Carnival Cruise Line aims to expand its European offerings in 2024 with the Spirit-class Carnival Legend. The season will begin following an epic transatlantic voyage departing in April 204 from Baltimore. Guests planning to cruise Europe have options, including the Mediterranean, British Isles, Iceland, and the Greek Islands.

Carnival Legend to Sail Europe in 2024

With the cruise industry well on the road to recovery after a difficult few years, Carnival Cruise Line is looking at expanding its options in Europe for the 2014 season. The Carnival Legend will be the lucky ship sailing the continent which covers a series of 17 departures.

The vessel will start its European season after departing Baltimore, Maryland, on April 15, 2024, on a 12-day transatlantic voyage. The cruise will include calls at Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal; Malaga and Valencia, Spain.

“This extensive series for 2024 offers an excellent variety of itinerary lengths and options for our valued guests who want to experience Europe the best way possible: with our amazing crew providing outstanding service along with all the favorite venues aboard a Fun Ship,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

Reservations for the new Carnival Legend sailings are now open. They include the Mediterranean, western Europe, the British Isles, Iceland, and the Greek Islands, along with departures from Barcelona in Spain, Civitavecchia in Italy, and Dover in the UK.

“Our guests who sail with us in Europe enjoy exploring diverse and spectacular destinations across the continent while simultaneously enjoying the comfort and convenience of having the amenities they know and love available to them on board,” Diffy added.

Carnival Legend European Itineraries

After the Carnival Legend completes her transatlantic sailing, European cruises will kick start out of Barcelona on May 30, 2024. That first voyage will be an eight-day Meditteranean itinerary, visiting Malta; Messina (Sicily), Italy; Naples (Capri/Pompeii), Italy; Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy; Livorno (Florence/Pisa), Italy; and Toulon (Provence), France.

There will be second sailing out of the Spanish port departing on June 7, 2024, on a nine-day Western European itinerary. The cruise will include calls at Malaga, Sevilla (Cadiz), and La Coruña, Spain; Lisbon and Leixões (Porto), Portugal; and Le Havre (Paris), France. The voyage ends in the UK, ready for the next phase of the European deployment.

On June 28, the Carnival cruise ship will depart London in the UK on a nine-day sailing around the British Isles. The itinerary will include visits to Holyhead, Wales, UK; Glasgow (Greenock), Scotland; Belfast, Northern Ireland; Liverpool, England; Dublin (Dun Laoghaire) Ireland; and Cork (Cobh), Ireland.

There will be multiple departures from the UK, including sailings to Iceland. On July 7, 2024, the vessel will sail further north on an epic 12-day itinerary, including visits to Dublin (Dun Laoghaire), Ireland; Belfast, Northern Ireland; Reykjavik, Iceland; Grundarfjordur, Iceland; Akureyri, Iceland; Seydisfjordur, Iceland; and Invergordon, Scotland.

Italy’s leading cruise homeport of Civitavecchia is also not missing out on the Carnival Legend’s deployment in August 2024. The ship will begin sailing from the port with a 10-night Greek Islands itinerary which includes calls to Mykonos, Greece; Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey; Santorini, Greece; Athens, Greece; Katakolon, Greece; Messina (Sicily) and Naples (Capri/Pompeii), Italy.

The Carnival Legend will remain sailing in Europe until October 26, 2024, when the ship departs Civitavecchia on another transatlantic cruise back to the US. The voyage will include calls at Cartagena, Spain; Funchal (Madeira) and Ponta Delgada (Azores), Portugal, before crossing the Atlantic and stopping in Nassau, The Bahamas, and will finally arrive home at the Port of Tampa, in Florida.

Following the European deployment, the Carnival Legend will begin offering itineraries from Tampa, Florida. There will be Panama Canal sailings, along with Western Caribbean cruises.

Additional Carnival Cruises in Europe

It’s not just the Carnival Legend that will be enjoying the historic ports of Europe, as the Carnival Glory will also be visiting some ports as part of its transatlantic voyage. The Conquest-class ship will depart on a Carnival Journeys cruise from Barcelona, Spain, on April 18, 2024. The 14-day sailing will include visits to Valencia, and Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Spain, and finally arrive home in Port Canaveral, Florida.

It’s not just 2024 European cruises travelers can get excited about, with the Carnival Pride soon starting its 2023 season of sailings out of Dover, in the UK, and Barcelona in Spain. The Spirit-class ship will sail in Europe from May through October, with the final voyage being a 15-night transatlantic cruise from Italy and ending in Tampa on November 12, 2023.

The Carnival Freedom will also spend some brief time in Europe with a transatlantic voyage departing Port Canaveral, Florida, on September 21, 2023. The sailing will end in Barcelona on October 4. The ship will return across the Atlantic by departing Barcelona on October 23 and arriving at Port Canaveral on November 6.

Carnival Cruise Line is doubling down on reminders for guests to respect the established code of conduct, and warning guests of the consequences of poor behavior ahead of the busy spring break season.

The cruise line has emailed booked guests with another detailed reminder of current policies, including the use of earphones, alcohol guidelines, smoking, and more.

Carnival Emails Spring Break Guests

The traditional spring break period includes sailings in March and April, and Carnival Cruise Line is expecting fully-booked ships with many younger cruisers, not only children, but college-age adults as well. To ensure the safety, comfort, and enjoyment of all passengers, the cruise line has emailed guests with more code of conduct reminders.

