After an absence of two years, Carnival Paradise arrived in Tampa, Florida, to resume operations. She is one of the final Carnival Cruise ships to resume operations. The vessel has been sitting idle since March of 2020, at the onset of the global pause of cruise operations.
Sailing on her first cruise on March 12, Carnival Paradise is already in Tampa, where she docked at the Port Tampa Bay Cruise Terminal 3 earlier today, March 11, which is also Carnival’s official 50th Birthday. The Fantasy-class ship will be sailing on 4-, 5- and 6-day Western Caribbean cruises.
Carnival Paradise Returns To Service
It’s Carnival Cruise Line’s birthday today, and there could be no better way to celebrate than the return to service of Carnival Paradise. The Fantasy-class cruise ship arrived in her homeport of Tampa, Florida, earlier today, March 11, to prepare for her very first cruise in two years.
Carnival Paradise was the last fantasy class ship to be built and floated out of her dock for the first time on January 29, 1998. The 70,367 gross tonnes, 2,124-passenger cruise ship is no stranger to Tampa. She has been homeporting on the west coast of Florida since 2011.
The ship will be sailing from the Port Tampa Bay Cruise Terminal number 3. Tampa is accessible by car for guests from Northern Florida and the Southern states such as Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, and Mississippi.
Christine Duffy, the Carnival Cruise Line President, had this to say about the port: “Tampa is a convenient, centrally located homeport – not to mention a popular vacation destination – and the growth that we’ve experienced at this port is a testament to the wonderful partnership with the Port we’ve enjoyed for the past 25 years.”
Carnival Paradise Sails Western Caribbean Itinerary
Guests will have the option of sailing on various Western Caribbean cruises from Tampa. There are short 4-day cruises for those that want a quick getaway, 5-day cruises for some extra relaxation at sea, and 6-day cruises for a great vacation onboard a fun ship.
The first cruise, sailing on March 12, will depart from Tampa in the afternoon. Carnival Paradise will sail underneath the famous Sunshine Skyway Bridge, a majestic landmark with its sail-like supporting cables, before sailing out to the Gulf of Mexico.
After a full day at sea, the first port of call will be Mahogany Bay on Isla Roatan, in Honduras. Here guests can enjoy a range of watersports such as diving, swimming with dolphins, or sailing on a catamaran across the blue Caribbean waters.
Then it’s off to a day in the Mexican resort town of Cozumel, followed by another day at sea before arriving back in Tampa. Other cruises include a 6-day cruise with calls to Key West, Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Grand Cayman. There are also 4-day cruises available with a call in Cozumel and two days at sea.
Carnival Paradise will be the twenty-second cruise ship in the Carnival fleet to resume operations, and only two more vessels are scheduled to start. Carnival Splendor will resume on May 2 of this year from Seattle, Washington. She will be sailing the Alaska cruises that were scheduled for Carnival Freedom.
Carnival Celebration, the cruise line’s newest addition, will launch in November of this year. This will be the culmination of Carnival’s birthday celebrations.
