Tag: Carnival Cruise Line

Just five months away from experiencing Celebration Key

February 23, 2025 baz Ocean Cruises Comments Off on Just five months away from experiencing Celebration Key

Carnival Leaders Begin Countdown to New Exclusive Destination's Opening with Behind-the-Scenes Visit

Image credit: Celebration Key, Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Cruise Line guests are just five months away from experiencing Celebration Key’s five portals to paradise. To kick off the countdown to the official opening on 19 July 2024, Carnival Corporation & plc’s Chief Executive Officer Josh Weinstein and Chief Maritime Officer Lars Ljoen joined Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy for a behind the scenes look at this new exclusive destination on Grand Bahama as construction enters its final phases.

They marked milestones in construction progress across the expansive beachfront destination and highlighted Celebration Key’s sustainability commitment. In a nod to the maritime tradition of a keel laying for a new ship, they placed commemorative keys into Celebration Key’s signature Suncastle, the centerpiece of the destination’s five portals.

The Suncastle stands 10-stories tall near Paradise Plaza, the first portal guests will encounter that serves as a gateway to the destination’s other areas. The Suncastle is also home to racing waterslides that are part of the portal geared toward families, Starfish Lagoon, along with endless other options for recreation and relaxation. The destination’s adult-focused portal, Calypso Lagoon, features an adult-only area with a DJ island and a large swim-up bar. Pearl Cove Beach Club is a private portal offering a premium adult-only experience with an infinity pool and beachfront cabanas. The fifth portal, Lokono Cove, is an artisan retail village celebrating Bahamian culture through local art and handmade goods.

About 500 workers are on site daily as construction continues round-the-clock to prepare the destination for its summer opening, when Carnival Vista will make the inaugural call on July 19. Celebration Key will deliver Carnival’s signature brand of fun while honoring local heritage and supporting Grand Bahama through job creation and economic development. To date, 28 Bahamian companies have contributed to the project.

Carnival continues to make new options and features available for guests as they plan their Celebration Key experience. New at Pearl Cove Beach Club are beachfront daybeds, private cabanas and exclusive Super Villas, available for booking soon. Each option includes access to the club’s open bar service, infinity pool, full-service restaurant and premium beachfront access.

 

Carnival Cruise Line and Lord Nelson cheers to 10 years of beers with a new brew

February 24, 2024 baz Ocean Cruises Comments Off on Carnival Cruise Line and Lord Nelson cheers to 10 years of beers with a new brew

The launch of Lord Nelson’s Smooth Sailing Cruising Ale celebrates a decade of partnership on the high seas between the cruise line and the brewery

Image Credit: Carnival Cruise Line. Kara Glamore & Blair Hayden

Carnival Cruise Line and Lord Nelson Brewery are excited to raise a glass to 10 years of partnership on the high seas with the launch of a brand-new brew: Lord Nelson’s Smooth Sailing Cruising Ale.

Carnival and the brewery have been crewmates since 1st June 2014 when they launched Thirsty Frog Summer Ale, a beer crafted by Lord Nelson in collaboration with Carnival to capture the spirit of a holiday at sea.

This year, the youngest, easy drinking member of The Lord’s ale family, Smooth Sailing, has been elevated to ‘Cruising Ale’ status as it hits the taps on Carnival Splendor in celebration of this milestone.

Smooth Sailing is a testament to Lord Nelson’s style – experimenting with flavour whilst maintaining balance and sessionability. Refreshing, food savvy and bright with lip smacking ‘knock-back-ability’, it’s a Pilsner style, low alcohol brew with a touch of American of hops to excite the nose.

Just perfect for cruisy days, the new brew is best enjoyed with mates. Guests can relax and settle in for a freshly poured Smooth Sailing Cruising Ale onboard their next Carnival cruise.

Carnival to honour music icon Gwen Stefani as Godmother of Carnival Jubilee

February 16, 2024 baz Ocean Cruises Comments Off on Carnival to honour music icon Gwen Stefani as Godmother of Carnival Jubilee

Naming Ceremony Set for Port of Galveston on 24Feb24

Carnival Cruise Line announced today that global music superstar Gwen Stefani will be honoured as the godmother of Carnival’s new flagship, Carnival Jubilee, at a naming ceremony and celebration in Galveston, Texas on Saturday, 24Feb24.

