Where the Water Meets the Hull: Carnival Magic Floated Out

With less than seven months until her maiden voyage, the new 130,000-ton Carnival Magic reached a major construction milestone when she was “floated out” earlier this week from her outfitting quay at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.

The initial stages of a cruise ship’s construction take place in a dry dock facility. Once exterior outfitting is completed, the dry dock is flooded with water and the ship is “floated out” and moved to a wet dock facility where construction continues. The next major milestone of the Carnival Magic, sea trials in the Adriatic Sea, are slated for early next year in anticipation of the ship’s May 1, 2011, European debut.

The most innovative “Fun Ship” to date, the 3,690-passenger Carnival Magic will offer a host of new facilities and features, including the RedFrog Pub, a Caribbean-inspired watering hole with its own private label beer; Cucina del Capitano, an Italian family-style restaurant that brings the heritage of Carnival’s captains to the table; and SportsSquare, an expansive sports complex featuring the first-ever ropes course and outdoor fitness area at sea. Other innovations include Carnival WaterWorks aqua park; a Serenity adults-only retreat; The Lanai, a wrap-around promenade with whirlpools that extend out over the ship’s sides; and a stunning indoor/outdoor café and live entertainment venue called Ocean Plaza.

Carnival Magic is slated to debut with a 9-day cruise from Venice to Barcelona May 1-10, 2011, followed by a series of 7- to 12-day Mediterranean voyages from Barcelona, the line’s first departures from that port. Following a 16-day trans-Atlantic crossing, Carnival Magic will launch 7-day Caribbean service from Galveston Nov. 14, 2011, becoming the largest cruise ship ever based in Texas year-round. More images and video of the Carnival Magic’s float out can be viewed at CarnivalMagic.com under the “How It’s Made” section.