2,124-PASSENGER CARNIVAL SPIRIT OFFERS SEASONAL ALASKA, MEXICAN RIVIERA CRUISES FROM WEST COAST, SHIFTS TO AUSTRALIA IN FALL 2012 

 Carnival Spirit, the namesake vessel in the line’s popular Spirit-class, offers a diversity of resort-style facilities and features, including expansive spa and children’s facilities, four swimming pools, a cascading water slide, a wedding chapel, conference center and an Internet café.

The 88,500-ton Carnival Spirit, which currently operates five- and nine-day Mexican Riviera voyages from San Diego and Los Angeles, will reposition to Seattle in May before launching year-round eight- to 13-day voyages from Sydney, Australia, in October 2012.

Carnival Spirit’s seven-day Alaska cruises features visits to Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, as well as Victoria and Tracy Arm Fjord. 

PUBLIC ROOMS AND AREAS
Carnival Spirit features a variety of dramatic spaces, each with its own unique theme designed by Carnival’s award-winning interior architect Joe Farcus. These areas range in style from Pharaoh’s Palace, an elegant multi-level theater offering an Egyptian Revival style inspired by King Tutankhamen’s sarcophagi, which serves as the venue for Carnival’s legendary production shows; Versailles Lounge, inspired and decorated in the elegant, highly decorative manner that emerged in 18th-century France; and Dancin’ a two-level dance club featuring a two deck, 20-by-20-foot video wall of 48-inch monitors.  

DINING OPTIONS
Dining is considered by many to be the highlight of a “Fun Ship” cruise vacation and Carnival Spirit offers a wide variety of delectable choices to suit any mood or taste. In addition to the full-service two-level Empire room featuring expansive menus and wine lists, Carnival Spirit includes La Playa Grille, a casual poolside eatery offering full buffets for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as a 24-hour pizzeria and New York-style deli.

Also available is the Nouveau, a classic American-style steakhouse located at the uppermost level of an 11-deck-high glass-enclosed atrium. Other dining options include a sushi bar serving authentic Asian delicacies and a café offering coffees and sweets. Complimentary 24-hour stateroom service is also available, and vegetarian, children’s and health-conscious menu selection are features on all dining room menus.

ON-BOARD PROGRAMS
CAMP CARNIVAL, CIRCLE ‘C,’ CLUB O2 – building upon Carnival’s distinction as the family cruise leader carrying 670,000 children annually fleetwide, Carnival Spirit offers organized programs for three different age groups- camp Carnival for 2-to 11- year-olds, Circle “C” for 12- to 14-year-olds, and Club O2 for 15- to 17-year-olds- with supervised activities and expansive, modern facilities for each. Carnival Spirit also houses four swimming pools, including a children’s wading pool and an aft pool.

SPA CARNIVAL – Fitness has become an important part of people’s daily lives and guests sailing on Carnival Spirit can take advantage of the ship’s expansive health and fitness facility, Spa Carnival. Among the largest facilities of its kind, the 14,500-square-foot health club offers a full gymnasium housing the latest exercise equipment, a mirrored aerobics room, men’s and women’s locker room, steam rooms and saunas, and a sophisticated menu of body and facial treatments, including a number of exotic “European-style” therapies. The ship also features four swimming pools and a one-eighth-mile jogging track. A salon offering a variety of hair, nail and make-up services is available, as well.

SPACIOUS ACCOMODATIONS- Eighty percent of the Carnival Spirit’s staterooms offer an ocean view with 80 percent of those featuring private balconies. As part of Carnival’s fleetwide stateroom enhancements, all of the Carnival Spirit’s 1,062 staterooms feature the Carnival Comfort Bed sleep system, featuring plush mattresses, luxurious duvets and duvet covers, fluffy pillows and high quality linens. All accommodations include terrycloth bathrobes and offer in-cabin amenity kits with a variety of brand-name product samples for men and women.

INTERNET CAFÉ, WI-FI ACCESS, CELL PHONE SERVICE- Like all “Fun Ships,” Carnival Spirit offers an Internet café with private workstations featuring flat-screen monitors, along with Wi-Fi access available in virtually all public rooms and areas. Guests can also make and receive cell phone calls whether the ship is at sea or in port.

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2,124-PASSENGER CARNIVAL SPIRIT OFFERS SEASONAL ALASKA, MEXICAN RIVIERA CRUISES FROM WEST CAOST

Carnival Spirit, the namesake vessel in the line’s popular Spirit-class, offers a diversity of resort-style facilities and features, including expansive spa and children’s facilities, four swimming pools, a cascading water slide, a wedding chapel, conference center and an Internet café.

The 88,500-ton Carnival Spirit sails from Seattle to Alaska during the summer and operates a one-of-a-kind five- and nine-day Mexican Riviera voyages from San Diego in the fall and winter.

Carnival Spirit’s seven-day Alaska schedule runs May 11 – Aug. 31, 2010, and features visits to Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, as well as Victoria and Tracy Arm Fjord.  The ship will operate two 12-day Hawaii cruises before beginning its new winter schedule of five- and nine-day Mexican Riviera cruises from San Diego.

