Sept/Oct 2021.  We may end up on the Pride again or jump back over to Royal to check out Oasis (even though we'd rather be on Carnival)

[jonboy9756]

It’s the largest ship to sail from Norfolk and it can carry nearly 50,000 guests. LOL

[SDPadreFan]

Wow - accuracy in journalism to boot!

 

Direct quote from the article - "It’s the largest ship to sail from Norfolk and it can carry nearly 50,000 guests."

 

Can I be one of those 50,000. Where do I sign up? Might take awhile to get food on the Lido Deck however.

[Joe817]

2 minutes ago, jonboy9756 said:

It’s the largest ship to sail from Norfolk and it can carry nearly 50,000 guests. LOL

50,000? That's funny! 🙄

[SDPadreFan]

4 minutes ago, jonboy9756 said:

It’s the largest ship to sail from Norfolk and it can carry nearly 50,000 guests. LOL

 

You beat me by like 1 minute because I took the time to post additional sarcasm. But great job none the less

[shof515]

2 minutes ago, SDPadreFan said:

Wow - accuracy in journalism to boot!

 

Direct quote from the article - "It’s the largest ship to sail from Norfolk and it can carry nearly 50,000 guests."

 

Can I be one of those 50,000. Where do I sign up? Might take awhile to get food on the Lido Deck however.

 

I think they are talking about the overall total of people from all of these cruises. The ship has a capacity of around 3,600 people per sailing. They are about 13 sailings. if you do the math, it does total up to around 50,000 

[NightOne]

4 minutes ago, SDPadreFan said:

Wow - accuracy in journalism to boot!

 

Direct quote from the article - "It’s the largest ship to sail from Norfolk and it can carry nearly 50,000 guests."

 

Can I be one of those 50,000. Where do I sign up? Might take awhile to get food on the Lido Deck however.

 

 

"Journalism" is garbage these days LOL

 

Here is the Carnival press release that more accurately give the details:

 

https://carnival-news.com/2020/02/20/carnival-cruise-line-signs-five-year-agreement-with-city-of-norfolk/

 

So basically 12 total sailings from Norfolk in 2021

[Stick93]

Carnival doesn’t love NY that much! 

Happy for Norfolk - Not happy for NYC  

 

Well thank goodness the other lines have ships all year and more in the summer. Seems Carnival doesn’t feel there is competition for them in the market - or maybe they don’t care. 

[shof515]

Just now, Stick93 said:

Carnival doesn’t love NY that much! 

Happy for Norfolk - Not happy for NYC  

Well thank goodness the other lines have ships all year and more in the summer. Seems Carnival doesn’t feel there is competition for them in the market - or maybe they don’t care. 

 

I think Carnival and NYC is in a love hate relationship with one good year and one bad year. It is kinda strange to see 3 ships sailing out of NYC this year (Carnival Legend in May with a transatlantic in June) and then the Carnival Sunrise and Carnival Radiance for the summer/fall. And next year Carnival will only be in NYC for like 3 months..kinda strange 

[beacha]

59 minutes ago, jonboy9756 said:

It’s the largest ship to sail from Norfolk and it can carry nearly 50,000 guests. LOL

Haha! I read that too. So funny.

[Joebucks]

Fantastic news. We were literally just talking about a trip to Virginia Beach. Not only is there a cruise option out of there now, but a solid ship at the Magic!

[Stick93]

2 hours ago, shof515 said:

 

I think Carnival and NYC is in a love hate relationship with one good year and one bad year. It is kinda strange to see 3 ships sailing out of NYC this year (Carnival Legend in May with a transatlantic in June) and then the Carnival Sunrise and Carnival Radiance for the summer/fall. And next year Carnival will only be in NYC for like 3 months..kinda strange 

You said it better than me. 
I also thought they would be a bit more generous next year. 
I Also think that in terms of ship - this year is good. But these are not on wow ships like the other lines are bringing in. A newly amplified oasis and a brand new encore are more sexy to try and compete with. They may not be competIng but if the prices I see for some of their cruise this summer lowest in years - so maybe they over reached in NYC this year. 

[mrlddst]

John's post: CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE SIGNS FIVE-YEAR AGREEMENT WITH CITY OF NORFOLK
 
130,000-ton Carnival Magic to Become Largest Ship Operating from Norfolk,
 With12 Cruises and Nearly 50,000 Guests in 2021
 
 
MIAMI (Feb. 20, 2020) – Carnival Cruise Line today announced that it has signed a five-year agreement with the City of Norfolk to operate seasonal cruises from the Half Moone Cruise Center through 2025.
The announcement was made at a press conference by Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander who was joined by Carnival’s Senior Vice President of Nautical and Port Operations Terry Thornton. 
As part of the agreement, the City of Norfolk has agreed to make investments at the Half Moone Cruise Center to accommodate larger vessels and provide an enhanced guest experience including a new boarding bridge that will streamline the embarkation and debarkation process and a host of other improvements. 
At the press conference, Alexander and Thornton also announced that 130,000-ton Carnival Magic will become the largest cruise ship to ever sail from Norfolk when it launches a series of 12 cruises from the port in 2021 that will carry nearly 50,000 guests. 
“Norfolk has been a valued partner for nearly 20 years, and we’re delighted to expand upon this relationship with this five-year contract that will bring exciting new choices from the Half Moone Cruise Center,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Our cruises from Norfolk have been very well received by our guests, and this new agreement speaks volumes about our confidence in growing this market.”
Added Mayor Alexander, “This is an exciting announcement.  Carnival Cruise Line ships have become a welcome addition to our skyline. This commitment strengthens that partnership and solidifies Norfolk’s position as a true Mid-Atlantic cruise port.”
 
