Kicking off its year-long 50th birthday festivities, Carnival Cruise Line has revealed details on its "Sailabrations" cruises which run through 10MAR. The commemorative birthday sailings will feature at-sea ship meetups, as well as special entertainment and programming.
“We only turn 50 once, so we had to go big, and what’s bigger than a year-long birthday celebration that begins with our special Sailabrations cruises,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “From the minute our guests walk into our terminals, they’ll know they are at the biggest and best birthday party ever.”
Before stepping on board, guests will be welcomed into Carnival’s cruise terminals with music, signage and décor. Upon embarkation, the celebration begins as each ship will host a 50th Birthday Bash Sailaway Party where guests are invited to wear their favorite Carnival gear, vintage or modern, as Playlist Productions cast members join the ships' Cruise Director, Fun Squad and DJs.
Other entertainment that will debut on the Sailabrations will include Carnival-themed puzzles; 1972 fun-fact trivia with commemorative 50th Birthday medallions; a Build-A-Bear Birthday Party featuring the debut of a special-edition bear; and a Rollin’ In Riches casino event. The sailings will also include the debut of new, exclusive collections of specially-designed retail offerings.
The 17 themed Sailabrations will allow guests to not only celebrate with each other on board but also with other Carnival ships. Ships throughout the Carnival fleet will meet to host parties at sea. The meetups include:
- 05MAR: Carnival Radiance and Carnival Miracle (Baja, Mexico, outside Ensenada)
- 07MAR: Carnival Breeze, Carnival Ecstasy, Carnival Glory, Mardi Gras, Carnival Pride, Carnival Sunrise and Carnival Vista (Western Caribbean, between Cozumel and Costa Maya)
- 09MAR: Carnival Conquest, Carnival Spirit, Carnival Freedom, Carnival Legend, Carnival Liberty and Carnival Sunshine (The Bahamas, between Eleuthera and Nassau)
- 11MAR: Carnival Miracle and Carnival Panorama (Baja, Mexico, outside Ensenada)
Guests will also have the opportunity to indulge in a specially curated commemorative dining menu for one night that features popular Carnival dishes from the past 50 years. Other popular dishes, from Guy’s Burgers to 24-hour pizza, will be presented with a "unique 50th birthday feature" wherever guests choose to dine. A selection of all-new birthday-themed beverages will debut on these sailings, including a Birthday Bellini at Seaday Brunch, a special Carnival Birthday Beer that will be both canned and on tap, and Carnival’s 50th Birthday Tini.
Guests can also expect to witness Carnival’s original main dining room show set to Bob Marley’s classic “Could You Be Loved,” as well as a Baked Alaska Farewell Parade on the final evening in nostalgic fashion.
Carnival Miracle will be the first Sailabration cruise to set sail when it leaves Long Beach, Calif. on 20FEB on a Carnival Journeys cruise to Hawaii. Most other Sailabrations will depart the week of 05MAR. For more information on Carnival's Sailabrations, visit its web site.
Serving as the culmination to the year-long festivities, Carnival Celebration will officially be named in PortMiami in late NOV at the newly transformed Terminal F which will also be one of the first at PortMiami equipped to provide shore power to ships by fall 2023.
For more information on Carnival Cruises, visit its web site.