A three-time GRAMMY® Award winner, Gwen Stefani has achieved global success as a songwriter, performer, charismatic frontwoman of No Doubt, and as a multi-platinum solo artist.  Throughout it all, Stefani has remained a trend-setting music and fashion icon with an impressive array of honors – four MTV Video Music Awards, two Billboard Awards, an American Music Award, and a Brit Award.  To date, she’s sold more than 60 million units worldwide. Stefani also returned for her seventh season as a coach on the Emmy®-winning NBC series The Voice this past fall.

Stefani is also recognized for her philanthropic work, including her support of children’s causes.

Carnival Jubilee entered service on 23Dec23 and is homeported year-round from the Port of Galveston.  The ship is the third of Carnival’s Excel class, is powered on a liquefied natural gas (LNG) technology platform and can hold 6500 guests and 1750 crew.

The naming ceremony is an invitation-only event that will be held on board the ship.  A portion of the event will be broadcast live on Carnival’s Facebook page starting at 3:30 CST on 24Feb24.

Carnivals biggest ever vow renewal at sea

February 16, 2024 baz Ocean Cruises Comments Off on Carnivals biggest ever vow renewal at sea

Chief Fun Officer Shaquille O’Neal Virtually Officiates Across Entire Carnival Fleet

Love is in the air…and at sea! On Valentines day, Carnival Cruise Line celebrated its biggest ever vow renewal at sea, virtually officiated by Chief Fun Officer Shaquille O’Neal. Over 600 guests onboard Carnival Luminosa and Carnival Splendor were the first in the global fleet to take part in the annual ceremony which takes place on Valentine’s Day across all Carnival ships.

The fleetwide ceremony is even bigger than last year, since two new ships – Carnival Venezia and Carnival Jubilee – are giving even more guests the opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to each other. Couples onboard the Valentine’s Day sailings across the Carnival fleet are exploring beautiful destinations from the South Pacific to the Caribbean.

Guests were invited to celebrate their recommitment to each other with a vow renewal ceremony followed by an onboard reception including a DJ and a champagne toast to celebrate the newly renewed couples.

Carnival Valor transported over Six tons of School, recreational and Health Supplies

December 2, 2023 baz Ocean Cruises Comments Off on Carnival Valor transported over Six tons of School, recreational and Health Supplies
Carnival Cruise Line has completed the delivery of over six tons of school, recreational and health supplies donated by Rotary International Districts for children in the Merida and Progreso, Yucatán communities.
Image credit: Carnival Valor. Carnival Cruise Line

To celebrate the arrival of the items, Carnival welcomed local dignitaries, including Yucatan Undersecretary of Tourism Raul Paz and Progreso Education Director Daniela Nuñez, and Rotary leaders for a reception aboard Carnival Valor in Progreso.

Rotary International Districts collected over 13,000 pounds (approx.. 5,900kg) of supplies, including books, feminine hygiene kits and even soccer balls (or balon de futbols). Districts throughout Texas, and Oklahoma contributed items or funds to purchase items, which later sailed on Carnival Valor from New Orleans to Progreso.

The delivery in Progreso is part of an ongoing partnership between Rotary International Districts and Carnival. Earlier this year, Carnival worked with Rotary Districts to deliver supplies to the Cozumel and Roatan destination communities.

Queensland Children’s Hospital patients enjoy Dr. Seuss-themed day onboard Carnival Luminosa

April 10, 2023 baz Ocean Cruises Comments Off on Queensland Children’s Hospital patients enjoy Dr. Seuss-themed day onboard Carnival Luminosa

Over 40 Queensland Children’s Hospital patients and family members enjoyed a Green Eggs and Ham breakfast before Carnival Cruise Line presented the Children’s Hospital Foundation with the donation results of its first Brisbane season.

