Get Your Carnival Splendor While You Can

If you prefer cruising from Florida homeports, you might be anticipating the arrival of Carnival Cruise Line's newest ship, Carnival Splendor. Don't wait too long to make your booking if you want to sail on one of her Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale, though.

Carnival Splendor's deployment is pretty unique for a brand new “Fun Ship” and she'll only be in Florida through winter 2008-09. At the conclusion of her Northern Europe schedule this fall, Carnival Splendor will embark on a 12-day Western Europe cruise departing Sept 11th followed by “Grand Mediterranean” and “Mediterranean, Greece & Turkey” voyages through Oct 17th. A 16-day transatlantic crossing from Rome (Civitavecchia) on Oct. 29th will reposition her to Fort Lauderdale on Nov 14, 2008.

Carnival Splendor will then operate a winter schedule of 7-day Caribbean voyages from Fort Lauderdale followed by a series of 14- to 18-day South American voyages – Carnival’s first. Because Carnival Splendor is too wide to transit the Panama Canal, the South American sailings will position Carnival Splendor for year-round 7-day Mexican Riviera cruises from Long Beach, California, beginning March 29, 2009, continuing Carnival Cruise Line’s West Coast expansion.

Carnival is currently accepting reservations for all of the Carnival Splendor’s European, Caribbean, South American, and Mexican Riviera cruises. Make your plans now or you may miss her altogether in Fort Lauderdale.

In the meantime, Cruise Diva is ready to board Carnival Splendor tomorrow and begin sharing the details from the Naming Ceremony and 3-day preview cruise from Dover, so check back here at the Cruise Diva Blog for updates.