Latest news with #Carnival
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Carnival Cruise Line rep addresses adults-only cruise controversy
Carnival Cruise Line rep addresses adults-only cruise controversy originally appeared on Come Cruise With Me. Adults-only cruises have been a big hit for the hip Virgin Voyages cruise brand. These kid-free cruise vacations have become so popular that many cruisers have begun to wonder whether other cruise lines would break with classic cruise tradition to test out the new style of sailing, Carnival Cruise Line fans often write to the cruise line's brand ambassador, John Heald, on his popular Facebook page with questions and requests about adults-only cruises. Few people expected that the family cruise line would actually add adult-exclusive sailings, though. On his page, Heald even told passengers he didn't think that would ever happen. But then it did. Why the sudden shift? Is Carnival Cruise Line moving toward becoming an adults-only cruise line? Those were some of the questions swirling around the internet after Carnival recently announced a series of casino-exclusive sailings and SEA cruises — sailings exclusively for adults. Sailing from Miami on select dates this summer and fall aboard Carnival Conquest and Carnival Magic, these specialty itineraries are casino-focused cruises featuring expanded casino access and other perks for Carnival Players Club casino loyalty program the release of these specialty sailings led to rumors that Carnival is moving to become an adults-only cruise line, John Heald was quick to set the record straight. 'Please ignore that; we are a proud family cruise line, we have been and I'm sure we always will be,' Heald insisted in a video message posted on his Facebook page. Heald assured his followers that the only reason Carnival is offering adults-only casino cruises is because of schedule changes for Carnival cruise ship dry docks — maintenance and refurbishment that cruise ships undergo every few years.'This all is because we moved Carnival Magic's dry dock and the casino have taken a couple of cruises and made them adults only. They're making special casino offers to people,' Heald explained. Since both Carnival Magic and Carnival Conquest won't be out of service as originally planned for a few weeks later this year, the cruise line decided to offer some special invitation-only casino cruises to fill the reason these sailings are adults only is simply because they're casino cruises. 'Now, because they are casino offers, we cannot make those casino offers to children, which is why these cruises are for adults only because they are casino-based offered cruises and they are very popular,' Heald pointed out. These new offerings have made the brand ambassador more open to entertaining the possibility of future adults-only Carnival cruises, however. 'I understand why people are saying, 'Oh, we need an adults' cruise,'' Heald noted. 'So listen, I don't know what the future is going to hold, but let me just tell you we are not moving to an adults-only cruise line now.' More Carnival cruise news:Those who want to continue to enjoy Carnival cruises with kids shouldn't fret. 'This is not something that you should be concerned about because for every one person who says, 'I would love an adults-only cruise,' there are many who have written and said, 'What do I do with my children, my grandchildren?'' Heald explained. 'No, we are a proud family cruise line,' the brand ambassador reiterated. 'These were cruise-specific situations, so please ignore what some people have been highlighting.' (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472. This story was originally reported by Come Cruise With Me on May 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Royal Caribbean and Carnival are racing to grow their private islands and resorts. Here's how their new cruise destinations compare.
