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At a press conference in New York last week, Carnival announced its exclusive partnership with DJ IRIE, song master to the stars and the official DJ of the Miami HEAT, to develop a first-of-its-kind DJ academy at sea that will train all Carnival DJs across the “Fun Ship” fleet. The DJ IRIE Spin’iversity will bring an exciting new vibe to the line’s legendary nightclubs, deck parties and beyond. 

Whether spinning in clubs in Miami or Las Vegas, at a sporting event or hosting his popular South Florida radio show, the internationally known DJ IRIE has mastered the art of bringing a crowd to its feet and pumping up the energy and excitement.

Through his new DJ IRIE Spin’iversity, a comprehensive training program, IRIE will train Carnival’s DJs how to read a crowd and tailor song selections from every musical genre, appealing to guests of all ages. He will also instruct DJs on how to make maximum use of their own personality and energy to create their own persona and build popularity among guests to develop a fan following.

“Miami HEAT games are known for their high-energy and non-stop fun created by DJ IRIE and we want to tap into his unique skills and passion for music to create an unforgettable atmosphere on board,” said Mark Tamis, Carnival’s senior vice president of guest operations. “Music is the soundtrack of our lives and our goal is to create an emotional experience for our guests through the right mix of terrific music and a DJ with a unique personality who can energize a crowd.”

“I am honored that Carnival Cruise Lines chose me to be a part of Fun Ship 2.0 and I look forward to bringing the highest level of musical entertainment to the high seas,” said DJ IRIE.

Each ship is scheduled to have two DJs, one Pro DJ and one Apprentice DJ, each of whom will undergo an intensive training program as part of the DJ IRIE Spin’iversity. Once they complete the training program, DJs will play tunes during deck parties, in the atrium during embarkation, poolside, and at other venues around the ship, in addition to the nightclubs.  

Carnival Cruise Lines also is enhancing its digital library of tunes and shipboard music-download capabilities to make it possible for guests to request specific songs and hear their selection, no matter the genre. New equipment enables a DJ to download virtually any song and create customized play lists in response to guest requests.

DJ IRIE is the official DJ for the National Basketball Association’s Miami HEAT and actor/musician Jamie Foxx with performances at MTV’s Total Request Live, the Nickelodeon Teen Choice Awards and the halftime show at the Orange Bowl. He was voted best DJ by the Miami Herald and Miami New Times.

DJ IRIE Spin’iversity is part of Fun Ship 2.0, a multi-year initiative valued at more than $500 million that will completely transform the Carnival guest experience and is the largest and most ambitious project the company has ever undertaken. Many of the new Fun Ship 2.0 features will first debut on Carnival Liberty in October 2011 with additional ships to receive the enhancements over the next several years.

Additional information on the Fun Ship 2.0 initiative is available at www.carnival.com/funship2.