Ahoy, ahoy, it’s time for some festive joy! Christmas came early this morning for families of Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation (SCHF) as they enjoyed a special Grinchmas Family Fun Day onboard Carnival Splendor in Sydney Harbour.

To celebrate the second year of Carnival’s Grinchmas in July sailings and longstanding partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises and SCHF, 50 patients and their families were invited to join The Grinch and his sidekick Max for a day of festive fun at sea. Dressed in their festive best, children and their families were treated to some of the highlights of a Grinchmas cruise, including the official giant Christmas tree lighting ceremony complete with ‘real’ snow falling, sing-a-long caroling, themed ‘Grinchmas family games’ and crafts, a How The Grinch Stole Christmas storytime reading, appearances and family photo opportunities with Dr. Seuss characters including The Grinch, Max, Thing 1 & Thing 2 and The Cat in the Hat and delicious themed spread of dining and beverages.

The Grinch’s heart grew three sizes at the event when he met 13-year-old Matilda Jenkins. Matilda, the youngest of four siblings, has been a patient of Sydney Children’s Hospital Network since she transferred to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead at 24 hours old. Matilda was announced as the official Goddaughter of Carnival Splendor in 2018 when she was only 6 years old.

Carnival Splendor Cruise Director Simon London presented a cheque to Matilda and SCHF Chief Marketing Officer Kate Ferguson for $62,758, the total amount raised for Sydney Children’s Hospital’s Foundation onboard Carnival Splendor over the last year