Great News for Charleston! Carnival to Homeport There Year-Round

In news which should make those in the Southeast who are tired of the trek to Florida very happy, Carnival has announced that they will homeport the Carnival Fantasy in Charleston year-round. This does require a bit of a ship shuffle, and the loser in this shuffle is San Diego, which loses the Elation.

The new schedule from Charleston, S.C. will debut on May 18, 2010 with the deployment of the 2,056-passenger Carnival Fantasy. Carnival Fantasy will operate from the Passenger Terminal in historic downtown Charleston.

Carnival said that Charleston's centralized location within the southeastern U.S., as well as the city's strong appeal as a tourist destination, were key factors in the decision to launch year-round service. The Carnival Fantasy is expected to carry more than 140,000 passengers annually from the port.

Carnival Fantasy will operate five-, six- and seven-day voyages on a variety of different departure days. Five-day voyages departing Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays will call at Nassau and Freeport, The Bahamas. Six-day voyages departing Saturdays will visit Freeport, Nassau and Key West, Fla. Seven-day voyages depart Saturdays and will feature Grand Turk, the private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay, and Nassau.

Replacing the Carnival Fantasy in Mobile will be its sister ship, the 2,052-passenger Carnival Elation, which will reposition from San Diego to launch year-round service from that port May 15, 2010.

Carnival Tests Self-Service Check-In Kiosks

In a pilot program, Carnival Cruises is testing self-service check-in kiosks at their Miami terminal in an effort to streamline the embarkation process.

According to Carnival, "The state-of-the-art kiosks provide guests with a fast and convenient way to check in for their 'Fun Ship' cruise."

To use Carnival’s self service kiosks, guests must have pre-registered online and be a U.S. or Canadian citizen, or from a Visa waiver country. To access their booking information and check in via the kiosk, guests simply swipe their passport or the credit card used to pre-register online. Additionally, the kiosks accept cash deposits for guests’ shipboard Sail & Sign accounts. Once guests have successfully checked in, the station prints a receipt confirming that their registration process is completed and directs them to pick up their stateroom keys at a nearby desk.

The kiosks are part of a pilot program at the Port of Miami and, if met with positive response from guests, will be expanded to the line’s other year-round homeports.

Personally, I don't think I'd want to use them for a cash deposit on my account, but swiping my credit card or passport would be no problem - I already do that to check in for flights, why not for cruises?

I'm all for speeding the embarkation process and if this works, bravo to Carnival for the innovation! Just don't change to self service cabins and restaurants onboard. And especially not self-service massages!

What do you all think? We're Tweeting about it over at @CruiseResource. Are you on Twitter? Come follow me and let me know your thoughts.

More Carnival News - Carnival Dream to Homeport in Port Canaveral

Looks like today is a Carnival News day. I try to post a maximum of 3 items in a day (so those of you on news readers won't miss something because it scrolled down before you saw it), so might as well finish off today with one last piece of Carnival news.

The new Carnival Dream, the first of a new class of vessel debuting in Fall, 2009, will call Port Canaveral, Florida, home. The 3,652-passenger ship still does not have announced itineraries, nor do we know if she will replace Carnival Glory which currently also sails from Port Canaveral.

This port has been growing in popularity, with Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Disney ships all homeporting there. With Disney's expansion, the Freedom of the Seas moving there in 2009, and this possible addition by Carnival, this could be a very busy port indeed.

Carnival's Spa Staterooms to be Non-Smoking

If you think about it, this new policy really shouldn't surprise anyone. Carnival announced that their new Spa staterooms and suites, debuting on the Carnival Splendour later this year, will be non-smoking:

"The Carnival Splendor Cloud 9 Spa will be the perfect place for guests to relax and rejuvenate. Created to provide a heavenly atmosphere and ensure all guests enjoy their stay, the Cloud 9 Spa will be promoted as a smoke-free environment. Thus, all Cloud 9 Spa staterooms and suites have been designated as non-smoking areas with smoking strictly prohibited.

Guests who are currently booked will be notified and all marketing materials are being updated. Moving forward guests will be informed at time of booking, through marketing material and via "No smoking" signs prominently placed in each spa stateroom.

In order to preserve the Cloud 9 Spa standards and ensure staterooms are free of smoke residue, Carnival will assess a $250 reconditioning fee per spa stateroom for guests that do not comply with the non-smoking policy. This fee will cover the cost of deep-cleaning required to restore the room back to its original smoke free condition. In our efforts to accommodate guests wishing to smoke, they may do so on the outdoor decks and in lounges (excluding the main show lounge)."

Wave of the future? Definitely. Smoking costs the cruise lines in many ways. While entirely non-smoking ships were economically unviable (just think back to the Carnival Paradise - popular among her fans, but overall an operational failure), limited smoking onboard makes sense financially and otherwise to the cruise lines.

Carnival Revises Dress Code

Perhaps in an attempt to clarify what is and is not expected onboard, but probably more specifically to prohibit the use of those wheeled shoes (sometimes called Heelies) onboard (thank you, Carnival!), Carnival has released a new dress code policy for all their ships effective May 19, 2008:

What to wear?

