Press Releases

Building upon its distinction as the leader in West Coast cruising and celebrating the arrival of the new Long Beach-based Carnival Panorama later this year, Carnival Cruise Line kicked off 2019 in grand style with its first-ever float in the world-famous Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif. Modeled after the new 133,500-ton Vista-class ship, the float cruised down the five-mile parade route this morning delighting the crowd of 700,000 who jammed along with the float riders to a Carnival nine-piece band playing “Uptown Funk” and “I’ve Got a Feeling” as well as the estimated 80 million television viewers watching at home. Aptly named “Come Sail Away,” the colorful, highly detailed 55-foot-long ship-shaped float featured floral-inspired reproductions of signature Carnival features like…

Kicking off a year-long celebration welcoming the new Carnival Panorama to the West Coast, Carnival Cruise Line is going to extreme heights today ­– literally – as its popular Carnival AirShip makes its aerial debut in Southern California. Inviting everyone to “Choose Fun,” the 120-foot-long AirShip will fly over and visit culture and entertainment locations across the state throughout January including The Rose Parade: A Showcase of Floats on Jan. 2 as well as sporting events; local schools; Carnival’s homeports in Long Beach on Jan. 5, San Diego on Jan. 13 and San Francisco on Jan. 25; travel agent viewing parties; and select Sky Zone trampoline park locations, Carnival Panorama’s newest all-ages attraction, starting with the Anaheim location on Jan…

Carnival Cruise Line tapped royalty to christen its newest vessel earlier today as the queen of the 2019 Rose Parade officially named the cruise line’s first-ever Rose Parade float in a naming ceremony near the Pasadena, Calif., parade route. Following time-honored maritime tradition designed to bring good luck to ships – whether they’re the floating or floral variety – Rose Queen Louise Siskel smashed a confetti-filled bottle across the “bow” of the colorful ship-shaped float, officially naming the float “Come Sail Away.” After the event, guests also had the opportunity to help decorate the float and put on the finishing touches to bring the floral masterpiece to life. The float, which will make its debut in front of more than…

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…

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…

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…

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 Legend will operate Carnival Cruise Line’s most diverse European season to date with nine- to 16-day voyages visiting 34 ports in 14 countries including breathtaking destinations in Norway, Scotland, Ireland, Croatia, Portugal, Greece, Greenland and Iceland in summer and fall 2020. Available through the Carnival Adventures program, hundreds of shore excursions will be offered where guests can explore centuries-old historic sites and landmarks, savor delicious local cuisine and view spectacular scenery, including the majestic Norwegian fjords. “We’ve put together an unmatched program of European cruises, featuring off-the-beaten path destinations as well as some of the most popular seaside port cities.  There’s no better way to Choose Fun in Europe!” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. Unique European…

Carnival Cruise Line – The World’s Most Popular Cruise Line® – will kick off its 2019 West Coast expansion plans on New Year’s Day with its first-ever float in the world-famous Rose Parade as part of a year-long celebration of its first new ship to homeport in California in 20 years that will arrive in December 2019. As it prepares for the arrival of Carnival Panorama in Long Beach next December, Carnival will preview a floral replica of the ship to 700,000 spectators on hand to view the 130th Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, as well as a worldwide television audience of more than 80 million parade fans.  The float will include many of the signature features…