Carnival Freedom to Operate Year-Round Six- and Eight-Day Caribbean Cruises from...

Carnival Freedom to Operate Year-Round Six- and Eight-Day Caribbean Cruises
from Ft. Lauderdale Beginning Nov. 2008

MIAMI, June 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Carnival Cruise Lines'
2,974-passenger Carnival Freedom, which was originally scheduled to operate
six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on a seasonal
basis, will now operate the program year-round, following the conclusion of
its 2008 Mediterranean program in October.
Carnival Freedom's year-round schedule from Fort Lauderdale begins
November 22, 2008, with six-day cruises departing Sundays and visiting Key
West, Fla., George Town, Grand Cayman; and Ocho Rios, Jamaica, while eight-day
voyages departing Saturdays alternate to the eastern and western Caribbean.
Eight-day eastern Caribbean voyages visit five ports: San Juan, Puerto
Rico; St. Thomas/St. John, U.S.V.I.; Antigua, Lesser Antilles; Tortola/Virgin
Gorda, B.V.I.; and Nassau, The Bahamas. Western Caribbean cruises include
Cozumel, Mexico; Limon, Costa Rica; and Colon, Panama.
According to Lynn C. Torrent, Carnival's senior vice president of sales
and guest services, "The Caribbean is, by far, the most popular cruising
region for North Americans. It is easily accessible and affordable, and when
combined with attractive, destination-rich itineraries such as these, a
Caribbean cruise represents the ideal vacation choice for consumers."
Torrent noted that while the plan had been for Carnival Freedom to return
to Europe in 2009, the strong performance of the line's entire Caribbean fleet
made the new six- and eight-day deployment a compelling choice.
Exciting Six- and Eight-Day Cruises
On Carnival Freedom's six-day cruises, guests can enjoy three distinctly
different island experiences -- Key West, Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios -- each
of which offers excellent shopping and dining opportunities, along with a
variety of "fun in the sun" activities, including magnificent beaches and
watersports.
Carnival Freedom's eight-day eastern Caribbean cruises feature five ports
-- San Juan, St. Thomas (optional shore excursion to St. John), Antigua,
Tortola (optional shore excursion to Virgin Gorda) and Nassau -- providing
consumers a diversity of landside experiences, along with a variety of
restaurants, shops and boutiques. A wide range of shore excursions are also
offered, including horseback riding, scuba diving, hiking and kayaking.
During an extended evening stay in San Juan, guests can also sample that
city's legendary nightlife.
In addition to historical sites and attractions, including centuries-old
ruins, the eight-day western Caribbean cruises to Cozumel, Limon and Colon
offer a multitude of dining, shopping and watersports experiences. A number of
"adventure-type" tours, including canoeing, and white-water rafting, are
featured, as well. From Colon, guests can experience all the wonders of the
Panama Canal and even a unique bi-coastal railroad adventure.
Both of these eight-day cruises offer visits to ports that are usually
available only on cruises of 10 days or longer. In addition, these cruises
depart on Saturdays and return on Sundays, which allow them to fit into the
consumer's traditional one-week vacation pattern.
Variety of 'Fun Ship' Amenities
Spanning a length of 952 feet, Carnival Freedom offers a variety of
on-board amenities and facilities: a 14,500-square-foot health and wellness
facility, a jogging track, a duty-free shopping mall, full casino gambling,
and 22 lounges and bars, including a multi-level theater showcasing lavish
revues.
Dining options include two two-level main dining rooms offering extensive
menus and wine lists, a 1,200-seat poolside eatery with full breakfast, lunch
and dinner buffets and a 24-hour pizzeria, and an elegant reservations-only
supper club.
Family friendly amenities include children's programs for three different
age groups -- "Camp Carnival" for kids ages 2-11, "Circle C" for 'tweens, and
"Club O2" for older teens -- with facilities and activities for each.
Carnival Freedom also offers a variety of accommodations including a wide
selection of balcony staterooms and suites -- perfect for scenic cruising.
All Carnival Freedom accommodations feature the Carnival Comfort Bed sleep
system with plush mattresses, luxurious duvets and high quality linens and
pillows. Carnival Freedom also houses an Internet Cafe, along with ship-wide
Wi-Fi access and cell phone service.
Reservations
Reservations are currently being accepted for the Carnival Freedom's
year-round six- and eight-day voyages from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 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 and
pre- and post-cruise South Florida land stays, are also available.
For additional information and reservations, contact any travel agent,
call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.
SOURCE Carnival Cruise Lines

Jennifer de la Cruz or Tim Gallagher, 1-800-438-6744 or +1-305-599-2600, ext.
16000, both of Carnival Cruise Lines