Carnival Cruise Line, Texas’ number-one cruise operator, marked the arrival of Carnival Freedom at its brand new year-round home at the port of Galveston on Saturday, February 14, with a celebration honoring U.S. military personnel and their families. In partnership with Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit organization that supports military families, service members and their families were treated to an overnight event featuring a variety of daytime activities, including an exclusive outdoor Carnival LIVE performance by country music superstar Martina McBride, along with dinner and a full evening of entertainment, all compliments of Carnival! I attended as a media guest of Carnival and I think that I had just as much fun as the military families in attendance!
Prior to the concert by Martina McBride, everyone's favorite Carnival cruise director, John Heald, along with the new President of Carnival, Christine Duffy, presented a check in the amount of $100,000 to Operation Homefront!
“We’re excited to kick off Carnival Freedom’s year-round deployment from Galveston with a donation to an organization that touches so many lives and a special event for the brave men and women who serve our country,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Martina McBride put on a fantastic show and we were thrilled to honor these deserving military families and provide them with an incredible day and night to remember.”
Carnival Freedom just kicked off year-round departures from the port of Galveston with a special six-day voyage to Mexico and will launch four to seven-day cruises with ports throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, Bahamas and Florida beginning February 21. The Carnival Freedom joins Carnival Triumph and Carnival Magic in Galveston, and together these three ships will carry more than 600,000 passengers annually from Texas — more than any other cruise line!!
Fun fact: Did you know that Texas is Carnival's second biggest base of customers? Florida is first, naturally!
Martina McBride, a 14-time GRAMMY® nominee, performed on Carnival Freedom’s upper deck in the first Carnival LIVE show staged outdoors. It was her second time participating in the Carnival LIVE concert series and was completely amazing. She's an old pro, of course, and she held absolutely nothing back in this incredibly special performance!
“Performing for these military families was an incredible honor. And everyone really enjoyed the outdoor setting on the ship’s deck,” said McBride. “I hope that everyone who was there had a special Valentine’s Day experience; I’m so glad I was asked to be part of it.”
“We’re thrilled Carnival Cruise Line honored these service members and their families by providing a truly memorable day and evening of onboard fun and exciting activities,” said Tim Farrell, chief operating officer for Operation Homefront. “In that spirit, we're also grateful for Carnival Cruise Line’s generous gift of $100,000, which will help military families here in Texas and throughout the country.”
Carnival Freedom recently underwent a $70 million makeover that added an array of Fun Ship 2.0 product enhancements, and attendees at the special event had full access to the ship’s many on-board innovations, including new family entertainment programming such as Seuss at Sea and Camp Ocean featuring 200 marine-themed activities.
Photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Lines
The renovation also included complimentary eateries such as BlueIguana Cantina, and Guy’s Burger Joint, developed in partnership with Food Network personality Guy Fieri. Guy's Burger Joint is one of my favorite spots on every Carnival ship, and I headed straight for it as soon as I made my way onto the ship!
If you haven't had a Guy's Burger yet, I highly recommend trying the Piggy Patty - it's a juicy cheeseburger with a patty made of bacon sitting right on top. It doesn't get much more decadent than that!
The Carnival Freedom also boasts Fun Ship 2.0 enhancements such as the BlueIguana Tequila Bar, RedFrog Rum Bar, the cocktail pharmacy-themed Alchemy Bar and the Caribbean-inspired RedFrog Pub!
The Alchemy Bar is a must-visit while on any Carnival Fun Ship! This unique bar doesn't serve soda, wine or beer; they only serve crafted cocktails. There's an exciting menu, but you can also ask for an original creation by the alchemists!
My favorite drink at the RedFrog Pub is the Tsing Mojito, if you're a fan of mojitos, you must give it a try on your next cruise!
For additional information on the Carnival Freedom or any other “Fun Ship” vacation, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.
Carnival can also be found on social media:
Twitter.com/carnivalcruise
Facebook.com/carnival
Youtube.com/carnival
Leave a Reply