PUBLIC ROOMS AND AREAS
Carnival Spirit features a variety of dramatic spaces, each with its own unique theme designed by Carnival’s award-winning interior architect Joe Farcus. These areas range in style from Pharaoh’s Palace, an elegant multi-level theater offering an Egyptian Revival style inspired by King Tutankhamen’s sarcophagi, which serves as the venue for Carnival’s legendary production shows; Versailles Lounge, inspired and decorated in the elegant, highly decorative manner that emerged in 18th-century France; and Dancin’ a two-level dance club featuring a two deck, 20-by-20-foot video wall of 48-inch monitors.  

DINING OPTIONS
Dining is considered by many to be the highlight of a “Fun Ship” cruise vacation and Carnival Spirit offers a wide variety of delectable choices to suit any mood or taste. In addition to the full-service two-level Empire room featuring expansive menus and wine lists, Carnival Spirit includes La Playa Grille, a casual poolside eatery offering full buffets for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as a 24-hour pizzeria and New York-style deli.

Also available is the Nouveau, a classic American-style steakhouse located at the uppermost level of an 11-deck-high glass-enclosed atrium. Other dining options include a sushi bar serving authentic Asian delicacies and a café offering coffees and sweets. Complimentary 24-hour stateroom service is also available, and vegetarian, children’s and health-conscious menu selection are features on all dining room menus.

ON-BOARD PROGRAMS
CAMP CARNIVAL, CIRCLE ‘C,’ CLUB O2 – building upon Carnival’s distinction as the family cruise leader carrying 625,000 children annually fleetwide, Carnival Spirit offers organized programs for three different age groups- camp Carnival for 2-to 11- year-olds, Circle “C” for 12- to 14-year-olds, and Club O2 for 15- to 17-year-olds- with supervised activities and expansive, modern facilities for each. Carnival Spirit also houses four swimming pools, including a children’s wading pool and an aft pool.

SPA CARNIVAL – Fitness has become an important part of people’s daily lives and guests sailing on Carnival Spirit can take advantage of the ship’s expansive health and fitness facility, Spa Carnival. Among the largest facilities of its kind, the 14,500-square-foot health club offers a full gymnasium housing the latest exercise equipment, a mirrored aerobics room, men’s and women’s locker room, steam rooms and saunas, and a sophisticated menu of body and facial treatments, including a number of exotic “European-style” therapies. The ship also features four swimming pools and a one-eighth-mile jogging track. A salon offering a variety of hair, nail and make-up services is available, as well.

SPACIOUS ACCOMODATIONS- Eighty percent of the Carnival Spirit’s staterooms offer an ocean view with 80 percent of those featuring private balconies. As part of Carnival’s fleetwide stateroom enhancements, all of the Carnival Spirit’s 1,062 staterooms feature the Carnival Comfort Bed sleep system, featuring plush mattresses, luxurious duvets and duvet covers, fluffy pillows and high quality linens. All accommodations include terrycloth bathrobes and offer in-cabin amenity kits with a variety of brand-name product samples for men and women.

INTERNET CAFÉ, WI-FI ACCESS, CELL PHONE SERVICE- Like all “Fun Ships,” Carnival Spirit offers an Internet café with private workstations featuring flat-screen monitors, along with Wi-Fi access available in virtually all public rooms and areas. Guests can also make and receive cell phone calls whether the ship is at sea or in port.

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For the first time ever, Carnival Cruise Lines will operate a schedule of seven-day Alaska cruises round-trip from Seattle beginning in May 2010. 

In total, 17 week-long Alaska cruises will operate from the Port of Seattle from May 11 to Aug. 31, 2010 departing Tuesdays aboard the 2,124-passenger Carnival Spirit. 

Port calls on these voyages include the popular Alaskan destinations of Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, as well as Victoria, Vancouver Island, and cruising Tracy Arm Fjord. 

Each of these destinations offers a rich history and culture, along with awe-inspiring natural wonders, including calving glaciers, magnificent fjords and native sea and animal life. A wide range of shore excursions – from helicopter flightseeing and rainforest canopy tours to hiking, canoeing and kayaking expeditions – are also available.

The Carnival Spirit also features an on-board naturalist who educates guests on the region’s colorful history and points out animal and marine life from the ship’s bridge.

Prior to the start-up of the new program, Carnival Spirit will operate two special voyages – a six-day Inside Passage voyage from Vancouver to Seattle departing May 5, 2010 and a seven-day Glacier Bay cruise from Seattle to Vancouver Sept. 7, 2010.   Both voyages include a cruise through the Inside Passage along with port calls at Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan; and the seven-day cruise also includes a day of cruising in spectacular Glacier Bay. 

Carnival Spirit is the ideal ship for Alaska, with 80 percent of staterooms featuring an ocean view or balcony – perfect for viewing the passing scenery — along with indoor and outdoor promenades, a 14,500-square-foot health and wellness center and 16 themed lounges, bars and nightspots.  

Dining venues include the two-level Empire Restaurant with specially prepared “Just For Alaska” menu items featuring local fish, game and other ingredients, as well as the La Playa Grille, a casual eatery featuring a 24-hour pizzeria, and the Nouveau Supper Club, an intimate reservations-only restaurant offering prime steaks and other gourmet cuisine.

Kids sailing on Carnival Spirit can enjoy three different children’s programs – Camp Carnival for ages 2-11, Circle “C” for ages 12 to 14, and Club O2 for 15- to 17-year-olds – with facilities and counselors dedicated to each group.  Many activities in these programs feature fun, educational activities with an Alaska theme.

Naturally the enjoyed more than just the food, so to read their entire cruise review check out “Spirit with soul”