Carnival Takes Delivery of Splendor

PRLog (Press Release) – Jul 01, 2008 – Carnival Cruise Lines officially took delivery of the 113,300-ton Carnival Splendor on Monday in ceremonies at the Fincantieri shipyard in Sestri, Italy. The largest Carnival Cruise Lines vessel ever built, the 3,006-passenger ship departs July 2 with an inaugural eight-day Western Europe voyage from Genoa to London (Dover). From Dover, the ship will be officially named during a July 10 ceremony by its godmother, British celebrity Myleene Klass, a musican, singer and television personality. Following the naming, Carnival Splendor will sail on a three-day voyage to Amsterdam July 10-13, then launch the line's first-ever Northern Europe cruise program featuring ports in Denmark, Germany, Russia, Finland, Estonia and the Netherlands.  The program runs July 13 through Aug. 30. Representing a new class of vessel for the line, Carnival Splendor features a two-level, 21,000-square-foot Cloud 9 Spa, which has a thalassotherapy pool, an elaborate thermal suite and 17 private treatment rooms. Adjacent to the facility will be 68 spa staterooms and suites. Other features include a two-deck-high children's play area, a water park, and a mid-ship pool covered by a magradome and a 270-square-foot LED screen for movies, concerts and other programming.

Following its Northern Europe schedule, Carnival Splendor will operate a 12-day Western Europe cruise departing Sept. 11 followed by "Grand Mediterranean" and "Mediterranean, Greece & Turkey" voyages through Oct. 17, and a 16-day transatlantic crossing from Rome (Civitavecchia) to Fort Lauderdale Oct. 29-Nov. 14. The ship will operate a winter schedule of seven-day Caribbean voyages from Fort Lauderdale followed by a series of 14- to 18-day South American voyages-Carnival's first. These voyages will position Carnival Splendor for year-round seven-day Mexican Riviera voyages from Long Beach, Calif., beginning March 29. Carnival is accepting reservations for all of the Carnival Splendor's European, Caribbean, South American and Mexican Riviera cruises. For more information, called your Certified Cruise Counsellor, Kenneth Chow, Accredited Cruise Counsellor (ACC) of Cruise Planners at 800-839-7135, kchow@cruiseplanners.com or www.nycvaluecruise.com