Tag Archives: Carnival Vista

Carnival set to ‘raise the bar’ with tech announcement

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Carnival’s Vista Class ship.

by Phil Davies

A new connected experience that uses the ‘internet of things’ is to be deployed by Carnival Corporation to “raise the vacation bar”.

A new passenger experience level based on personalisation and simplicity at scale is being promised through the use of first-of-its kind technology, according to the cruise giant.

More is due to be unveiled by chief executive Arnold Donald at an event in Las Vegas on January 5, including an in-depth look into the new technology, according to the company.

Details remain sketchy ahead of the formal unveiling at the 2017 US Consumer Electronics Show, where Donald will give the keynote speech.

Gary Shapiro, president and chief executive of show organiser the Consumer Technology Association, said: “Carnival Corp’s visibility at CES reflects our focus on ground breaking innovation and underscores that technology no longer has strict, defined boundaries.

“It disrupts traditional business sectors and empowers consumers in ways never before imagined. A recent CTA study found that consumers overwhelmingly use technology to enhance their travel experiences.

“[Arnold] Donald’s address will demonstrate how Carnival Corp and its cruise line brands, in turn, is using innovative tech to provide a more personalised and enhanced experience for its consumers.”

Carnival Named Most Trusted Cruise Line for 2nd Straight Year

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Carnival Cruise Line was voted the Most Trusted Cruise Line in America for the second straight year by Reader’s Digest.

More than 5,000 Americans were asked to rate products that they trust in 40 different categories.  Areas included value, quality, and reliability in the poll. Carnival received the most voted out of all of the cruise lines and will be featured in the October issue of Reader’s Digest.

Christine Duffy, President of Carnival Cruise Line, gave the following statement about the award: “Vacations are more important than ever and as America’s Cruise Line we consider it an honor that our guests entrust us with their well-deserved vacations year after year.

Being named America’s Most Trusted Cruise Line by the readers of Reader’s Digest for two years running is a testament to our focus on providing our guests with unforgettable vacations as well as the incredible effort put forth by our team members, both on board and ashore.”

Carnival added their leading 25th cruise ship this spring with the addition of the their newest and largest cruise ship to date, Carnival Vista. The ship brought many new features to the cruise industry including the first IMAX at sea, the SkyRide aerial attraction, and a huge water park highlighted by the 455 foot long Kaleid-o-Slide.

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Carnival has also expanded upon its exclusive partnerships with Food Network star Guy Fieri with plans to roll out the new Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse on several ships. Guys’ Burger Joint remains one of the most popular eateries on board Carnival Fun Ships. Dr. Seuss Enterprises, serving as the Official Seagoing Headquarters for The Cat in the Hat’s presidential campaign, is part of the fleetwide Seuss at Sea program.

Carnival is also a major supporter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, raising more than $10 million for the hospital since launching its Care to Play:  Carnival for St. Jude Kids program in 2010.  As part of its Honor. Family. Fun. program honoring Operation Homefront, an organization that assists military families, Carnival will be hosting an exclusive shipboard concert for military families by seven-time Grammy Award-winning country music superstar Carrie Underwood aboard the new Carnival Vista when it makes its U.S. arrival in November.

The Carnival Journeys enrichment series, longer cruises with activities that aren’t offered on regular sailings, is also expanding with more than 20 voyages visiting spectacular ports throughout Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and other destinations.

Carnival’s newest godmother a distinguished, and strategic, choice

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Barber the Godmother of the Carnival Vista
Carnival Cruise Line’s choice of an active duty member of the U.S. military, Deshauna Barber, to name its newest ship, got me wondering who the Navy chooses to christen its new warships.

There have been four Navy ships launched this year, including three littoral combat ships, the USS Sioux City, USS Wichita and USS Manchester.

The Sioux City was christened by Mary Winnefeld, wife of a retired admiral. The Wichita was christened by Kate Lehrer, a novelist and wife of former PBS News anchor Jim Lehrer, who is from Wichita. The Manchester was christened by New Hampshire’s senior U.S. Senator, Jeanne Shaheen.

Also named this year was the Navy’s second stealth destroyer, the USS Michael Monsoor, named for a former Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor winner who jumped on a grenade in 2006 in Iraq to save his squad.  The ship was christened by his mother.

It’s that tradition of valor and service that Carnival will be tapping into on Nov. 4 when Barber names the Carnival Vista.

Carnival planned the New York City event as a tribute to the military, a group that the cruise industry has increasingly courted. Hundreds of military families were invited to overnight on the ship and attend a gala honoring Operation Homefront, a nonprofit that provides assistance to the families of service members, and featuring a concert by country music super star Carrie Underwood.

Barber will be the icing on the cake.

The daughter of a retired Army master sergeant who was a member of the special forces, Barber currently serves as logistics commander for the 988th Quartermaster Detachment Unit in Rockville, Md.

She also happens to be the reigning Miss USA.

Carnival has had beauty queens name its ships before – Miss Universe Yvonne Ryding christened the Jubilee in 1986. It has had a soldier – Iraq POW Jessica Lynch named the Miracle in 2004. And it has had an African-American godmother before – Tracy Wilson Mourning, wife of former Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning, named the Carnival Breeze in 2012.

That Barber is all three certainly makes her a distinguished choice.

The U.S. military is disproportionately rural and Southern, according to demographic studies. As a cruise line with 10 home ports stretching from Galveston to Norfolk and drawing from most of the southern states, Carnival is smart to make the military a target market.