Bermuda is a unique island paradise that few Caribbean-addicted cruise travelers ever see.  A limited number of ships sail from Florida to Bermuda, on a handful of long sailing dates causing most cruise travelers to access Bermuda from a Northern port.  There, the selection is also limited to just a few ships, sailing similar itineraries.  But starting in October 2015 there will be more choices sailing from Baltimore to Bermuda and the Caribbean as Carnival Cruise Lines broadens the scope of their itineraries.

“Our guests and travel agent partners have been seeking more varied options from the Northeast – particularly longer length voyages – and we’re delighted to expand our schedules from Baltimore and San Juan to provide these attractive ‘Fun Ship’ cruise offerings from these ports,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival’s president and CEO.

To answer that call, Carnival will send the Fun Ship Carnival Pride on five-day Bermuda sailings from Baltimore as well as a series of 10- to 14- day Caribbean cruises.  Let’s break that down;

Five-Day Bermuda Cruises, Six- and Eight-Day Sailings

• Five-day Bermuda cruises on October 26, 2015 and another April 10, 2016 will spend two full days at Heritage Wharf, where guests can enjoy the island’s pink sand beaches, enjoy a variety of watersports and visit historic sites such as the Royal Naval Dockyard and Gibb’s Hill Lighthouse, the oldest cast iron lighthouse in the Western Hemisphere.
• Six-day Bahamas cruises will operate round-trip from Baltimore and featuring visits to Freeport and Nassau will be offered.  These value-packed cruises, sailing on Nov. 30 and Dec. 20, 2015, and Feb. 14, 2016 will provide cruise travelers with a new short duration cruise option from Baltimore at an incredible value.
• Eight-day exotic eastern Caribbean voyages departing from Baltimore and featuring Grand Turk, the private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay and Nassau, each offering gorgeous beaches and excellent watersports.  Departure dates for these voyages include Oct. 18 and 31, and Dec. 26, 2015, and Feb. 20, and April 15 and 23, 2016.
• Six-day East Coast U.S. and Bahamas cruise from Baltimore featuring the line’s first-ever scheduled in-transit call to Charleston, S.C., as well as Port Canaveral, Fla., Nassau, and Freeport, will be offered Nov. 22, 2015.

10- to 14-Day Baltimore Cruises To The Caribbean
Carnival Pride will operate a series of 10-, 11- and 14-day cruises either round-trip from Baltimore or one-way between Baltimore and San Juan in 2015 and 2016.   The voyages include an

• 11-day exotic southern Caribbean cruise from Baltimore to San Juan departing Jan. 17, 2016, with stops at Grand Turk, Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, and St. Croix;
• 10-day exotic eastern Caribbean cruise from San Juan to Baltimore departing Jan. 28, 2016, calling at St. Thomas, Antigua, Dominica, St. Lucia; St. Kitts and St. Maarten;
• 14-day eastern Caribbean cruise round-trip from Baltimore March 13, 2016, featuring eight different island destinations: Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas, Dominica, St. Lucia, Martinique, Antigua and St. Maarten.

During these voyages, guests can relax on some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, enjoy a host of shopping, dining and sightseeing opportunities, experience unique Caribbean cultures and visit centuries-old landmarks and attractions.

The Right Ship For The Job
This fall, Carnival Pride will get a stroke of Fun Ship 2.0 product enhancement brush, adding many of the popular new features including

• Guy’s Burger Joint, developed in tandem with Food Network star Guy Fieri,
• the cocktail pharmacy-themed Alchemy Bar,
• BlueIguana Cantina serving authentic Mexican fare,
• EA SPORTS Bar with a 16-monitor video wall and 24/7 sports ticker
• Two poolside watering holes – RedFrog Rum Bar and BlueIguana Tequila Bar.
• Bonsai Sushi serving authentic Asian specialties,
• RedFrog Pub serving Carnival’s own private label draft beer, ThirstyFrog Red,
• Library Bar with self-service wine dispensers
• Cherry On Top, offering bulk candy, apparel and other items
• Hasbro, The Game Show with larger-than-life adaptations of the company’s iconic games
• Playlist Productions where talented performers interact with spectacular staging and special effects

On the top deck, Carnival’s new WaterWorks featuring Green Thunder, the fastest and steepest slide at sea. We first brought news of Green Thunder in 2012 when Carnival Spirit completed an Aussification process to bring the ship to Australia.  Now, cruise travelers sailing from North America can experience this thrill ride too, as depicted in this video: