Carnival Cruise Lines is launching a new promotion offering “cash back” of up to $240 per stateroom for a wide range of “Fun Ship” departures this summer.

            The new promotion is available in conjunction with virtually all three- to eight-day summer departures, including voyages to the Caribbean, Bahamas and Mexico from 14 convenient North American homeports. Bookings must be made between March 9 – May 10, 2009, to qualify for the promotion, which is valid with the line’s “Fun Select” advance purchase discount fares.

            The cash back option is provided in the form of a shipboard credit that can be redeemed once on board.  Guests will receive a $100 per stateroom shipboard credit on three- and four-day cruises; $150 per stateroom shipboard credit on five-day voyages; and $240 per stateroom shipboard credit for six-, seven- and eight-day sailings. 

            The shipboard credit is automatically applied on guests’ Sail & Sign accounts when they board their cruise and can be redeemed toward shore excursions, spa treatments, supper club reservations, gift shop items and a variety of other shipboard purchases. Any unused funds at the end of the cruise will be returned to guests on debarkation day in the form of a check.

           The new promotion is capacity controlled and applies to new individual bookings for stateroom categories 4A to 11. Guests must request fare code OCB when making the reservation.

            Carnival Cruise Lines is currently offering Early Saver rates providing savings of up to $200 per person on summer and fall cruises for those who plan ahead and book early.

            Early Saver rates are available up to three months prior to sailing date for cruises of five days or less and up to five months prior to sailing date for longer length voyages.  The special fares include all stateroom types, including suites, and come with a rate protection feature if rates later drop below what the consumer originally paid.

            Early Saver rates are currently available on a wide variety of three- to 16-day cruises.

Among the savings currently available:

• Up to $200 off per person on seven-day Alaska cruises aboard the Carnival Spirit with Early Saver prices starting as low as $449
• Up to $200 off per person on seven-day Mexican Riviera voyages from Los Angeles/Long Beach aboard the new Carnival Splendor with Early Saver prices starting as low as $399
• Up to $200 off per person on seven-day Caribbean cruises from Florida aboard the Carnival Valor and Carnival Liberty with Early Saver prices starting as low as $399
• Up to $150 off per person on five-day Atlantic Canada cruises from New York aboard the Carnival Triumph with Early Saver prices starting as low as $399

            The Early Saver rate protection feature provides that if a lower Carnival advertised rate becomes available after the booking is made, a rate adjustment can be requested and the cruise line will issue the difference in the form of a non-refundable shipboard credit.  Deposits on Early Saver bookings are non-refundable.

            Early Saver fares are available for both individual and group reservations.  The fares are subject to availability and certain restrictions apply.

            Carnival is the largest and most popular cruise line in the world, with 22 “Fun Ships” operating voyages ranging from three to 18 days in length to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Panama Canal, Canada, New England, Europe, Bermuda and South America.  The line currently has two new ships scheduled for delivery between now and 2011.  The first of those, the 130,000-ton Carnival Dream, is set to debut Sept. 21, 2009.

            To book an Early Saver rate, contact a travel agent, call 800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.

                Reaffirming the ease, convenience and sophistication of its comprehensive Web-based shore excursion reservations system, Carnival Cruise Lines is experiencing a 16 percent year-over-year increase in on-line shore excursion sales and expects that a record one million shore excursion tickets will be purchased via carnival.com in 2008.  

            And with the debut of the Carnival Splendor from Europe in July, Carnival will offer an unprecedented 1,982 shore excursion choices in 114 ports visited by its 22-vessel fleet.  

            According to Carnival’s Vice President of Tour Operations Mico Cascais, on-line shore excursion sales have increased for all “Fun Ship” sailing regions, primarily in conjunction with Caribbean cruises, where Carnival is the industry leader, with 18 of its 22 ships deployed within the region on a year-round or seasonal basis.  Europe is popular as well, particularly with tours that visit historic attractions and museums. Other growth areas include the Mexican Rivera, Alaska, and Hawaii. 

            “Booking shore excursions on-line prior to sailing is not only incredibly convenient, it also offers guests a better chance of securing their tour of choice while providing peace of mind knowing their shore excursions are already reserved and paid for,” Cascais noted. 

