May 2015

Adolfo Perez, a 33-year veteran of Carnival Cruise Line, has been named the company’s vice president of trade sales and marketing. In this role, Perez will be responsible for Carnival’s business development teams and trade marketing functions.  Perez starts his new position June 2 reporting to Lynn Torrent, Carnival’s executive vice president of sales and guest services. “Adolfo is a seasoned travel professional with a true passion for cruising and an appreciation for the valuable and important role that travel agents play in the cruise-selling process,” said Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president. “We considered both internal and external candidates for this role and felt that Adolfo’s years of experience in the industry and his commitment to the agency community made him…

James Heaney, an experienced financial executive with  more than 25 years in the cruise and hospitality industries, has been named senior vice president and chief financial officer for Miami-based Carnival Cruise Line, the world’s largest cruise operator. In this capacity, Heaney will be responsible for all of the company’s financial, accounting and information technology functions. He joins Carnival June 22 reporting to President Christine Duffy. “Jim is the ideal candidate for this role, previously holding key leadership positions in a wide range of well-known cruise and hospitality brands, as well as global experience in finance, revenue management, IT and travel operations, all of which will be a tremendous asset to our company,” Duffy said. Before joining Carnival, Heaney spent three…

  Embodying Carnival Cruise Line’s motto of Fun For All, All For Fun, the new Carnival Vista will offer family members of all ages the ultimate vacation experience, debuting a variety of amazing, one-of-a-kind on-board features when it enters service next spring. From a unique suspended cycling experience called SkyRide and the innovative Family Harbor staterooms and suites featuring a “family concierge” to cruising’s first IMAX Theatre, Carnival Vista promises fun for the whole family. “Carnival is the number one cruise line for families carrying more than 700,000 children annually and Carnival Vista will build upon our leadership position in this area with incredible outdoor attractions and engaging indoor spaces specifically designed with families in mind,” said Christine Duffy, Carnival’s…

Carnival Legend arrived in Vancouver today to kick off the line’s 2015 Alaska season with a special eight-day cruise departing this afternoon.  The special eight-day voyage, which ends in Seattle May 26, features a full day cruising Tracy Arm Fjord and Glacier Bay, along with port calls to Skagway and Ketchikan. From Seattle, Carnival Legend will offer a summer schedule of seven-day voyages to the Last Frontier May 26 to September 8.  The week-long sailings include stops at Juneau and Skagway followed by a day-long cruise of Glacier Bay followed by visits to Ketchikan and Victoria, British Columbia. Each of destinations offers a rich cultural history along with majestic natural beauty found only in the Land of the Midnight Sun. …

Dwyane Wade, a three-time NBA champion with the Miami HEAT, was the guest speaker at yesterday’s end-of-year celebration for Carnival’s Scholarship & Mentoring Program, which matches Miami-Dade County high school students with a member of the company’s management team to provide students with a first-hand look at the business world.  The students are all former attendees of the Miami HEAT Academy, an after-school enrichment program for at-risk youth. An 11-time NBA All-Star, Wade offered an inspirational and engaging presentation to nearly 100 students and their mentors, focusing on achieving life goals, sacrifice, the importance of education and overcoming obstacles.  Following his presentation, Wade opened up the floor for questions, posed for photos and presented awards to students who achieved the…

Guests and crew aboard the Carnival Legend – in the midst of an 11-day repositioning cruise from Sydney to Vancouver – participated in a centuries-old maritime tradition held to commemorate a ship’s crossing of the equator. Once Carnival Legend crossed the equator, the ship’s horn bellowed, summoning everyone to the Lido Deck for the time-honored ceremony. Accompanied by a band of friendly pirates, Captain Francesco La Fauci and Chief Engineer Vito Antonelli presided over the festivities which were witnessed by hundreds of mariners who gathered on deck. Following the ceremony, the former Carnival Legend “pollywogs” – or novice sailors – were bestowed the new title of “trusty shellback” in recognition of their distinction of crossing the equator. Carnival Legend is…

  Carnival Cruise Line and Travel and Leisure have partnered to create a new five-part video series featuring 15 of the world’s best beaches throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii and other destinations, all of which can be visited on  a “Fun Ship” cruise.   The videos can be viewed at www.travelandleisure.com/carnival. Each video includes three stunning world-class beaches, with host Jackie Tranchida highlighting the various on-shore amenities as well as recommendations for adventure seekers, families, couples, girlfriend getaways and more.  From magnificent Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman, Bondi Beach in Sydney and Mauna Kea Beach in Oahu to Lindquist Beach in St. Thomas and Playa el Medano in Cabo San Lucas, Tranchida showcases the glistening waters, lush landscapes and powdery…

  Carnival Breeze served as the venue for Carnival Cruise Line’s eighth annual Texas Hold’Em Challenge Tournament attracting nearly 400 players who battled it out to take home their share of $200,000 in cash prizes.  The winner, Warren Gregg Fund of Charleston, S.C., took home the grand prize of $75,000 cash and earned a seat in the Penn National Gaming Hollywood Poker Open (HPO) Championship Event taking place at the M Resort in Las Vegas on June 26, 2015. As a special surprise, legendary world champion poker player Chris Moneymaker came on board Carnival Breeze to host the final table of the tournament, which was held during an eight-day Caribbean cruise from Miami last week. Moneymaker, an official HPO ambassador,…

  Mark your calendars! The newest, largest and most innovative “Fun Ship” to date, Carnival Vista, is scheduled to enter service from Europe exactly one year from today – May 1, 2016. In just 365 days from now, guests can begin experiencing the ship’s incredible array of on-board innovations – from a groundbreaking suspended cycling attraction called SkyRide and cruising’s first IMAX Theater at sea to the line’s first on-board brewery at the RedFrog Pub and Kaleid-o-slide, a new raft slide promising 455 feet of exhilarating twists and turns.  Other features include the tropical-themed Havana Bar and Pool, as well as Family Harbor, with extra-roomy staterooms accommodating up to six guests and its own recreation area and family concierge. Currently…

  To commemorate the five-year anniversary of Carnival Cruise Line’s partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Carnival launched a “Slide for St. Jude” initiative which raised $50,000 for the hospital. To kick it off, guests and crew were encouraged to slide down one of the shipboard water slides during a special fleetwide event and, for each person who did so, Carnival donated up to $10 to St. Jude. Carnival’s President Christine Duffy took the first plunge –down the Carnival Breeze’s 312-foot-long Twister water slide. To further up the ante, Carnival then challenged its social media followers on Facebook and Twitter and offered to donate $5 for every share or retweet of the “Slide for St. Jude” posts on the…