Carnival Magic: Set To Launch

With just a couple days until the debut of the new 3,690-passenger Carnival Magic, last minute preparations are underway at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, in anticipation of the ship’s inaugural May 1 voyage from Venice.

Workers are putting the finishing touches on the Carnival Magic’s dazzling interiors and public spaces and crew members are on board undergoing various training exercises and familiarizing themselves with the facilities and features aboard the new 130,000-ton vessel.

As the line’s newest “Fun Ship,” Carnival Magic will introduce a host of innovations, including the Cucina del Capitano, a new family-style restaurant that brings the heritage of Carnival’s captains to the table; SportSquare, an expansive open-air recreation complex featuring the first-ever ropes course at sea; and the RedFrog Pub, a Caribbean-inspired watering hole with its own private label draught beer.

Immediately prior to the May 1 inaugural cruise, Carnival Magic will be officially named by Lindsey Wilkerson, a former St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital patient who now serves an employee and an ambassador for the organization. Wilkerson’s choice as godmother is a tribute to Carnival’s ongoing relationship with St. Jude, one of the world’s premier centers for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other catastrophic diseases.

Stay tuned as Cruise Diva brings you on-the-scene details of her upcoming debut from Venice. In addition, if you are a Carnival Cruise Lines Facebook fan, you can “virtually” experience the excitement of Carnival Magic’s May 1 launch from Venice, Italy, with a series of videos that will showcase the ship's inaugural activities along with its many unique features and innovations.

A series of 11 videos will be posted every half hour between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. (U.S. Eastern time) on Sunday, May 1. The videos will take you on a journey as they enjoy a front-row seat at the Carnival Magic's naming ceremony, tour the ship's bridge, and learn more about the Caribbean-inspired RedFrog Pub, WaterWorks aqua park, and Cucina del Capitano Italian restaurant, with insight from company executives who helped create these exciting new spaces. After the videos are posted, you can participate in a Facebook quiz based on what you’ve seen for a chance to win a 7-day Carnival Magic cruise for four to the Caribbean.

Carnival Magic will operate a series of 7- to 12-day Mediterranean voyages through October then reposition to Galveston, Texas, in November to launch 7-day Caribbean voyages, becoming the port’s largest year-round ship.

Photo Courtesy of Carnival Cruise Lines