The first Carnival Cruise ship set off 50 years ago when the Mardi Gras, a refurbished Transatlantic liner purchased from Canadian Pacific Line, set sail from Miami.
The Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) struggled for the first few years financially, until in 1975 it changed its marketing strategy to the one familiar to fans now, which is emphasizing all the fun, food and generally frivolity you get aboard a ship rather than the importance of the destination.
This strategy, plus diversifying the line and responding to changing customers tastes, has served the company well, and helped it grow into one of the most recognizable names in the cruise industry.
The pandemic was especially tough on the cruise industry, and Carnival Cruise Line was no exception. But now that the industry is getting back to normal, thanks to some safety procedures, Carnival is in the mood to celebrate, and it’s got something special planned for its biggest fans.
What Is Carnival Cruise Planning For Its 50th Birthday?
In order to get the party started right, Carnival has introduced The Golden Jubilee, a luxury bar and lounge area serving up specialty, old-fashioned cocktails.
It will debut this November on the Carnival Celebration, the company’s newest cruise, and it will be located on Deck 6, in the same location as The Brass Magnolia lounge on the Mardi Gras.
The lounge’s decor is designed as a nostalgic look back at Carnival’s history, replete with porthole-like round windows instead of squared windows.
There will also be a gallery installation that will depict Carnival's evolution through six decorative porthole windows featuring three-dimensional dioramas, one for each decade of the company’s history and one telling its future.
There will also be an original vintage engine telegraph from 1955 set to “Full Ahead.” And the nostalgic touches don’t end there, as there will be coins for every ship in the fleet, both past and present, embedded into the floor design.
What Else Will Be On The Golden Jubilee?
The bar and lounge will serve elevated versions of the cocktails that have been popular on the cruises since 1972, including a Harvey Wallbanger and Tom Collins.
There will also be plenty of decorative etchings, and recreated chairs, tiles, cocktail tables and multi-piece brass chandeliers celebrating different cruises from throughout Carnival’s history.
And to top of the celebration, the lounge will also display a bronze statue of Carnival founder Ted Arison and Finnish shipbuilder Martin Saarikangas that was originally given as a gift from the Kvaerner Masa-Yards to the company upon delivery of Carnival Sensation in Helsinki, Finland, in 1993.
Carnival has announced five different zones aboard Carnival Celebration: 820 Biscayne, Celebration Central, The Ultimate Playground, Summer Landing and Lido. The Golden Jubilee will be in a final, as-of-yet unannounced zone.
There will also be a roller coaster at the top of the ship.
Carnival Cruise
Where Will The Carnival Celebration Be Sailing To?
The Carnival Celebration, which will be the company’s second ship to be powered by a Liquefied Natural Gas propulsion system, will sail for five-, six-, seven- and eight-day cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean.
