It's Getting “Breeze-y” at the Port of Miami

Long known as the “Cruise Capital of the World,” it would be a stretch for the Port of Miami to make that claim in recent years. For some time the port has been bypassed by cruise lines that prefer the waters in Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral, and even far-off Galveston for their ships’ homeports. So you can’t blame the Port of Miami for blowing their own horn for snagging a really big ship, even if it’s a bit early.

Although Carnival Cruise Lines' Carnival Breeze is still under construction in Italy and doesn’t begin its Caribbean deployment until November 2012, the Port of Miami is already rolling out the welcome mat with a colorful billboard trumpeting the ship’s new year-round homeport. Located along highway I-395 that connects Miami and Miami Beach, the massive 3,000–square-foot billboard features a banner inscribed with the words “New Carnival Breeze, Unveiling November 2012” partially covering an image of the line’s signature winged funnel.

The 130,000-ton Carnival Breeze—the largest “Fun Ship” to be based in Miami—will launch year-round 6- and 8-day Caribbean cruises Nov 24, 2012. The 6-day cruises will call at Grand Turk, Ocho Rios, and Nassau, while two different four-port, 8-day itineraries will be offered—a southern Caribbean itinerary featuring Grand Turk, La Romana (Dominican Republic), Curacao, and Aruba and an eastern Caribbean route visiting St. Thomas/St. John, Antigua, Tortola and Nassau. Prior to its Miami-based schedule, Carnival Breeze will operate a series of 12-day Mediterranean voyages June 3 through Oct 25, 2012.

As the line’s newest “Fun Ship,” Carnival Breeze will offer such features as an expansive WaterWorks aqua park, Caribbean-themed RedFrog Pub, Cucina del Capitano Italian family-style restaurant, and action-packed SportSquare featuring a ropes course and outdoor fitness area. Also new is a Caribbean-inspired décor that will be carried out in the ship’s public spaces and wide range of stateroom categories. A number of innovations unique to Carnival Breeze will be announced in the near future.

Image Courtesy of Carnival Cruise Lines