Carnival Cruise Lines launching new brand partnerships

Categories

Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines on Monday announced a host of new partnerships with brands and celebrities as part of a $500 million initiative.

Called "Fun Ship 2.0," the expansion program will include burger joints from Food Network personality Guy Fieri; comedy clubs overseen by actor and comedian George Lopez; a sports bar linked to video game manufacturer EA Sports; interactive game shows featuring Hasbro games such as Sorry and Simon and more original bars and lounges.

Cruise line executives announced the initiative at a press conference in New York. The Carnival Liberty will be the first ship to offer many of the new options, but 14 ships are scheduled to get the updates through 2015 in the first phase.

Owned by Carnival Corp., the world's largest cruise ship company, Carnival Cruise Lines cultivates a reputation as a fun, memorable value option. What the line, which has 23 ships, hasn't done is form relationships with well-known companies like its competitors have over recent years.

Royal Caribbean International's deal with DreamWorks places characters such as Shrek and Fiona in shows and other onboard activities, while Norwegian Cruise Line has Nickelodeon characters and shows and Disney Cruise Line has a kingdom of fictional personalities to entice kids.

Gerry Cahill, president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines, said the new offerings are an effort to lure guests from any other vacation option on land or sea.

"It's not a reaction to any particular competitor, it's a reaction to the whole travel and tourism sector," he said in an interview with The Miami Herald. "Everyone is trying to make their brand stand out and we're trying to do the same."