MIAMI, Jan. 13, 2015
/PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Cruise Line, Texas' number one cruise operator, will
welcome Carnival Freedom to its new year-round homeport of
Galveston, Texas, on Saturday, February 14, by hosting a celebration
to honor U.S. military families. Through a partnership with
Operation Homefront, a national non-profit organization dedicated
to providing financial and other assistance to military families,
Carnival will provide a day of onboard fun and exciting activities
for service members and their families. Among the day's festivities
will be a special outdoor Carnival LIVE performance by country
superstar Martina McBride.
"The arrival of Carnival Freedom to its new Galveston homeport is historic as it marks the
first time a cruise line has based three year-round ships in
Texas," said Jim Berra, chief marketing officer for Carnival
Cruise Line. "We're thrilled to celebrate this occasion by giving
back to the great state of Texas
and welcoming aboard military families who make our freedom
possible."
As part of the festivities, 14-time GRAMMY® nominee Martina McBride will perform that afternoon
outdoors on one of the ship's top decks. The country singer has
previously performed as part of the line's breakthrough onboard
concert series, Carnival LIVE, which offers guests the best live
music at sea from some of the most popular and highly requested
music acts.
"I am incredibly excited to have the opportunity to perform
again on a Carnival ship and am thrilled that I was chosen to be
part of this wonderful event that honors U.S. service members and
their families," said Martina
McBride. "I've played for many audiences in my career,
but it will truly be a privilege to salute these incredible
families and partner with Carnival to bring them an extra special
Valentine's Day."
Military families who have registered through Operation
Homefront will enjoy a full day and evening of fun aboard the
110,000-ton Carnival Freedom while it is in port, including
overnight accommodations, meals, entertainment and activities, all
compliments of Carnival Cruise Line.
Prior to the concert, Carnival will conduct a special check
presentation to Operation Homefront providing $100,000 to the organization.
"We are very excited to be partnering with Carnival to honor
military families and celebrate the cruise line's expansion in
Texas," said Tim Farrell, chief operating officer of
Operation Homefront. "While we serve military families across the
nation, we're grateful for a partner like Carnival who wants to
give back right here in our home state of Texas where we have the second largest active
duty and veteran population in the country."
Carnival Freedom recently underwent a $70
million makeover which added an array of Fun Ship 2.0
product enhancements. Event attendees will have access to the
ship's new family entertainment programming including Seuss at Sea,
as well as the new Camp Ocean kids facilities. The latest updates
also incorporated a number of bar, dining and entertainment
innovations including complimentary eateries such as BlueIguana
Cantina and Guy's Burger Joint, developed in partnership with Food
Network personality Guy Fieri,
poolside bars serving up delicious frozen drinks and cocktails
including BlueIguana Tequila Bar and RedFrog Rum Bar, as well as
the pharmacy-themed Alchemy Bar and the line's Caribbean-inspired RedFrog Pub.
Carnival Freedom kicks off year-round sailings from Galveston February 15,
2015, with a special six-day voyage to Mexico followed by the launch of four- to
seven-day cruises that visit beautiful ports throughout
Mexico, the Caribbean, Bahamas and Florida. Together with
Carnival Triumph and Carnival Magic, the line will carry more than
600,000 passengers annually from Texas – more than any other cruise
line.
For additional information, contact any travel agent, call
1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.
Carnival can also be found on:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/carnivalcruise
Facebook Fan Page: www.facebook.com/carnival
YouTube: www.youtube.com/carnival
Journalists also can visit Carnival's media site,
www.carnival-news.com or follow the line's PR department on Twitter
at www.twitter.com/CarnivalPR.
About Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival, a unit of
Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), is "The
World's Most Popular Cruise Line®" with 24 ships operating three-
to 16-day voyages to The Bahamas,
Caribbean, Mexican Riviera,
Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Australia, New
Zealand and the Pacific Islands. The company has two
135,000-ton ships on order - Carnival Vista, scheduled to enter
service in 2016, and an as-yet-unnamed vessel set to debut in
2018.
About Operation Homefront
A national nonprofit,
Operation Homefront leads more than 2,500 volunteers with
nationwide presence who provide emergency and other financial
assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors.
Operation Homefront has provided assistance to thousands of
military families since its inception in 2002. Recognized for
superior performance by leading independent charity watchdog
groups, nationally, 93 percent of total donations to Operation
Homefront go directly to programs that provide support to our
military families. For more information, go to
www.OperationHomefront.net.
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SOURCE Carnival Cruise Line