During a reception at the Cruise Shipping Miami conference, Mahogany Bay Cruise Center (MBCC) was recognized as the “Best New Caribbean Port” by Porthole Magazine.   Five years in development and two years under construction, the modern $62 million facility is a joint project of Carnival Corporation & plc and Roatan businessman Jerry Hynds.

The reception was attended by officials from Carnival Corporation & plc and dignitaries from the island of Roatan. Pictured here at the event are (from left):  Roatan Mayor Julio Galindo; Jerry Hynds; Carnival Corporation & plc’s Senior Vice President Port and Destination Development Giora Israel; Porthole Magazine Editor-in-Chief Bill Panoff; Honduras Minister of Tourism Nelly Jerez (Minister of Tourism); and Bay Islands (Roatan) Congressman Romeo Silvestri.

Mahogany Bay Cruise Center encompasses 20 acres of waterfront property and includes a two-berth cruise terminal which can accommodate up to 8,000 passengers daily.  Also included is a welcome center along with a variety of retail outlets, including two themed bars, a restaurant and several shops. 

Unique to Mahogany Bay is a new chair lift system that takes cruise ship guests from the welcome center to beautiful Mahogany Beach, a private island featuring an 825-foot-long white-sand beach with a volleyball court, exclusive cabanas and myriad watersports opportunities.

Shown here with a plaque listing Carnival Cruise Lines’ eight 2009 Readers Choice Awards from Porthole Magazine are Carnival President and CEO Gerry Cahill (right) and Porthole Editor-In-Chief Bill Panoff.The presentation took place yesterday at the Cruise Shipping Miami convention, an annual gathering of top cruise line executives, vendors and suppliers.

Since the awards were established in 1999, Carnival has taken home an unprecedented 109 “Readers Choice Awards” – the most of any cruise line.

At last night’s Miami HEAT game, Carnival Cruise Lines presented full four-year college scholarships to 15 local high school students who are participating in the company’s innovative School to Work mentoring program operated in conjunction with the Miami HEAT and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami.  Each student also received a laptop computer.

The students, who are former graduates of the HEAT Academy, an after school enrichment program for at-risk youth, have been participating in Carnival’s mentoring program for the past three years.  Through the program, students are paired with a member of Carnival’s management team who provides a first-hand look at the business world and real-life work experience.  The program has grown from 50 student/mentor partnerships to more than 100 this year.

In the photo at left, Shenice Johnson, Miami Jackson Senior High student, and Micky Arison, chairman and CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc and managing general partner of the Miami HEAT are pictured at the halftime presentation. In the photo at right are all 15 scholarship recipients and their Carnival mentors.

The scholarships were purchased by Carnival through the Florida Prepaid Scholarship program, which matched the cruise line’s contribution on a dollar-for-dollar basis.  Scholarships were awarded based on academic performance, mentor recommendations, and face-to-face interviews with representatives from the various organizations.

Carnival has purchased more than 100 scholarships from the Florida Prepaid Scholarship program and plans to continue awarding scholarships on an annual basis.

Sixthman and Carnival Cruise Lines have teamed up to present a new vacation experience called Perfecto at Sea, an unparalleled floating electronic music festival hosted by legendary DJ and producer Paul Oakenfold. This cruise will take place aboard the 2,052-passenger Carnival Inspiration Sept. 30 – Oct 4, 2010. 

 Perfecto at Sea is a four-day journey that will span the shores of Tampa to beautiful Grand Cayman. Synonymous with high-caliber nightlife, Oakenfold’s Perfecto experience will feature the epic sounds that he’s become known for, but rather than the traditional club or festival experience, the beats will hail from under the stars as guests cruise the Caribbean.

Oakenfold will bring friends and other special guests to help keep the party going 24/7 and deliver a cutting edge, music-meets-leisure experience. The full line-up will be announced very soon. Perfecto at Sea will include theme nights, gambling, pool-side cocktails, and a sea deck turned dance floor.

Prices for Perfecto at Sea start at $599 per person.  For additional information and reservations, visit www.perfectoatsea.com.  Additional information on Carnival is available by contacting any travel agent, calling 1-800-CARNIVAL or visiting www.carnival.com.

The new open-air barbeque on The Lanai aboard the Carnival Dream has been a huge hit with guests, attracting upwards of 700 diners each day.Located along the ship’s expansive outdoor promenade, the new barbecue option was introduced a few weeks ago and features a variety of delectable grilled items, from sliders and chicken to quesadillas and hot dogs, along with salads, homemade chips and salsa and traditional barbecue accompaniments.

The new al fresco venue is just one of several casual dining choices on board.   The massive 3,646-passenger ship also features a 1,700-seat poolside eatery called The Gathering with an Indian tandoori, burrito bar, Mongolian wok station, a custom-made pasta venue, a New York-style deli, extensive salad and dessert bars, and Carnival’s ever-popular 24-hour pizzeria.  These casual alternatives complement delicious full-service meals available in the Scarlet and Crimson main dining rooms and The Chef’s Art Steakhouse serving prime steaks and other gourmet cuisine. 

Carnival Dream operates year-round seven-day Caribbean service from Port Canaveral, Fla., carrying an estimated 200,000 guests annually from that port.

Boston-based World Travel Holdings and Vancouver-based Expedia CruiseShipCenters have been named Carnival Cruise Lines’ “Travel Agencies of the Year” for 2009.World Travel Holdings and Expedia CruiseShipCenters were selected from more than 30,000 cruise-selling travel agencies throughout the U.S. and Canada. Candidates must demonstrate the ability to grow as a business partner, as well as exhibit exceptional professionalism, enthusiasm and innovation in sales and marketing techniques.

Joni Rein, Carnival’s vice president of worldwide sales, noted that the two winners, while equally deserving candidates, follow distinctly different business models. 

World Travel Holdings, co-founded by Brad and Jeff Tolkin in 2005, takes a multi-faceted approach, owning and/or operating some of the top cruise Web sites, including Cruise411.com, CruisesOnly.com, and Cruises.com, as well as two of the most successful home-based agencies in Cruise One and Cruises Inc. 

Established in 1987, Expedia CruiseShipCenters leverages one of the most recognizable names in travel and is highly regarded for its wide-ranging technology expertise.  In addition to its top-rated booking engine, Expedia CruiseShipCenters operates 116 retail locations in Canada as well as a franchise model in the U.S. and a successful home-based agency network with more than 2,600 highly trained cruise consultants. 

Rein noted that while World Travel Holdings and Expedia CruiseShipCenters take varying business approaches, one constant is their commitment to innovation and superior service provided to their clients. Because of this, both companies reported record Carnival bookings for the past year.

“Despite a challenging economy, these two agencies continue to thrive, investing in the latest technology and training and employing knowledgeable cruise professionals who go the extra mile to offer personalized, hands-on service to their clients,” she said.  “The entrepreneurial spirit, keen understanding of consumer trends, and strong support of the cruise industry have enabled World Travel Holdings and Expedia CruiseShipCenters both to become leaders in our industry,” she added.

David S. Crooks, World Travel Holdings’ senior vice president, product and operations, said, “Carnival Cruise Lines has always had a strong partnership with WTH but most importantly has consistently delivered a terrific product at extraordinary value for our customers.  In spite of a difficult economic climate, Carnival continued to deliver on their winning formula.   CruiseOne and Cruises Inc., as well as all the WTH brands, value our partnership with Carnival.  We sell the product with great confidence that our customers will have an experience that exceeds their expectations.”

 Commented Michael Drever, CEO and founder of Expedia CruiseShipCenters, “Carnival is an important part of our Customers For Life strategy and receiving this award is a result of the strong partnership we have enjoyed for over 22 years.  In 2009, Expedia CruiseShipCenters significantly increased our investment in marketing, training and technology, which is why we continue to experience record sales growth and recognition as industry leaders.”

