Thread: Carnival Elation Moves to San Diego Year Round!

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES TO OPERATE SAN DIEGO’S FIRST YEAR-ROUND CRUISE PROGRAM



2,052-Passenger Elation to Launch Four- and Five-Day Baja Mexico Cruises in 2007

MIAMI (November 2, 2006) – Carnival Cruise Lines, the world’s largest cruise operator, will launch San Diego’s first year-round cruise schedule with four- and five-day Baja Mexico voyages aboard the 2,052-passenger “Fun Ship” Elation beginning in June 2007.

On this program – the only one of its kind from Southern California – the Elation will depart Thursdays on four-day cruises to Cabo San Lucas and on Mondays and Saturdays on five-day cruises to Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, on a rotating schedule.

Short cruises are the fastest growing segment of the cruise industry and Carnival pioneered the four- and five-day schedule which fits in perfectly with today’s busy lifestyles. Four-day cruises operating Thursday to Monday provide the ideal “long weekend getaway” while five-day voyages offer a comprehensive, multi-port cruise experience all in less than a week’s time.

The Elation will offer 78 voyages annually from San Diego and join the 2,124-passenger Carnival Spirit which has operated seasonal eight-day Mexican Riviera voyages from San Diego since 2004.

With the Elation and Carnival Spirit, Carnival is expected to carry more than 230,000 passengers annually from San Diego – the most of any cruise operator.

Additionally, with the deployment of the Elation, Carnival will be the largest cruise operator on the West Coast and the only cruise line to base three ships year-round in Southern California, with the Paradise and Carnival Pride offering year-round three- to seven-day voyages from Long Beach, Calif.

“The Elation’s new four- and five-day cruises from San Diego add a whole new dimension to West Coast cruising. Not only is the port within a day’s drive of millions of residents within the western U.S., San Diego offers a variety of convenient air options with the airport just minutes away from the cruise terminal,” said Bob Dickinson, Carnival president and CEO.

“The addition of year-round home-ported cruise service really puts San Diego on the cruising map,” said Robert “Rocky” Spane, chairman of the board of port commissioners. “This decision by Carnival Cruise lines is great for Carnival’s business and great for the region’s economic progress.”



New Four- and Five-Day Cruises from San Diego

Beginning June 2, 2007, the 70,000-ton Elation will launch the first year-round cruise program from San Diego encompassing four- and five-day cruises to ports in Baja Mexico.

Four-day cruises feature Cabo San Lucas, one of Mexico’s most popular seaside destinations highlighted by its distinctive rock formations, lush landscape and aqua-blue waters popular with snorkelers and scuba divers the world over. Five-day cruises add a stop in Ensenada, located along Mexico’s Baja Peninsula and offering gorgeous beaches, a waterfront promenade, and its most famous attraction, the “La Bufadora” geyser.

Prior to the start-up of this program, the Elation will operate a special six-day Mexico cruise departing San Diego May 27, 2007. Featured ports on this one-time voyage include Cabo San Lucas, La Paz and Ensenada, each offering magnificent white-sand beaches, diverse cultures, and interesting sites and historical attractions.

Special 15-Day Panama Canal Cruise

The Elation will also sail on a special 15-day Panama Canal cruise departing Port Canaveral, Fla., May 12 and arriving San Diego May 27, 2007. It will mark Carnival’s first Panama Canal cruise since 2004.

In addition to the unforgettable transit of the Panama Canal, the Elation will visit the Caribbean island of Aruba followed by calls at Puntarenas, Costa Rica; and Acapulco, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Numerous shore excursion opportunities, including watersports such as kayaking, snorkeling and scuba diving, as well as myriad golfing and eco-tourism opportunities, will be available during this voyage.

The Elation, which currently operates four- and five-day cruises from Port Canaveral, will continue that program through May 12, 2007, then embark on its Panama Canal cruise.

Signature ‘Fun Ship’ Amenities

The 855-foot-long Elation houses a 12,000-square-foot health club, 12 lounges and bars, a jogging track, an Internet café and ship-wide wi-fi access, cell phone service, on-board duty-free shopping, a comprehensive golf program, three swimming pools, and Carnival’s signature “Twister Waterslide.”

“Camp Carnival” and “Club O2,” offering expansive facilities and supervised activities for children and teens, respectively, are featured, as well.

Three restaurants, including two elegant main dining rooms with extensive menus and wine lists and a 700-seat poolside eatery featuring 24-hour pizza and self-serve ice cream/frozen yogurt are also featured. A patisserie and complimentary 24-hour stateroom service are also available.

The Elation also houses a wide selection of spacious staterooms and suites, all of which feature the new “Carnival Comfort Bed” sleep system featuring plush mattresses, luxurious duvets, and high quality linens and pillows.



Pricing and Reservations

Carnival will be accepting reservations for Elation’s Panama Canal cruise on Friday, Nov. 3, 2006. Reservations will be accepted for the ship’s year-round four- and five-day cruises from San Diego beginning Monday, Nov. 6, 2006.

Prices for the Elation’s new four- and five-day cruises from San Diego begin at $339 per person. Rates for the ship’s special six-day voyage departing May 27, 2007, from San Diego start at $599 per person, based on double occupancy.

The 15-day Panama Canal cruise is available starting at $799 per person. Special rates for third and fourth guests sailing in the same stateroom, along with round-trip air supplements from a variety of North American gateways, are also available.

I'll bet the people of San Diego are pleased with this!! Gives them another option!!!

That should be fun!

It's not just the people in San Diego that will be pleased. I am just a few hours driving time from there and in the past I have vacationed in San Diego a couple of times a year. The number of cruises I have taken with each cruiseline are split right now. 3 with RCI... 3 with Carnival. This new itinerary just might be the ticket that makes me jump ship with RCI.