Carnival Cruise Lines' on-line marketing initiatives enjoying unprecedented success

Carnival Freedom Senior Cruise Director’s Blog, FunShipIsland.com, CarnivalConnections.com Each Achieve One Million Visitor Mark

MIAMI – As a testament to the growing reach and popularity of Carnival Cruise Lines’ on-line marketing channels, the blog of Carnival Freedom Senior Cruise Director John Heald, FunShipIsland.com and CarnivalConnections.com continue to achieve unprecedented success, with each surpassing the one million visitor mark in recent months.

A pioneer in the on-line marketing arena, Carnival’s  new Web-based initiatives are designed to provide a highly effective and innovative means for reaching out to consumers and travel agents, who can access the various channels on a convenient 24/7 basis.   

“Cruising is still an unfamiliar experience to many and these new Web-based efforts boldly take the promotion of the ‘Fun Ship’ cruise experience to new levels, one that provides visitors with a unique look at our company and products while offering helpful tools for researching and planning their vacations,” said Vicki Freed, Carnival’s senior vice president of sales and guest services.

Carnival’s new Web-based marketing efforts include:

• John Heald’s Blog: Originally introduced as part of a Web site for Carnival Freedom’s inaugural European season, Heald’s blog (accessible via carnival.com or johnhealdsblog.com) has taken on a life of its own and is now one of the most popular travel-related blogs on the Internet, consistently ranking in the top 25 of the 1.6 million blogs of Wordpress, a leading blog-hosting service. Through his blog, Heald offers candid and colorful commentary on daily shipboard life, sharing interesting and often poignant tales of the guests and crewmembers he comes into contact with on a daily basis, all with his trademark brand of humor.

• FunShipIsland.com: A first-of-its-kind online destination where visitors can explore, play and experience a “Fun Ship” cruise from the convenience of their computer. FunShipIsland.com provides a comprehensive, visual overview of the various aspects of the Carnival cruise experience, offering an immersive world where visitors can play in a virtual casino, experience the line’s iconic Twister waterslide, embark on a Rhino 4x4 Jeep ride, and tour the “Camp Carnival” play area, among other experiences. Guests can also tour Carnival’s various stateroom categories to preview their desired accommodations. In the near future, FunShipIsland.com will be expanded to allow travel agents to customize the site, link to their agency’s Web site and forward to their client base.

• CarnivalConnections.com: An on-line community specifically created to bring family and friends together by helping them plan and manage their “Fun Ship” cruise vacations, the site features an “e-invite” electronic invitation tool that can be tailored family reunions, girlfriend getaways and other groups.  CarnivalConnections.com’s interactive features can also be used by travel agents as an electronic group-marketing tool to attract or retain their client base.

To find about more about Carnival’s social media efforts attend EyeforTravel’s Social Media Strategies for Travel (5-6 March, San Francisco) and listen to Jordan Corredera, Manager Interactive Marketing Strategy from Carnival Cruise Lines talk on “Social Media and Travel: A Marriage Made in Heaven?” Visit www.eyefortravel.com/ugc or email helen@eyefortravel.com for more information. 

About Carnival Cruise Lines:

Carnival is the largest and most popular cruise line in the world, with 22 "Fun Ships" operating voyages ranging from three to 18 days in length to the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, New England, Canada, Bermuda, Europe, the Greek Isles and South America.  The line currently has three new ships on order, including the 113,300-ton Carnival Splendor, set to launch Carnival’s first Northern European cruise program July 13, 2008, and the 130,000-ton Carnival Dream and Carnival Magic – to be the largest “Fun Ships” ever constructed when they enter service in June 2009 and October 2011, respectively.  For additional information on the “Fun Ship” vacation experience, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.  Carnival Cruise Lines, a unit of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE:  CCL; NYSE:  CUK), is a proud member of the exclusive World’s Leading Cruise Lines.  Our exclusive alliance also includes Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Cunard Line, Costa Cruises, and The Yachts of Seabourn.  Sharing a passion to please each guest, and a commitment to quality and value, our member lines appeal to a wide range of lifestyles and budgets.  Together, we offer exciting and enriching cruise vacations to the world’s most desirable destinations.