Carnival Cruise Lines’ 2,052-passenger Carnival Paradise has replaced the Carnival Inspiration in the port of Tampa, offering 4 and 5 day cruises to the western Caribbean. It joins the 2,124-passenger Carnival Legend, which sails year-round seven-day Caribbean voyages from Tampa.
On this route, Carnival Paradise departs Thursdays on four-day cruises to Cozumel and on Mondays and Saturdays on five-day voyages to Cozumel and Grand Cayman. (The Carnival Inspiration has relocated to Long Beach, Calif., to operate year-round three- and four-day cruises. )
Carnival is the only cruise line to offer year-round cruises from Tampa and has maintained a year-round presence since it launched seven-day Caribbean cruises in 1994. This year, the line’s two-year-round ships, Carnival Paradise and Carnival Legend, are expected to carry an estimated 300,000 passengers from Tampa – a 10-fold increase versus Carnival’s first year of operations there.
Carnival Paradise offers a distinctive d├®cor with dramatic public spaces that pay homage to great ocean liners of the past, with memorable venues such as the Queen Mary Lounge, Normandie Theater, Rotterdam Bar and the Leonardo Lounge.
The ship also features spacious, modern facilities and programming for children in three age groups, along with a three swimming pools, including one with a spiral water slide. Dining options include two formal restaurants with extensive menus and wine lists and an expansive poolside eatery with a 24-hour pizzeria. Other features include a 12,000-square-foot health and fitness center, a jogging track, and Serenity, an exclusive adults-only retreat.