Carnival Cruise lines has announced its first ever full year of New York departures for 2012. The company’s cruise ship the Carnival Miracle will embark on a range of different eight-day cruises to the Bahamas and the Caribbean from April 2012.

There will be three itineraries. The first will be an Eastern Caribbean cruise adventure visiting Grand Turk, St Thomas and San Juan on a rotation basis between April and October. There will also be a Bahamas experience featuring visits to Nassau, Grand Turk and the private resort island of Half Moon Cay – also from April to October. Last but not least, the ship will embark on a couple of Bahamas/Florida cruise holidays visiting destinations such as Freeport, Nassau and Port Carnaveral (Orlando).

Every single one of these itineraries boasts lovely white-sand beaches, great shopping and dining, and world-renowned landmarks, attractions and historical sites. There will also be an abundance of excursions on offer with activities such as scuba diving, snorkelling and other water sports.

Gerry Cahill, President of Carnival, says that the cruise line has been offering seasonal cruises from New York for more than ten years. The convenience of using the city as a departure point and its unique appeal to tourists heavily influenced their decision to use it as a year-round destination.

He added “New York is one of the highest-rated homeports for “Fun Ship” cruising. Carnival Miracle’s new year-round eight-day departures offer consumers the best of both worlds.”

Carnival Magic will commence its New York programme after the winter season, where it currently sails from Fort Lauderdale.