zoomImage Courtesy: Carnival Cruise Line

US-based Carnival Cruise Line plans to increase capacity in Florida and California by adding a second year-round ship in Tampa and a newer, larger vessel in Long Beach, starting from Janury 27, 2018.

With these capacity increases, Carnival Miracle will operate seven-day Caribbean cruises from Tampa and Carnival Splendor will offer week-long Mexican Riviera cruises from Long Beach.

Prior to launching service from their new homeports, both ships will offer extended Panama Canal cruises in January 2018, Carnival said.

The 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle will join the 2,052-passenger Carnival Paradise which operates year-round Caribbean cruises from Tampa.

Furthermore, the 3,006-passenger Carnival Splendor will launch a year-round schedule of seven-day Mexican Riviera cruises from Long Beach, replacing Carnival Miracle and representing a 41 percent capacity increase on the line’s week-long cruises from the West Coast, according to the company.

Carnival Splendor will join Carnival Inspiration and Carnival Imagination which both offer Baja cruises from Long Beach.

“With the addition of Carnival Splendor, the line will carry upwards of 700,000 guests annually from Southern California, operating nearly 250 three- to 14-day cruises a year,” Carnival Cruise Line said.

The move comes after Carnival revealed last month that it had signed an agreement under which it would nearly triple the size of the Long Beach Cruise Terminal facility from 66,000 square feet to 142,000 square feet to accommodate larger ships in the future, including Carnival Splendor.

Moreover, Carnival Splendor is said to become the first Carnival ship to transit the newly opened Panama Canal locks.