Large cruise lines are expanding their collections of private islands and resorts. Royal Caribbean has been a leader with its themepark-like island. Now, competitors like Carnival are coming. Here's how Carnival's Celebration Key and Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day Mexico compare. Royal Caribbean might need to post a lookout from its theme park-like private island: Its biggest competitor is steaming straight ahead. Carnival is set to open a multi-complex resort, Celebration Key, in July on the Grand Bahama Island. And it'll be packed with amenities that so far have been decidedly Royal Caribbean's turf: water slides, swim-up bars, and pay-to-enter clubs. It's not alone: Almost every major cruise company is rushing to develop its collection of private destinations. Norwegian is building a pier and new resort-like amenities at its Caribbean island, Great Stirrup Cay. And MSC is building a second, smaller island next to its first, Ocean Cay. They all come on the heels of Royal Caribbean's wildly successful island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, which arguably kickstarted the cruise-to-resort boom when it launched in 2019. Royal Caribbean has invested $350 million into enhancing the island with features like a ticketed adult-only lounge. Emphasis on "ticketed" — it's a key reason cruise companies are expanding their resort portfolios. These in-house warm-weather retreats both maximize profits and reduce fuel expenditure due to their proximity to Florida's major look at how Royal Caribbean and Carnival are going head-to-head with their coming destinations. undefined Celebration Key and Perfect Day Mexico: sisters, not twins. Both cruise-owned resorts are intended to be complimentary to enter. But it's not all free: Guests will encounter add-on fees for different amenities. They'll also each have more than 30 food and beverage options scattered throughout different districts, designed for different travelers. At both resorts, five segments are fairly comparable: an arrivals area, a premium club, stretches of beaches, an adult-only lounge, and a laid-back family-friendly pool. Only Carnival's Celebration Key plans to have a shopping district. The open-air retail center, called Lokono Cove, is set to carry a variety of gift shop inventory made by local Bahamian artists. Royal Caribbean says Perfect Day Mexico will also sell locally made souvenirs, although it's unclear where these stores will be. Similarly, only Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day Mexico is expected to have a complete waterpark. Royal Caribbean is recreating Perfect Day at CocoCay's best amenity — its 14-slide waterpark, which can cost about $100 per person to enter — at Perfect Day Mexico. Plans for the new Loco Waterpark span over 30 rides, including a six-person raft slide and two 170-foot-tall, over two-minute-long racing slides. There will also be a kids' section and various pools for the youngest guests. Carnival's Celebration Key isn't expected to have a waterpark, although the company does say its family pool, Starfish Lagoon, will have a children's water play area and two 350-foot-long, 10-story-tall slides. Starfish Lagoon is Carnival's take on a kid-friendly resort pool. In addition to the water amenities, Carnival says Starfish Lagoon will have outdoor games and sports, a swim-up bar, hammocks, and both floating and on-land cabanas — all centered on a large pool. Royal Caribbean's family area, Splash Cove, should look drastically different — and lazier. In addition to a 100,000-square-foot pool and a water playground, Perfect Day Mexico's Splash Cove is said to have the cruise line's first lazy river, dotted with in-water bars, rentable cabanas, and a high-energy path with waves and rapids. Looking for an escape from the kids? Royal Caribbean promises El Hideaway — and Carnival promotes Calypso Lagoon. Calypso Lagoon shares Starfish Lagoon's large pool and sports amenities. To make it grown-up-friendly, its plans also include a bar with 50 swinging seats and an adult-only section marked by a DJ, plenty of lounge chairs, and, of course, rentable cabanas. Both Calypso and Starfish share a mile-long beach. Perfect Day Mexico's beach is set to be about twice as long. Unlike Calypso Lagoon, Perfect Day Mexico's adult-only El Hideaway would require a day pass (likely with a fee) to enter. Once inside, Royal Caribbean says guests will have amenities like a swim-up bar, a DJ, and a rentable 20-person cabana with a private pool and bar. If you want to spend big, pay for the premium beach clubs: Perfect Day Mexico's Costa and Celebration Key's Pearl Cove. Perfect Day Mexico's Costa Beach Club and Celebration Key's Pearl Cove Beach Club are expected to operate as upscale waterfront lounges with high-end restaurants and infinity pools. Carnival's is meant to be adult-only. Both resorts could become the centerpiece of their cruise lines' itineraries. Carnival says it will continue expanding Celebration Key after its July debut, including building a $100 million pier extension to simultaneously accommodate four of its largest ships by 2026. Almost all of the company's vessels are currently scheduled to visit Celebration Key. By 2028, Carnival says the resort will be capable of welcoming 4 million travelers annually. Similarly, Cruise Critic reported that Perfect Day Mexico will be able to accommodate up to 21,000 guests daily. And by 2027, 90% of Royal Caribbean's Caribbean guests will sail to a Perfect Day resort: CocoCay, Mexico, or both. Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Carnival and Royal Caribbean both have this surprising extra charge
