Kicking off year-long 50th birthday festivities, CCL-Carnival Cruise Line revealed details on its “Sailabrations” voyages that will commence later this week and run through March 10.
The commemorative birthday voyages will feature at-sea ship meetups, special entertainment, and programming.
Prior to stepping onboard, passengers will be welcomed into the line’s cruise terminals-turned-birthday parties with music, decor, and signage. Upon embarkation, the celebration starts as each cruise ship will host a 50th Birthday Bash Sailaway Party.
Unique entertainment that is expected to debut on the Sailabrations includes Carnival-themed puzzles, a Build-A-Bear Birthday Party featuring the debut of a cuddly bear, a Rollin’ In Riches casino event, 1972 fun-fact trivia with commemorative medallions. The sailings also include the debut of exclusive collections of specially-designed retail offerings.
The 17 themed Sailabrations allow guests to not only celebrate onboard but also with other CCL ships. Liners throughout the CCL fleet will meet to host the largest birthday parties at sea.
The meetups include:
- March 5: Radiance, Miracle (Baja, Mexico, outside Ensenada)
- March 7: Breeze, Ecstasy, Glory, Mardi Gras, Pride, Sunrise, Vista (Western Caribbean, between Cozumel & Costa Maya)
- March 9: Conquest, Spirit, Freedom, Legend, Liberty, Sunshine (The Bahamas, between Eleuthera & Nassau)
- March 11: Miracle, Panorama (Baja, Mexico, outside Ensenada).
The biggest Ship-Tok at sea will be led by the Cruise Director and Fun Squad. This choreographed dance is inspired by the 50th birthday and will be posted on TikTok. Passengers are encouraged to wear red, white and blue in order to show their Carnival spirit.
Guests will have the chance to indulge in a commemorative dining menu for 1 night that features some of CCL’s most popular dishes from the past fifty years.
Passengers will also be presented with a 50th birthday feature to create birthday bites wherever they choose to dine. A selection of birthday-themed beverages are due to debut on the voyages, including a Birthday Bellini at Seaday Brunch, a Carnival Birthday Beer from the line’s own brewmasters that will be both canned and on tap, as well as Carnival’s 50th Birthday Tini.
Vacationers can expect to witness the line’s original MDR show set to Bob Marley’s classic “Could You Be Loved,” and a Baked Alaska Farewell Parade on the final evening.
Carnival Miracle is the first Sailabration cruise to set sail when she leaves Los Angeles (Long Beach-San Pedro, California) on February 20 on a Carnival Journeys voyage to Hawaii. Most other Sailabrations depart the week of March 5.
Serving as the culmination of the festivities, Carnival Celebration will be named in PortMiami Florida in late November at the transformed Terminal F.