Carnival Cruises Is Adding Stops In Africa For The First Time Ever
Africa is on the horizon for Carnival Cruise Lines. The company announced late last week that it’s making stops on the continent for the first time in its history. Countries on the itinerary so far are Tunisia and Morocco, both in North Africa.
The cruises on the Carnival Sunshine will begin in 2027, the company said in a press release.
“We’re excited to bring Carnival Sunshine to an expanded lineup of destinations that offer our guests even more ways to explore Europe and beyond,” Carnival president Christine Duffy said in the release. “With our first-ever African ports, new European calls and once-in-a-lifetime eclipse sailing, this deployment delivers variety, adventure and memorable experiences our guests look forward to when sailing on Carnival.”
From May through October of 2027, travelers can depart from Barcelona, Spain, and Civitavecchia, Italy, on an itinerary that will take them through Italy, Spain, France, Turkey, Montenegro, La Goulette in Tunisia, and Tangier, Morocco.
What this means is that there is now a way for North American travelers and others to journey to Africa by sea and make their way to other destinations on the continent without getting on an airline. (Mind you, this would require many different legs to complete, but for deep-pocketed cruising fans, it can now happen.)
Both Tunisia and Morocco are Muslim countries but neither is dry and both are hospitable to African American tourists.
Carnival also announced European ports they’re heading to for the first time, including Bari, Italy, Bar, Montenegro and Ajaccio, France. And the Carnival Sunshine is returning to Italian ports Genoa, Salerno, Palermo, and Catania as well as Palma de Mallorca, Spain, and Izmir, Turkey, where they haven’t stopped in years.
Along with the new ports in Africa and Europe, the Sunshine will make a special journey to mark the 2027 solar eclipse, departing from Barcelona, Spain, on July 25 and from Dover, England on July 29. Both ships will travel along the eclipse pathway, which happens on Aug. 2. Stops on the Barcelona track include Marseilles, France, Genoa, Italy, and La Goulette, and stops on the Dover track include Leixões, Portugal, and Le Havre, France.
The Sunshine also offers a 2027 European cruise departing from Norfolk, Va., on May 15. It’s a 15-day transatlantic cruise heading to Dover, England. From Dover, it heads to Barcelona, with ports along the way and then heads back to the U.S., ending in Miami with Tangiers as one of the stops on the return.
For more information on cruises to Africa, head to Carnival.com or call 1-800-CARNIVAL.
