Carnival to debut Interactive 'Funhub'

The new Carnival Dream, set to debut Sept. 21, will introduce the FunHub, a comprehensive shipboard intranet portal featuring the cruise industry's first on-board social network, along with access to a wide variety of information on the ship's services, facilities and daily activities.

Access to the FunHub will be available via 36 state-of-the-art stations located on decks 3, 4 and 5, including 12 within Ocean Plaza, Carnival Dream's spectacular indoor/outdoor café and entertainment venue.

The FunHub locations will provide guests with free and convenient access to an informative ship-specific intranet portal, and an exclusive shipboard social network, both of which will be available on a 24/7 basis. Guests may also access the sites via their personal laptops or via 10-inch netbooks which are available for rent and can be used anywhere on board.

Carnival Dream's on-board social network mirrors the experience one finds on other social networking sites. Guests can create a personal profile and use the application to meet and interact with others on board, send and receive private messages, create groups based on interests, and invite friends to attend shows or participate in on-board events. Guests can also create their own private or public discussion group, inviting others in their traveling party or friends they meet on board to participate.

Designed as a convenient resource for wide-ranging information specific to the Carnival Dream, the intranet portal details the ship's numerous on-board activities, including entertainment options, daily events and youth programs. Carnival Dream's extensive food and beverage offerings are showcased with sample menus, hours of operation and more. A filtering application is available to assist guests in planning their day.

The portal also includes weather updates for that day and the next port of call; the latest news and sports scores; biographies of key shipboard personnel; ship and cruise director announcements; fun, interactive polls; helpful three-dimensional ship maps, and a frequently asked questions section.

A year-long collaboration involving Carnival's hotel operations, marketing, IT and guest experience departments, the Carnival Dream's on-board social network and intranet portal are available on any guest computer or Wi-Fi enabled device free of charge.

"Carnival is the industry leader in cruise ship technology and social networking and the FunHub sets a new standard," said Ruben Rodriguez, Carnival's executive vice president of marketing and guest experience. "The FunHub provides Carnival Dream guests with an exciting and convenient way to keep in touch, meet new friends and learn all about this spectacular addition to the 'Fun Ship' fleet," he added.

Want to join in on the fun? Call me now to book a cabin on this wonderful cruise ship! Call (706) 579-5005 or (877) CRUISE1.

CruiseOne at Carnival's 'Pinacle'

CruiseOne, part of the nation's largest cruise retail network as part of World Travel Holdings (WTH), have been named to Carnival Cruise Lines' Pinnacle Club for top producers. The accolade was made official during a presentation by Carnival executives to Brad Tolkin, co-chairman/co-CEO of WTH and Dwain Wall, senior vice president/general manager of CruiseOne and Cruises Inc.
"CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. are in the midst of an outstanding year, both in terms of recruiting new agents to the industry and delivering increasingly high booking numbers to the cruise lines," said Tolkin. "Carnival Cruise Line is a valued partner and we are so thrilled to receive this recognition, which underscores the diligence of our agents amidst a challenging economic climate."

Carnival Launches "Your Choice Dining" Program

Carnival Cruise Lines has launched Your Choice Dining, which provides a selection of three dinner seating options for guests aboard the line’s 22-ship fleet. In addition to early or late assigned seating, the cruise line is rolling out Your Time open seating to accommodate individual guest preferences. Also, under the new Your Choice Dining program, dining assignments will be confirmed at the time of booking.
Your Time open seating, currently available on five ships, will be implemented one vessel at a time over the next several months as modifications in dining room table configurations are completed on each ship. An additional eight ships are scheduled to be converted by the end of year, and the balance of the fleet will be converted by summer 2010. The program is now available on the Carnival Legend, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Sensation, Carnival Paradise and Carnival Miracle. By the end of this month, it will be available on the Carnival Conquest, Carnival Elation and Carnival Pride. It will be available on the Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Spirit by mid-June; the Carnival Dream by late September; the Carnival Ecstasy by mid-October; the Carnival Glory by mid-December; the Carnival Fascination by February 2010; and the Carnival Imagination, Carnival Inspiration, Carnival Destiny, Carnival Triumph, Carnival Valor, Carnival Splendor, Carnival Freedom and Carnival Victory by summer 2010.

