Miss USA Deshauna Barber to serve as godmother of new Carnival Vista

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 05 October 2016 05 October 2016

Miss USA Deshauna Barber has been named godmother of Carnival Cruise Line’s newest and largest ship, Carnival Vista. Barber made history earlier this year when she became the first woman serving in the U.S. military to win the title of Miss USA.

Barber will officially name the massive 133,500-ton vessel during a shipboard ceremony that is part of an overnight gala event honoring Operation Homefront and featuring an exclusive invitation-only concert by seven-time GRAMMY-award winning country music super star Carrie Underwood. In addition to the concert, the festivities will include overnight accommodations, meals, activities and entertainment for hundreds of military families.

The concert and overnight gala event are the culmination of Honor. Family. Fun., Carnival’s year-long celebration designed to raise funds for Operation Homefront to help the organization fulfill its mission of building strong, stable, and secure military families.

“Deshauna is the ideal candidate to serve as Carnival Vista’s godmother, embodying the spirit of commitment and sacrifice to those who protect our freedom each and every day,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Carnival is a longtime supporter of the military carrying more active and retired Armed Forces personnel than any other cruise line so it’s our honor and privilege to have Deshauna serve as the godmother to our newest and largest ship.”

The daughter of a retired Army master sergeant who was a member of the Special Forces, Barber joined the Army Reserve as a quartermaster officer in 2011. After earning her bachelors in business management from Virginia State University, Barber went on to complete her masters in computer information systems from the University of Maryland University College. She currently serves as logistics commander for the 988th Quartermaster Detachment Unit in Rockville, Md.

A passionate advocate for the U.S. military and a champion of gender equality, Barber will focus her efforts on PTSD treatment for soldiers returning from deployments and suicide prevention throughout the Armed Forces.

“It is truly an honor to be named the godmother of Carnival Vista and I’m very excited to represent the U.S. military and be a part of the ship’s official naming ceremony next month,” said Barber. “I love that Carnival carries more families, including military families, than any other cruise line and I’m looking forward to checking out all of the ship’s many innovative features when I’m on board next month.”

As the line’s newest ship, Carnival Vista has introduced a number of groundbreaking innovations including the first brewery on a North American-based cruise ship, the first IMAX Theatre at sea, the most elaborate water park in the fleet highlighted by the 455-foot-long Kaleid-o-slide, a groundbreaking bike-ride-in-the-sky attraction called SkyRide, and the new Family Harbor with specially designed staterooms for families, a family concierge and more.

Currently sailing its inaugural season in Europe, Carnival Vista will reposition to the U.S. in November operating a pair of 11-day sailings from New York before launching year-round six- and eight-day Caribbean service from Miami later that month.

Cruise Business Review Editor and Publisher Teijo Niemelä will be onboard Carnival Vista from Barcelona to New York later this month.

MSC Cruises enriches family entertainment offerings

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 04 October 2016 04 October 2016

MSC Cruises today announced a further addition to its family-focused offerings, this time with a new range of fun kids’ activities and supporting web series, “Kelly & Kloe On Board.” After a landmark year of enhancements and expansions to family entertainment, the new onboard experience will also engage younger guests through an accompanying web series, so that the fun can start prior to the cruise holiday and continue well after disembarkation.

“We’re very excited about launching this new experience for kids and their families both on and off-board. It really brings to life our commitment to providing our youngest guests with original entertainment products that are delivered to them in a unique and exciting way”, explains Matteo Mancini, MSC Cruises’ Children’s Entertainment Manager.

The “Kelly & Kloe On Board” experience day will be rolled out across the MSC Cruises fleet this month and follows the story of two young girls – Kelly and Kloe – who spend time on board an MSC Cruises ship alongside their father - the Master. One day, despite promising him an afternoon of quiet study in their cabin, the girls embark on an adventure filled with fun and mischief with their longsuffering butler and two cruise staff members in tow. During their adventure throughout the ship, they experience magic, videogames, 4D movies, a water-slide, sports and dances with endless costume changes.

The full day of kids’ entertainment, designed around the “Kelly & Kloe” overall story, will allow children on board to explore the ship and play like “Kelly & Kloe” themselves, bringing to life the magic of the story. With a day packed with seven different activities, kids will be able to learn the theme song and accompanying dance routine from the web series, take part in a selfie contest dressed up as characters from the story as well as have the opportunity to get creative with the chance to write their very own episode and continue the adventure.

The web series, which kids can watch on the MSC Cruises website, features in its first season four three minute episodes that the kids can watch before they go on their holiday or once they return home -- to relive the fun that was had on board. To watch the web series visit https://www.msccruises.co.uk/en-gb/MSC/Webseries-KellyKloe-Onboard.aspx

The new entertainment offering was developed by MSC Cruises’ entertainment team, working in cooperation with seasoned professionals from the world of TV and musical theatre to bring to life the story of “Kelly & Kloe” also through the web series.

Costa Crociere chooses four architect firms to design interiors of newbuildings from Finland

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 30 September 2016 30 September 2016

Costa Crociere, the Italian contemporary market unit in the Carnival Corporation & plc group, said it has selected four leading design firms to create the interior spaces of the two 180,000 gross ton ships that are scheduled to be delivered in 2019 and 2021.

Jeffrey Beers International, Dordoni Architetti, Partner Ship Design and Rockwell Group were selected for the work.

 The layout for the ships will reflect comments and suggestions from Costa guests and will include a more efficient use of the ships’ spaces, creating an enhanced onboard experience, the company said in a statement.

Each of the chosen firms has a breadth of experience in the international hospitality design sector and is well-versed in design for projects like hotels, restaurants and public spaces. The team will have the objective of crafting an innovative new design concept that will build on the history and tradition of the brand with a bespoke realization of the ‘Italy’s Finest’ philosophy.

AWK, a sister company of Partner Ship Design, will serve as Coordinating Architect, working closely with the Meyer Turku Shipyard and the design teams. Partner Ship Design will head the design of two restaurants and several bars including the new “I Bacari” bar as well as passenger sun decks and pool areas.

Jeffrey Beers International will bring experience, vision, and architectural precision to the creation of The Casino and to multiple restaurants, bars, and lounges. Each venue will uniquely celebrate Italian art, culture, and craftsmanship.

The new layout and interiors of all the ships’ cabins, as well as the corridors and the staircases, will be developed by Dordoni Architetti, which will give each of these elements a unique touch of novel, innovative, and sophisticated Italian design. The firm will also lead the design of the gym and the Japanese restaurant.

With its vast experience in the field of hospitality design, Rockwell Group will create innovative, distinctive designs for several areas on the ship. The firm’s unique contribution to the project include a three-story atrium that will feature a café, bars and a performance space; several restaurants and bars; a theater and nightclub; beach club and pool; a shorex office and gallery; and kids and teens areas.

Adam Goldstein appointed FCCA Chairman

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 28 September 2016 28 September 2016

Adam Goldstein, President and COO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., will become Chairman of the FCCA (Florida Caribbean Cruise Association), effective 1 January 2017, FCCA said in a statement.

"I am extremely proud to take over the chairmanship of the FCCA, and my main goal is to continue on this path by making sure the region is prepared to face the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in this highly competitive and globalized environment," Goldstein said in the statement.

Goldstein seeks to continue the successful proactive and interactive approach and to further develop relationships with destinations through his hands-on dealings and unwavering dedication. “By participating at FCCA meetings and events, he will keep a constant dialogue between the cruise lines and destination stakeholders to achieve mutual benefits. His wealth of knowledge about the industry and destinations will lead the way to successful operations for both,” FCCA said.