Dining...

MIAMI (01/19/01) – Implementation of Carnival’s new four staggered dinner seatings and dining room Team Service, under the recently announced Flexible Dining initiative, are now underway aboard three of the line’s ships, with the balance of the fleet scheduled for completion by year end.  These new enhancements, combined with Carnival’s huge array of specialized dining features, introduces Carnival’s Total Choice Dining(SM) as the most comprehensive dining program in the cruise industry.

Guest options will be broadened further based on plans for even more choice on Carnival’s seven new ships scheduled to enter service, while recently compiled statistical data suggests that guests are taking advantage of the many dining choices Carnival offers on a large scale basis.

“There is such a huge range of choice when it comes to dining on Carnival, and choosing from among the various options each day, according to individual moods and schedules, couldn’t be easier,” said Bob Dickinson, Carnival president.  “Plus, the most important feature of Carnival’s Total Choice Dining is that it retains one of the single-most treasured aspects of the cruise experience – the ability for each guest to develop a relationship and rapport with the same wait staff every day in the formal restaurants, if the guest so chooses,” he added.

CurrentCarnival’s Total Choice Dining offerings include:

Available on every “Fun Ship”:

-  Elegant, full-service breakfast, lunch and dinner in formal restaurants

- Alternative Lido casual restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner at no additional charge

-Lido specialty stations serving made-to-order selections such as omelettes, eggs, fajitas, chicken Caesar salad, pasta and stir fry

- Elaborate salad bars in Lido restaurants featuring approx. 35 different items

- Lido meat carving station

- Lido dessert bar

- 24-hour pizzeria

- 24-hour room service (complimentary, of course)

- 24-hour free frozen yogurt and ice cream service

- Cookie turndown service for kids

- Nightly midnight buffets, including a grand gala buffet on every voyage

Available on certain ships:

-  Specialty dining areas serving:

- Asian (Carnival Destiny, Carnival Triumph, Carnival Victory)

- New York-style deli (Carnival Destiny, Carnival Triumph, Carnival Victory)

- Sushi bar during pre-dinner cocktail period (Jubilee, Celebration, Imagination, Inspiration, Elation, Paradise and Fascination)

- Patisserie offering specialty coffees and sweets (Fantasy, Ecstasy, Elation, Paradise, Carnival Destiny, Carnival Triumph, Carnival Victory)

Future plans for the Carnival fleet include a reservations-only restaurant on all new ships, seven of which are currently under construction or contract.  The first of those, Carnival Spirit, entering service in April 2001, will feature an elegant two-level Supper Club, offering prime steaks and other upscale cuisine.  Additional complimentary dining options planned for new ships include dedicated specialty areas featuring rotisserie roasted meats, fish and chips and other seafoods, and ice cream parlors, lavish daily dessert bars, and “Nation of the Day” specialty cuisine in the Lido alternative dining areas.

Dinner service in the formal restaurants under the new four-seating system provides guests the opportunity to choose from among seating times starting at 5:45 p.m.; 6:30 p.m.; 8 p.m.; and 8:45 p.m.   At the same time, a new Team Service system increases the number of wait staff serving each table while the Seaview Bistro casual alternative dinner service now features an enhanced menu selection and occasional full table service provided by wait staff.  Currently, these new programs are in the implementation phase on the Imagination, Paradise and Carnival Destiny, with the balance of the fleet scheduled for completion later this year.

“Initial response to these changes has been tremendous with positive feedback focused extensively on excellent service and cuisine quality, improved guest flow throughout the vessel during the dinner period, and general guest satisfaction relative to assigned dining times,” said Dickinson.

Statistical Data Supporting Popularity of Casual Alternatives; Camaraderie of Main Dining Rooms Remains Top Choice for Dinner

Recent statistical analyses conducted by Carnival suggest guest volume at Lido Deck/casual restaurants for breakfast and lunch is running between approximately 60-70 percent on a daily basis.  Meanwhile, Carnival’s 24-hour complimentary pizzerias are serving between 500-800 pizzas per day per ship depending on vessel size.

Approximately 25 percent of the cruise line’s guests on average are using the Seaview Bistro casual dinner service at some point during a voyage with volume increasing heavily on days ships are in a port of call.

“In addition to greater demands for choice among today’s discerning vacationer, the wide popularity of our casual dining alternatives is largely a reflection of the tremendous upgrades and enhancements we have incorporated into our overall dining experience,” said Dickinson.

“The extraordinary level of positive guest feedback on the quality of cuisine and breadth of dining choice available on ‘Today’s Carnival’ has been most gratifying,” he added.

Entertainment On Demand Round The Clock...