“You will be sailing with us during Spring Break, which is traditionally a period of high occupancy,” the email reads. “As part of our commitment to create the best environment to provide a fun and memorable vacation for all, we would like to remind you of our Safety First! guidelines.”

The letter goes on to detail a number of concerns, including the fact that a cruise ship is a shared space and that “all guests should feel welcome and included, and that everyone demonstrates care and respect towards each other.”

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All booked guests must acknowledge Carnival Cruise Line’s Code of Conduct during check-in as the first step in ensuring that everyone aboard is aware of behavioral expectations and cruise line policies.

The email also encourages groups and families to have pre-cruise discussions to be sure that everyone is aware of onboard policies. Several contentious behaviors are highlighted in the email, including:

• The requirement to use earphones when listening to music or watching shows or movies on mobile devices in public areas.
• The confiscation of portable speakers and large stereos, which will be returned at the end of the cruise.
• The prohibition on saving deck chairs or lounge seats, as all seating is first-come, first-served.

Each of these behaviors can be very irritating to cruise passengers, and Carnival Cruise Line has made a strong push in recent months to curb such disrespectful actions, hoping to give every guest a more pleasant vacation.

The letter also goes into great detail about the cruise line’s alcohol policy, drinking age, and what types of drinks may or may not be brought onboard in either checked or carry-on bags.

The tobacco and marijuana smoking policy is also covered in detail, noting a $500 fine per violation if guests do not follow the restriction on what smoking is permitted and where smoking areas are located.

“This applies to all forms of smoking, including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, vaporizers, electronic cigarettes, and marijuana,” the email outlined. The email concludes with reminding all guests to be aware of their personal safety onboard, to not climb on rails, and to be mindful of wet surfaces.

More Frequent Reminders

This email follows the recent video announcement from Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy, in which much of the same safety information was outlined.

The video also discussed how the cruise line works to create a safe and enjoyable vacation for guests, including updated security procedures, additional crew training, and enhanced guest communications so all passengers are aware of policies.

These changes follow a series of highly publicized incidents in spring and summer 2022, when onboard violence caused concern among travelers and may have influenced guests’ choice of cruise line.

Carnival Cruise Line has also implemented a youth curfew, posted additional signage onboard its ships, hired narcotics-sniffing dogs for use in homeport terminals, and taken other bold steps to curb poor behavior.

Will multiple emails put guests off the cruise line in fear of what could happen, or does it provide extra security so everyone is aware of expectations? Share your thoughts on the Cruise Hive Boards!

John Heald, Brand Ambassador of Carnival Cruise Line, has announced the details for the next For Fun’s Sake (FFS) Cruise. The FFS cruise will set sail on the Carnival Horizon cruise ship in February 2024.

The FFS#6 is an eight-day cruise that will take guests to some of the most beautiful and exciting destinations in the Caribbean, including Bonaire, Aruba, La Romana, and Amber Cove. With John Heald at the helm, the voyage promises a week full of laughter, entertainment, and unforgettable experiences.

Heald’s FFs Carnival Horizon Group Cruise

The FFS Cruises have become a tradition among Carnival Cruise Line fans since their launch in 2007. Known initially as Bloggers Cruises, the FFS cruises were created to bring together John Heald’s blog followers and give them a chance to cruise together and have fun. 

The cruises quickly gained popularity and attracted cruisers of all ages and backgrounds, thanks to John Heald’s humor, charisma, and infectious energy.

The FFS#6 promises to be one of the most exciting cruises of 2024. Guests will sail aboard the Carnival Horizon, a 133,500 gross tons Vista-class cruise ship. The choice for this ship might be disappointing to some, Heald said in one of his Facebook posts:

“I had looked at Galveston but the Carnival Jubilee is so popular that there were few open cabins, not enough for our group anyway. I then looked at other home ports including a Panama cruise from Tampa and an Alaskan cruise on the Carnival Luminosa.”

“I know that this would have pleased some, but the majority would have been disappointed. I know I am never going to please everyone with my choice, and to those who I have disappointed, I do apologize.”

“However, I think the itinerary and the ship will provide us with a wonderful time, and it will be the first time I have ever had a cruise formally known as the bloggers cruise on this wonderful vessel.”

On the cruise, guests can attend various events and activities hosted by John Heald himself. These events include cocktail parties, breakfasts, question-and-answer sessions, tea times, karaoke nights, and more. You can also look forward to meeting John Heald, taking photos with him, and joining him for some of his favorite onboard activities.

The Itinerary

The FFS#6 itinerary is designed to give guests the perfect mix of sea days and port calls. The cruise will start in Miami, Florida, where guests will embark on February 17, 2024. The first two days will be fun days at sea, giving guests plenty of time to explore the ship and participate in various onboard activities.

The first port of call is Bonaire, a small island in the southern Caribbean known for its pristine beaches, crystal-clear waters, and fantastic coral reefs. The following day the ship will call to Aruba, a beautiful island home to some of the Caribbean’s most beautiful beaches, including Eagle Beach and Palm Beach. 

The vessel will then sail to La Romana in the Dominican Republic. The final port of call is Amber Cove. Located in the eastern Caribbean, this private 30-acre retreat is exclusively offered as a port of call to cruisers from Carnival and its sister companies. 

As a private resort destination for Carnival, Amber Cove is crammed with watersports activities, dining opportunities, shopping, shore excursions, and fun attractions. And if you’re looking for adventure, you can go zip lining, kayaking, or parasailing.