Carnival Cruise Line: Fun For the Whole Family

Families of all ages and sizes love to cruise, and Carnival Cruise Line is a perennial favorite. To catch up on what the line is doing to attract more nuclear and multigenerational families, Vacation Agent posed a number of questions to Adolfo Perez, who was recently promoted to senior vice president of sales and trade marketing at Carnival.

Why is Carnival Cruise Line ideally suited for multigenerational groups and families with children?

On Carnival, there’s truly something on board for just about everyone. We’re the leader in family cruising, carrying more than 800,000 kids a year and offering onboard experiences for all ages that attract the most families in the industry. Not only do Carnival ships feature massive waterparks that are fun, supervised and free, but they also offer children’s programming for kids in three age groups (2-11, 12-14, and 15-17) and an exclusive partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises.

Apart from children’s offerings, we provide guests of all ages with a variety of spaces and activities just for them. For example, we have relaxing adults-only Serenity retreats, late-night comedy, intimate and elegant steakhouses, and cool bar concepts like the cocktail-pharmacy Alchemy Bar. Let’s not forget that Carnival offers all of this at an amazing value.

Do Carnival ships have specific staterooms or suites that can comfortably accommodate large family groups?

Our Family Harbor staterooms, which are available on Carnival Vista and will be on the Carnival Horizon, are located within a dedicated family zone with specially designed family-friendly accommodations, including extra-large family suites accommodating five guests and featuring two bathrooms. These are perfect for large family groups. They also come complete with the Family Harbor Lounge—an exclusive space designed as the ultimate family hangout with large-screen TVs, board games and complimentary breakfast, cookies, and other snacks.

An exclusive family concierge is also on hand, assisting with dining, spa and shore excursion reservations, registering kids for the youth programs, and making recommendations on and off the ship for families with kids of all ages. These truly are a huge hit with families. One night of babysitting is included, as well as complimentary children’s dinners at our specialty restaurants when kids are joined by their parents.

How should an agent promote Carnival to a family planning a modest getaway or a large, multigenerational family group?

Carnival offers such a tremendous value for family cruising—our guests tell us this in post-cruise surveys time and time again. All of the entertainment, onboard activities and dining options are free of charge and are designed to appeal to a wide range of ages and tastes. We know that agents who highlight these aspects of the ‘one size fits all value-filled experience’ have success selling Carnival to multigenerational groups.

Do you have any advice for agents on some of the intricacies involved in booking families, especially larger groups?

When booking large groups, agents really have an opportunity to showcase their value to clients. They can take the ‘family vacation planning hassle’ out of the process by booking all guests in the accommodation category they want, handle many payment plans for all different budgets and ensure the family is taking advantage of the group benefits we offer. This gives the group leader the ability to relax and not worry about coordinating every detail with the extended family.

If large family groups decide to tour together, does Carnival pay commission on group shore excursions?

We do not offer commission on group shore excursions. I would like to note, though, that our group shore excursion experience consistently receives high satisfaction rates from our guests and contributes to the overall positive group cruise satisfaction scores we receive.

Do family groups qualify for amenity points?

Absolutely—and it’s pretty easy to reach [the group threshold] for families, with a minimum of eight cabins (16 guests) qualifying as a group. We also occasionally offer group promotions with accelerated tour conductors’ berths.

What are some of the cutting edge features on the new Carnival Horizon, due out in early April?

Carnival Horizon will feature the first-ever Dr. Seuss themed waterpark at sea, which is sure to be a big hit with both kids and kids at heart. Dr. Seuss WaterWorks will feature The Cat in the Hat-enclosed slide with 450 feet of twists and turns. The entrance resembles The Cat’s famous red-and-white hat with the distinctive color pattern carried throughout the slide in alternating translucent and opaque sections. Carnival Horizon brings back our super popular and fun SkyRide, SkyCourse and IMAX theater, along with some great new dining options like Bonsai Teppanayki and Guy Fieri’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse Brewhouse.

How far in advance do they need to book for vacation during the peak summer season?

While we always offer great deals, it’s best for agents’ family and multigenerational group clients to book in advance to ensure they get the sailing and ship they want along with the various accommodations needed in the group. There’s just no downside to planning ahead.