            Cascais indicated a trend toward more immersive landside experiences that allow guests to get an in-depth look at the destinations they are visiting.  “Consumers are looking for unique shore excursion choices that allow them to get an ‘up close and personal’ look at fascinating  cultures and attractions and participate in activities they normally can’t do at home, all with the goal of creating a lifetime of wonderful vacation memories,” said Cascais.

            He added that with Carnival’s variety of organized shoreside options, guests not only can explore exciting destinations but also maximize their time in port and be assured that their excursion has been personally researched and evaluated by the line’s highly trained professionals. 

            Carnival’s shore excursions can be purchased on-line from 120 days up to three days prior to departure date.  Guests can also purchase shore excursions via the shore excursion office located adjacent to the purser’s information desk on board, as well as via interactive television systems on some ships.

The micro-site designed for the Carnival Splendor offers exclusive videos providing a first-hand look at costumes and stage designs which will be part of the ship’s lavish production shows.

The videos provide a behind-the-scenes look through interviews with choreographers, lighting designers and directors as they gear up for the debut of three elaborate revues, “Vroom!,” “Fiesta Latina,” and “The Beat.” Viewers can learn how these talented professionals develop the shows’ themes while gaining a deeper appreciation of the literally hundreds of hours that go into coordinating these elaborate ocean-going revues.

These shows are among the 35 different captivating and elaborate production presented aboard Carnival’s 22-ship fleet, each offering fast-paced musical numbers with elaborate sets and costumes.

For additional photos and interview on the Carnival Splendor’s shipboard entertainment please visit

First-Ever Northern Europe Cruises Aboard Carnival Splendor – For its inaugural 2008 season, the new 3,006-passenger Carnival Splendor will operate an exciting schedule that will include the line’s first-ever Northern Europe cruise program, as well as Carnival’s popular Grand Mediterranean and Mediterranean & Greek Isles voyages. The Northern Europe cruises will operate July 13 – Aug. 30, 2008, round-trip from London (Dover), visiting Copenhagen; Warnemunde (Germany); Helsinki; St. Petersburg; Tallin (Estonia); and Amsterdam.

Carnival Dream to be Based in Port Canaveral, Fla. – The largest “Fun Ship” ever constructed, the 3,652-passenger Carnival Dream, will be homeported in Port Canaveral, Fla., beginning in fall 2009. Currently under construction at Italy’s Fincantieri shipyard, Carnival Dream is the first in a new class of ship with a unique interior design, sleek hull and distinctive profile, along with a host of innovative facilities and features which will be released in the coming months.  The deployment of Carnival Dream to Port Canaveral continues the line’s 18-year relationship with the Canaveral Port Authority, the longest tenure of any cruise line there.

Carnival Earns Nine ‘Best of Cruising’ Awards from Fodor’s – Carnival – a relative newcomer in European cruising, entering the market just three years ago – is well represented in the Fodor’s Complete Guide to European Cruises, garnering nine “Best of Cruising” designations, more than double the number of any other cruise line. Carnival’s nine awards include: Best Regular Dining Room Cuisine, Best Specialty Restaurants, Best Cruise Line For Families, Best Regular Cabins, Best Beds, Best Entertainment, Best Sports and Fitness Centers, Best Shops, and Best Fun & Funky Activities.

New Itineraries for Carnival Conquest, Carnival Miracle – The 2,974-passenger Carnival Conquest will offer a new seven-day itinerary from Galveston, Texas, that will include port calls to Key West, Fla., and Freeport and Nassau, The Bahamas, beginning in February 2009.

Additionally, a new eight-day eastern Caribbean cruise option from New York featuring port calls to Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos; the private island of Half Moon Cay; and Nassau, The Bahamas, will be added to the Carnival Miracle’s itinerary beginning in May 2009. Both of these new programs will complement the ships’ existing cruise schedules.

New Deployments for Miami-Based Ships – The 2,052-passenger Carnival Imagination and 2,642-passenger Carnival Destiny will operate new year-round itineraries from Miami starting this fall.

