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CARNIVAL'S 'FUN SHIP' HOLIDAY TO LAUNCH MOBILE'S FIRST
YEAR-ROUND CRUISE PROGRAM IN FALL 2004
Celebration to Replace Holiday on Year-Round
Four- and Five-Day 'Fun Ship' Cruises From Jacksonville
MIAMI (12/16/03) - Carnival Cruise Lines, the world's largest cruise
operator, will launch the first year-round cruise program from the Port of
Mobile when the 1,452-passenger Holiday begins four- and five-day western
Caribbean cruises in October 2004.
On this new program, the 46,052-ton "Fun Ship," which operated a series of
voyages from Mobile in spring 2002, will sail on four-day cruises to Cozumel
and five-day cruises to Cozumel and Calica/Playa del Carmen or Costa Maya
beginning Oct. 16, 2004. Including the Holiday's new schedule from Mobile,
Carnival will operate from 19 different North American homeports - the most
in the cruise industry.
The company also announced that the recently refurbished Celebration will
assume the Holiday's previously announced schedule of four- and five-day
cruises from Jacksonville -- the first year-round cruise program from that
port -- beginning in October 2004. The 2,052-passenger Ecstasy will replace
the Celebration on its current schedule of four- and five-day cruises from
Galveston, Texas.
"When we inaugurated 'Fun Ship' cruising from Mobile aboard the Holiday in
2002, the response was simply overwhelming. We anticipate the same level of
success when the Holiday returns to Mobile to operate the port's first
year-round cruise program," said Bob Dickinson, Carnival president and CEO.
"The Holiday's deployment also provides us a unique opportunity to position
the Celebration - simply dazzling following its recent multi-million-dollar
makeover - to Jacksonville," he added.
Mobile's First Year-Round Cruise Program
On Oct. 16, 2004, the Holiday will kick off Mobile's first year-round cruise
program, consisting of four- and five-day cruises to the western Caribbean.
Four-day cruises provide the ideal weekend getaway, departing Thursdays and
returning Mondays. Voyages call at Cozumel, a tropical island known for its
excellent shopping, gorgeous white-sand beaches, and legendary watering
holes. Two different five-day cruises will also be offered, each offering
guests the opportunity to visit two sunny, tropical Caribbean destinations
in less than a week's time.
The five-day itinerary departing Mondays and returning Saturdays will
feature Cozumel and Calica/Playa del Carmen; while the five-day cruises
departing Saturdays and returning Thursdays visit Cozumel and Costa Maya.
In addition to beautiful beaches, both Calica/Playa del Carmen and Costa
Maya offer a diversity of watersports opportunities, including scuba diving,
snorkeling and kayaking.
"The Port of Mobile is an ideal cruise departure point, offering a
convenient location that is within a day's drive of thousands of
southeastern U.S. residents. That, combined with the tremendous support and
enthusiasm from port, city and community officials, particularly Mayor Mike
Dow, Director of Waterfront, Cruise Development and Special Projects Al St.
Clair, Chairman of the Cruise Task Force Mike Lee, and Retirement Systems of
Alabama CEO Dr. David Bronner, solidified our decision to deploy the Holiday
there," Dickinson said.
Celebration To Jacksonville
The 1,486-passenger Celebration will assume the Holiday's previously
announced program of four- and five-day cruises from Jacksonville beginning
Oct. 23, 2004. On its new program, four-day cruises will depart on Thursdays
and call at Freeport and Nassau, while five-day cruises will depart Mondays
and Saturdays and call at Key West and Nassau.
Prior to the start-up of its year-round deployment, the Celebration
will operate two special one-time cruises - a five-day cruise to Freeport
and Nassau departing Oct. 12 and a six-day voyage to Cozumel, Calica/Playa
del Carmen, and Freeport Oct. 17, 2004.
The 47,262-ton "Fun Ship" recently underwent a 70-day refurbishment and
emerged with a newly designed purser's lobby and promenade, remodeled
staterooms, and cosmetic enhancements to a variety of lounges, bars and
restaurants. "This extensive, multi-million-dollar makeover made a terrific
'Fun Ship' even better and we can't wait to show off this spectacular
SuperLiner to Jacksonville," Dickinson said.
