Fans of John Heald’s blog gathered in New Orleans this weekend, to help spruce up a neighborhood park in the Big Easy.  More than 100 bloggers joined in the volunteer service day in advance of the Bloggers Cruise which is being held on a five-day cruise of the Carnival Fantasy.

            Teaming up with the Beacon of Hope Resource Center, a non-profit organization in New Orleans, the park was transformed with the volunteers painting benches, columns and lamp posts, and clearing debris throughout the facility.

            In addition to the “sweat equity” provided by the Bloggers Cruise volunteers, Carnival Cruise Lines donated $5,000 to the Beacon of Hope Resource Center to help fund future hands-on community service projects throughout the city.

            The John Heald Bloggers Cruise gathers together fans of the senior cruise director’s popular blog, which has attracted nearly 4 million views since being launched in March 2007.

           Participants in the second “John Heald Bloggers Cruise” – taking place aboard the newly refurbished Carnival Fantasy from New Orleans in February 2009 – will not only enjoy five fun-filled days sailing with the popular senior cruise director, but they can also make a difference in the lives of local residents.

            The “Bloggers Cruise Community Service Day” will take place in New Orleans on Friday, Feb. 6, 2009, the day prior to the departure of the second annual cruise – a five-day voyage to Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico, operating Feb. 7-12, 2009.

            Partnering with the city’s Beacon of Hope Resource Center, “Bloggers Cruise Community Service Day” participants will clear debris and plant trees, helping to spruce up a neighborhood in New Orleans that sustained significant damage from Hurricane Katrina.

            Carnival is also partnering with Maison St. Charles Hotel & Suites to provide one- and two-night pre-cruise land stays at special rates for “Bloggers Cruise Community Service Day” participants.

            “I invite everyone to join me in helping the people of New Orleans and we look forward to working with the Beacon of Hope Resource Center in helping to beautify this magnificent city,” Heald said. “Once on board, we’ll enjoy Carnival Fantasy’s ‘Evolutions of Fun’ upgrades, as well as special events and shows just for my blogging friends. It’s going to be a brilliant cruise and I can’t wait to see you there,” he added.

            Added Heather Huth, director of volunteers for the Beacon of Hope Resource Center, “Our goal is to create an environment that encourages our residents to return home.  Although we are proud of how far we’ve come, there is still a long way to go. We are always in need of volunteer service and truly appreciate Carnival’s role in New Orleans’ continued recovery efforts.”

            Following the hands-on charity activity, “Bloggers Cruise Community Service Day” participants will be the guests of honor at a cocktail reception hosted by Heald which will serve as a kick-off event for the voyage.

            During the five-day cruise on Carnival Fantasy, Heald will host a number of exclusive events, including a Welcome Aboard reception, trivia contests, question-and-answer sessions and even an exclusive “Tea Time with John” session. 

            Special photo opportunities with Heald will be available as well. A variety of special giveaways and logo items also will be provided to all “Bloggers Cruise” participants, and Heald will, of course, be submitting posts to his blog throughout the voyage.  

            Carnival Fantasy was selected as the venue for the second “Bloggers Cruise” as it is the latest “Fun Ship” to undergo all phases of the line’s “Evolutions of Fun” refurbishment program, which has resulted in a total transformation of the 2,056-passenger SuperLiner.

            The upgrades include a “Carnival WaterWorks” aqua park with a 300-foot-long water slide, dual-lane 82-foot-long racing slides and various water spray apparatus, along with “Serenity,” an adults-only retreat located aft and featuring comfortable chaise lounges and chairs and two oversized whirlpools.

            The mid-ship pool was renovated and now offers a distinctly tropical ambiance, with thatched roofing, colorful umbrellas and other design elements. These renovations complement the first phase of the program, which included extensive refurbishments to a variety of public areas, as well as all staterooms and suites.

            Reservations are currently being accepted for the Bloggers Cruise aboard the Carnival Fantasy Feb. 7-12, 2009, as well as the pre-cruise land stay at the Maison St. Charles Hotel & Suites. Participants must request fare code CPBL/FPBL when booking the cruise to be included in the 2009 Bloggers Cruise events.

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

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.