In honor of Memorial Day, Carnival Cruise Lines is offering active and retired military personnel an opportunity to book up to three Fun Ship staterooms for themselves and their friends and family members at discounted rates via its Carnival Salutes Our Troops promotion. The rates are available for a variety of three- to 12-day voyages to the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii and Europe, departing through Dec. 31 from 20 different departure points. Reservations must be made May 1-31. Military personnel and their friends and families can take advantage of the following special per-person, double, rates: $219 for three-day cruises to the Bahamas and Baja Mexico; $229 for four-day cruises to the Bahamas, Caribbean and Mexico; $279 for five-day cruises to the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Mexico; $479 for seven-day cruises to the Caribbean and Alaska; and $829 for 12-day cruises to Hawaii and Europe. The promotion is valid for individual bookings only. It is capacity controlled and not applicable with any other discount offer. Military personnel must provide proof of service during the reservations process. Certain other restrictions apply.

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Cruise Planners, a South Florida-based cruise agency with a franchised network of 700 travel professionals, has been inducted into Carnival Cruise Lines' Pinnacle Club. The Pinnacle Club was created by Carnival to acknowledge high-volume agencies that also exhibit excellence in promoting and selling the Fun Ship cruise experience. To celebrate their induction into this elite group, Cruise Planners executives were presented with a highly detailed replica of a Carnival ship to display at their headquarters in Coral Springs, Fla.

Due to the soaring cost of crude oil (as high as $98.62/barrel last week, a 42% rise since August), Several cruise lines have announced the addition of a fuel surcharge to the cost of a cruise.

The Carnival Lines (Carnival, Princess, Holland America, Costa, Seabourn and Cunard) have implemented a $5 per person per day surcharge on all cruises sailing on or after February 1, 2008. The surcharge applies to fist and second passengers per cabin, will not exceed $70 per person and applies to all bookings.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises announced a surcharge of  $7.50 per guest, per day, for all reservations that are not paid in full by Dec. 1, 2007. The surcharge applies to all sailings through 2008.

Oceania Cruises announced a $7 per person/per day fuel surcharge that applies to new and existing reservations that are not paid in full by Dec. 1 and is effective for all published sailings through April 2009.
and Silversea is assessing  a $10 fuel surcharge per person/per day effective on all new cruise bookings for 2008 voyages made on or after Nov. 14, 2007. The surcharge is applicable to all guests in the suite. Reservations made prior to that will be exempt from the surcharge. Cruise West will implement its $12 per person/per night fuel surcharge starting Dec. 7. The charge will be waived if the cruise is paid in full by that date.

As Hurricane Dean threatened the Caribbean, cruise lines were keeping a close eye and altering ship itineraries as needed to avoid the storm. Carnival Cruise Lines changed itineraries for the Carnival Destiny and Carnival Miracle. The Destiny will remain at sea today, Aug. 17, instead of a scheduled call at Antigua, and on Aug. 18 will visit Tortola instead of a sea day. The Destiny is scheduled to return to San Juan as scheduled on Aug. 19. The Miracle is set to call at Grand Turk instead of San Juan on Aug. 18, Half Moon Cay instead of St. Thomas on Aug. 19, and Nassau instead of Tortola on Aug. 20. Royal Caribbean International said it is closely monitoring the path and progress of Hurricane Dean but had not altered any itineraries. The line said it would post an update on storm information at 1 p.m. Friday on its website.

Carnival Cruise Lines is adding resort-style pool areas and Carnival WaterWorks aqua parks to its eight Fantasy-class ships as part of its $250-million Evolutions of Fun refurbishment program.

The new main pool areas will feature a tiled "beach" and beach umbrellas for shaded seating at the pool's edge. Two whirlpools will be at each end of the swimming pool, one with a thatched roof. The color scheme will be blue with yellow accents, and the décor will feature faux palm trees and thatched roofing over the staircases. New tile-work and thatched roofing elements will also be featured in the outdoor food service area just behind the performance stage.