Casual attire is the order of the day. We suggest shorts, sundresses, tank
tops, etc. for the ladies, and for men; shorts, polo shirts, T-shirts, etc. will do.
We suggest you wear rubber-soled, low heeled or flat shoes for extra traction
while onboard. The use of any footwear with wheels, including but not
limited, to Heelys© shoes, is prohibited on board our ships. For dining you
may want to dress up a bit and/or bring along a light sports jacket or
cardigan.

Most evenings we have a Cruise Casual dress code, but there are those
Cruise Elegant evenings one or two nights throughout your "Fun Ship"
voyage, where you will have the opportunity to showcase your more elegant
attire. For those who want casual attire for dinner time, the Seaview Bistro on
the Lido Deck is open nightly, and has a more relaxed theme. Both dress
codes for the dining rooms are described below.

Cruise Casual Dining Dress Code: Gentlemen - Sport slacks, khakis,
jeans (no cut-offs), dress shorts (long), collared sport shirts; Ladies - Casual
dresses, casual skirts or pants and blouses, summer dresses, Capri pants,
dress shorts, jeans (no cut-offs). Not permitted in the dining room during the
Cruise Casual dinner for ladies and gentlemen: gym shorts, basketball
shorts, beach flip-flops, bathing suit attire, cut-off jeans, and sleeveless shirts
for men.

Cruise Elegant Dining Dress Code: Gentlemen - Dress slacks, dress
shirts. We also suggest a sport coat. If you wish to wear suits and ties or
tuxedos, by all means we invite you to do so. Ladies - Cocktail dresses,
pantsuits, elegant skirts and blouses; if you`d like to show off your evening
gowns, that's great too! Not permitted in the dining room during the Cruise
Elegant dinner for ladies and gentlemen: shorts, T-shirts, beach flip-flops,
bathing suit attire, jeans, cut-off jeans, sleeveless shirts for men, sportswear,
and baseball hats.

Special Sailings
For Canada/New England/Alaska cruises: Sweaters, lightweight jackets
and raincoats are suggested. Casual clothes that can be layered easily are
highly recommended. Bring a heavier sweater if you are traveling to the
glaciers, along with a raincoat and umbrella, because it is often cold and
windy in such areas.

For South America and Europe cruises: Comfortable shoes and a just-incase
raincoat. Bring a sweater if you are traveling to the glaciers, along with
a raincoat and umbrella, because it is often cold and windy in such areas.

Special note: It is essential that you wear the proper apparel when visiting
the Vatican and other religious sites (no bare legs or shoulders).

How Well Can You Bluff?

If you're a fan of Texas Hold'em, Carnival has got the cruise(s) for you!

On selected cruises now through June, 30, the Fun Ships will be holding a series of satellite tournaments. Winners of the preliminary tournaments facing off for a cash prize of $45,000 in the “Grand Final Playoff” during the Carnival Fantasy’s October 4, 2008 voyage.

Tournaments will be played on recently installed state-of-the-art PokerPro tables, which clearly and quickly display players’ commitments and table stakes, pot amount and community cards. PokerPro tables also identify the winners at the end of each hand and immediately add the winnings to the player’s table stakes.

First place winners of the preliminary tournaments will win $750, plus entry to the “Grand Final Playoff” on the Carnival Fantasy. Finalists booking their “Grand Final Playoff” cruise will receive an early booking bonus of $100, redeemable on board during the cruise, if they book within one month of qualifying.

Entry fee and buy-in for up to 10 players is $150 each, and rake fees are $15 per entry. Tournaments will be held on all voyages on the following ships from now through June 30, 2008 (with limited exceptions, as noted):

• Carnival Pride (excluding June 15, 2008 sailing)
• Carnival Spirit
• Carnival Conquest
• Carnival Legend
• Carnival Glory (excluding May 10, 2008 sailing)
• Carnival Valor
• Carnival Liberty
• Carnival Fascination
• Carnival Victory
• Carnival Miracle (excluding the April 23, 2008 sailing)

Want your chance at poker glory? Give me a call!

New Carnival Ad Campaign

Coming soon to a TV near you will be a new series of ads from Carnival. Gone now are the ads (and music) we've enjoyed the past couple years. The first of the commercials debuts today, January 7.

Backed by the Queen classic �You�re My Best Friend,� the spots feature "striking images of guests of all ages enjoying a Carnival cruise, enhanced by sophisticated computer animation and editing techniques that seamlessly blend one scene into another. The end result is a series of highly visual commercials that convey Carnival�s memorable vacation experience by transporting viewers into the relaxed and carefree environment of a �Fun Ship� vacation. "

Pegged to the song�s key lyrical phrase �Oooh, you make me live,� three different commercials have been created, each targeting a core market for Carnival. �No Age Limit on Fun� showcases multi-generational travel; �A Big New World� is aimed at families; and �A World of Delightful Surprises� focuses on the romance aspect of cruising. Although the commercials are aimed at specific audiences, all three spots convey Carnival�s unique ambiance and diversity of choices, both on-board and ashore.

The new TV spots will air on all major broadcast networks, as well as select cable channels such as USA, TNT, TBS, Food Network, Travel Channel, HGTV, and Discovery Channel. The first of the new spots, focusing on family cruising, can currently be viewed at www.carnival.com/promo/tv.

Of course, there's also a series of print ads to compliment the commercials.

All designed with you in mind - that is to get you to enjoy a Fun Ship cruise!