Carnival Magic is coming to Texas, due to arrive this weekend. We’ll be heading to Galveston Saturday morning for a tour of the city then be on board Carnival Magic once again as the new ship makes the Texas port home.
Back in May, we reported live during the Carnival Magic inaugural event sailing the Mediterranean. It will be great to be back on board Magic, if just for the night, as Carnival Cruise Lines brings their newest ship to Galveston, the first time ever a new ship has debuted someplace other than Florida. That says a lot for Galveston, home ports and Carnival itself.
“The Carnival Magic is packed with opportunities to share exhilarating fun, celebratory toasts and fine dining, extraordinary entertainment and blissful relaxation,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival’s president and CEO just before Magic’s debut in Venice last May. “This ship offers a truly one-of-a-kind vacation environment with spaces and features designed to provide exceptional experiences that will create magical memories to last a lifetime.”
That proved to be right, with many of the new features found on Magic becoming so popular that they were included in the line’s new FunShip 2.0 initiative, bumping up the whole onboard experience, at no additional cost to guests.
“We don’t want to nickel and dime our guests” said Cahill on Carnival Magic last May. That was great news to cruise lovers who had tried other cruise lines and noticed that the all-inclusive nature of a cruise vacation was not what it once was. Carrying that thought forward, Carnival has presented a clear, simple message inviting guests to step outside of their comfort zone, try something new and have a fabulous, fun time on their cruise.
Bringing Carnival Magic to Galveston positions the line to do some amazing things at the Texas port. Adding the lazer-sharp focus of the Funship 2.0 initiative further fuels the burning fire that seems to be driving the line. This weekend in Galveston, Carnival Magic will do much more than just arrive at the port.
Sticking with the big Texas feel of the event, Carnival has teamed up with award-winning band Maroon 5 to perform an exclusive free concert, welcoming the ship to her new home.
Stay tuned for updates throughout the weekend right here, on twitter and facebook.
“We wanted to do something big and memorable to mark Carnival Magic’s U.S. debut and what better way to celebrate than to bring together fans of music and fans of Carnival, along with our partners in Galveston, for an exceptional afternoon of fun and entertainment,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival Cruise Lines’ president and CEO. “We’re thrilled to kick off year-round Caribbean cruising on the newest and most spectacular ship sailing from Texas.”
On Sunday, November, 13, 2011, set to the backdrop of the spectacular new Carnival Magic from the Port of Galveston’s Pier 21, fans of Maroon 5 and Carnival will be treated to a free, ticketed concert by the multi-platinum group the day before the new vessel sets sail on its inaugural U.S. voyage.
Adam Levine, Maroon 5 frontman and coach on the hit NBC series “The Voice,” said, “We’ve played every kind of venue imaginable across the world, but we’ve never helped to launch a new cruise ship. We’re excited to work with Carnival and to be part of the Carnival Magic celebration for fans in Texas.”
Royal Caribbean International is heating things up down south this winter too with three ships sailing to the Caribbean from Gulf Coast ports. Today, Galveston, Texas welcomes Mariner of the Seas, and on Nov. 12, 2011, Voyager of the Seas arrives into New Orleans and Jewel of the Seas arrives in Tampa.
“Royal Caribbean is thrilled to be back in the Gulf Coast to offer exciting and convenient winter getaways at an incredible value,” said Betsy O’Rourke, senior vice president of Marketing, Royal Caribbean International. “We are particularly delighted to have Martina McBride help us celebrate our return to New Orleans with an exclusive concert aboard Voyager of the Seas. No matter which itinerary to the beautiful Caribbean vacationers choose, they can expect to be wowed by our innovative ships and Gold Anchor Service, which together delivers the Royal Advantage.”
Related articles
- Carnival Magic arrives inTexas this week (chriscruises.net)
- Galveston Island gets ready for Carnival Magic…and friends (chriscruises.net)
- Carnival Magic cruises to new Texas home with big event (chriscruises.net)
- Cruise Video: Carnival Triumph in Galveston (chriscruises.net)
- Cruise ship homeports: One city in love, another not so much (chriscruises.net)
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