Bringing some Dr. Seuss-themed fun to the Sunshine State, Carnival Cruise Line, along with the Children’s Hospital Foundation, today hosted Queensland Children’s Hospital patients and families onboard Carnival Luminosa for a special Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast.

With The Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 and Thing 2, all were invited onboard the ship red and blue. Green Eggs were enjoyed, and the kids had a ball, but their mums and their dads had the best time of all. There was singing and dancing, by crew and by waiters, but the kids were by far the best fun creators.

Carnival Cruise Line has been a proud supporter of the Children’s Hospital Foundation in Queensland since 2019 and has hosted its recurring Conga for Kids event onboard Carnival Luminosa since the ship began sailing from Queensland in November 2022.

Raising much-needed funds for the Foundation, Carnival Cruise Line VP, Kara Glamore also presented Children’s Hospital Foundation CEO, Lyndsey Rice with a giant cheque for $34,245. The money raised is the cumulative efforts of the brand’s ‘Conga for Kids’ events during Carnival’s first-ever Brisbane season. And with two events to go, this number is only expected to increase. This figure adds to a previous donation of $10,000 following the 2022 Nine Telethon in support of the foundation, bringing the total funds raised to just under 45 thousand dollars.

Light Camera & Action on Carnival Celebration

October 8, 2022 baz Ocean Cruises Comments Off on Light Camera & Action on Carnival Celebration

New Offerings to Include Extravagant Aerialist Performances, High-Tech Multimedia Shows and Celebrations Galore

With a ship as expansive and exciting as Carnival Cruise Line’s new Carnival Celebration, there will be countless ways to celebrate with never-before-seen live entertainment.

From new main production shows and aerialist acts to game shows, parties and events, the ship’s new unique offerings have been designed to be as much celebrations as they are performances, with elevated and engaging presentations, upbeat vibes, energetic music, playful choreography, colourful scenes, and tons of fun.

Highlights from the new Playlist Productions and Center Stage offerings include:

The Most Magnificent Circus – a story of celebrating self-discovery and acceptance will unfold to reimagined popular hits as a big-top circus comes to life. Taking talent to new heights – literally – wire-rigged performers will showcase their skills leaving the stage behind to soar above and beyond the audience, creating action in every direction. Guests will adventure through a fully immersive theatrical circus experience as the most extravagant aerialist show in the fleet uses all of the ship’s high-flying capabilities to the max, with mesmerizing trapeze, chair, chandelier, hoop, ladder and mirror aerial performances throughout.

Colour My World – An Indie Rock and Pop Love Story – romance will be in the air as a popular artist and his assistant go on a journey of love through art and colour. The artistic love story will blend fun dance styles such as street jazz, hip-hop, musical theatre and ballet with the best songs from indie rock and pop genres. Combining different mediums of art to create a visually captivating experience, this vibrant and colourful show will feature live painting on stage with music and choreography to match.

 Visual Symphony (starting in December) – as the name suggests, this innovative show will use Celebration Central’s 16 massive moving LED screens, lasers and classical rock music to create a high-tech visual masterpiece. Pushing the boundaries of theatrical performances, the show will take full advantage of the cutting-edge technology and special effects in the zone’s three-deck-high space. As the LED walls’ content is synced with the choreographed lighting designs, the elevated multimedia experience will deliver an extraordinary live performance.

Rio Carnival (starting in May) – coming soon, this vibrant and high-energy Brazlian extravaganza will have guests moving their hips in a parade and celebration of music and dance as the cast performs authentic samba, bossa nova, marchinha, batudada, forro, carimbo and capoeira to some of the most famous Latin pop songs of all time in both in Portuguese and English.

In addition to Family Feud Live, Deal or No Deal and the Love and Marriage game shows, some of the new offerings will include:

What’s Age Got to Do With It – in this question and answer trivia show for fun of all ages, one parent and child will have to prove they are the best family duo.

Cash Bash – in partnership with the casino team, guests can win cash prizes as they compete in Fun Squad challenges and interactive activities.