Carnival Corporation & plc’s management advisory services department held its annual Volunteer Service Day, helping to beautify the YMCA center in the Liberty City section of Miami.The team-building activity attracted more than 50 volunteers from the worldwide offices of Carnival Corporation & plc’s various cruise brands, including Carnival Cruise Lines, Seabourn, Carnival UK, Costa, AIDA, Holland America and Princess.

Over the course of the day, the volunteers planted trees, cleared debris, painted walls and spent some “quality time” reading to children at the day care center located within the facility.

This marked the third year that the event was held. In previous years, Carnival Corporation & plc employees donated their time to renovate a children’s play area at Camillus House, a local homeless assistance center, and planted a garden in a vacant lot in downtown Miami.

Carnival Cruise Lines is reporting record wave season bookings, with strong reservations activity for 2010 departures.  As a result of the strong booking volumes, a general price increase will be implemented effective March 22 for all summer sailings in June, July and August. 

For the period of Jan. 1 through Feb. 21, 2010, bookings were at unprecedented levels for the line’s 22 ships which operate three- to 15-day voyages from a variety of convenient North American home ports. 

Carnival President and CEO Gerry Cahill said, “We’re seeing significantly increased volume as consumers are taking advantage of the incredible value that a Carnival cruise provides. And while pricing hasn’t fully recovered to 2008 levels, we are increasing prices and will implement an across-the-board increase effective March 22.”    

He said that the price increases will vary by departure date but will be up to 5 percent.

Cahill attributed the record booking activity to a wide range of factors, including strong travel agent partner support, targeted marketing initiatives, itinerary enhancements and the wide variety of close-to-home departure points.   

Wave season typically runs from about mid-January through early spring and is traditionally the busiest, most important booking period in the cruise industry.

Carnival Cruise Lines’ newest and largest ship, the 130,000-ton Carnival Dream, which made its U.S. debut late last year, earned a perfect 100 score on its first full United States Public Health (U.S.P.H.) inspection conducted in Port Canaveral, Fla. This marks the second time this month that a Carnival ship has earned a perfect score; Carnival Splendor also earned a 100 score on its U.S.P.H. inspection just two weeks ago.

To earn 100 score, cruise ships must receive perfect marks on all 42 items that comprise the U.S. Public Health Service’s comprehensive Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) checklist. 

The unannounced inspections, which are conducted twice a year and required for any cruise ship with an international itinerary calling at a U.S. port, evaluate vessels in a wide variety of areas, including adherence to proper food handling, preparation and storage procedures, and overall galley cleanliness.  Ships’ potable water supplies used in spas and pools are evaluated, as well.

Carnival Dream launched year-round seven-day Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral in December.  It is expected to carry 200,000 passengers annually from that port.

Carnival Cruise Lines debuted a new 30-second television commercial during the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.  Carnival is the exclusive cruise line sponsor of the games with commercials running all 17 days of the Olympic broadcast period on the NBC, MSNBC, CNBC and USA networks.  The new commercial can be viewed here.

Entitled “Gangway,” the new spot is the second of three commercials that are being rolled out as part of a multi-million-dollar advertising campaign designed to showcase the unique kind of genuine, participatory fun unleashed on a Carnival cruise.  “Gangway” captures the moment of transformation that happens to a Carnival guest when he/she crosses the bridge and goes from land to sea, leaving the everyday worries and routine of today back onshore. 

Like the first spot in the series, the new commercial features the brand’s existing “Fun For All. All For Fun” tagline, as well as the song “Bang the Drum” by Todd Rundgren.

The third and final spot in the series is slated to debut in May.  All three spots were produced by Carnival’s advertising agency, Arnold Worldwide.

In addition to being shown during the Olympics, the spots appear on ABC, CBS and NBC in a wide variety of programming such as Today Show, Good Morning America, The Office, Modern Family, NCIS:  LA and The Mentalist.