Last Friday, at approximately 9 a.m., Carnival Cruise Lines’ 2,052-passenger cruise ship, Carnival Imagination, rescued three boaters whose vessel capsized approximately 14 miles north of the sea buoy off the coast of Miami. Read the full story

The Carnival Imagination welcomed a special visitor, rock star Lenny Kravitz who sailed aboard the 2,052-passenger “Fun Ship” during a recent three-day cruise to Nassau. Read the full story

Our “Evolutions of Fun” enhancement program is receiving great reviews from both guests and media.  The program encompasses a $250 million extensive ship refurbishment for our eight 70,000-ton Fantasy-class vessels.  Just last week we highlighted  some great photos courtesy of some media outlets and a first-hand recap from Carnival blogger and senior cruise director John Heald, who sailed on the Carnival Imagination, one of the first two ships to receive the enhancements (click here for that post).  Carnival Inspiration has also received the full upgrades and the balance of the Fantasy fleet is scheduled for completion over the next few years.

But for those of you looking for more information, here’s a link to a video (from Travel Trade) featuring the Carnival Imagination’s Hotel Director, Miles Willis discussing the ship’s refurbishment, from the lighting, to the chairs, spa, waterworks and more.  Watch the video here.  

With the recent announcement of the Carnival Fantasy’s upcoming Evolutions of Fun enhancements, we thought we’d share some photos from the last ship that evolved into a center of fun and enjoyment- the Carnival Imagination. 

Check out some photos from Reuters and AP courtesy of Yahoo!

Here’s a quick summary from the USA Today Cruise Log blog

And for an Evolutions of Fun review with a touch of humor visit John Heald’s blog any day this week to find posts and photos from his current trip onboard the Carnival Imagination. 

As part of a unique Valentine’s Day promotion, Carnival Cruise Lines is awarding a free “Fun Ship” cruise to a couple who submits the most romantic story to the line’s Web site, carnival.com.

Through the “Read My Valentine” on-line contest, which runs from Jan. 14 – Feb. 14, 2008, couples can recount a romantic story about their partner on any topic they’d choose – from an interesting “how we met” tale to a memorable Valentine’s Day gesture or their favorite romantic memory from a “Fun Ship” cruise.

The top five entries will be selected by a team of judges from Carnival and then posted on carnival.com where visitors to the site can vote for their number one choice. The contest winner will receive a four-day western Caribbean cruise for two in the luxurious owner’s suite aboard the 2,052-passenger Carnival Imagination from Miami or Carnival Inspiration from Tampa. 

Read the full story

What happens when Carnival Cruise Lines invests millions of dollars into its “Evolutions of Fun” program? Fun for everyone! “Carnival WaterWorks”, with three new water slides and a huge water spray park; “Serenity”, an adult’s only outdoor retreat; resort style pool; new dining options; and completely refurbished staterooms- it’s like cruising on a brand new ship! Watch the Carnival Imagination’s Hotel Director, Miles Willis, give you a first-hand tale of the ship’s new features on our new video blog hosted by Carnival Connections.