Carnival Imagination – which has undergone a dramatic transformation as part of Carnival’s “Evolutions of Fun” enhancement program – will sail three-day Bahamas and four-day western Caribbean cruises beginning Sept. 22, 2008, while Carnival Destiny will become the industry’s only 100,000-plus-ton-cruise ship to offer year-round four- and five-day Caribbean cruises when it launches this program from Miami Sept. 27, 2008.

New South America Cruises Aboard Carnival Splendor – Carnival Splendor will operate the line’s first-ever South America cruises January – March 2009, visiting magnificent and historic destinations in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador, Chile and Peru.

The voyages include a 17-day, six-port cruise from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Buenos Aires, Argentina, Jan. 31-Feb. 17; a 14-day, six-port voyage from Buenos Aires to Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile, Feb. 17-March 3; and an 18-day, six-port South America/Mexican Riviera cruise from Santiago (Valparaiso) to San Francisco March 3-21.

Following these voyages, Carnival Splendor will launch year-round seven-day Mexican Riviera cruises from Long Beach, Calif., continuing the line’s expansion of its West Coast operations.

Luxurious “Cloud 9 Spa” Aboard Carnival Splendor – Representing a new class of “Fun Ship,” Carnival Splendor will also feature the “Cloud 9 Spa,” a luxurious 21,000-square-foot health and fitness center – the largest in the Carnival fleet. The modern facility will feature the line’s first thalassotherapy pool covered by a glass dome and an elaborate thermal suite. Adjacent to the facility will be 68 exclusive “spa staterooms” – also a first for Carnival.

The new 113,300-ton SuperLiner is slated to debut from Europe in July 2008.

Significant Expansion on Jacksonville-Based Cruises – Carnival will increase capacity by 38 percent on its Jacksonville-based cruises when the 2,052-passenger Carnival Fascination replaces the 1,486-passenger Celebration on year-round four- and five-day departures beginning Sept. 20, 2008.

Carnival is the only cruise operator to sail year-round from Jacksonville and, with the deployment of the Carnival Fascination – the newest and largest ship ever homeported year-round in Jacksonville – the line is expected to carry 170,000 guests annually from that port.

$250 Million ‘Evolutions of Fun’ Product Enhancement Strategy – Carnival Inspiration and Carnival Imagination are the first of the line’s eight Fantasy-class ships to undergo an “extreme makeover” with the new “Evolutions of Fun” ship enhancement program. In addition to the new “Carnival WaterWorks” aqua parks featuring 300-foot-long corkscrew water slides, water spray park and double-lane racing slides, the initiative includes a new design for the main pool areas, and a “Serenity” adults-only deck area. Other features, many of which are already in place, include nine-hole mini golf courses, atrium lobby bars, conference centers, and new children’s play rooms.

“Evolutions of Fun” upgrades are expected to be completed over the next few years, with the Carnival Fantasy next in line to undergo the extensive renovations this fall.

Second ‘John Heald Bloggers Cruise’ Aboard Carnival Fantasy – Following the tremendous success of the inaugural “John Heald Bloggers Cruise” earlier this year, the popular senior cruise director will host a second cruise for readers of his popular blog – this time aboard the Carnival Fantasy from New Orleans Feb. 7-12, 2009.

The five-day voyage, which will visit Progreso and Cozumel, Mexico, will feature a number of exclusive events and activities hosted by Heald, whose blog has attracted more than two million visitors since being launched in March 2007.

Carnival is the largest and most popular cruise line in the world, with 22 “Fun Ships” operating voyages ranging from three to 18 days in length to the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, New England, Canada, Bermuda, Europe, and South America. The line has three new ships scheduled to enter service between now and 2011.

For additional information on Carnival’s “Fun Ship” vacations, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.

Carnival Cruise Lines, a unit of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE:CUK), is a proud member of the exclusive World’s Leading Cruise Lines. Our exclusive alliance also includes Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Cunard Line, Costa Cruises, and The Yachts of Seabourn. Sharing a passion to please each guest, and a commitment to quality and value, our member lines appeal to a wide range of lifestyles and budgets. Together, we offer exciting and enriching cruise vacations to the world’s most desirable destinations.