The 2,974-passsenger Carnival Valor, which made a one-time visit to St. Kitts during the current cruise ship season, is to make year-round calls to Port Zante from February 2013.

Industry leader, Carnival in expanding capacity in the Southern Caribbean for 2013, said the Carnival Valor will move from Miami to San Juan, Puerto Rico in February 2013 to operate year-round, seven-night trips to the Southern Caribbean, taking the place of the smaller, 2,758-passenger Carnival Victory.

The Carnival Victory, which brought a total of 163,550 passengers to St. Kitts in 2111, has been calling at Port Zante year-round for the past two years and will move to Miami to operate year-round, taking the place of the 2,642-passenger Carnival Destiny.

The Victory brought a total of 163,550 passengers to St. Kitts in 2011.

Carnival didn't reveal its plans for the Carnival Destiny, other than to say the ship would sail a single, 16-night trans-Atlantic voyage from Miami to Civitavecchia, Rome on Feb. 4, 2013. The line says details on the ship's deployment beyond February 2013 will be coming soon.

Carnival says the Carnival Valor will sail its first Southern Caribbean cruise on Feb. 10, 2013. The sailings will feature stops in St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and St. Maarten.

Carnival says the Carnival Victory will be the newest and largest ship ever to sail four- and five-night voyages out of Miami, and the Carnival Valor will be the newest and largest ship ever to sail year-round out of San Juan.