Guess That Grove – guests will have to listen up and get ready to move as they show off their knowledge of iconic tunes and groovy dance skills

Image Credit: Carnival Central

Carnival Splendor Escorted Home to Sydney

September 30, 2022 baz Ocean Cruises Comments Off on Carnival Splendor Escorted Home to Sydney

Carnival Splendor Escorted Home to Sydney

Image Credit: Carnival Splendor, Carnival Australia

In one of Sydney Harbour’s epic maritime events, Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Splendor arrived home today escorted by sister brand ship P&O Cruises Australia’s Pacific Adventure as the official summer cruise season gets underway for Carnival Australia’s eight brands, signalling growing cruise industry recovery.

Carnival Splendor and Pacific Adventure met off the coast sailing together before separating to enter the harbour in majestic single file and momentarily pausing adjacent to Fort Denison, and the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge providing a stunning backdrop.

This spectacular Fort Denison ‘moment’ signified the fact that Carnival Splendor and Pacific Adventure are now both home-ported in Sydney to resume cruising on itineraries in Australia and to the South Pacific.

Carnival Splendor’s return also fulfilled a promise made by the crew of Carnival Spirit the night before their ship left Sydney in March 2020 as the two-year cruising pause began. They used cabin lights along the length of the ship to spell out the message: ‘WE WILL BE BACK’.

Today’s maritime pageantry also served to highlight the rapid recovery of cruising in Australia.

Eighteen ships from Carnival Australia’s eight brands are set for a peak summer cruise season in 2022-23 making 667 turnarounds and port calls to 33 destinations across the country.

The number of ship turnarounds and calls eclipses the 625 that were announced prior to the 2019-20 season, which was curtailed due to the onset of the covid pandemic.

Carnival Australia’s three cruise brands that base ships year round in Australia — P&O Cruises Australia, Princess Cruises and Carnival Cruise Line — are well advanced in their restoration of local operations.

In addition, Cunard will base Queen Elizabeth in Australia for its longest ever local season of cruises, while two Holland America Line ships and a Seabourn ship will also spend significant periods in Australian waters.

Destinations in all Australian states will benefit from cruise calls and turnarounds including:

  • NSW — Sydney, Eden and Newcastle.
  • QLD — Brisbane, Moreton Island, Airlie Beach and Cairns.
  • VIC — Melbourne and Phillip Island
  • SA — Adelaide, Kangaroo Island and Port Lincoln.
  • WA — Fremantle, Albany, Broome and the Kimberley region.
  • TAS — Hobart, Burnie and Port Arthur.
Image Credit: Carnival Splendor, Carnival Australia

Green Eggs and Ham breakfast return to Carnival Fleet

September 17, 2022 baz Ocean Cruises Comments Off on Green Eggs and Ham breakfast return to Carnival Fleet

For the first time since the line’s pause in guest operations, Carnival Cruise Line will officially bring back its Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast with The Cat in The Hat and Friends across its fleet on sailings beginning Oct. 1. The breakfast is part of the many exciting experiences in Carnival’s Seuss at Sea program, the line’s exclusive partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises.

Guests are encouraged to pack their imagination, as well as their appetites, as the whole family embarks on a breakfast that’s part meal and part journey into the deliciously whimsical world of Dr. Seuss.

Bringing Dr. Seuss’ famed children’s books to life, the breakfast features special appearances and meet and greet photo opportunities with favourite Dr. Seuss characters, helping create unforgettable memories no matter the age.

From Green Eggs and Ham – of course – to brightly coloured fruit, gravity-defying fluffy pancake stacks, funky french toast, “Moose Juice” and “Goose Juice,” and much more, the fantastical feast features unique menu items, as well as classic breakfast offerings, accompanied by décor with bright colours and patterns. The breakfast is offered once per cruise.

 

In addition to the Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast, the Seuss at Sea fleetwide program features fun youth, family, dining and entertainment activities inspired by the amazing world and words of Dr. Seuss, such as the Seuss-a-Palooza Story Time (beginning Nov. 1), Dr. Seuss Bookville, a family reading venue on select ships, character interactions, Dr. Seuss toys and games, and popular movies shown on board.

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