Carnival and Royal Caribbean both have this surprising extra charge originally appeared on Come Cruise With Me. No matter which cruise line you sail, there's no shortage of food included in your fare. Passenger meals are unlimited in most onboard dining venues and cruisers can typically find food available at all it comes to snacking, cruisers can hit up the onboard buffet as often as they like, and enjoy unlimited soft-serve ice cream cones poolside, too. Not every food served on board is included, however. Certain meals, snacks, and desserts are available for an extra charge on a cruise, but most of those are upgrades like specialty dining experiences and gourmet treats. With so much food included in a standard cruise fare, many cruisers are surprised to find out that one popular snack that costs very little to make will cost you extra on some cruise lines' ships. The seemingly unnecessary charge for this snack leaves a bad taste in the mouths of some cruisers, often leading to accusations of cruise line popcorn was once offered at no additional cost during Carnival Cruise Line's Dive-In Movies under the stars, passengers now have to pay $4 to enjoy popcorn with their poolside movie. Similarly, on Royal Caribbean cruises, popcorn that's offered for shows and events on board costs around $3.50. Even on Disney Cruise Line, which doesn't even charge extra for sodas like other lines do, popcorn isn't Disney Cruise Line ships, popcorn is available for purchase at a snack bar located outside of the main theater as well as the onboard movie theater. A regular cup of popcorn costs around $4. Disney Cruise Line also offers souvenir popcorn buckets, which usually range in price from $8 to $25, depending on their design. Popcorn bucket refills cost around $ Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald regularly receives questions and complaints about the cruise line's popcorn charge on his popular Facebook page, where he responds to hundreds of questions and concerns from passengers every day. 'I remember the good old days on Carnival when there wasn't an up-charge for every little thing,' Penny Kinder Strate recently wrote to the brand ambassador. 'I actually got the 2 cups of popcorn in the little bags while watching the outdoor movie for free. Now it is a ridiculous $4.00.' Although Heald could choose to ignore comments like this, he and his colleague Jacinta endeavor to respond to every cruiser who comments on a dedicated Facebook post that the brand ambassador opens for questions and requests each day. 'Thank you, well hopefully you won't base your cruise experience on popcorn, and I mean that with the greatest respect,' Heald replied. 'You don't have to buy it and there is so much complimentary food, especially [in the Lido] deck area.' More Carnival cruise news:Heald also explained why the cruise line began charging for popcorn some time ago. 'And the reason we charge is when it was free, it became a mess with people grabbing so much and wasting most of it,' Heald noted. Whether on the Lido deck or in a theater, popcorn can easily create big messes, especially when it's served to kids. Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruise Line haven't publicly explained why they charge for popcorn like Carnival has, but some passengers speculate that it's for a similar reason. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472. This story was originally reported by Come Cruise With Me on May 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Carnival (CCL) Laps the Stock Market: Here's Why
Carnival (CCL) closed the most recent trading day at $23.16, moving +0.7% from the previous trading session. The stock's change was more than the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.4%. Meanwhile, the Dow gained 0.28%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, added 0.39%. The cruise operator's shares have seen an increase of 25.41% over the last month, surpassing the Consumer Discretionary sector's gain of 8.94% and the S&P 500's gain of 6.69%. Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Carnival in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is predicted to post an EPS of $0.23, indicating a 109.09% growth compared to the equivalent quarter last year. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $6.2 billion, up 7.19% from the year-ago period. For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $1.85 per share and a revenue of $26.05 billion, representing changes of +30.28% and +4.12%, respectively, from the prior year. It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for Carnival. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the company's business outlook. Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable rating system. The Zacks Rank system, running from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), holds an admirable track record of superior performance, independently audited, with #1 stocks contributing an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.38% higher. Carnival currently has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). In terms of valuation, Carnival is presently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 12.41. This expresses a discount compared to the average Forward P/E of 19.52 of its industry. We can also see that CCL currently has a PEG ratio of 0.54. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. As the market closed yesterday, the Leisure and Recreation Services industry was having an average PEG ratio of 1.5. The Leisure and Recreation Services industry is part of the Consumer Discretionary sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 89, which puts it in the top 37% of all 250+ industries. The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1. To follow CCL in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Carnival Corporation (CCL) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
It's not just kissing swans anymore. Towel art has risen to a whole new level.
