Carnival Cruise Lines will deploy half its
fleet on short cruise itineraries in 2007, offering 32 short
cruises (from three to five days) from 12 North American homeports,
the cruise line said.
Citing a recent
Travel Industry Association study indicating that shorter and more
frequent vacations have increased more than 10% over the past five
years, Carnival said it will offer more itineraries of five days or
less than any other cruise operator.
"Time is a precious
commodity these days and short cruises are perfectly suited to
today's lifestyles," said Bob Dickinson, Carnival president and
CEO. "In addition to meeting the needs of busy consumers, short
cruises are very popular with families, as well as with first-time
cruisers who want to experience our product but with less
investment in time and money."
The short cruise itinerary choices will
include Carnival's first year-round cruise program from San Diego.
The other options will embark from Mobile, Ala.; Long Beach,
Calif.; Jacksonville, Miami, Port Canaveral and Tampa, Fla.; New
York; New Orleans; Charleston, S.C.; Galveston, Texas; and Norfolk,
Va.
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