Confirmed dining assignments are now available fleet-wide. At the time of booking, guests are asked to choose from among early dining at 6 p.m., late dining at 8:15 p.m. or Your Time dining, which allows guests to dine at any time between 5:45 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., if applicable, depending on the ship and sailing date. Dining assignments will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis, according to when guests made their reservations. If the preferred dining choice is not available, guests may confirm an alternate choice and be placed on a waitlist for their first preferences. Waitlists will be cleared prior to the sailing, and guests will be notified via email of their confirmed seating assignments.

Your Time guests also can request any table size or waiter and are typically seated immediately when arriving at the dining room. If a modest wait time is required, guests are given a pager so they are free to relax elsewhere on the ship until their table is ready. Additional options available under Your Choice Dining include poolside eateries and, on a number of ships, reservations-only, fine-dining restaurants.

Carnival Sensation Adds "Evolutions of Fun"

The 2,052-passenger Carnival Sensation has undergone a multimillion-dollar renovation and emerged with a host of new facilities and features, including a sprawling Carnival WaterWorks, the exclusive adults-only retreat Serenity, and redesigned tropical themed main pool. Ninety-eight balconies were also incorporated onto existing oceanview staterooms and a new Circle C facility for 12- to 14-year olds was added, as well.

The extensive renovation, which took place during a 35-day dry dock, is part of Carnival's "Evolutions of Fun" refurbishment program for the line's eight Fantasy-class vessels. Carnival Sensation is the fourth "Fun Ship" to receive the upgrades, joining the Carnival Imagination, Carnival Inspiration and Carnival Fantasy, which have already been renovated. The four remaining Fantasy-class ships will be refurbished over the next few years.

Carnival Sensation resumed its year-round three- and four-day Bahamas cruise program from Port Canaveral last week. Three-day cruises depart Thursdays and visit Nassau while four-day voyages depart Sundays and call at Freeport and Nassau.
"With its wide variety of on-board facilities and convenient three- and four-day schedule from Port Canaveral -- located in close proximity to Central Florida's many attractions and theme parks -- Carnival Sensation has been a popular choice for 'Fun Ship' guests, particularly families," said Roberta Jacoby, Carnival's senior vice president of hotel operations. "And with the new water park, updated pool area and other guest-pleasing features, we're making a terrific, value-packed vacation choice even more attractive to consumers," she added.
Ninety-eight existing oceanview staterooms on the Carnival Sensation have been retrofitted with balconies, creating expansive new cabins measuring approximately 230 square feet. Twenty-four of the new balcony cabins are located mid-ship, 12 are near the stern, and the other 62 are located aft, with several of these accommodations featuring extended balconies. Additionally, a number of the Carnival Sensation's suites have been modified to feature larger, extended balconies.

All of the Carnival Sensation's 1,026 staterooms have been completely remodeled with new wall coverings, tile work, carpeting and light fixtures. Additionally, virtually all dining, dancing and entertainment venues, as well as all guest corridors, have been renovated with a host of cosmetic enhancements.

Carnival Unveils New Early Booking Savings Program

Carnival Cruise Lines is launching a new cruise pricing option called Early Saver, which offers fares as much as 25% lower than the best generally available rates, and provides rate protection if rates later drop below what the client originally paid.

Early Saver rates will be available beginning Jan. 12 and offered up to three months prior to sailing date for cruises of five days or less and up to five months prior to sailing date for longer length voyages, subject to availability. When booking an Early Saver fare, you will be able to choose a specific stateroom.

"Early Saver fares should encourage clients to book early with confidence," said Lynn Torrent, senior vice president of sales and guest services. The program offers several great mechanisms to help secure early sales."
To book Early Saver fares, travel agents must use an electronic reservations channel. The standard required deposit is immediately non-refundable at the time of booking. Any changes in ship or sailing date outside of Carnival's standard penalty period require a $50 change fee.

The Early Saver rate protection feature ensures that if a lower Carnival advertised rate becomes available after the booking is made, a rate adjustment can be requested and the cruise line will issue the difference in the form of a non-refundable shipboard credit. The lower fare must be for the same ship, sailing date, stateroom category and number of guests. To request a price adjustment, a rate protection form must be completed and emailed to Carnival by agents.
The lower rate must be available at the time the form is submitted. Rate adjustment requests can be submitted up to two business days prior to the cruise departure date. Early Saver fares are available for both individual and group reservations.

The Early Saver fare program will be available on virtually all Carnival ships and itineraries. For more information, call Mike at (706) 579-5005.