As any traveler can attest to, it's the unique touches in hotel rooms and cruise cabins that make a trip that much more memorable. For both adults and children, there's nothing more uplifting than walking into your room to find a towel folded into the shape of a lovable animal. But how did the art form of origami make its way to the hospitality industry? The history of origami is as complex as the intricately folded paper. Many scholars believe that the invention of paper in China, around 100 B.C.E., coincided with the first attempts at paper folding. It was the Japanese who made origami, originally known as orikata, a large part of their culture. Because paper was very expensive, the art form was mostly used for religious rituals by the wealthy, including wrapping offerings to the gods. It wasn't until the Edo period (1603-1868) and the cost reduction of the washi paper that origami became more widespread. With the end of sakoku, the isolationist foreign policy, and the opening of trade, origami began seeing more foreign influence. Friedrich Froebel, the man responsible for kindergarten, used paper folding between 1851 and the 1920s to teach children mathematical knowledge. The art form didn't stop at paper. As early as 1529, high courts of Europe folded linen and other fabrics for decoration. Today, the art of origami inspires advancements in fields like architecture, medicine, biology, and robotics. Some modern-day inventions that are in debt to origami engineering are the ability for rapid rebuilding of structures following natural disasters; and for creating a small, flexible tool that attaches to laparoscopes and endoscopes that can quickly expand and contract so that surgeons can clean the scope without having to remove it from the surgical site. (Origami is revolutionizing technology, from medicine to space) As for towel origami, according to Stefan Christoffersson, vice president of housekeeping and logistics at Carnival Cruise Line, it was first popularized by a lieutenant of the cabin in the 1980s, and as it gained popularity, became an official part of the cruise line's stay in 1991. The popularity of towel art has maintained its appeal and Carnival even went as far as offering on-board classes for guests and publishing a book of 40 designs people could try at home. Royal Caribbean Cruises has also embraced towel art as an immersive activity for guests, offering classes and a how-to pamphlet. The possibilities are seemingly endless, and websites like Pinterest and Youtube are proof that people are loving every creation and eager to learn the art form for themselves. Even today, towel folding is one of the anticipated highlights of cruise trips. Towel art has now migrated to land and has become a common sight in hotels with a large tourist population, like the Caribbean. Towel origami can be found at larger resorts, like Club Med and Beaches, to smaller hotels like the eco-friendly Black Rock Lodge in Belize. What originated as a show-stopping, elaborate housekeeping trick evolved into something even as small as the clam shell-shaped hand towel in the showers at the Cliff House on the rocky shores of Maine. Towel art goes beyond aesthetics. For some resorts, it adds a more immersive experience for the guests. Felicia Allen-Myers, group manager of butler services at Beaches Resort, says that she once had hotel guests who saved each towel art creation throughout their stay, and by the end of the week, had a complete zoo. The art form has become so integral to guests' stays that Beaches Resort has included towel folding in their butler training. Allen-Myers says that the resort's butlers learn towel art techniques from a senior butler, and also do their own research on YouTube or Pinterest to generate ideas. Most important, says Allen-Meyers, are the conversations that butlers have with their guests. 'We have to understand who the guest is before we can actually create solid art for them.' Depending on the complexity of the design and the skill level, 'basic folds like a heart and swan can take five-to-10 minutes, but for other designs like the butterfly, octopus, dinosaur, or peacock, it may take 10-to-15 minutes—sometimes as much as 30 minutes to an hour,' says Allen-Meyers. Christoffersson notes that while there isn't an official classroom for Carnival employees, 'if you're a housekeeping attendant, your next position would be state assistant, and when they're in the cabins learning with the state of attendants, they will teach them how to create the designs.' The earliest origami designs were butterfly figures used to decorate sake cups at special events like weddings, and of course, the well-known crane design. The crane holds a special role in Japanese culture as a national treasure and is considered the bird of happiness. What originated as a paper crane has now evolved into more diverse designs. (Traditional Japanese crafts are at risk. Here's how travelers can help.) Christoffersson agrees that the designs have become more ambitious. "We just launched for the Australian market, and we took the Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter down there, so the team decided to come up with kangaroo towel animals, even including the baby kangaroo in the pouch.' For the 50th anniversary of the Carnival's creation, the staff wanted to create a towel macaw. 'We chose the macaw because it lives around 50 years, so they came up with the various different samples for it, and it turned out really nice.' From cruises to hotels, travelers are excited to enter rooms to find anything from towel monkeys, elephants, kissing swans, and even towel people lounging on beds or even sitting on the toilet reading the newspaper. According to Christoffersson, a false rumor began a few years ago that Carnival was putting an end to towel art in their guest cabins. The staff created a group of towel animals, all holding signs like 'we're not leaving.' The towel animals have spoken, and they're not going anywhere. Megan Margulies, an author and journalist based outside of Boston, writes about health, motherhood, travel, and the natural world.
