CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES
OVERVIEW: 
Carnival Cruise Lines holds the status of not only being the
largest cruise line in the world, with a fleet of 23 "Fun
Ships", but one of the most popular. The line's fleet is one of the
newest and most modern. At 110,000 tons, the line's new
"Conquest-class" is the largest in Carnival's "Fun Ship" fleet. The
first of the 2,974-passenger super liners is the Carnival
Freedom.
Carnival offers a choice of itineraries, from two- to 17-days,
to worldwide destinations, including the Bahamas, the Caribbean,
Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, the Panama Canal, Bermuda, Europe,
New England and the Canadian Maritimes. In 2006, several new
sailings will be offered from all along the Eastern Coast to the
new ports of call.
The line, which was formed in 1972, is celebrating over 30
years of offering its passengers fun. However, "Today's Carnival"
is a vastly different company than the one started from humble
beginnings three decades ago. Carnival was launched with a
converted Transatlantic ocean liner and a dream of entrepreneur Ted
Arison, a pioneer in the modern-day cruise industry, who set out to
realize his vision of making a vacation experience once reserved
for the very rich accessible to the average person. The rest, as
they say, is history.
"Today's Carnival"
Carnival Cruise Lines continues to redefine contemporary
cruising with "Today's Carnival," a term coined by the line to
describe its commitment to enhancing all aspects of the "Fun Ship"
vacation experience, keeping the product fresh and exciting for its
guests.
A "Fun Ship" cruise is significantly different than from just a
few years ago. Guests may now enjoy upgraded cuisine and new and
expanded facilities, as well as a greater variety of on board
activities and shore excursions.
"Today's Carnival" has also resulted in the introduction of
fleetwide Internet cafés where guests can access e-mail and Web
sites, obtain news updates and send video postcards to friends and
family back home. One of the improved features of "Today's
Carnival" is in-cabin amenities baskets, which are available on all
ships and offer a wide variety of brand-name products for men and
women. Additionally, plush terrycloth bathrobes are available for
guest use in all ocean-view accommodations.
New and expanded facilities have also been added. These include
a spectacular outdoor wrap-around promenade, a wedding chapel, a
reservations-only supper club serving delectable plates of seafood
melodies and suculant steaks.
The Fantasy-class "Fun Ships" which include the Fantasy,
Ecstasy, Sensation, Fascination, Imagination, Inspiration, Elation
and Paradise, are undergoing a revitalization project called
"Evolutions of Fun". The added elements of this program are shown
in the flash grahpic below, and include new items including
waterparks, coffee bars, improvements to showrooms, new decor for
staterooms, spa improvements, expanded children's programs and
more.
Total Choice DiningSM
Carnival considers dining to be the highlight of any "Fun Ship"
vacation and "Today's Carnival" has resulted in a diversity of new
dining options and enhancements. Carnival's Total Choice
DiningSM is one of the cruise
industry's most comprehensive dining program offering the widest
variety of formal and casual options at sea.
In addition to revamped lunch and dinner menus and expanded wine
lists, Carnival ships feature such innovations as 24-hour pizzerias
and the "Seaview Bistro" for alternative dinnertime service.
Carnival's popular Lido-area eateries, which offer full breakfast
and lunch buffets, now include meat-carving and pasta stations,
expansive salad bars and, on some ships, a New York-style deli,
plus Asian and Italian specialty venues.
Carnival's 24-hour room service menu has also been expanded to
include an even greater variety of freshly made items delivered to
guests' cabins any time of the day or night. Patisseries, offering
specialty coffees and sweets, and sushi bars featuring authentic
Asian delicacies, are now available on a number of ships, as well.
Carnival's legendary midnight buffets have also been updated to
reflect consumers' changing palates, incorporating lighter fare to
complement the diversity of hot and cold items available each
night.
Amenities
With demand for dedicated shipboard meeting space continuing to
grow, Carnival has incorporated purpose-built 1,100-square-foot
conference centers on the Elation, Paradise,
Carnival Spirit and Carnival Pride. A significantly
larger conference room featuring stadium-style seating and a host
of state-of-the-art features are also available on the
Fantasy. She, along with sister ship Ecstasy,
have also been refitted to house "Formality Shops," which are
patterned after similar facilities on Carnival's three
100,000-plus-ton "Destiny-class" vessels and offer tuxedo rentals,
floral arrangements and fine chocolates, along with cookbooks and
other "Fun Ship" mementos.
Entertainment options have also become more varied, with
dazzling revues featuring high-tech video projections, lasers,
pyrotechnics, and elaborate sets and costumes presented in
multi-decked show lounges, some of which can accommodate up to
1,500 guests.
Spa Carnival
Responding to the needs of today's health-conscious consumers,
Carnival has updated its array of exercise equipment and pampering
treatments available within its fleetwide "Spa Carnival" program,
which features some of the largest floating health clubs in the
world.
