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20 Things You Didn't Know About Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Cruise Line offers a variety of luxury packages for guests who want to get away from it all and relax aboard this floating wonder. They sail to a variety of different locations and you can book a deluxe cruise or take advantage of one of their special offers. They've been in business for over 40 years and they do have an interesting history. Here are 20 things about Carnival Cruise Line that you probably didn't know.

1. They were founded in 1972

The first Carnival Cruise ships launched in 1972. The founder of the company is Ted Arison. He's an entrepreneur who made the decision to purchase a transatlantic ocean liner and convert it into a dream cruise ship. His goal was to make it possible for anyone to be able to afford taking a cruise vacation.

2. The first Carnival cruise ship ran aground

When Carnival Cruise lines first started their business, they were't exactly off to a smooth start. The TSS Mardi Gras was their first ship and it was on its inaugural voyage and when the ship was just outside of Miami, FL, it ran aground on a sandbar. The ship was on its way to Puerto Rico when the incident took place. Although the first sailing was an embarrassment for the company, the next sailings went very well.

3. Carnival's first custom built ship was the Tropicale

It was obvious that the Carnival Cruise Lines had become a profitable business when they began the building of their first custom built ship. The first lines was a ship that had previously been used as an ocean liner. This time, they were having one built from scratch at a significant cost, we might add. When construction on the Tropicale began, this was the beginning of a shipbuilding boom what would bring in several billion dollars into the industry and it also served to boost the cruise industry and it helped it to evolve into the booming business that it has become today.

4. Their next custom cruise ship is five times bigger than the Mardi Gras

Carnival has started construction of a behemoth that will be a whopping five times the size of their first ship, the Mardi Gras, which weighed in at 27,284 tons. The multi-storied luxury cruise vessel will hold thousands of passengers and it will surpass the image of a floating hotel and become more like a floating city. Carnival has come a long way since it's first converted ocean liner ran aground en-route to Puerto Rico.

5. Carnival's colors are known throughout the world

Carnival is one of the more popular cruise lines in the industry. They operate a fleet of ships which fly their colors proudly. The red, white and blue funnels are their signature and it links the images with the brand in everyone's mind who has cruised aboard the line. In case you're not familiar with the colors of the Carnival Cruise Line, they're an iconic red white and blue and they're easy to identify even out on the open seas.

6. They are the largest company in their niche

The Carnival Corporation & PLC is the name of the company that is the current owner of Carnival Cruise Lines. They have earned the distinction of becoming the largest leisure travel company in the entire world. They have over 100 ships which are sailing under the Carnival Cruise line umbrella. There are ten different brands flying their colors. The company has thrived and grown since its first launch back in 1972.

7. They make 1,500 trips per year

Carnival Cruise Line is a subsidiary of the Carnival Corporation and PLC. Although the parent company owns over 100 different sailing ships, the Carnival Line itself operates on the seas with 24 ships. They offer cruises around the world from Alaska to Athens then on to Aruba and more. The total number of sailings that the Carnival Cruise line makes each year is 1,500.

8. They are the most used line in the world

The Carnival Cruise Line is the leisure cruise line that gets used by guests more than any other cruise line in the world. This means that they are the most popular and the first choice by may discriminating cruisers. If you're planning to take a cruise in the near future, we recommend that you check them out to find out for yourself why they're the number one choice of vacationers throughout the world.

9. They launched a service called Carnival Journeys

If you're not familiar with the special voyages that Carnival Cruise Line offers, you'll enjoy finding out about this one. Carnival launched a series of voyages in 2015, which were designed to be one of a kind vacations that they called "Carnival Journeys." The span of the voyages ran between 9 to 15 days in duration. The sailings took visitors to some of the more exotic ports that are less traveled to and they included the option for booking local entertainment at the unique destinations they traveled to. The shore excursions also featured authentic cuisine from their points of destination.

10. Their newest ship is the Vista

Carnival has added a new ship to their fleet called the Vista. It recently took its maiden voyage with the departure from the port of Trieste, Italy en route to a tour of the Mediterranean with multiple port stops along with way and arrival at the port at Barcelona, Spain. There were no problems with the first sailing of the new ship and guests were delighted with its luxury accommodations.

11. DJs spice up the night life aboard Carnival ships

Carnival knows how to provide their guests with top notch entertainment for an amazing night life while aboard their ships. They maintain a crew of talented DJs who receive their training through the Spin'iversity program. This ensures that Carnival always has a talented crew to choose from. Recently, The official DJ of the Miami Heat, DJ Irie collaborated with Carnival and it's been a mutually beneficial arrangement which guests are pretty happy about.

