March 18 is when the Carnival Liberty arrives in the Port of Galveston, marking a new era in Galveston cruising.

The Liberty replaces the Carnival Triumph, which has sailed from the island for years. The Triumph is relocated to New Orleans, representing a major upgrade in capacity for that port.

Carnival Liberty comes to Galveston from San Juan, Puerto Rico and is also a major upgrade for the cruise scene in Galveston.

First, the ship is larger than her predecessor. Coming in at 952′, the Liberty has more than 50 feet on the Triumph. That means she can carry more passengers on each trip, with a capacity of nearly 2,975 guests — or about 250 more people than the Triumph could hold.

The Liberty is also much newer. She was built in 2005 (compared to 1999 for the Triumph) and updated in 2011 with Carnival’s FunShip 2.0 upgrades.

Aboard the ship you’ll find what’s become the standard Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, RedFrog Rum Bar, Punchliner Comedy Club, and the Serenity adults-only area.

What’s especially exciting is that rates on the new ship are extremely affordable. We found rates of $249 per person on a 5-day cruise. Of course, this is the lowest “get on the ship” rate, but it still comes out to just $50 a day for a Caribbean cruise. That’s a deal.

In total, the arrival of the Liberty is great news for Galveston cruising. From the ship, to its capacity, to the low rates to sail, everything about the Liberty is an improvement over the outgoing Triumph. It’s also a sign at the Galveston cruise scene continues to boom in popularity.

Photo: Thomas Hawk