Carnival Cruise Lines has confirmed it will forgo a number of port calls in Belize during 2013. Carnival said the decision had been taken as the port had become too congested.

Carnival Cruise Lines today unveiled additional details of the $155 million makeover that will transform Carnival Destiny into Carnival Sunshine during a 49-day dry dock in Italy. The ship will re-enter service in April 2013 with all of the dining, bar and entertainment elements of the line’s groundbreaking Fun Ship 2.0 product enhancement program, along with several exciting new features.

A celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opened the new Carnival Japan office in Tokyo today, marking the expansion of one of the largest vacation companies in the world into this growing cruise market. Operated by Carnival Corporation & plc, Carnival Japan was created to oversee the largest deployment ever by a global cruise line in the Japanese market with the launch of Princess Cruises homeport sailings, specially developed for Japanese travelers. The inaugural season launches aboard the line’s Sun Princess in April 2013.

Carnival has reported a $139m (£83.6m) loss in the first quarter of 2012 compared to a $152m profit in the same period last year which it attributes mainly to the sinking of the Costa Concordia.

Carnival Cruise Lines will launch its widest array of European itineraries ever with Carnival Legend offering an exciting choice of options, including the line’s first Norwegian fjords itinerary and its first extended program from the UK, as well as cruises to the Baltic, Mediterranean and British Isles, beginning in spring 2013.

On October 11, 2011, Carnival Corporation & plc announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 (U.S.) per share. The dividend is payable on December 16, 2011, to shareholders of record on November 25, 2011.