Carnival Cruise Line recently welcomed 20 Galveston budding marine leaders from Galveston for a special tour of Carnival Breeze and presentation on career opportunities in the cruise industry as students from the Maritime Careers Summer Camp sponsored by Texas A&M University and the Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce visited the ship. As part of the special event, students heard from Carnival Breeze Captain Gaspare Marzullo, President and CEO of the Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce Gina Spagnola and Galveston Wharves Port Director and CEO Rodger Rees. They also participated in a fun trivia game with surprise giveaways and were treated to lunch.
Galveston Students
“We are so proud to have been operating in Galveston for the last 23 years and are honored to do our part to support local youth with efforts like this special ship tour,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We are deeply committed to the Galveston community and that commitment will only strengthen as we expand our operations and launch our newest ship, Carnival Jubilee, later this year.”
Students Interested in Maritime Careers
The Maritime Careers Summer Camp exposes rising eighth to 10th-grade students interested in maritime careers to a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The free week-long camp has served more than 100 Galveston County students since 2015. In addition to the visit to the Galveston Wharves and Carnival Breeze, the camp includes other experiences such as tours of the cargo port and naval vessels, visits to active military training facilities and hands-on work designing and constructing autonomous underwater vehicles.
“The Port of Galveston is an economic engine and a generator of jobs for our community,” said Rees. “These students have the fourth most popular cruise home port and a top U.S. cargo port right in their own backyards. It was a pleasure to educate them on the many job opportunities available to them in the maritime industry.”
Port of Galveston
Carnival was the first cruise line to launch year-round cruising from the Port of Galveston and the line will carry more than 650,000 guests from Galveston in 2023. Carnival Jubilee, the next new ship in the Excel class, will first sail from Galveston on Dec. 23, 2023, joining Carnival Breeze and Carnival Dream operating from Galveston year-round. In 2024, Carnival will increase its deployment to four ships when Carnival Miracle begins operating from the port.
“With this summer camp, the Chamber aims to inspire the next generation of Galveston maritime professionals,” said Spagnola. “We are so appreciative of Carnival for taking part in this year’s camp and know that this tour will go a long way in making an impact on our local students.”
