Carnival Cruise

Following a $200 million renovation, Carnival Sunrise is making her debut today at Norfolk’s Decker Half Moone Cruise Center.

Carnival Sunrise is kicking off an inaugural season of four- to 14-day voyages that visit destinations in the Caribbean, Bermuda, Bahamas, the Panama Canal, New England and Canada with the first four cruises from Norfolk.

Carnival Sunrise now includes popular features, such as:

Carnival Cruise Line today unveiled more details on the numerous accommodation choices guests will have on its highly-anticipated new ship, Mardi Gras, which will feature more than 180 suites across 11 styles, including the new premium category Carnival Excel suites with select amenities and access to a new resort-style, open-air enclave called Loft 19. 

New Premium Level Carnival Excel Suites

Carnival Cruise Line announced an exclusive partnership with Zumbini to offer high-energy early childhood activities and classes that combine singing, dancing and playing.

Created by Zumba and BabyFirst, Zumbini’s mixed-age music and movement curriculum features group sing-alongs, activities and musical instruments to keep children engaged and energized while learning.

Carnival Cruise Line Fantasy rescued 22 Cubans who were adrift at sea for three days.  

Click Orlando reports a Cuban-Mexican man took them aboard his sport fishing boat, then its engines malfunctioned and the group drifted three more days, officials say.

Carnival Cruise Lines has released a virtual tour of its first new ship on the West Coast in 20 years - Carnival Panorama.

The four-minute video tour is hosted by the ship’s cruise director Emma Nixon who takes viewers on a virtual journey throughout the vessel, from the aerial attraction SkyRide and the Choose Fun-themed WaterWorks aqua park to the first-ever Sky Zone trampoline park at sea.

Carnival Cruise Line announced that Kelly Arison, daughter of Carnival Corporation Chairman Micky Arison and his wife Madeleine, will serve as godmother for the ship at an invitation-only ceremony in New York on May 23.

Kelly will step into the godmother role previously held by her mother when the ship first entered service as Carnival Triumph, in 1999. In an added stroke of family ties, Kelly’s grandmother Lin Arison served as godmother to Carnival Sunrise’s sister ship, Carnival Sunshine, in 2013.

Carnival Cruises announced a new aqua park for the Carnival Panorama, which "water park expert" and Carnival Chief Fun Officer Shaquille O'Neal approves.

Shaq revealed he had just returned from personally testing out Carnival Panorama’s two massive water slides — the 455-foot-long Red Fun slide and the 300-foot-long Blue Fun slide — to make sure they’re the “funnest” they can be. 

Carnival Cruise Line has cancelled all of its scheduled stops to the island of Antigua.

The president of the Antigua and Barbuda Cruise Tourism Association, Nathan Dundas, announced that Carnival had cancelled its scheduled calls to the island by Carnival Pride, Breeze, Magic, and Legend.

No official reason has been offered by Carnival, but the announcement comes on the heels of Antigua Prime Minister Gaston Browne accusing the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association of exploiting the region for lower visitor tax rates. 

Carnival Cruise Line announced its next new ship, Mardi Gras, will feature architectural features and designs that will enhance many aspects of its balcony, ocean view and interior staterooms.

Carnival designed the new staterooms in partnership with DCA Design International. The cruise line says these new rooms will reflect new and innovative design practices that are ergonomically-friendly and maximize visual space, clean lines, surfaces and storage.

Distinguished by muted turquoise hues, the staterooms’ are enhanced by design touches that include: