Vessel will be named in New York on 23 May after a multibillion-dollar transformation in Cadiz
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Kelly Arison, daughter of Carnival Corporation chairman Micky Arison, will christen Carnival Cruise Line’s new Carnival Sunrise when she begins sailing from New York on 23 May 2019.
Formerly Carnival Triumph, the new Carnival Sunrise is currently undergoing a US$200 million bow-to-stern revitalisation in Cadiz, Spain as part of Carnival’s multibillion-dollar ship enhancement programme. Once complete, the vessel will offer all of Carnival’s popular branded food, beverage and entertainment innovations, as well as new guest accommodation.
The invitation-only naming ceremony will take place onboard Carnival Sunrise, which will be berthed at Manhattan Cruise Passenger Terminal. Kelly Arison will take on the same godmother role previously held by her mother Madeline Arison when the ship first entered service as Carnival Triumph in 1999. Her grandmother, Lin Arison, served as godmother to Carnival Sunrise’s sister ship, Carnival Sunshine, in 2013.
“Carnival Cruise Line is proud and delighted that Kelly will serve in this role as she officially names Carnival Sunrise,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “And given the family ties to this ship in particular, we are planning to include some special guests that mean a lot to the Arison family and have played an important part in the history of Carnival Cruise Line.”
During the event, Carnival will also make a donation to the Ehlers-Danlos Society, an organisation dedicated to serving those with joint hypermobility spectrum disorders.
“It is truly an honour to carry on my family’s cherished tradition and join the esteemed women who have so admirably carried out their role as a Carnival godmother over the years,” said Kelly Arison. “This ceremony will not only serve as an exciting and memorable way to officially introduce the spectacular Carnival Sunrise to the Carnival fleet, but also raise awareness of an organisation very near and dear to my heart, the Ehlers-Danlos Society.”
Once christened, Carnival Sunrise will head to Half Moone Cruise Center in Norfolk, Virginia to sail a series of five- to seven-day cruises to various destinations in the Caribbean. From 23 May, the vessel will offer voyages from New York to Bermuda, New England and the Canadian Maritimes, and the Caribbean. At the end of October, Carnival Sunrise will reposition to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and operate four- and five-day itineraries to the Caribbean and the Bahamas, before heading back to New York in spring 2020.