The blog of Carnival Senior Cruise Director John Heald – which has attracted 3.6 million visits since being launched two years ago – has been named “Best Cruise Line Blog” in Porthole Magazine’s 2009 Editor-In-Chief Awards. In his popular blog, Heald provides readers with a unique behind-the-scenes look at “Fun Ship” cruising while sharing his humorous and insightful observations on a wide range of topics.

The blog has even spawned the “John Heald Bloggers Cruise,” which provides readers an opportunity to sail with Heald and fellow blog enthusiasts and participate in a variety of exclusive events and activities.  The next Bloggers Cruise takes place aboard a five-day voyage of Carnival Fantasy departing Feb. 7 from New Orleans.  Two Bloggers Cruises are also scheduled for the new Carnival Dream – an eight-day voyage departing New York Nov. 15 and a nine-day cruise departing Port Canaveral, Fla., Dec. 3.

Two Carnival Corporation & plc port projects also received awards.  The Puerta Maya Cruise Center, which reopened in October after being destroyed by Hurricane Wilma in 2005, was named “Best Comeback Port” and the Grand Turk Cruise Center, whose features include the Caribbean’s largest Margaritaville restaurant, the FlowRider wave-riding experience, and an 800-foot-long beach, earned “Best Cruise Center” honors.

The Grand Turk Cruise Center – closed since the passing of Hurricane Ike last month – today welcomed its first cruise ship, the 2,642-passenger Carnival Destiny.

Carnival Destiny guests had an opportunity to swim in the facility’s massive swimming pool, relax on an 800-foot-long private beach, and dine at the on-site Margaritaville restaurant and lounge.  The facility’s various shops were open, as well. 

Numerous shore excursions were also available, including Gibbs Key tour, dune buggy rentals, swimming with horses, and fishing and snorkeling expeditions.  The previously offered hop on/hop off bus tour is currently operating as a post-hurricane island tour.  Guests are charged a nominal fee for the tour and provided with a pledge card should they wish to donate to the United Way’s Grand Turk hurricane relief fund.

Shipboard employees are also participating in a beach clean-up initiative to assist in the island’s recovery.

The $60 million Grand Turk Cruise Center opened in 2006 and has become one of the cruise industry’s most popular Caribbean cruise destinations.  The 13-acre facility serves as a gateway to the pristine island of Grand Turk, which in addition to magnificent beaches, is world renowned for diving, snorkeling, fishing and other watersports.

Princess Cruises’ Crown Princess is the next cruise ship to call at the Grand Turk Cruise Center on Oct. 10.

 An engineering survey has confirmed that no damage was sustained to the cruise ship pier, which can accommodate up to two ships at one time. Minimal damage occurred to the facility’s retail and restaurant complex.

“We believe we can complete repairs to the cruise center within a 30-day period and bring cruise ships back to Grand Turk,” said Giora Israel, Carnival’s vice president of strategic planning and port development. “We will be able to provide many of the wonderful, beach, snorkeling and watersports experiences that Grand Turk is famous for, along with the oversized pool and food and shopping opportunities at the cruise center, including the extremely popular Margaritaville restaurant.”

Israel added that returning cruise ships quickly will provide important economic benefits to Grand Turk while the island moves forward with its recovery efforts. In addition to its existing staff on the island, Carnival Corp. & plc will bring in a number of additional skilled workers who will be housed and fed by the company.  Those individuals will not only repair the cruise center complex, but also assist in the repair of some of the island’s key attractions.

“We will be investing millions of dollars in the coming months to help Grand Turk quickly re-build its cruise-focused tourism. Bringing tourists back to the island as quickly as possible will play a major role in driving the island’s overall recovery,” said Israel.

The Grand Turk Cruise Center is the largest private employer on the island and the cruise center staff, combined with shore excursion operators, comprises approximately 80 percent of non-government jobs in Grand Turk.

Carnival Corporation & plc will also be providing financial and logistical assistance to shore excursion operators to enable them to resume their businesses. Cruise passengers and crew members will be provided the opportunity to participate in volunteer-oriented excursions for those who wish to assist in the island’s recovery effort.

The Grand Turk Cruise Center, which opened in 2006, has become one of the cruise industry’s most popular Caribbean cruise destinations.  The $60 million, 13-acre complex features an 800-foot-long private beach, swimming pool and FlowRider attraction, which offers body boarding and stand-up board surfing, in addition to multiple retail outlets.    The FlowRider, which was not damaged, will re-open pending the status of power supply on the island.  The cruise center’s lush landscaping, much of which was lost as a result of the storm, will be replaced on a gradual basis over the next several months.

The Grand Turk Cruise Center serves as a gateway to the pristine island of Grand Turk, which is world-renowned as a diving and snorkeling jewel, and also features magnificent beaches, striking aqua-blue waters, and a variety of fishing and watersports activities.

 The first cruise ship scheduled to call at Grand Turk will be Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Destiny on Oct. 8.  Carnival Cruise Lines is the largest cruise-line user of the Grand Turk facility.  Several other cruise lines, both from within the Carnival Corp. & plc family of brands and from other cruise operators, also regularly call at Grand Turk.

Additional information on the Grand Turk Cruise Center can be viewed at www.grandturkcc.com.

In addition to vendors selling local crafts and souvenirs, the facility also features such recognizable names as Margaritaville, Little Switzerland, Ron Jon Surf Shop, Bruno Fine Art, Goodmark Jewelers and the cruise center’s anchor retail tenant, duty-free giant, Dufry.

Officials at the Grand Turk Cruise Center expect more than 200 cruise ship calls accounting for 400,000 passengers in 2008, up from 180 calls and 380,000 passengers last year.

Located on 13 acres of pristine beachfront property on Grand Turk, in the Turks & Caicos Islands, the Grand Turk Cruise Center boasts more than 40 retail shops encompassing 40,000 square feet of retail space featuring many world-renowned brand names in watches, jewelry, and clothing.

Francisco Morales of A&G Grand Turk Ltd, which operates the Ron Jon Surf Shop and Piranha Joe’s at the Grand Turk Cruise Center, commented, “We are expecting a record-breaking year at our outlets within Grand Turk Cruise Center and are delighted that we will be able to offer visitors an even greater diversity of retail items.”               

Watch brands such as Rolex, Breitling and Movado, and jewelry by designers such as David Yurman, Robert Coin and Cabana are featured in selected stores. Clothing by Tommy Bahama, Quicksilver and Piranha Joe’s along with fine art by names such as Frank Meisler, David Gerstein, Abecassis, Miro, Picasso and others can also be found in the specialty shops at the cruise center.

For more information, visit www.Grandturkcc.com.

For press inquiries, please call Vance Gulliksen, Carnival Corporation Public Relations at 305-599-2600 ext 16000.