Getting or staying in shape is an important component of a
well-rounded vacation experience for today's health-conscious
vacationers. And, to meet this growing trend, Carnival's fleetwide
"Spa Carnival" program features some of the largest and most
elaborate health clubs at sea, including 15,000-square-foot
facilities on the line's 100,000-plus-ton "Destiny-class"
vessels.
Thirteen of the line's ships house spas of at least
12,000-square-feet and all Carnival ships offer a full gym complete
with the latest exercise equipment and free weights, weight circuit
classes, which challenge participants on the various machines, at
least three swimming pools. Also available are workout classes
offered at different interest and activity levels, everything from
high- and low-impact aerobics classes to step, aqua and senior
aerobics or even specialized calisthenics, relaxation and
stretching sessions.
Additionally, all the ships feature a wide variety of
sophisticated Keiser progressive resistance exercise machines,
whirlpools, saunas and steam rooms. For those guests who want to
exercise in the fresh sea air, Carnival also offers organized
mile-long walks on the ships' upper decks or one-eighth-mile
jogging tracks which are featured on the line's "Fantasy-,"
"Destiny-" and "Spirit-class" vessels.
The facilities offer guests a variety of ways to pamper
themselves, including several soothing "European-style" therapies.
Treatments range from the conventional -- full-body massages,
seaweed wraps and mud packs -- to the exotic, with therapies such
as the Ionithermie Superdetoxification Treatment, a 90-minute
therapeutic slimming treatment that utilizes a cleansing algae
concentrate, and La Therapie, a "bio-technical" facial that
combines organic gels and creams with low-level electronic stimuli
to leave guests feeling relaxed, re-energized and refreshed.
Several ships also feature "virtual bicycles" in which guests
"tour" a variety of routes, including mountain pathways and
snow-covered trails. Also available are hydrotherapy baths, unique
to "Destiny-class" vessels, which consist of a personal
Jacuzzi-like tub where seaweed, aroma therapy, special oils and
other ingredients create a soothing, rejuvenating sensation.
Continuing Carnival's commitment to healthier lifestyles is the
line's "Carnival Spa Fare," designated by a special menu symbol
indicating that the dish is lower in fat, sodium, cholesterol and
calories. Poultry and meats are broiled or roasted, salads are
prepared with low-fat or fat-free dressings and desserts with sugar
substitutes. Vegetarian dishes are available at each meal, as
well.
Camp Carnival
With the dramatic increase in family cruising -- a record
350,000 kids are expected to sail on the "Fun Ships" this year
alone -- Carnival continues to expand the myriad activities,
amenities and facilities of "Camp Carnival," the industry's
top-rated children's program. Recent enhancements include high-tech
play areas featuring computer labs and indoor climbing mazes, as
well as updated children's menus and a new turn-down service
providing kids with freshly baked cookies on the first and last
night of their voyage.
Shore Excursions
Shore excursions have also been expanded to keep pace with
today's active lifestyles, with adventure-type tours such as
kayaking, scuba diving, championship golf and flightseeing, as well
as more traditional activities as nature walks and city tours.
Carnival has also expanded its fleetwide golf program, which
includes courses in the Caribbean, Bermuda, Mexico, Belize, Key
West and Hawaii.
"Fun Card"
Carnival features a "Fountain Fun Card," providing unlimited
soft drinks for children throughout the duration of their cruise.
The adult "Fountain Fun Card," purchased once on board and valid at
any bar, restaurant or lounge in the Carnival fleet, offers guests
the convenience of purchasing sodas at one, all-inclusive price,
ranging from $14.95 for three-day cruises to $29.95 for seven-day
voyages. Children's cards range in price from $9 for three-day
voyages to $19.95 for seven-day departures. All prices include
gratuities.
The "Fountain Fun Card" program is available on "Fun Ships"
which operate voyages from three- to 17-days in length to the
Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, the Panama
Canal, New England and the Canadian Maritimes.
Guests With Special Needs
Carnival is dedicated to offering the finest cruising experience
to its guests with disabilities and special needs. The line's ships
provide a quality of service and a variety of accessible features
for guests with special needs.
Some of these features include accessible staterooms with wide
entry doors, accessible closet rods, shelves, safe, telephones and
desks; and bathrooms with roll-in showers and grab bars.
(Additionally, when requested by guests prior to boarding, portable
TTY kits are available for the stateroom.)
All showrooms, lounges and dining rooms have accessible seating
areas. Carnival Spas offer accessible gym equipment and guests
unable to access onboard spas, may request to have a spa
representative render services in their cabin.
Carnival Cruise Lines is a member of the exclusive World's
Leading Cruise Lines alliance, which also includes Holland America
Line, Cunard Line, Seabourn Cruise Line, Costa Cruises and Windstar
Cruises. Together, these member lines share a commitment to quality
and value, offering cruise vacations that appeal to a wide range of
lifestyles and budgets and sail to the some of the world's most
exciting destinations.
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