WaterWorks aqua parks will be on the Veranda Deck aft and feature a four-deck-high, 300-foot-long spiraling tube water slide, a separate 82-foot-long triple-lane waterslide and a water spray park for both children and adults.

The Carnival Imagination and Carnival Inspiration will be first to receive these features, as well as "Serenity" adults-only deck areas, later this year. They will be installed on all Fantasy-class ships by the end of 2009.

Carnival Cruise Lines' new Carnival Splendor was floated out at Fincantieri's Sestri Ponente shipyard. The ship is due for delivery in spring 2008. Present at the ceremony were the director of the shipyard, Attilio Dapelo, and Carnival Corp. Vice President Richard Haslam-Jones. Msgr. Luigi Molinari blessed the ship and Laura Adofaci, a Fincantieri passenger area supervisor, acted as godmother. The 113,500-ton Carnival Splendor has 1,638 cabins, including 52 suites, and a passenger capacity of 4,914, comprising 3,734 guests and 1,180 crew members. One of the main innovations on board the Carnival Splendor will be the Spray Park, a water park for children. Sestri Ponente shipyard, which has a workforce of 900, is currently also building the Costa Pacifica, due for delivery in summer 2009, and two super-luxury 65,000-ton cruise ships for Oceania Cruises, due for delivery within autumn 2010 and summer 2011.

Carnival Cruise Lines’ new 113,300-ton Carnival Splendor – representing a new class of vessel with a host of innovations including exclusive new “spa staterooms” that surround a luxurious 21,000-square-foot health and wellness center – will debut in July 2008 operating the line’s first-ever Northern European cruise program.  These 12-day Northern Europe voyages, which will operate July 13 – Aug. 30, 2008, will offer guests a diversity of shoreside experiences with visits to historic, centuries-old cities in Denmark, Germany, Finland, Russia, Estonia, and The Netherlands.  Following the Northern European voyages, Carnival Splendor will operate a unique 12-day London-to-Rome cruise Sept. 11, 2008, then sail on a series of 12-day Mediterranean voyages Sept. 23 – Oct. 17, 2008.

Carnival Splendor will be the second Carnival ship deployed in Europe next year, joining the Carnival Freedom which will operate a program of 12-day Mediterranean cruises May-October 2008.  

“Consumers are discovering that cruising is the best way to see Europe as it provides the opportunity to experience and explore multiple destinations while enjoying the comfort and convenience of a modern ‘floating resort,’” said Bob Dickinson, Carnival president and CEO. “Carnival Splendor represents a new class of ‘Fun Ship’ offering a number of innovative facilities and features and, for its inaugural season, we’ve assembled a truly diverse schedule that showcases the fascinating cultures, history and architecture that has made Europe such a sought-after cruise destination,” he added. 

Also included in Carnival Splendor’s 2008 inaugural season will be a 16-day transatlantic voyage departing Rome Oct. 29, as well as a series of seven-day Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale commencing Nov. 22, 2008.  A special one-time four-day eastern Caribbean cruise will depart from Fort Lauderdale Nov. 17, 2008.

As the first in a new class of “Fun Ships,” Carnival Splendor will offer a host of innovative on-board features and facilities, highlighted by a 21,000-square-foot health and fitness center – one of the largest at sea – which will feature Carnival’s first  elaborate thermal suite and thalassotherapy pool covered by a glass dome.  Surrounding the facility will be 68 exclusive “spa staterooms” – also a first for Carnival.  Guests in spa staterooms will have exclusive entry access to the adjacent spa facilities and will receive a wide array of special offerings including priority spa appointments, unlimited use of the thermal suite and thalassotherapy pool, complimentary fitness classes and other amenities. 

Its family-friendly facilities will include a water spray park on Lido Deck, along with a two-level 5,500-square-foot children’s play area – the largest in the Carnival fleet, part of the line’s “Camp Carnival” program — along with a teen club featuring a dance floor, DJ and high-tech sound and lighting system, part of Carnival’s “Club O2” program.

