MIAMI, Sept. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival
Horizon's arrival to PortMiami, its new year-round homeport, was
marked today with a larger-than-life celebration highlighted by a
fun basketball-themed event featuring the company's Chief Fun
Officer – NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille
O'Neal – along with Miami HEAT legends Alonzo Mourning, Shane
Battier and Glen Rice.
The festivities, which took place prior to Carnival Horizon's
inaugural two-day cruise, included the unveiling of a large Choose
Fun bumper sticker on the ship's stern, as well as a flyover from
the Carnival AirShip – a massive 128-foot-long red, white, and blue
blimp that has been traveling the southeast to bring awareness of
new ship deployments in several key markets as part of the line's
month-long Homeport Advantage campaign.
During the event, Carnival presented a $25,000 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
representing funds from an online promotion in which consumers who
posted a photo of the AirShip in social media with the hashtag
#ChooseFun triggered a donation to the hospital and entered them in
a drawing for free cruises and other prizes.
"With its awesome top-deck attractions and wide variety of al
fresco dining experiences, Carnival Horizon is the ideal ship for
the Caribbean and this event was a
perfect way to celebrate her Miami
arrival while benefiting the special children of St. Jude," said
Christine Duffy, president of
Carnival Cruise Line. "And we've taken our Choose Fun tagline
to the next level by putting a giant a bumper sticker on our newest
ship proclaiming our never-ending commitment to FUN!"
Added O'Neal, "In my role as CFO, I get to tell everyone just
how much fun you can have on a Carnival cruise and I was absolutely
thrilled to be a part of the festivities for the new Carnival
Horizon which takes the concept of choosing fun to entirely new
level with so much to see and do for guests of all ages."
As the line's newest ship, Carnival Horizon offers an array of
innovations, including the first Dr. Seuss-themed water park,
Smokehouse Brewhouse offering BBQ favorites from Food Network star
and longtime Carnival partner Guy
Fieri along with four craft beers brewed on board, the
line's first teppanyaki venue, the SkyRide aerial attraction, an
IMAX Theatre and a suspended ropes course.
Also featured is a vibrant Havana section with tropics-inspired
staterooms and its own Cuban-themed bar and pool, Family Harbor
featuring extra-roomy accommodations, the Family Harbor Lounge, a
luxurious Cloud 9 Spa and Ocean Plaza, a spacious dining and
entertainment venue with indoor and outdoor seating.
Like the name implies, Carnival Horizon also includes food and
beverage outlets offering amazing views with indoor and outdoor
seating options at venues such as Bonsai Sushi, Fahrenheit 555
steakhouse and Library Bar.
Following the two-day cruise, Carnival Horizon kicks off a
year-round schedule of six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises from PortMiami beginning
Sept. 22, 2018.
On its new Miami-based
schedule, six-day cruises depart Sundays, calling at Ocho Rios; Grand
Cayman; and Cozumel. Two different eight-day itineraries
will be offered with departures on Saturdays – one featuring Grand
Turk; La Romana (Dominican
Republic); Curacao; and
Aruba; and the other visiting
Grand Turk; San Juan; St. Kitts; and St.
Maarten.
To learn more about Carnival Cruise Line, visit Carnival.com.
For reservations, contact any travel agent or call 1-800-CARNIVAL.
Carnival can also be found on:Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and
YouTube.
Journalists also can visit Carnival's media site,
carnival-news.com or follow the line's PR department on Twitter at
twitter.com/CarnivalPR.
About Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Line, part
of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), is
"The World's Most Popular Cruise Line®" with 26 ships operating
three- to 24-day voyages to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Cuba, Australia, New
Zealand, the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia. The
line currently has three new ships scheduled for delivery – the
133,500-ton Carnival Panorama set to debut in 2019 and two
as-yet-unnamed 180,000-ton ships in 2020 and 2022.
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SOURCE Carnival Cruise Line