Carnival Legend Sails Hawaii, Freedom Relocates, Pride Extends Baltimore Sailings
Carnival Cruise Line has been shuffling around a lot of their ships for their 2027/28 schedule. Today, they announced changes at three key homeports: Long Beach, Norfolk, and Baltimore. The updates include a brand-new Hawaii series from California, a new ship based in Norfolk, and an extended commitment in Baltimore.
Carnival Legend Heads West for Hawaii Cruises
For the first time, Carnival will dedicate a program to Hawaii cruises leaving from Long Beach, CA. Carnival Legend will reposition seasonally to Long Beach from October 2027 through April 2028. During that time, the ship will sail ten different 14-day Carnival Journeys itineraries to Hawaii, with calls in Honolulu, Maui, Kauai, Hilo, and Kona, plus a stop in Ensenada, Mexico.
It’s a great opportunity to visit a unique destination without the grueling flight. Currently, there aren’t a lot of cruises around Hawaii due to the Jones Act, which requires cruise lines to stop in a foreign port on each sailing. To meet those requirements, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean sail from Vancouver. At the same time, Norwegian has a dedicated ship, Pride of America, that’s registered in the US and can sail around Hawaii with no restrictions. Leaving Long Beach and stopping in Ensenada makes these 10 sailings possible for Carnival.
The Spirit-class Carnival Legend is a perfect ship for these destinations. This small-sized ship carries only 2,134 guests and can access many ports that larger ships cannot. It still features popular Carnival attractions like Bonsai Sushi, Guy’s Burgers, the Serenity Adult-Only Retreat, and a pool with a retractable glass roof for inclement weather.
In addition to the Hawaii sailings, Carnival Legend will offer six- and eight-day cruises to the Mexican Riviera. Ports of call include Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, and Ensenada.
Carnival Freedom Moves to Norfolk
In May 2027, Carnival Freedom will reposition from Port Canaveral to Norfolk, Virginia. The ship’s arrival will kick off what Carnival says is the “most varied cruise program the port has ever seen”.
- Bahamas: Six-day itineraries visiting Celebration Key, Nassau, and Bimini.
- Bermuda: Six-day cruises with two full days on the island.
- Eastern Caribbean: Eight-day voyages to Amber Cove, RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, and Grand Turk.
- Canada/New England: Eight-day itineraries visiting Halifax, Sydney, Saint John, or Charlottetown.
The move begins with a special 15-day Carnival Journeys sailing across the Southern Caribbean, stopping at Aruba, Curacao, Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Maarten, and St. Thomas.
Carnival has not yet announced where the current Norfolk ship, the Carnival Sunshine, will go.
Carnival Pride Remains in Baltimore Year-Round
In a surprising move, Carnival announced that the Carnival Pride will continue its year-round presence in Baltimore. Originally, Carnival President Christine Duffy said that a Conquest class ship was coming to Baltimore in 2027.
Itineraries include:
- Bahamas: Seven-day cruises visiting Celebration Key, Nassau, RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, or Princess Cays.
- Bermuda: Seven-day sailings featuring three full days in Bermuda.
- Extended Journeys: Nine- to 14-day itineraries with ports such as Aruba, Curaçao, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Antigua, Tortola, and Martinique.
The Carnival Pride has a long-standing relationship with Baltimore; it was the first ship to cruise year-round from the city just over 20 years ago. It has spent most of those 20 years sailing for the port, although last year, it was swapped out for another Spirit Class, Carnival Legend, ship before returning in May 2024.
Carnival Pride – Cruise Blog - Day 1 – Baltimore
Carnival Pride – Cruise Blog - Day 2 – Sea Day
Carnival Pride – Cruise Blog - Day 3 – Another Sea Day
Carnival Pride – Cruise Blog - Day 4 – Half Moon Cay
Carnival Pride – Cruise Blog - Day 5 – Nassau
Carnival Pride – Cruise Blog - Day 6 – Freeport
Carnival Horizon – Cruise Blog - Day 7 – Final Sea Day
5 Hits & Misses of the Carnival Pride
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