December 2018

Carnival Cruise Line today announced that for the first time, it will offer a series of cruises from San Francisco, with Carnival Miracle operating a diverse schedule that includes four- to 15-day voyages to Alaska, Hawaii and Mexico in 2020. Following strong reception to a previously announced program from San Diego in 2019, Carnival Miracle will also return to the port for a winter 2020-21 schedule of three- to 15-day voyages. These deployments further bolster Carnival Cruise Line’s position as the West Coast cruise leader, carrying more passengers than any other cruise operator. That number will continue to increase with the debut of Carnival Panorama from Long Beach in December 2019, the first new Carnival ship on the West Coast…

With its California debut now less than a year away, Carnival Panorama’s exterior completion was celebrated at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy, during which a commemorative coin was welded to the ship’s mast in a time-honored maritime tradition. And just like the ship will take its guests on memorable journeys, the coin itself took a memorable journey throughout the state of California before winding up at the Fincantieri shipyard, as captured by the celebratory video released today by Carnival Cruise Line. The coin ceremony – whose origins can be traced back to the ancient Romans who believed that attaching coins to a ship provided divine protection – signifies the successful completion of Carnival Panorama’s exterior outfitting. Benoit Clement, Carnival’s…

Carnival Cruise Line was named Best Domestic Cruise Line and Best Family Cruise Line at the 16th annual Travel Weekly Readers Choice Awards at a black-tie gala in New York City. This marks the third consecutive year that Carnival has earned the Best Domestic Cruise Line honors. Based on Travel Weekly reader surveys, the awards recognize the travel industry suppliers who were “the best of the best” in various product and service categories during 2018. “We are thrilled to receive this important recognition from the readers of Travel Weekly as both the best domestic cruise line and the best cruise line for families,” said Christine Duffy, Carnival Cruise Line President. “We truly appreciate the support of our valued travel partners…

We’ve all called on roadside assistance to come to our rescue, but how about seaside assistance? On Wednesday, Dec. 12, as the ship was at sea, Carnival Triumph responded to a request from a sailboat in the vicinity that was in need of oil. Keeping with maritime tradition and looking to provide a helpful hand, Carnival Triumph approached the vessel to assist as the sailors gleefully shouted, “Thank you, Carnival!” Captain Isidoro Renda and his team offered the sailors oil for their engine allowing them to successfully continue along their journey. Carnival Triumph was on a five-day Western Caribbean cruise that returned to her homeport of New Orleans today.

Get ready to ride!   In another cruise industry first, Carnival Cruise Line’s Mardi Gras™ will feature the first-ever roller coaster at sea when it debuts in 2020, providing an unforgettable and unique open-air thrill ride on the line’s newest and most innovative ship. Built by Munich-based Maurer Rides, BOLT™: Ultimate Sea Coaster™ is a heart-pounding rush of adrenaline offering nearly 800 feet of exhilarating twists, turns and drops with riders reaching speeds of nearly 40 miles per hour. Taking cruise industry innovation to new heights, BOLT is an all-electric roller coaster that allows two riders in a motorcycle-like vehicle to race along a track 187 feet above sea level, enabling guests to experience the sea in an exciting new way…

Carnival Cruise Line joined one of its most popular and fast-growing ports, the Port of Galveston, in welcoming the Port’s 10 millionth passenger, Mr. Yingtao Liu from Norman, Okla., who boarded Carnival Vista on Sunday, December 9. Carnival was the first cruise line to realize the potential of Galveston as a year-round cruise port in 2000 and since then, has carried millions of guests from Texas. Upon arrival at the port, to their surprise, Mr. Liu, his wife, parents and three children were warmly greeted by Rodger Rees, Port of Galveston CEO and Port Director; Pavol Drimaj, Carnival Vista Hotel Director; and other members of the Carnival Vista team before boarding the ship for a week-long voyage – the family’s…

Look up in the sky!  As part of the year-long celebration welcoming the new Carnival Panorama to the West Coast, Carnival Cruise Line today announced that its popular #ChooseFun AirShip will return with a month-long journey across California, launching on Dec. 31 in conjunction with the line’s first-ever Rose Parade float on New Year’s Day. The 120-foot Carnival AirShip will journey throughout Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Bernardino and Riverside counties and then to Northern California, heralding the December 2019 launch of Carnival’s newest ship, Carnival Panorama and inviting everyone to “Choose Fun.” The AirShip will fly over major cultural moments across California including The Rose Parade: A Showcase of Floats and sporting events, as well as visit…

Continuing its support of its local homeport and port of call communities, Carnival Cruise Line’s entertainment team recently hosted a workshop for dozens of aspiring dancers from Ascendance Dance Studio, an academy that trains young dancers in all aspects of the craft and has been featured on a number of news outlets. Held at Carnival’s shoreside rehearsal studio in Davie, Fla., the half-day workshop provided attendees with a first-hand look at what it takes to succeed in the entertainment world.  The workshop also included a live rehearsal for an upcoming show and culminated with an engaging question and answer session. The workshop was one of many youth activities held regularly at Carnival Studios, a 40,000-square-foot rehearsal space where the line’s…

In a nod to Carnival Cruise Line’s rich history as America’s Cruise Line, the line announced today that it will name its new XL-class ship to be delivered in 2020 Mardi Gras™, bringing back to the fleet the name of the first Carnival Cruise Line® ship that entered service in 1972 and started the wave of cruise vacation popularity in the United States. In keeping with its tradition of fun, Carnival revealed the name to a nationwide television audience on the popular game show Wheel of Fortune on its signature Puzzleboard at the conclusion of the broadcast. Mardi Gras will be the largest Carnival Cruise Line ship ever constructed and the first in North America to be powered by Liquefied…

Carnival Cruise Line received “Best Service” and “Best Nightlife” honors in Cruise Critic’s 11th annual Editors’ Picks Awards in the Ocean Cruise Line category. This honor marks the second consecutive year that Carnival has earned “Best Service” honors. The awards are selected by a global panel of cruise experts from Cruise Critic, the world’s largest cruise reviews site and online cruise community. Based on first-hand experience and cruise industry knowledge, the experts identify the top cruise lines each year across a variety of categories to help travelers select the best cruise brands for their desired vacations. Carnival earned “Best Service” honors for two years running for providing friendly and attentive service from its 39,000 team members fleetwide who serve more…