Porthole Cruise News Briefs – Nov. 11, 2016

Porthole Cruise News Briefs – Nov. 11, 2017

• Carnival Fantasy was welcomed to its new homeport of Mobile, Alabama, with a formal exchange of plaques and a charity competition. The activity, based on Carnival’s “Hasbro, The Game Show,” saw Carnival President Christine Duffy, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson, President of the Mobile City Council Gina Gregory, and Carnival Fantasy Captain Bruno Palomba raise $20,000 for the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Alabama and another $20,000 for Feeding the Gulf Coast. Carnival Fantasy will sail 4-day “long weekend” cruises to Cozumel and 5-day cruises to Costa Maya and Progreso.
• Holland America Line’s Denali Square complex has just earned an Alyeska Award from the Alaska Tourism Industry Association. “We are honored to be recognized by the Alaska Tourism Industry Association for our contribution to Alaska’s tourism, and I congratulate our entire team for bringing Denali Square to life this summer,” said Orlando Ashford, Holland America Line’s president.
• Guests aboard Seven Seas Explorer’s inaugural Caribbean season will be able to take gourmet tours of St. Lucia, Tortola, and St. John’s, and attend onboard classes in the Culinary Arts Kitchen, featuring 18 individual cooking stations equipped with induction cooktops and stainless steel sinks. Expert instructors will cover topics like making tortillas from scratch, brewing ginger beer, mixing sugar-infused brunch cocktails, preparing tapas, cooking health-giving Greek dishes, and more.
• Harmony of the Seas, now the world’s largest cruise ship, has just been officially named by godmother Brittany Affolter, a “Hometown Hero in Education” from Teach For America Miami-Dade. Affolter was selected out of nearly 1,000 nominees for her work inspiring South Florida’s next generation to dream big, think differently, and challenge the status quo. Singer-songwriter Jon Secada was also on hand at the Miami ceremony to welcome the ship to her new homeport.
• Carnival Corporation President and CEO Arnold Donald will deliver the keynote speech at CES in Las Vegas next January, the first travel industry executive so honored by the cutting-edge consumer electronics show. As part of his speech, Donald will unveil a new “Connected Experience” using the Internet of Things to create personalized and interactive vacation events.
• Oceania Cruises will be the only luxury cruise line to homeport in Manhattan, with more than 20 voyages departing in 2017 from the West Side terminal at 48^th Street. Guests aboard Insignia will travel to New England, Bermuda, Canada, Greenland, and Iceland, including overnight port calls.

^{Photo: Mike Kittrell/Carnival Cruise Line}