Carnival Cruise Line’s senior cruise director, John Heald let the cat out of the bag on his blog this evening stating that the new Carnival Magic will be based in Europe in 2011. Heald stated that the Magic will be based in Barcelona when it enters service next year and will be sailing seven-night, nine-night and 12-night itineraries to Monte Carlo, Rome, Naples, Messina, Palma, Marseilles, Venice and Dubrovnik.

Sister ship to the Carnival Dream launched in September, the 130,000-ton Magic will also carry more than 4,000 passengers. Carnival Magic is currently under construction in Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard in Trieste, Italy and is scheduled to enter service in June 2011.

This is great news for Carnival fans!

Guests onboard the Carnival Dream woke up to the news that their scheduled stop in San Juan was canceled because the ship was too large for the pier. Instead the ship had a day at sea.

Carnival Cruise Line’s senior cruise director, John Heald, who is onboard the Dream stated, “Our Assigned Pier 3West has overhanging wires and metal canopy structures alongside the pier that will have caused damage to the ship by piercing the ships lifeboats and safety rafts. This is because of the size of the Carnival Dream and the location of the terminal structure and technology”. The ship’s captain also told the guests they tried two other piers, but there were issues with draft with one and the other one could not accommodate the Dream.

Carrying 3,646 passengers (maximum 4,631 passenger capacity including upper berths) and encompassing some 130,000-tons, Dream is Carnival’s biggest vessel to date. Fortunately for Carnival this was a one-time call in San Juan and the destination in not featured on the Dream’s 7-day cruises from Port Canaveral.

Seven of the world’s largest cruise ships are docked in St. Thomas today – Oasis of the Seas and Carnival Dream (both on first visits), Celebrity Millennium, Sea Princess, Norwegian Pearl, Costa Atlantica, and Sea Dream One. Interestingly, local news is reporting the world’s largest cruise ship, Oasis of the Seas, is not carrying the most passengers – it’s Carnival Dream with a full load at 3,800 passengers versus Oasis’s 3,400 passengers.

Related story:

Is Oasis of the Seas worth the high fares?

Carnival Corporation announced that it has confirmed an order for a new 4,000-passenger ship. The ship will be the third in its Dream class of vessels and be part of its Carnival Cruise Lines brand. “Barely in service for two months, Carnival Dream is already earning rave reviews from guests and travel agents and ordering a third Dream-class ship speaks volumes about the confidence we have in the continued success of this series,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival Cruise Lines’ president and CEO. “The Dream class of ships embodies the evolution of our brand by providing the type of fun, affordable vacations that today’s consumers are seeking,” he added.

Carnival Corporation currently has 13 new ships due for delivery between January next year and spring 2012. Princess Cruises may be next to order a ship. According to Seatrade Insider, Princess is working on a newbuild order for sometime in 2013. Princess Cruises, which has no new ships on order — the last delivery was Ruby Princess in November 2008.