Carnival Fantasy Sails into Charleston South Carolina

Carnival Fantasy sailed into Charleston Tuesday, May 18, complete with a maritime escort and water sliding competition between Charleston area leaders and Carnival executives

CHARLESTON, S.C. – On Tuesday, May 18, Carnival Cruise Lines officially launched its new, year-round cruise schedule from the historic city of Charleston. Carnival Fantasy will operate five-, six- and seven-day voyages to The Bahamas and Key West, Fla. from the Passenger Terminal in historic downtown Charleston. In 2011, Carnival will also offer a series of Bermuda cruises from Charleston on the Carnival Fantasy.

The Carnival Fantasy sailed into the city’s port early on Tuesday morning, accompanied by a fleet of local maritime industry vessels. The Spirit of South Carolina, Charleston Water Taxis, Moran Tug Company, SpiritLine Cruises and the Charleston Harbor Pilots all joined in welcoming Carnival Cruise Lines to the port and celebrating the city’s unique maritime history.

Carnival’s Senior Cruise Director John Heald emceed the luncheon event, with City of Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley, South Carolina State Ports Authority President and CEO Jim Newsome, and Carnival Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Jim Berra on hand.

“Charleston is a beautiful, historic city within easy reach of millions of U.S. residents who will now have convenient access to Carnival’s fantastic and affordable cruise vacation options year-round,” said Jim Berra. “The events today were a celebration of the fun and excitement that both Carnival and the City of Charleston will provide to our guests.”

In the spirit of Carnival’s “Fun For All. All For Fun” mantra, several Charleston area leaders and Carnival team members participated in competitive races down the 82-foot-long dual racing water slides.

“Carnival Fantasy’s year-round service is a welcome addition to the Port of Charleston and fits well within the context of the internationally acclaimed Charleston tourism market,” Jim Newsome said. “Cruise business benefits Charleston because it provides a positive economic impact in the form of jobs, investment and visitor spending. We look forward to continuing our successful, long-standing relationship with Carnival.”

"Carnival's year-round service provides an important opportunity not only to enhance our local economy but also to introduce new visitors to our historic city," said Mayor Riley.

The 2,056-passenger Carnival Fantasy features a host of on-board amenities and facilities including a 12,000-square-foot health spa, extensive children’s facilities for kids in three age groups, a variety of formal and casual dining options and 12 lounges and bars.

Also featured is Carnival WaterWorks, an expansive, all-ages aqua park featuring a 300-foot-long water slide, 82-foot-long dual racing slides and a splash zone. Carnival Fantasy also offers Serenity, an exclusive adults-only retreat, and a resort-style main pool area.

Carnival Fantasy will sail this afternoon (5/18) on a five-day voyage from Charleston to Freeport and Nassau, The Bahamas.

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Carnival Fantasy New 7-Day Cruises From Mobile, Alabama

April 20, 2009) – Earlier today, Carnival Cruise Lines began accepting reservations for a new series of seven-day western Caribbean voyages from Mobile, Ala., taking place next year.

The new weeklong cruises will depart the Alabama Cruise Terminal May 8 and 15, July 3 and 10, and Oct. 23 and 30, 2010, and feature three tropical Caribbean ports of call: Montego Bay, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico.

Designed to complement the line’s popular four- and five-day schedule from Mobile, the new seven-day cruises will be offered aboard the Carnival Fantasy, which late last year underwent an extensive multi-million-dollar renovation which included an expansive Carnival WaterWorks aqua park, new Serenity adults-only retreat and redesigned tropical-themed main pool area.

Carnival Fantasy’s new seven-day itinerary is the latest chapter in the line’s continued expansion at the Port of Mobile, which has garnered excellent consumer feedback since Carnival launched the port’s first year-round cruise program aboard the Holiday in 2004. Carnival Fantasy will replace the Holiday in November 2009, representing a 42 percent capacity increase.

“With its convenient location, excellent facilities, and friendly and efficient staff, Mobile has been a terrific market for us and these new seven-day voyages provide our guests with an exciting longer-length ‘Fun Ship’ vacation option from this attractive homeport,” said Lynn Torrent, Carnival’s senior vice president of sales and guest services.

In addition to the new open-deck upgrades, Carnival Fantasy’s suites, along with its 12,000-square-foot Spa Carnival facility and formal and casual dining venues, were renovated and cosmetic enhancements were made to virtually every public area. A new “Circle C” facility catering to 12- to 14-year-olds was added, as well.