We took a drive out to Port Canaveral yesterday for an interesting event.  Moving from year-round deployment in Galveston, Carnival Magic had arrived.  Sailing from the Space Coast, Carnival Magic will offer a new choice from the Florida port.  130,000-ton  Magic’s arrival also marked the official grand opening of the new Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse. Designed by Food Network star Guy Fieri, the venue will be open on days at sea.  Carnival Magic joins Carnival Victory and Carnival Valor sailing year-round from Port Canaveral, along with Carnival Sunshine which operates seasonal sailings.  Carnival will carry more guests annually than any other cruise operator.

 

 

There was the traditional maritime plaque exchange between Carnival Magic Captain Antonio Marchetti and Canaveral Port Authority, something that happens when a ship visits a new port of call for the first time.  Later, Captain Marchetti and port officials would carve a six-foot-long pulled pork sandwich to commemorate the debut of Fieri’s new BBQ venue which was installed during a multi-million-dollar dry dock last month.

 

 

The new Fieri-designed BBQ venue was among the many new features added during an extensive makeover that also incorporated the new cocktail pharmacy-themed Alchemy Bar, the RedFrog Rum Bar, BlueIguana Tequila Bar, BlueIguana Cantina Mexican eatery and Guy’s Burger Joint, also designed by Fieri.

Carnival Magic offers a variety of family-friendly features as well, including a WaterWorks aqua park highlighted by a 312-foot-long Twister slide, fun, supervised activities and play areas for kids in three age groups, and the Seuss at Sea program which includes the ever-popular Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast with The Cat in The Hat and Friends and the Seuss-a-Palooza Story Time and Parade.

 

Carnival Magic Carnival Space Coast Domination

Carnival Magic will offer two distinctly different week-long itineraries from Port Canaveral – a western Caribbean route featuring Cozumel, Belize, Mahogany Bay (Isla Roatan) and Costa Maya; and an eastern Caribbean option calling at St. Thomas, San Juan, Grand Turk and Nassau or Amber Cove.