Carnival Cruise Line is bringing a second passengership to Port Tampa Bay, doubling its capacity in both the Floridian pier and the Caribbean.
The Carnival-owned brand's 2,124-berth Carnival Miracle (built 2004) this past weekend began a year-round program of seven-day cruises from the port.
The ship will offer the cruise program only from Tampa in an effort to appeal to a broad range of customers looking for affordable vacations, the Miami-based cruise major said.
The vessel joins the 2,052-berth Carnival Paradise (1998), which offers four- to eight-day voyages from Tampa to the Caribbean, including Cuba.
Together, both vessels will carry approximately 280,000 passengers annually from Tampa, the most of any cruise operator, Carnival said.
Carnival Cruise Line has been sailing from Tampa for nearly 25 years, according to chief executive Christine Duffy.
Carnival Miracle departs Port Tampa Bay Saturdays or Sundays and calls at Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Mahogany Bay and Belize as part of the Cozumel Plus program
Carnival also recently added several six- to 14-day sailings aboard the ship to Caribbean ports and a partial crossing of the Panama Canal.
