Carnival parade Carnival Cruise Line, one of the modern cruise pioneers, turns 50 this year. President Christine Duffy tells Anthony Roberts how the anniversary has provided an opportunity to do what the company does best: embrace fun Much has changed since Carnival Cruise Line launched with its first ship, Mardi Gras, in 1972. A former transatlantic liner purchased from Canadian Pacific Line, the vessel was of its time but also a pioneer. Refitted by the nascent company, which was one of the first modern cruise lines, the vessel provided a springboard that helped to usher in a new era of holidaying by creating a market for the purpose-built cruise ships that soon followed it. Fifty years on, Carnival debuted a ship that carries the same Mardi Gras name but holds more than 10 times the number of guests (6,000 compared to 500) and hosts, among many other innovative things, the world’s first shipboard roller coaster, named BOLT. When Carnival first launched, such features would have been unimaginable. One thing that has stayed the same throughout the past 50 years, however, is the brand’s emphasis on enjoyment. The original Mardi Gras was billed as “27,000 tons of fun”, a word that still features prominently in the brand’s ethos today. Unsurprisingly, the brand, which is part of Carnival Corporation, isn’t letting its half-century anniversary go by without a celebration. “To kick off our year-long 50th birthday festivities, we had a series of 17 really fun ‘Sailabrations’ cruises that featured at-sea ship meetups, special entertainment and programming,” says Christine Duffy, the line’s president since 2014. “We have also had a number of other celebratory moments in various homeports, port of call destinations and within our in-person and online offerings. And, as the ultimate birthday gift to our loyal guests, everything will culminate with Carnival Celebration’s debut in November as she arrives to her homeport of PortMiami, our long-term partner. The ship features the Golden Jubilee bar Carnival Celebration will debut in Miami in November 2022. Right, Carnival Corporation’s chairman Micky Arison and vice chair Arnold Donald mark Carnival Cruise Line’s 50th anniversary with Christine Duffy 5 4 INTERV IEW
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