Recently, I found myself on the West side of Manhattan, a few blocks from the NY Passenger Ship Terminal. at a press conference. I listened to Jerrry Cahill, President and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines, tell the media all about what Carnival has in store fleet-wide for its “fun ships.” Their new initiative, called “Funship 2.0” will be a $500 million dollar transformation of it’s (already) fun ships, including new dining choices, new bars and lounges, and new entertainment options.
What I didn’t know about Carnival until today, is that Carnival sails with a whopping 700,00 children aboard each year, but they also have a large number of seniors. And, in-between, are all the parents, young cruisers, and young-at-heart cruisers, who want what Carnival has always offered. According to Gerry Cahill, that is “a fun, memorable vacation at a great value.”
Chef Guy Fieri
comedian George Lopez
Now with Funship 2.0 launching, this means that Carnival is trying to enhance what they already do best. Their cruiser, it appears, isn’t so much interested in fine dining as fun dining (and fun entertainment, too). For Carnival that means adding celebrity partners such Food Network Star Guy Fieri to create a Guy’s Burger Joint featuring his huge, mouth-watering signature burger as the enticement (*there will be vegetarian options, too). And also featuring comedian George Lopez to be their “Creative Director for comed.” Lopez will act as a consultant on the vetting and hiring of comedic talent for the Punchline Comedy Club presented by George Lopez, and advise on décor, lighting, music and more to enhance the overall comedy club experience. He plans to bring a lot of new, young talent to the ships, with various shows family oriented to “adults over 18 only.”
Rendering of Guys Burger Joint for Funship 2.0
But something that is for all ages, is cruise ship food. What is a cruise without a chance to eat and have fun doing i? I had a chance to try Fieri’s new burger with lots of cheese and an onion ring topping lettuce and tomato on a soft bun. Yes, it was delicious, and Carnival passsengers can get it free as a dining option. But if you love Mexican, you’ll be excited to hear that another newbie dining option is the (outdoor near the pool) Blue Iguana Cantina with an automatic tortilla maker, and the chance to craft your own burrito.
Rendering of the Blue Iguana Cantina for Carnival Funship 2.0
More funship 2.0 enhancements include partnerships with brand names such as
Hasbro and EA SPORTS (a game show with Hasbro, and a sports bar with EA Sports). When it comes to entertainment, I have to admit that the standard cruise ship evening shows can be fairly mundane, but Carnival has worked with leading production talent to create a high-energy musical showcase with various “acts” that will appeal to different age groups, and they also announced worke with celebrity song master DJ IRIE who will train other DJ’s on the ships.
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…and you can’t even think about entertainment on a cruise ship without thinking about bars. The word that rhymes with, and is closely associated with cruise, is booze. Carnival is known as a party ship, and so updating their drinking venues makes sense. New bars include the Red Frog Rum Bar, Blue Iguana Tequila Bar, a quieter, Library Bar (with a pull-your-own wine tap), Alchemy (a “write your own drink prescription” mixed cocktail bar), the EA sports bar, and more. One wonders what will happen when the tequila bar is in full swing and passengers have had too much sun, fun and tequila, but that’s another story.
“Funship 2.0 is the largest and most ambitious initiative that our company has ever undertaken and it will serve to significantly transform the Carnival vacation experience for our guests,” said Gerry Cahill. But what does all of this mean for you if you’re thinking about cruising on Carnival? Simply more of the “fun” that Carnival offers people of all ages and interests. Admittedly, Carnival won’t be everyone’s first choice, especially if they’re longing for a very quiet, upscale, and subdued ocean voyage. Burgers and tequila and all night dance parties may not be uber-sophisticated, but they sure are fun. And if you go with the right frame of mind, you will have a blast. For those who haven’t cruised before, especially for the young and energetic who like to party all day and night and will take advantage of all Carnival offers, the new Funship 2.0 enhancements will make a cruise vacation, even more memorable. It is a given. Take a Carnival Cruise, and find out for yourself what a “funship” cruise can be!
For additional information and reservations on Carnival’s “Fun Ship” cruises, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com
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