Variety of Onboard Dining, Bar and Entertainment Choices
Carnival Magic introduced many of the line’s signature elements now featured across the fleet, including the Caribbean-themed RedFrog Pub, the Cucina del Capitano family-style Italian restaurant and SkyCourse, a suspended ropes course with breathtaking views to the sea 150 feet below.
The ship also offers hundreds of balcony staterooms and suites – perfect for watching the passing scenery – along with a complimentary children’s programs in three age groups, luxurious Cloud 9 Spa, the Ocean Plaza indoor/outdoor dining and entertainment promenade, a Serenity adults-only retreat and a WaterWorks aqua park with two massive slides, a tipping bucket and a kiddie splash zone.
 
Four- to Eight-Day Voyages to Tropical Destinations
Carnival Magic’s 2021 schedule from Norfolk offers vacationers a variety of options, from short getaways to The Bahamas and Bermuda to longer length voyages to the Caribbean, all departing from this convenient and centrally located homeport.
The schedule includes:
·       May 16 and June 5:  six-day cruises to Freeport, Nassau and the private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay
·       May 22 and 31, June 11, and Oct. 4 and 30: five-day voyages featuring Freeport and Nassau
·       May 27: four-day long weekend sailing to Bermuda returning on Memorial Day
·       Sept. 29: five-day voyage to Bermuda
·       Oct. 9: eight-day cruise to Grand Turk, San Juan and St. Thomas
·       Oct. 17: six-day voyage to Bermuda
·       Oct. 23: seven-day sailing visiting Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay and Nassau.
 
Prior to the start-up of its Norfolk schedule in 2021, Carnival Magic will offer a series of sailings in the Mediterranean and undergo a two-week dry dock in Cadiz, Spain, before repositioning to the U.S.

[toad455]

I mean, kudos to Norfolk, but why can't a ship stay there from May through October?

[shof515]

25 minutes ago, toad455 said:

I mean, kudos to Norfolk, but why can't a ship stay there from May through October?

similarly, why cant a ship stay in New York from May through October instead of the middle of June to end of September

[SRQbeachgirl]

Happy to have the Magic in Norfolk, but wish more of the sailings were 7 days or longer.

[beacha]

11 hours ago, SRQbeachgirl said:

Happy to have the Magic in Norfolk, but wish more of the sailings were 7 days or longer.

We sailed on a 10 day cruise and an 11 day cruise from Norfolk on Holland America’s Maasdam. Both were Southern Caribbean cruises- one in the spring and the other was in the fall. I wish there could be some longer cruise choices as well. 
 

[SDPadreFan]

I wouldn't make too much of where Carnival (or any other cruise line) is placing their ships. These are strictly business decisions. The primary ports in North America for cruise ships are Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Canaveral, Galveston, Los Angeles, and Vancouver, BC (in the summer). Tampa could be considered a permanent port but she has physical limitations that keep out the mega ships (which keep being built) so she could eventually loose favor with only the older (smaller) ships to offer. But that is at least 10-20 years away I would guess. Most of the other ports are not permanent and can move around as business dictates. Carnival and the other cruise lines just shop around and see who (which city) is offering them the best deal and if the city has the potential to draw enough passengers for the sailings to fill up the ships. You can only cram so many ships into the primary ports. But the secondary ports will always be somewhat temporary. If Norfolk proves to be a good draw - after their 5 year agreement then they will get an extension provided they continue to offer sweeteners to Carnival. If Carnival draws well, other cruise lines will shop Norfolk as well. But if at the end of the 5 year period, Norfolk and the surrounding area is not filling the ship/s, Carnival will look for other opportunities.

[jimbo5544]

On 2/20/2020 at 2:17 PM, shof515 said:

 

I think Carnival and NYC is in a love hate relationship with one good year and one bad year. It is kinda strange to see 3 ships sailing out of NYC this year (Carnival Legend in May with a transatlantic in June) and then the Carnival Sunrise and Carnival Radiance for the summer/fall. And next year Carnival will only be in NYC for like 3 months..kinda strange 

Proof is always in the pudding.  They sail where they can fill ships.  Carnival’s model is to put as many home ports as they can, nothing new there.   New York could have done better when the brand new Horizon was there.  Like most cruise lines, they will follow where the money leads them.