Terminal F at PortMiami Opens Ahead of
Ship's Inaugural Sailing
MIAMI, Nov. 21,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Cruise Line's new
flagship Carnival Celebration arrived at its PortMiami homeport and
was christened by actress Cassidy Gifford Sunday evening. The
festivities were befitting of the ship's name and underscored
Carnival's year-long celebration of 50 years of fun.
An innovative Excel-class sister to the groundbreaking
Mardi Gras, Carnival
Celebration is launching year-round service from its hometown of
Miami.
"This naming ceremony of our new flagship Carnival Celebration
is the perfect culmination of our 50th birthday as this
spectacular ship honors our past and signifies the fun and growth
ahead," said Christine Duffy,
president of Carnival Cruise Line. "Carnival Celebration builds on
the success of our incredible Mardi
Gras and the many innovations we introduced with our
Excel-class, including a top-deck roller coaster, and offers
unique features all her own that give guests a truly incredible new
cruise experience to have fun and make memories."
Duffy spoke before an audience gathered for the ceremony in the
ship's three-deck-high atrium, Celebration Central. Carnival
Celebration Godmother Cassidy Gifford christened the ship, with a
traditional breaking of a champagne bottle, alongside Capt.
Vincenzo Alcaras. Gifford was also
joined by her mother, Kathie Lee
Gifford, who served as godmother of Carnival Celebration's
namesake, M/S Celebration, which
was similarly christened in 1987.
Along with an impromptu performance by Kathie Lee, who sang the memorable tune to the
now-legendary commercials that helped to popularize the Carnival
brand in the 1980s, attendees were also treated to a preview of
Carnival Celebration's spectacular entertainment programming,
including an aerialist performance. A concert by Kool & The
Gang capped off the night, which included their dance classic,
"Celebrate!" In addition, the event was broadcast online so
Carnival fans could share in the festivities from anywhere.
Carnival Celebration's first
guests to board the ship from Miami will depart today on a special six-day
Thanksgiving cruise, with visits to Grand Turk, Amber Cove and Nassau. On Nov.
27, the ship will begin a rotation of week-long Eastern and
Western Caribbean sailings that
depart every Sunday and visit popular destinations, such as the
Dominican Republic and St. Thomas,
as well as Cozumel and Costa Maya,
Mexico. To see sailings offered on
Carnival Celebration, visit Carnival.com.
Carnival Celebration
accommodates more than 5,200 guests and features more than 20
dining venues, and a dozen bars and lounges across six unique
zones. The ship's Miami-themed
zone, 820 Biscayne, is named after Carnival's first headquarters
address and is designed as a tribute to Miami's cultural vibe and its dining and
beverage offerings.
The ship's top deck features the award-winning all-electric
roller coaster BOLT: Ultimate Sea Coaster, which has been thrilling
guests on Mardi Gras since
its debut in 2021. The top deck is also home to the resort-style
Loft 19, which can be accessed directly from premium category Excel
suites – one of 11 styles featured across 180 total suites on
board. The ship boasts more than 2,600 staterooms in all.
Carnival Celebration is also
the second ship in the Carnival fleet, and the first to homeport in
Miami, with a Liquefied Natural
Gas (LNG) propulsion system, which is part of Carnival
Corporation's pioneering green cruising platform.
Emeril Lagassé Cuts Ribbon on
Emeril's Bistro 1397, Welcomes Guests into The Gateway
Sunday evening, Emeril Lagasse cut a ceremonial ribbon on his
second restaurant at sea, Emeril's Bistro 1397 inside Carnival
Celebration's The Gateway zone, a first of its kind concept in
cruising.
Lagasse's latest location builds on guest-favorite menu items
from his first restaurant at sea on board Mardi Gras and adds many more international
offerings to match The Gateway zone's theming – helping to create a
truly immersive experience. Transporting guests to far-away
destinations by offering cuisines which complement the visuals
shown on 12 virtual "windows" surrounding the space, the zone also
features a 100-foot LED ceiling, sound effects and theatrical
lighting that combine to create an ever-changing environment inside
a two-deck-high promenade.
The Gateway also includes a new travel-inspired bar concept,
Latitudes, which evokes a classic airport or train station with a
modern take on a vintage "departures" board. Together, Latitudes
and Emeril's Bistro serve international flavors which change to
correspond with the zone's nightly themes and featured
cultures.
Terminal F Ribbon Cutting Ushers
in New Era for Carnival at PortMiami
Carnival's newly redesigned and expanded Terminal F at PortMiami
opened its doors in conjunction with Carnival Celebration's
arrival. The cruise line held a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the
facility's grand opening, where Duffy was joined by Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade County Commissioners and Carnival
Corp. & plc CEO Josh
Weinstein.
Ahead of the ribbon cutting, Duffy announced a $25,000 donation from Carnival to the Miami
Veterans Affairs Healthcare System in honor of the Miami-Dade leadership. The donation will
support medical and health services to more than 6,000 women
veterans in Miami-Dade.
The terminal's new clean and open design allows for exceptional
efficiency and flexibility to accommodate Carnival's newest class
of ships. The terminal also maximizes technology so guests move
through the embarkation process quickly and enjoy a more seamless
boarding experience. Now, the fun of a Carnival cruise starts even
before boarding the ship. Digital media experiences are built into
all three levels of the new terminal, including an immersive tunnel
on level two that guests will pass through. The digital screens
showcase images of the ship, destinations, underwater seascapes,
and the nighttime sky.
Adding Carnival Celebration at Terminal F, now five of
Carnival's 24-ship fleet are homeported in Miami. Going forward, Carnival expects to
embark more than 20,000 guests per week from PortMiami.
For additional information on Carnival Cruise Line and to book a
cruise vacation on Carnival, 1-800-CARNIVAL, visit
http://www.carnival.com, or contact your favorite travel advisor or
online travel site.
ABOUT CARNIVAL CRUISE
LINE
Carnival Cruise Line, part of Carnival Corporation & plc
(NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), is proud to be known as America's
Cruise Line, for carrying more Americans and serving more U.S.
homeports than any other. Since its founding in 1972, Carnival has
continually revolutionized the cruise sector, making a cruise
vacation an affordable and popular option for millions of guests.
Carnival operates from 14 U.S. and two Australian homeports and
employs more than 40,000 team members representing 120
nationalities. Carnival currently operates 24 ships and is in an
exciting period of growth, with Carnival Celebration and Carnival
Luminosa, which began guest operations in November, and three
additional ships joining the fleet by 2024.
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SOURCE Carnival Cruise Line