By
Rebecca Gibson |
Lin Arison, the wife of Carnival Cruise Lines’ late founder Ted Arison, is to christen Carnival Sunshine following a recent £100 million renovation project.
Arison, a noted philanthropist, arts education advocate, author and producer, will rename the former Carnival Destiny during an onboard ceremony at her New Orleans homeport on 17 November.
“Carnival Sunshine holds a special place in my heart and I am honoured to serve as godmother,” said Arison, who named the ship when it was Carnival Destiny in 1996. She also christened the line’s first ship Mardis Gras in 1972 and Holiday in 1985, making her the only person to serve as godmother to three Carnival ships.
During the event, Carnival will donate US$25,000 to both the Miami-based National YoungArts Foundation and New World Symphony, which were founded by Ted and Lin Arison to support emerging artists and musicians.
“Carnival Sunshine’s transformation was nothing short of spectacular and we wanted someone as special as Lin, who has a deep connection with Carnival Cruise Lines, to serve as godmother,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival president and CEO. “Providing families with a memorable vacation experience is at the heart of our success and Lin’s passion for fostering the artistic development of youth through her charitable endeavors made her the perfect choice.”
Carnival Sunshine was launched in Europe in May 2013 following an extensive refurbishment, which introduced a range of onboard innovations and elements of the line’s Fun Ship 2.0 enhancement programme.
The 102,853 gt ship offers a top-deck SportSquare recreation area, a three-level, adults-only Serenity retreat and a WaterWorks water park featuring the Fun Ship fleet’s longest slide. The vessel also has a range of bars and dining venues, including the RedFrog Pub, Havana Bar, BlueIguana Cantina and the line’s first full-service Asian restaurant Ji Ji Asian Kitchen.
After arriving making its North American debut at its New Orleans homeport in November, Carnival Sunshine will offer a series of seven-day Caribbean cruises until the end of March 2014. She will then sail an 11-day cruise departing from New Orleans to Port Canaveral in April, visiting Montego Bay, Aruba, Curaçao and St Thomas.
Following a two-day Bahamas cruise departing 17 April, Carnival Sunshine will launch year-round, port-intensive, seven-day Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral to the eastern and western Caribbean. The ship will also provide eight-day Caribbean cruises and five-day departures featuring Florida, Caribbean and Bahamian ports.