Carnival
Cruise
Line Offers the Best
No Risk Family Vacation
Escape Clause
Carnival’s
ship the Miracle makes an
exciting voyage to
Like
Carnival’s other 22 majestic fun ships,
the Miracle a 88, 500 ton floating vessel of pure
beauty, accommodates an
impressive 2124 passengers. The real Miracle is that although the ship
is large
and hosts many guests, its beautiful spacious deck plan allows families
and
couples plenty of space to find privacy and quiet moments to get away
and read
a book, play a game, or simply gaze off the deck and watch the ocean
float by.
With
“Families are an important
and growing
market for Carnival, which has experienced a 350 percent increase in
the number
of children sailing aboard the ‘Fun Ships’ over the
past decade. And
Carnival Miracle, with its enthusiastic
youth staff, fun-filled activities and state-of-the-art facilities is a
perfect
example of the direction we have taken in catering to the unique
vacation needs
of our younger guests,” said Bob Dickinson, Carnival
president and CEO.
In addition to the full schedule of
fun,
morning-til-night activities, Camp Carnival features expansive indoor
play
areas – some as large as 4,200 square feet -- stocked with a
wide variety of
games and toys. “
Carnival, carries more
than half a million
kids per year and knows what kids love.
Arts and crafts centers, including spin and sand-art
machines, “activity
walls,” indoor climbing mazes and computer labs are also
featured on several
vessels.
Most recently, Carnival has
added new activities, including programs emphasizing reading, art,
music,
geography, physical fitness. Outdoor
play areas with mini basketball
hoops, jungle gyms and other playground equipment, as well as game
rooms
offering the latest video and arcade games, are available fleet wide.
“Fun
in the sun seekers” also enjoy acres
of deck space for Carnival’s outdoor games and activities
such as ping-pong,
volleyball and shuffleboard, along with multiple swimming options,
including
children’s wading pools and main
If the kids love plays, music, and
dancing, there are Broadway style shows for the whole family to enjoy
together
with the added option of mom and dad going to the show alone
“date style” while
the kids enjoy the show with their friends in Camp Carnival as the fun,
friendly, and attentive camp counselors supervise.
Carnival’s
optional “Fountain Fun Card”
program is good for unlimited soft drink purchases throughout the
cruise for
guests under age 18. The
cards,
purchased once on board, range in price from $12 on three-day voyages
to $32
for eight-day voyages.
Carnival features some of the
largest
staterooms in contemporary cruising with a wide range of accommodation
categories, including extra-roomy 230-square-foot family staterooms on
the
line’s “Destiny-” and
“Conquest-class” ships, with some inter-connecting,
ideal
for large families or family gatherings.
Other
kid-friendly features include
“Wizards,” a high-tech game room,
along
with several “just for teens” activities, including
teen shore excursions in
which teens get together and select their favorite shore tour and then
visit
the destination accompanied by a member of the youth staff.
The
Carnival Miracle’s fun ship itinerary
includes the gorgeous country of Belize where cave tubing down rivers
through
rain forests, sport fishing, snorkeling and exotic zoos are only a tiny
fraction
of the amazing activities awaiting Carnival cruisers visiting Belize if
choose
to partake in a shore excursion. The beautiful ports of Cozumel and
Grand
Cayman offer magical sites such as Mayan ruins, world class diving and
water
sports, shopping, sightseeing, historical tours, ATV tours, and
horseback
riding.
Carnival
has a way of picking ports with
unparalleled beauty, and activities to keep all ages intrigued and busy
both on
and off the ship. Of course there’s no rule that says your
family cannot savor
the art of doing nothing. This is made easy with several pools on board
and
impeccable 24 hours service along with restaurants and food bars always
open
throughout the ship. Merely basking by the pool or pampering the whole
family
at the spa are also top preferences for many families.
Wonderful
gourmet menus are offered at
every meal on the Miracle as it is on every Carnival ship, along with
24 hour
ice cream and pizza bars, midnight buffets, a special
children’s menu, and 24
hour complimentary state room service where hungry tummies can enjoy
food or
dessert anytime of the day or night.
Both
parents and children appreciate
Carnival’s new exclusive alliance with world renowned French
Master Chef
Georges Blanc. Carnival offers menu selections fleet wide in all its
formal dining
rooms created especially for Carnival by master chefs directed by Chef
Georges
Blanc and his staff who have earned the coveted three star rating from
Guide
Michelin.
“Dining
is a highlight of the Carnival
vacation experience and this new alliance with Georges Blanc---one of
Europe’s most
celebrated and recognized
chefs---is indicative of the tremendous emphasis we place on this
important
aspect of our product,” said Bob Dickinson, Carnival
president and CEO.
For
those who haven’t experienced a
family cruise and who might have reservations about the experience for
their
first time cruising, Carnival offers a win/win vacation guarantee. The
only
program of its kind in the cruise industry launched in 1996, it
provides that
guests may disembark in the first
CEO
Bob Dickinson explains, “Many people
hesitate to cruise because they’re afraid they might not like
it---that maybe
they’ll be bored, feel confined, or simply won’t
like their fellow shipmates.”
“Once on board we know they are going to have a great
vacation experience. The
key is to get them to give it a try, though, and the vacation guarantee
is an
excellent way to achieve that.”
With 24 hours a day of safe fun for
kids and teenagers of all ages, top quality entertainment and cuisine,
and
impeccable childcare, most cruising families are quickly hooked on the
family
cruising experience and return time and time again on different ships
to try
different itineraries. You have nothing to lose in trying the greatest
way for
a family to vacate the rat race and enjoy a quality vacation at an
affordable
price with Carnival Fun Ships.
Carmel
Mooney is a
travel columnist and radio talk show host who cruises frequently with
her
family. Her family’s favorite cruise line is Carnival. Can
you tell?
photo courtesy
Carnival Cruise Lines
Ó
2007
Carmel Mooney