Carnival Rolls Out 'Fun4All' Event With Free Upgrades

Carnival Cruise Lines has rolled out a new sales event, called "Fun4All," with free best available upgrades on virtually all three- to 12-day cruises departing through Dec. 18, including voyages to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England and Europe. To be eligible for this special offer, bookings must be made between Jan. 5 and 23.

"With consumers beginning to make their summer and fall vacation plans, there's no better time to book a 'Fun Ship' vacation and this free best available upgrade promotion makes the value of a Carnival cruise even greater," said Lynn Torrent, Carnival's senior vice president of sales and guest services.

The new "Fun4All" sales event is capacity controlled and applies to new individual bookings for categories 4A and higher. Upgrades are available within specific stateroom accommodation types (i.e., interior to interior, ocean view to ocean view, balcony to balcony, etc.). Guests must request fare code PFF when making the reservation.

For additional information and reservations, call me (Mike) at 706-579-5005.

Carnival Glory to Sail Canada Cruises From NYC in 2010

Carnival Cruise Lines will increase capacity on its seasonal cruise program from New York in 2010 with the 2,978-passenger Carnival Glory scheduled to operate a variety of four- and five-day Atlantic Canada voyages from June to September, followed by a series of five week-long fall foliage cruises.

It marks the first time that Carnival has deployed one of its largest ships on the highly popular program.

Additionally, departing from New York makes these cruises extremely convenient and attractive for the huge population base within driving distance of Manhattan, as well as for those in the larger Eastern US who can take a short-haul flight to one of the area's three major airports.

Four-day cruises departing Thursdays feature a call at Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada and scenic cruising in the Bay of Fundy, while five-day cruises departing on Mondays and Saturdays include stops at Saint John and Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The program commences with a four-day voyage departing June 6, 2010 (a one-time Sunday departure). Week-long fall foliage itineraries beginning Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010, feature four different ports of call, including Boston, Portland (Maine), Saint John and Halifax.

The cruise line is currently accepting reservations for both its 2009 and its 2010 departures from New York (2009 voyages will operate on the Carnival Triumph). For additional information and reservations, call me at (706) 579-5005 / (877) CRUISE1.

Carnival reopens Puerta Maya and Grand Turk Cruise Center

Carnival Corp.’s pier at Puerta Maya in Cozumel, Mexico -- closed since being damaged by Hurricane Wilma in 2005 -- will officially reopen when the Carnival Ecstasy and Carnival Fantasy visit on Oct. 16. Representing an investment of more than $50 million, the new two-berth pier has been constructed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane and can accommodate any ship among Carnival Corp.’s cruise brands. In addition to the newly rebuilt pier, Puerta Maya’s nine-acre cruise center, which features a wide variety of shops and restaurants, will also reopen, along with a four-acre transportation hub capable of accommodating dozens of taxis and tour buses. Four rental car facilities will be available as well.

The Oct. 16 calls by the Carnival Fantasy and Ecstasy will be the first of 550 cruise ship visits at Puerta Maya over the next year. In addition to calling at Puerta Maya, vessels from Carnival Corp. brands will continue to utilize the other two piers in Cozumel. Collectively, these ships will bring annually to Cozumel an estimated 1.5 million visitors, who are expected to spend $126 million on the island each year. Puerta Maya’s cruise center houses 42 outlets offering apparel, fine jewelry, artwork and other merchandise from such recognizable retailers as Goodmark Jewelers, Del Sol, Piranha Joe’s, Dufry and Diamonds International. The facility also features 15 stand-alone carts where local merchants market handmade crafts, costume jewelry and souvenirs. On-site dining options within the Puerta Maya complex include the Tres Amigos Bar, a new theme restaurant inspired by the 1986 hit movie starring Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short. The waterfront eatery -- the first of its kind in the Caribbean -- offers traditional Mexican fare, along with an extensive beverage menu.

Also featured is Pancho’s Backyard, a new franchise from the downtown Cozumel eatery featuring ocean views, as well as Fat Tuesday, a waterfront bar offering frozen drinks and light snacks, along with a DJ and dance floor. Other retail outlets at Puerta Maya include a pharmacy, convenience store and international pay phones. There is also a newly constructed shore excursion pier, separate from the main pier, which allows for quick and convenient access to water-bound excursions, as well as water-based transportation to and from the facility. The Puerta Maya pier and cruise center is located on the southwestern part of Cozumel, approximately five miles south of San Miguel, the island’s largest city.

