MIAMI, Aug. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- On the heels of its Princess Cruises brand announcing that it will host The Voice of the Oceanand its Holland America Line brand announcing its Dancing with the Stars: At Sea Champions Cruise, Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest travel and leisure company, continues to enhance the vacation experience for its 11 million annual guests by delivering one-of-a-kind entertainment offerings across its family of 10 global cruise line brands.
"With special partnerships and interactive performance offerings, we're bringing the best entertainers and entertainment brands to sea to make sure our guests have plenty of options to enjoy across our 10 brands," said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation. "Our collective goal is to consistently exceed the expectations of our guests by providing a great vacation at an exceptional value, and our guests – whether they are first-time or seasoned cruisers – let us know all the time that having great entertainment is one of the many reasons they enjoy going on a cruise vacation – and how much they appreciate the entertainment being a built-in part of their experience."
This week's announcements add to the company's dynamic lineup of entertainment offerings. They include:
- Princess Cruises brings the excitement and spectacle of TV's popular international singing competition to the high seas, live and on-stage, with The Voice of the Ocean. The show comes to life throughout the cruise with auditions, mentor rehearsal sessions, the iconic "I Want You" chairs, three charismatic team coaches and ultimately a live finale performance where guests choose the winner. Complete with the red button and rotating chairs, the singing competition will debut October 10 aboard the Regal Princess when she begins her season sailing to New England and Canada, followed by Royal Princess and Caribbean Princess in November. Eight additional Princess Cruises ships will offer The Voice of the Ocean between January and May of 2016. For full details, see the Princess Cruise news release here.
- Holland America Line has added professional dancers and Mirrorball Trophy winners Tony Dovolani and Kym Johnson, along with celebrity personality Carson Kressley and America's favorite TV mom Florence Henderson to the Dancing with the Stars: At Sea Champions Cruise -- departing Fort Lauderdale on January 10, 2016, and to the January 3, 2016, theme cruise the week prior. When ms Nieuw Amsterdam sets sail for the Caribbean on two seven-day voyages, guests will be able to watch these four fan favorites perform routines from ABC's hit TV show, as well as enjoy dance lessons with the ship's professional dancers, a special fashion show featuring glamorous costumes from the TV program and a chance to meet the stars, ask questions and take photos. For full details, see the Holland America Line news release here.
- The company's ultra-luxury brand Seabourn unveiled plans this week for its new show lounge, The Grand Salon, aboard its newest vessel, Seabourn Encore. Featuring striking elements by design icon Adam D. Tihany, designing the indoor and outdoor areas aboard Seabourn Encore, the main show lounge will present a sophisticated setting for performances, from new shows by popular entertainers to local, cultural productions from ashore and engaging guest speakers from the line's popular enrichment series, Seabourn Conversations, such as legendary American journalist Dan Rather and Forbes Media Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Steve Forbes. For more details, see the Seabourn news release here.
- The Carnival Cruise Line brand also recently announced its popular Carnival LIVE concert series will feature BOSTON, Lionel Richie and Heart onboard select ships, starting later this month. For full details, see the Carnival Cruise Line news release here.
As a group, the Carnival Corporation family of 10 brands is constantly evolving entertainment to bring the best possible experiences to its guests – from onboard performance competitions to partnerships with renowned entertainers and brands to integration of celebrity talent into entertainment offerings. Carnival Corporation brands also feature an exciting lineup of performers, including comedians, singers, dancers, circus-like acts and more.
Exclusive Concerts and Engaging Entertainment
Carnival Corporation's brands enlist some of the best entertainers in the world to bring high-energy, memorable performances to their guests whether docked at an exotic port or sailing across the ocean.
Carnival LIVE: For the second year, Carnival Cruise Line will tap Grammy Award and CMA Award-winning artists and nominees to perform onboard select ships while docked in Cozumel, Nassau and St. Thomas. Bringing the best of musical entertainment to the seas, Carnival LIVE is a first-in-the-cruise-industry entertainment offering that provides guests an opportunity to experience captivating concerts by major musical artists at a tremendous value.
Concerts are held in the ships' intimate main theaters – ranging in guest capacity from 900 to 1,300 – meaning there's never a bad seat in the house. BOSTON brings its high-energy performances to Carnival Sunshine, Carnival Fantasy, Carnival Sensation and Carnival Ecstasy on August 19-22 in Nassau. Multiple Grammy and Oscar award-winning singer Lionel Richie will have audiences "dancing on the ceiling" on Carnival Freedom Oct. 14 and Carnival Pride Oct. 15 while those ships are docked in Nassau. Guests can enjoy shipboard performances in Cozumel by rock legends Heart on Oct. 20 aboard Carnival Paradise, Oct. 21 aboard Carnival Ecstasy and Oct. 22 aboard Carnival Breeze.
Exclusive Concerts on Cunard's Queen Mary 2: This fall, renowned musical artists will perform a series of exclusive concerts onboard Cunard's flagship, Queen Mary 2, during its transatlantic crossing. On Sept. 4, Grammy Award-winning trio Crosby, Stills & Nash will perform some of their greatest hits in the Royal Court Theatre. They will also participate in a Q&A session and special autograph opportunity.
On Oct. 29, guests can experience the best Jazz at Sea aboard Queen Mary 2 featuring Natalie Cole, Robert Glasper, Derrick Hodge, Lionel Leuke, Marcus Strickland, Kendrick Scott, Keyon Harrold, Derrick Hodge and more. The president of Blue Note Records, Don Was, a celebrated musician and Grammy Award-winning producer, will also sail during this musical voyage.
Holland America's new ms Koningsdam debuts The World Stage: On Holland America Line's new ms Koningsdam, debuting in April 2016, entertainment meets innovation with a new main theater two stories high and 250 feet that surrounds guests with a 270-degree, high-definition LED screen with state-of-the-art lighting, projection and sound systems. Breaking from the line's traditionally styled theaters, The World Stage is a flexible space with multiple stage configurations, ranging from in-the-round to more conventional proscenium staging. The theater will initially host five new productions performed in repertory by a cast sourced from around the world.
Onboard Performance Competitions
The company's announcements this week build on the success of other entertainment programs in which several of Carnival Corporation's brands are harnessing the talent of their guests and celebrity performers for exciting onboard performance competitions.
AIDA Cruises begins its The Voice of the Ocean in October: Since spring 2014, the company's German-based AIDA Cruises, in collaboration with Talpa Media, has been hosting The Voice of the Ocean. The fall season of the series will start on October 2015 onboard AIDAaura and AIDAvita.
BBC's "Strictly Come Dancing" featured on P&O Cruises UK: Professional dancers, judges and guests from the BBC One series "Strictly Come Dancing" will be joining several voyages from the company's Southampton, England-based P&O Cruises brand during 2015 and 2016, bringing the glamor of the ballroom to guests' days onboard. Guests can take dance masterclasses and get tips from the professionals. Every 2015 cruise with over three sea days features its own dedicated "Strictly Come Dancing" competition. All guests are welcome to enter the competition, giving them an exclusive opportunity to become part of the magic.
Partnerships with Renowned Entertainers and Organizations
The company's brands partner with highly regarded personalities and organizations to ensure guests have access to the best and the brightest in entertainment.
Oscar winner Stephen Schwartz producing musicals for Princess Cruises: Princess Cruises recently announced a first-of-its-kind cruise industry partnership with Stephen Schwartz, the three-time Oscar winner and composer of Wicked, Pippin and Godspell. He will oversee the creative development of four new musicals to debut across the line's fleet over the next four years. The first musical, Magic to Do, incorporates some of Schwartz's most famous songs of magic. He will also write a new song for the show, which debuts on the Crown Princess in the fall.
Holland America teams up with Lincoln Center for Performing Arts: On three of its ships, Holland America Line is adding Lincoln Center Stage, a new onboard live music venue created in an exclusive partnership with Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, a leader in artistic programming, arts and education and community relations. Each Lincoln Center Stage will showcase an ensemble performing chamber music, with world-class musicians performing multiple programs nightly. On those occasions when guests are enjoying a leisurely day at sea aboard ship, the ensemble will play afternoon recitals. Lincoln Center Stage will debut on ms Eurodam in January 2016, on ms Koningsdam as part of the Music Walk complex in April 2016 and on ms Oosterdam also in April 2016.
Billboard Onboard showcases music hits and performers on Holland America Line: Additionally, Holland America Line will debut its new live interactive music experience, Billboard Onboard, on the line's first Pinnacle-class ship, ms Koningsdam, which will set sail on its Premier Voyage on April 8, 2016. The new programming is in partnership with Billboard, the leading global destination for charts, news, trends and innovations in music. Billboard Onboard will showcase live musicians using 50 years of chart-topping hits for a unique live music experience. They will take turns performing dynamic shows centered on the interesting facts and figures of the music industry as chronicled by Billboard. Between the nightly sets and songs, guests can sing and play along with trivia questions presented on screens throughout the room.
Holland America features B.B. King's Blue Club: B.B. King's Blues Club will also be part of the new Music Walk complex on ms Koningsdam — making it the eighth ship in the fleet to feature the Memphis music experience. Direct from Beale Street, the B.B. King All-Star Band — an eight-piece group featuring two vocalists backed by rhythm and horn sections — brings the best of the city's music to sea. From funky and fast to soulful and smooth, the band performs six nights a week in the Queen's Lounge. During performances, the venue evokes the atmosphere of their namesake clubs on land with images of the legendary blues guitar legend. B.B. King's Blues Club is currently featured on ms Eurodam, ms Noordam, ms Nieuw Amsterdam, ms Oosterdam, ms Westerdam and ms Zuiderdam.
Comedian George Lopez laughs it up with Carnival Cruise Line: Carnival Cruise Line has teamed up with renowned comedian and TV personality George Lopez. As Carnival Cruise Line's "curator of comedy," Lopez helps select talent for the brand's onboard Punchliner Comedy Clubs across the fleet.
About Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest cruise company in the world, with a portfolio of 10 cruise brands in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, comprised of Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises (Australia), P&O Cruises (UK) and Fathom.
Together, these brands operate 99 ships totaling 216,000 lower berths with nine new ships scheduled to be delivered between 2016 and 2018. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour companies in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only group in the world to be included in both the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100 indices.
Additional information can be found on www.carnival.com, www.hollandamerica.com, www.princess.com, www.seabourn.com, www.aida.de, www.costacruise.com, www.cunard.com, www.pocruises.com, www.pocruises.com and www.fathom.org.
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SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation Media Contacts: Roger Frizzell, Carnival Corporation, rfrizzell@carnival.com, (305) 406-7862, or Mike Flanagan, LDWWgroup, mike@ldwwgroup.com, (727) 452-4538
