Carnival Corp.’s Q4 profit falls, Q1 loss projected

Posted on 20 December, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

By Tom Stieghorst

Carnival Corp. reported a fourth-quarter net profit of $66 million, a 29% decline from the $93 million earned in the 2012 fourth quarter.

Revenue fell to $3.6 billion from $3.7 billion.

Carnival forecast a loss for the first quarter of 2014 of between $62 million and $85 million on a non-GAAP accounting basis.

For all of 2014, bookings are running behind last year’s levels at comparable prices. Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald said the company continues to believe cruise price comparisons will turn positive by mid-year.

“Even in a challenging year, our company continued to produce strong cash from operations approaching $3 billion,” Donald said, enough to fund capital improvements, a dividend and a stock repurchase program.

Carnival offers Wave season bonus

Posted on 16 December, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

By Tom Stieghorst

Carnival Cruise Lines said it will pay a $25 bonus commission on certain bookings in January, as the industry’s Wave season swings into gear.

The offer joins Wave season promotions from MSC Cruises and Celebrity Cruises that have already been rolled out.

Carnival said the bonus payments apply to cruises of six days or more made in January for sailings from May 1 to Aug. 31, 2014.

Carnival also said it has sent agents advance notice of its first consumer promotion, which discounts fares by up to $400 on cruises of six days or longer that sail within five months of booking. Smaller discounts on shorter cruises are also part of the promotion.

MSC unveiled a “2-for-1 plus” promotion through March 31, that lets consumers pick a beverage package, an onboard credit or prepaid gratuities on certain Caribbean and European cruises and transition cruises between the Caribbean and Brazil.

Earlier, Celebrity Cruises jumped the gun on Wave season, which typically starts after the holidays, by reviving its 123Go! offer of perks on bookings between Nov. 29 and Feb. 28.

Carnival Cruise Lines inks deal to use Dr. Seuss characters

Posted on 12 December, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

By Tom Stieghorst

Seuss characters outside the Carnival Splendor dining room.

Carnival Cruise Lines said it will introduce Dr. Seuss characters on its ships in a new partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises.

A Carnival Seuss at Sea program will include a Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast in the main dining room with the Cat in the Hat and his friends.

Dr. Seuss characters such as the Cat in the Hat, Thing One and Thing Two, and Sam will join guests at their tables for fun interactions and photos.

Carnival ships will be stocked with Seuss books, toys and themed activities and Seuss movies will play on the line’s Dive-In Movies big screen.

There will be a Seuss-a-palooza Character Parade and Carnival will build Dr. Seuss Bookville, a unique and dedicated Seuss-themed play space on ships beginning with the Carnival Freedom, which is undergoing a major refurbishment in May, and Carnival Vista, its 25th ship due in 2016.

Personal Note.

As a Brit who cruises on Carnival I hope they will try and explain who or what a Seuss is, as i have never seen over here anything about it. I have seen Cat in the Hat in Universal Studios Florida and didn’t quite get what was happening, this might be a bad move as far as a UK audience is concerned. Royal Caribbean have got Dreamworks; Shrek and co., Norwegian Cruise have Nickelodeon; with SpongeBob and friends. Those characters are known worldwide and are understood by all, I wish Carnival all the best becaues they deserve it.