The Grand Turk Cruise Center on Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos, closed since Hurricane Ike slammed the island on Sept. 6, reopened Oct. 8 with the arrival of the 2,642-passenger Carnival Destiny.

Cruise passengers swam in the center's massive pool, sunbathed on the 800-foot-long private beach and dined at the on-site Margaritaville restaurant and lounge.

Shops at the 13-acre site reopened as well.
Shore excursions were available, including a tour of Gibbs Cay, an offshore snorkeling sot; dune buggy rentals; swimming with horses; and fishing and snorkeling expeditions.

The island's former hop on/hop off bus tour currently is operating as a post-hurricane island tour. Guests are charged a nominal fee for the tour and are given a pledge card if they wish to donate to the United Way's Grand Turk hurricane relief fund.

The $60 million Grand Turk Cruise Center, operated by Carnival Corp., opened in 2006 and is the largest private employer on the island. Cruise center staff, along with shore excursion operators, comprise approximately 80% of non-government jobs on Grand Turk.

Carnival Cruise Lines to add New Balcony Staterooms to Three Ships

Carnival Cruise Lines will add balconies to a number of cabins on three ships during upcoming drydocks over the next few months.
Staterooms on the Carnival Destiny, Carnival Triumph and Carnival Liberty that currently feature floor-to-ceiling windows will be retrofitted with private balconies, creating a total of 48 additional 230-square-foot veranda staterooms.
Also, two new 750-square-foot "deluxe penthouse suites" -- nearly double the size of the largest staterooms in the fleet -- will be added to the Carnival Liberty. The new deluxe penthouse suites will be the largest in the "Fun Ship" fleet and feature a new cabin configuration with a separate bedroom, living area and two full bathrooms, including one with a bathtub.
Located on the ship's forward section on Deck 9, the deluxe penthouse suites can accommodate up to five guests and include two twin beds that convert to a king, a sofa bed and two pull-down upper beds.
"Balcony staterooms continue to be in great demand -- in fact, they're often the first cabin category to sell out," said Ruben Rodriguez, Carnival's executive vice president of marketing and guest experience.
As an added amenity, Carnival balcony accommodations feature terrycloth robes for guest use during their cruise.
The new balcony staterooms on the three vessels are now available for sale.

Carnival Earns Best Cruise Line Honors in Southern Living Magazine's Annual Readers Choice Awards

Carnival Cruise Lines has been named the number one cruise line in Southern Living Magazine’s 2008 Readers Choice Awards.

The annual awards are based on surveys available to the publication’s 15 million readers who are asked to designate their number one choice in a variety of travel-related categories. Carnival was cited as the preferred cruise line more than any other cruise operator.
Carnival’s “Fun Ships” were recognized for providing excellent activities and entertainment options, an exceptional array of fine quality cuisine, and convenient Southern U.S. departure points, with 17 ships departing from eight ports throughout Florida, Alabama, Texas and Louisiana. “The convenience is a real winner and a great reason to keep going back again for more of what their ships have to offer,” said Wanda McKinney, Southern Living’s associate travel editor.
“We take a great deal of pride in providing our guests with wonderful vacation memories and have made a tremendous investment in continually updating and enhancing the ‘Fun Ship’ vacation experience. To have these efforts acknowledged by the discerning readers of Southern Living is extremely gratifying,” said Vicki Freed, Carnival’s senior vice president of sales and guest services.
Over the past five years alone, Carnival launched five new 110,000-ton “Fun Ships” – the largest in its fleet – and rolled out the $250 million “Evolutions of Fun” shipboard refurbishment program that includes extensive renovations for its eight Fantasy-class ships. New amenities for these vessels include the Carnival WaterWorks aqua parks, Serenity adults-only areas and totally redesigned main pool areas.
“With exciting new ship projects and guest-driven initiatives such as ‘Evolutions of Fun,’ Carnival is more committed than ever to providing our guests with fun, high quality, memorable vacations – all at an incredible value,” Freed added.
The line currently has three new ships on order, including the 113,300-ton Carnival Splendor, set to launch Carnival’s first Northern European cruise program July 13, 2008, and the 130,000-ton Carnival Dream and Carnival Magic – to be the largest “Fun Ships” ever constructed when they enter service in June 2009 and October 2011, respectively.