Carnival Unveils Carnival Magic's Online Home and Invites Fans to Offer Personal Touches to 'Make The Magic Yours'

MIAMI, Aug. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Let the magic begin!  As Carnival Cruise Lines unveils new details about its newest "Fun Ship," Carnival Magic, fans and fun-seekers can now learn more and join in the fun, well before the ship sets sail next year.  

Carnival today launched a new, interactive online home for Carnival Magic (www.carnivalmagic.com) that showcases the ship's standout features through a full-screen virtual tour and more, as well as many ways for "Fun Ship" enthusiasts to add their own unique touches to the new vessel, set to debut May 1, 2011.  

Through the Make the Magic Yours campaign, which includes a wild array of contests and promotions, Carnival is inviting fans of fun to "make the Magic theirs" by submitting ideas and voting on their favorites, while supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital®. The campaign will run Aug. 24, 2010, through Feb. 18, 2011, and Carnival will make a donation of up to $50,000 to St. Jude. The donation to St. Jude is based upon participation and voting.

"The interactive and informative site allows visitors to explore the Carnival Magic through an immersive online experience that spotlights her beauty and fun-filled features, while also taking our reputation for participatory fun for all to a whole new level, months before the ship enters service," said Gerry Cahill, Carnival's president and CEO. "Our Make the Magic Yours campaign offers Carnival fans the chance to put their mark on the Carnival Magic and see their ideas and personalities brought to life in some of the ship's spectacular spaces."

A Magic-Filled Site

From bow to stern, Carnival offers a comprehensive look at the new and exciting features of the Carnival Magic at www.carnivalmagic.com.  Visitors can view a full-screen virtual video tour of the innovative new public spaces aboard Carnival Magic including: RedFrog Pub, Carnival's first-ever pub at sea; the line's Italian captain-inspired Cucina del Capitano restaurant; an expansive indoor/outdoor café and entertainment venue, Ocean Plaza; splash-tastic Carnival WaterWorks aqua park; relaxing Cloud 9 Spa; and all of the fun and exciting youth-related spaces. More spaces will be showcased in the coming months. Guests can learn how they will enjoy each area with beautiful images, and behind-the-scenes videos, as well as share their comments via Facebook Connect or Funville, Carnival's own on-line community.

Visitors will also find the latest Carnival Magic news, interactive deck plans, and images and descriptions of different stateroom accommodations. They can learn more about Carnival Magic's Europe and Caribbean itineraries and explore the ports of calls, and view pricing. With the countdown clock showing 249 days and counting until Carnival Magic's inaugural sailing, visitors can also enjoy exclusive views of the shipbuilding process and learn more about the vessel's construction in Italy.

Fans Add Magic Touches To the Ship

Another great feature of the Carnival Magic microsite, guests can learn more about participating in a sea of fun monthly contests and other promotions that comprise the Make the Magic Yours campaign, which will continue up to Carnival Magic's inaugural sailing in May 2011.  Beyond bragging rights, Carnival will be giving away great prizes – from digital cameras to a free cruise.  And by participating in many elements of the campaign, fans will also do good by generating monetary donations from Carnival to support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, one of the world's premier centers for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other catastrophic diseases.  

Carnival will be challenging fun-seekers everywhere to name some of Carnival Magic's special features, including a gigantic 500-gallon water dump bucket, the largest at sea housed in the WaterWorks aqua park, along with the two-level mini-golf course in SportsSquare, and a delicious dish at Cucina del Capitano, Carnival's first Italian trattoria. Other opportunities include creating fun toasts, coaster sayings and music playlists for its new island-inspired RedFrog Pub.  This winter, kids will be invited to get into the act with creative ways to make the Magic theirs, as well.

Carnival will provide updates on the latest Carnival Magic-related happenings at http:///www.carnivalmagic.com, and on its popular Twitter profile, while the line's more than 250,000 Facebook fans can check out the updated Carnival Magic tab with engaging videos, fun polls, and a new "meet the crew" feature.

Cheers! Give Us Your Best Pub Line

Raise a glass as the Make the Magic Yours campaign begins today with the RedFrog Coaster Contest, challenging grown-up fun-atics to submit their best pub line.  The winning sayings will appear on the thousands of drink coasters used each voyage in Carnival Magic's Caribbean-themed RedFrog Pub as pints of the pub's signature beer, ThirstyFrog Red,  Fun Ship Specials and other beverages are enjoyed by guests.

Through Sept. 7, 2010, Carnival welcomes those ages 21 and above to submit the pub-appropriate lines they believe best capture the magical moments experienced on a Carnival "Fun Ship."  Entries must be 60 characters or less and Carnival coaster-worthy, as they'll be judged by the company based on relevance, creativity and humor, then culled down to 10 finalists – nine chosen by Carnival and one wild card determined by consumer voting.  

In mid-September, Carnival fans and fun-seekers will be invited to vote for their favorite sayings to choose three lucky winners who will be announced later that month.  Each winner will receive a special commemorative version of their RedFrog Pub coasters and other items including a digital camera, RedFrog Pub bartending items and more. Additional information and contest rules are available at www.carnivalmagic.com/contest.

The 3,690-passenger Carnival Magic is slated to debut in Europe with a series of seven- to 12-day Mediterranean cruises operating May 1 – Oct. 16, 2011.  Following a 16-day trans-Atlantic crossing, Carnival Magic will launch seven-day Caribbean service from Galveston, Texas, Nov. 14, 2011, becoming the port's largest year-round cruise ship.

For additional information and reservations on the "Fun Ship" vacation experience, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.

Carnival also can be found on:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/carnivalcruise

Facebook Fan Page: www.facebook.com/carnival

Flickr:  www.flickr.com/photos/carnivalcruiselines/

About Carnival Cruise Lines

Carnival is the most popular cruise line in the world, with 22 "Fun Ships" operating voyages ranging from three to 16 days in length to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England, Europe, and Bermuda.  The line currently has two new 130,000-ton ships on order – Carnival Magic, set to debut from Europe May 1, 2011, and Carnival Breeze, scheduled to enter service in spring 2012.

About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. St. Jude is the first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family's inability to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization. In 2010, St. Jude was ranked the most trusted charity in the nation in a public survey conducted by Harris Interactive, a highly respected international polling and research firm. St. Jude was also named the nation's top children's cancer hospital in the 2010-11 Best Children's Hospitals rankings published by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, go to www.stjude.org.

SOURCE Carnival Cruise Lines