YEAR-ROUND CRUISE PROGRAM IN FALL 2004
Celebration to Replace Holiday on Year-Round
Four- and Five-Day 'Fun Ship' Cruises From Jacksonville
MIAMI (12/16/03) - Carnival Cruise Lines, the world's largest cruise
operator, will launch the first year-round cruise program from the Port of
Mobile when the 1,452-passenger Holiday begins four- and five-day western
Caribbean cruises in October 2004.
On this new program, the 46,052-ton "Fun Ship," which operated a series of
voyages from Mobile in spring 2002, will sail on four-day cruises to Cozumel
and five-day cruises to Cozumel and Calica/Playa del Carmen or Costa Maya
beginning Oct. 16, 2004. Including the Holiday's new schedule from Mobile,
Carnival will operate from 19 different North American homeports - the most
in the cruise industry.
The company also announced that the recently refurbished Celebration will
assume the Holiday's previously announced schedule of four- and five-day
cruises from Jacksonville -- the first year-round cruise program from that
port -- beginning in October 2004. The 2,052-passenger Ecstasy will replace
the Celebration on its current schedule of four- and five-day cruises from
Galveston, Texas.
"When we inaugurated 'Fun Ship' cruising from Mobile aboard the Holiday in
2002, the response was simply overwhelming. We anticipate the same level of
success when the Holiday returns to Mobile to operate the port's first
year-round cruise program," said Bob Dickinson, Carnival president and CEO.
"The Holiday's deployment also provides us a unique opportunity to position
the Celebration - simply dazzling following its recent multi-million-dollar
makeover - to Jacksonville," he added.
Mobile's First Year-Round Cruise Program
On Oct. 16, 2004, the Holiday will kick off Mobile's first year-round cruise
program, consisting of four- and five-day cruises to the western Caribbean.
Four-day cruises provide the ideal weekend getaway, departing Thursdays and
returning Mondays. Voyages call at Cozumel, a tropical island known for its
excellent shopping, gorgeous white-sand beaches, and legendary watering
holes. Two different five-day cruises will also be offered, each offering
guests the opportunity to visit two sunny, tropical Caribbean destinations
in less than a week's time.
The five-day itinerary departing Mondays and returning Saturdays will
feature Cozumel and Calica/Playa del Carmen; while the five-day cruises
departing Saturdays and returning Thursdays visit Cozumel and Costa Maya.
In addition to beautiful beaches, both Calica/Playa del Carmen and Costa
Maya offer a diversity of watersports opportunities, including scuba diving,
snorkeling and kayaking.
"The Port of Mobile is an ideal cruise departure point, offering a
convenient location that is within a day's drive of thousands of
southeastern U.S. residents. That, combined with the tremendous support and
enthusiasm from port, city and community officials, particularly Mayor Mike
Dow, Director of Waterfront, Cruise Development and Special Projects Al St.
Clair, Chairman of the Cruise Task Force Mike Lee, and Retirement Systems of
Alabama CEO Dr. David Bronner, solidified our decision to deploy the Holiday
there," Dickinson said.
Celebration To Jacksonville
The 1,486-passenger Celebration will assume the Holiday's previously
announced program of four- and five-day cruises from Jacksonville beginning
Oct. 23, 2004. On its new program, four-day cruises will depart on Thursdays
and call at Freeport and Nassau, while five-day cruises will depart Mondays
and Saturdays and call at Key West and Nassau.
Prior to the start-up of its year-round deployment, the Celebration
will operate two special one-time cruises - a five-day cruise to Freeport
and Nassau departing Oct. 12 and a six-day voyage to Cozumel, Calica/Playa
del Carmen, and Freeport Oct. 17, 2004.
The 47,262-ton "Fun Ship" recently underwent a 70-day refurbishment and
emerged with a newly designed purser's lobby and promenade, remodeled
staterooms, and cosmetic enhancements to a variety of lounges, bars and
restaurants. "This extensive, multi-million-dollar makeover made a terrific
'Fun Ship' even better and we can't wait to show off this spectacular
SuperLiner to Jacksonville," Dickinson said.