A comprehensive golf program with opportunities to play top European and Caribbean courses will also be available.

Of the ship’s 1,503 spacious staterooms, more than 60 percent will offer an ocean view or private balcony – ideal for scenic European cruising.

Five Carnival Corp. brands will now participate in "On Deck for the Cure," a fundraising initiative that benefits the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation, an organization that raises money for breast cancer research.

Jack Anderson, Carnival Corp.'s vice president of marketing, made the announcement at last week's Cruise 3Sixty conference, and said the program will be modeled on one launched by Holland America Line ships last year.

If you've been on a cruise, you know it's anything but ordinary. Each cruise line has something special to offer, visiting exciting ports of call while providing phenomenal service, accommodations, dining and a wide variety of activities both on and off the ship. If you are looking for something more, a wonderful alternative to these “ordinary cruises” is a theme cruise.

Carnival Cruise Lines took delivery of the 110,000-ton Carnival Freedom, on Wednesday, February 28, during a traditional maritime ceremony at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy. She is the 22nd vessel in Carnival's fleet. Following its official naming ceremony in Venice March 4, presided over by godmother Kathy Ireland, Carnival Freedom will sail on its inaugural voyage-a nine-day Mediterranean cruise from Venice departing March 5. Carnival Freedom will then launch a program of 12-day Grand Mediterranean and Mediterranean & Greek Isles cruises March 14, operating round-trip from Rome (Civitavecchia).

The Carnival Freedom features Seaside Theater, a poolside 270-square-foot LED screen displaying movies, concerts and other programming, along with Internet wireless access throughout the ship and cellular phone service. Also featured are 22 lounges and bars with interiors inspired by prominent design themes of the past decades and centuries. Sixty percent of its 1,487 staterooms offer either an ocean view or balcony. Following its European program, Carnival Freedom will sail on a 14-day transatlantic voyage from Rome to Miami, positioning the vessel for a winter schedule of seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises beginning Nov. 17, 2007. Reservations are being accepted on all of Carnival Freedom European and Caribbean itineraries.

Carnival was forced to cancel the February 10, 2007 sailing of the Carnival Fantasy after the ship was hit early Saturday morning by a commercial barge. The collision left a large gash on the ship's hull.

The barge collided with a river bank before striking the port side of the Fantasy. The cruise line said there were no injuries to guests or crew members, and while there is damage to the Fantasy's hull, the ship remained fully operational and returned to New Orleans' Erato Street Cruise Terminal where passengers on the vessel were debarked.

About 2,000 passengers on its next itinerary had already boarded the ship on Sunday when Carnival said, after an evaluation of the damage, that repairs to the hull would take several days to complete. It cancelled that voyage, a five-day Western Caribbean sailing, and guests were told they could disembark Sunday night or Monday morning.

Carnival said that all guests on the canceled cruise will receive a full refund and a 25% discount off a future three- to five-day cruise. Carnival also provided assistance with air transportation changes.

Carnival has named two new ships, currently on order with Italy's Fincantieri Shipyard.  Each is slated to be 130,000 gross registered tons, and will be named Carnival Dream and Carnival Magic.

The 3,652-passenger ships are scheduled to enter service in October 2009 and June 2011, respectively, and will represent a new class of vessel for Carnival, and the largest in its fleet.

With the Carnival Dream and the Carnival Magic, the line has four new ships on order with Fincantieri. The 110,000-ton Carnival Freedom will be the first to enter service when it debuts in Europe on March 5, followed by the 112,000-ton Carnival Splendor, which is scheduled to enter service in July 2008.

Carnival Cruise Lines has announced the addition of mobile phone technology fleetwide.  Passengers will be able to use their own cell phones for calls and text messaging on all Carnival ships. Passengers' cell phone accounts will be billed directly. This service is being made available through a joint venture with Wireless Maritime Services. currently, the service is available on the Carnival Triumph, and the remaining ships will be fitted by early 2007.