With some ships offering up to three different shows each evening, Princess leads the way in providing passengers with an innovative array of entertainment options. And with up to 60 entertainers and cruise staff on board each ship, it's no wonder that Princess has one of the most extensive entertainment programs afloat.

Evenings aboard ship are highlighted by a number of elaborate production shows which feature exciting choreography and costumes. Princess "broke the mold" of cruise ship entertainment in 1995 when it introduced "Metamorphosis," an avant-garde-style production show featuring unusual acrobatic acts, elaborate costuming, exciting staging and original music.

The line has continued to develop these innovative, contemporary shows that are directed, choreographed and staged by dynamic show business veterans whose credits include Broadway musicals, television sitcoms and major rock concerts. These shows can feature up to 27 performers and a number of elaborate sets constructed for the innovative theaters aboard Princess' newest ships. High energy song and dance numbers, acrobatics and popular love songs all share the stages of Princess' award-winning productions. The most recent, "Light, Camera, Action!", celebrates film genres with the most spectacular show yet to hit the Princess stage, and features such high-tech innovations as live video projection, flying wires, full-color laser effects and digital surround sound.

In addition to enjoying a variety of stage productions, passengers also have the opportunity to participate in many other evening activities including theme nights and Karaoke parties, or they can catch a comedy show or cabaret act. After midnight, the disco comes alive with dancing and occasional theme parties. In warm-weather destinations, the pool deck is the center of the "Island Night" festivities for dancing under the stars, the always popular limbo contest and a late-night barbecue.

During the day, passengers seeking non-stop activity or total relaxation can find both aboard a Princess ship.

Fitness buffs can chalk up laps in the pool and time in the gymnasium while taking part in Princess' Cruisercise^® program, which includes high- and low-impact aerobics, walk-a-mile, stretch and tone classes, aquacise and personalized workouts. And what better way to end a workout than with a relaxing sauna and massage and a visit to the full-service hairstyling and personal grooming salon for men and women?

For a relaxing afternoon in the shade, passengers can sign up for one of the ships' indoor game tournaments, such as backgammon, chess or bridge. Ping-pong, pool volleyball and golf chipping contests are favorite daytime activities, as are high-stakes Bingo sessions, first-run films in the ships' cinema and lectures.

A Princess cruise also provides the perfect opportunity to learn new skills, such as art, how to make a crowd-pleasing pasta or how to speak basic phrases in French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese with Princess' popular "Let's Speak" language lessons. In addition, travel talks on approaching ports of call provide valuable tips on shopping, tours and places of interest.

Passengers can participate in singles' get-togethers, fellowship activities for members of service clubs, tours of the ship's galley and bridge, and beauty and fashion demonstrations.

Game show addicts can play their favorites right on the ship, including Princess' versions of "Trivial Pursuit," "Liar's Club," "Name That Tune," "Win, Lose or Draw" and the "Newlywed Game." Or passengers can try their skills at word games, mind benders and sports trivia quizzes.

With Princess' Love Boat Kids program, juniors and teens can also enjoy their own youth facility and full schedule of entertainment and activities under the supervision of the ships' Youth Activities Coordinator and a staff of children's counselors aboard Grand Princess, Ocean Princess, Sea Princess, Sun Princess, Dawn Princess, Regal Princess and Crown Princess. On the remainder of the fleet, although there is no formal children's area, a full youth program is run when there are at least 15 youngsters on board.

And for those who want to do nothing all day, there's plenty of that, too. Many passengers simply enjoy basking in the sun, relaxing in the pool or hot tub, lounging in a deck chair, watching a movie in the cabin, playing any number of games in the card room or reading a book in the library. And, providing perhaps one of the most special atmospheres in which to relax are the line's cabins, featuring private balconies, which have become a trademark of the Princess fleet.

Whatever the activity, the warm social environment created by the cruise director, cruise staff and entertainers on board each Princess ship makes it easy for passengers to relax, make new friends and have fun.

Entertainment And Activities Onboard Carnival

The following activities and entertainment are just a sample of what is available on all "Fun Ship" cruises:

*  Welcome Aboard Party     *  Captain's Cocktail Party     *  Singles Cocktail Party     *  Grandmothers and Honeymooners Party     *  Midnight Deck Party     *  Captain's Gala Dinner     *  Supervised, year-round Camp Carnival children's program     *  Vegas-style shows every night at sea     *  Nautica Spa program     *  Full gambling casino     *  Variety of bands and orchestras     *  Nightclub and midnight shows     *  Variety of bars and lounges     *  Ping Pong    *  Shuffleboard    *  Volleyball    *  Art auctions    *  Guest Talent Show             *  Bingo sessions    *  Aerobics classes     *  Dance classes    *  Gaming lessons     *  Deck games and contests      

A daily schedule listing all the activities scheduled for the following day is delivered to all guest cabins, each evening.