A new four- and five-day cruise option featuring day-long calls at Cabo San Lucas will be added to the Carnival Elation’s existing schedule from San Diego in July 2009, complementing the ship’s popular three- and four-day Baja program. 

            Carnival Elation – which emerged from a multi-million-dollar renovation last week with a host of new features — will operate the West Coast’s only three-, four- and five-day schedule, expanding upon the line’s industry-leading short cruise offerings.  Roughly half of the “Fun Ship” fleet offers voyages of five days or less in length.

            On its new schedule, Carnival Elation will operate a year-round series of four- and five-day cruises for a two-week period followed by another two weeks of three- and four-day Baja departures.

Four- and Five-Day Cruises to Cabo San Lucas

            Beginning July 2, 2009, Carnival Elation’s four-day “long weekend” cruises will depart Thursdays and visit Cabo San Lucas. Two different five-day itineraries will also be offered. Five-day cruises departing Saturdays will feature the industry’s only itinerary that includes two full days in Cabo San Lucas, providing guests with a unique opportunity to enjoy one of Mexico’s most spectacular destinations. Five-day cruises departing Mondays will feature both Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada.

New Departure Days for Three- and Four-Day Cruises

            The Carnival Elation’s three- and four-day cruises which currently depart on Thursdays and Sundays, respectively, will be changed to Fridays (three-day cruises) and Mondays (four-day cruises) starting with the July 20, 2009, four-day departure.  These new departure dates offer guests an even more convenient option on these popular short cruise itineraries from San Diego.

            The 70,000-ton Carnival Elation – the only cruise ship operating year-round from San Diego – offers a host of new facilities and features following an extensive renovation, as part of the line’s product enhancement program for its eight 70,000-ton Fantasy-class vessels. 

            Carnival Elation’s refurbishment included the addition of Serenity, an exclusive adults-only retreat, a new Circle “C” club geared to 12- to 14-year-olds, and expanded Lido-area dining options, including a new Mongolian Wok custom stir-fry station and an updated deli and dessert station.  The Carnival Ecstasy’s suites were also remodeled and cosmetic enhancements were made to a variety of shipboard areas. 

            These features complement the ship’s myriad resort-style amenities, including 12 lounges and bars, three restaurants, four swimming pools, a 115-foot-long water slide, a 12,000-square-foot health and fitness center, an Internet café, and ship-wide Wi-Fi access.

            Reservations are currently being accepted for all of the Carnival Elation’s three-, four- and five-day sailings from San Diego.  For additional information and reservations contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.

           

           Carnival Cruise Lines will deploy the 2,052-passenger Carnival Elation on a new three- and four-day cruise schedule from San Diego beginning Feb. 12, 2009.  The ship currently operates four- and five-day cruises from San Diego and will continue that program through the departure of Feb. 7, 2009.

            On its new route, Carnival Elation will depart Thursdays on three-day cruises to Ensenada, providing a value-packed long weekend getaway.  Four-day cruises will depart Sundays and visit two ports, Ensenada and Catalina Island.

            Carnival has offered a similar, highly successful program from Southern California for a number of years, currently on the Carnival Paradise based in Long Beach, with those departures occurring on Fridays and Mondays.

            “Between the two ships, consumers will have a choice of two very popular departure points, Long Beach and San Diego, as well as four different departure days each week to select from,” said Terry Thornton, Carnival’s senior vice president of marketing planning.  “These will be the only ships in the Southern California market offering three and four-day cruises starting in 2009, and with short getaways currently a trend among North American consumers, combined with the inherent value of a cruise, these voyages represent an extremely desirable vacation choice,” he added.

            Carnival, which is the West Coast’s largest, most popular cruise line, also offers longer length voyages from Southern California. The Carnival Pride operates seven-day Mexican Riviera cruises from Long Beach year-round (to be replaced by the new Carnival Splendor in March 2009) and the Carnival Spirit offers seasonal eight-day Mexican Riviera voyages from San Diego.  

Myriad ‘Fun Ship’ Features

            Part of Carnival’s highly successful Fantasy class, the 70,000-ton Carnival Elation features 12 lounges and bars, including a multi-level theater showcasing lavish revues, a 12,000-square-foot health and wellness center, full casino gambling, and a wide range of full-service and casual dining options.

            Family-friendly amenities include organized programs for children in three age groups – “Camp Carnival” for ages 2-11, “Circle C” for 12- to 14-year-olds, and “Club O2” for older teens – all with facilities, activities and staff for each.

            Carnival Elation also features three swimming pools, a 115-foot-long water slide, a one-eighth-mile jogging track and a variety of stateroom categories, each offering the Carnival Comfort Bed sleep system with plush mattresses, luxurious duvets and high quality linens and pillows.  Cell phone service and ship-wide Wi-Fi access are available, as well.

Reservations

            Reservations are currently being accepted for the Carnival Elation’s new three- and four-day cruises from San Diego.  Special rates for third and fourth guests sailing in the same stateroom, along with round-trip air supplements from a variety of North American gateways, are also available.

            For additional information and reservations, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.