12. Carnival's new Vista ship is a first in exciting features

This is a fun fact about Carnival that is well worth knowing. The new Vista cruise ship is the first in the industry to feature the longest water tube slide, a working brewery on board and the first ever IMAX theater on the sea. These are more than interesting facts. They're all very good reasons to book a cruise on the Vista, regardless of what the destinations are.

13. Carnival sponsor's a kids-free retreat

There are times when it's great to take the entire family along for a fun and relaxing family cruise, but there are other times when it's important to get away for some adult-only time to rejuvenate and recharge your batteries. There are several of Carnival's ships which are designated for Serenity cruises. These are kids-free retreats where adults can do what they want from just relaxing in a comfortable chair with no big-time responsibilities, no monitoring others or any of the other things that come with parenting. Sometimes it's good to just get away from the chores associated with everyday living and kick back.

14. Carnival offers Dr. Seuss Style dining

While this isn't the case for every meal, you'll probably get a kick out of the Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast. This whimsical breakfast theme is offered in honor of the famous children's book writer and it's kind of a novel experience that also offers a touch of nostalgia as adults also remember reading the interesting kids books written by the master writer. This is a great way to get in touch with your inner child, even if it's just for the breakfast meal. Kids are certainly a fan of this popular offering.

15. Carnival offers something for everyone

There are a lot of different options offered by the Carnival Cruise line, for customizing the cruise experience for their guests. Even though we all have different tastes and preferences, they have so many themes and amenities that there is sure to be something that appeals to you. There is a variety of entertainment from live music to DJ events, dancing, jazz, rock, easy listening, gambling in the online casino, fine dining, bars and a variety of other entertainment options including swimming pools and saunas. The ship also offers a gym and fitness area to help you burn off all the extra calories from the free food and room service offered aboard the ship. It's a floating paradise.

16. Carnival was the first to sponsor television commercials

Carnival Cruise Line has had a great many firsts within their operations. They were even the first cruise line company to run a commercial advertising their services on a network television station. The commercials featured television personality Kathie Lee Gifford as a celebrity endorser of Carnival Cruises in their 1984 television ad campaign. This is one of the reasons why the Carnival colors, logo and brand name is so widely recognized throughout the world. They've also advertised in a variety of magazines.

17. Carnival was also first to build a ship that weighs more than 100,000 gross tons

This is one big cruise ship and Carnival owns the bragging rights to the cruise ship that was originally named Carnival Destiny. The name was later changed to Carnival Sunshine. It's like a floating city when it cuts through the waters full loaded with passengers.

18. Carnival has the largest fleet in service

There are several other popular cruise lines who have a decent sized fleet of ships, but Carnival has the largest working fleet of them all. There are no other lines in the whole world that have as many active ships. And this isn't counting the 10 different brands totaling more than 100 ships that their parent company is currently in charge of. Could you imagine what it would be like to see them all lined up together at port? The sight would be nothing short of spectacular.

19. Carnival had a failed shipbuilding project

Carnival Cruise Lines decided in 2004 that they were going to build what would have become the largest cruise ship in the world, even trumping their Carnival Destiny/Sunshine at 100,000 tons. The name of the concept was simply titled the Pinnacle Project. This would have truly been a pinnacle of success because the estimated size of the prototype that they had planned to build would have weighed in at a massive 180,000 tons. The project was never completed so we'll just have to wonder what such a massive ship would have been like to occupy. When you stand on the outside of their largest ship right now, it's a humbling experience and it's difficult to imagine adding another 80,000 tons on top of that one.

20. Carnival was there when the country needed her

The last interesting fact that we have to share about Carnival Cruise Lines is one that touches us at the very depths of our souls. When Hurricane Katrina struck the United States, the devastation left in the aftermath was mind boggling. Thousands were left homeless and not only property, but lives were ruined. The task of rebuilding homes, communities and lives seemed to be a daunting proposition. Carnival Cruise Line was there to help out. They allowed the United States Government to charter two of their ships for a period of six months to serve as temporary housing for the victims of the storm. This made the company a big part of the solution to the crisis that struck with fury and a vengeance. It's no wonder that Carnival Cruise Line is the largest and most successful travel land leisure company on the face of the earth. The company has the largest fleet of ships and they currently employ more than 36,500 crew members aboard their Carnival Fun ships. They are big in a lot of ways. They go big on luxury as well as on entertainment, guest satisfaction and the company also has a big heart.

Dana Hanson

Written by Dana Hanson

Dana has extensive professional writing experience including technical and report writing, informational articles, persuasive articles, contrast and comparison, grant applications, and advertisement. She also enjoys creative writing, content writing on nearly any topic (particularly business and lifestyle), because as a lifelong learner, she loves to do research and possess a high skill level in this area. Her academic degrees include AA social Sci/BA English/MEd Adult Ed & Community & Human Resource Development and ABD in PhD studies in Indust & Org Psychology.

Read more posts by Dana Hanson

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