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Carnival Cruise Lines partnered with Louisiana’s first lady Surpiya Jindal and the Volunteer USA Foundation to support the production and distribution of the state’s brand new Love. Read. Learn! Baby Journal, an initiative that strives to highlight to new parents the importance of reading as a critical element of young children’s development. Approximately 65,000 journals are being distributed to birthing hospitals statewide – one for each mom who gives birth over the next year. The journal will be provided at no cost to every birthing hospital in the state for distribution to parents of newborns. Carnival also partnered with the state of Florida on the original Baby Journal program launched there in 1998.

“Although Carnival supports a wide range of causes and organizations, the Love. Read. Learn! Baby Journal holds a special place in our hearts as it reinforces the importance of education and literacy in children’s lives,” said Rob Huffman, Carnival’s vice president of sales, Southeast region.  “Carnival has enjoyed a long and wonderful partnership with the state of Louisiana and we are proud to partner with first lady Jindal and the Volunteer USA Foundation to support this program.” 

The initiative continues Carnival’s 16-year relationship with the state of Louisiana.  Carnival was a pioneer in offering year-round cruising from New Orleans and currently the Carnival Triumph operates four-, five- and seven-day Caribbean cruises from that port.  In fall 2011, Carnival will return capacity in New Orleans to pre-Hurricane Katrina levels with the deployment of the Carnival Conquest and Carnival Ecstasy.