Carnival Cruise Line plans to launch year-round, four- and five-day cruises from Jacksonville, Florida, beginning May 16, 2019.
The cruises will be on the Carnival Ecstasy that has a 2,056-passenger capacity. Carnival Ecstasy is based in Jacksonville, but will move to Port Canaveral, Florida, in May 2019.
The available cruise packages will include day visits to the private destination of Princess Cays and to the Bahamas, including Freeport, Nassau, Half Moon Cay.
“With its convenient and centralized location, Jacksonville has been a popular homeport for Carnival for more than a decade and Carnival Ecstasy is a wonderful addition to this market while providing a fresh new option on these attractive, value-packed four- and five-day Bahamas cruises,” Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said.
JAXPORT CEO Eric Green said the port looked forward to welcoming Ecstasy.
The Carnival Ecstasy was renovated earlier this year to add new restaurants and shops.
Carnival Cruise Line also recently announced it will relocate the Carnival Sunshine to Port of Charleston May 18, 2019, where it will replace the Ecstasy.
Sunshine has a capacity of 3,002 passengers. Cruises include four- and five-day trips to the Bahamas and occasional trips to other locations in the Caribbean and Central America.