Carnival Cruise Lines was a big winner in the annual Cruise Critic Editors’ Pick Awards, taking first-place honors in three categories – Best New Ship (Carnival Breeze), Best Bar (Alchemy Bar) and Best Cruise Line Value.
Carnival Breeze, which launched year-round six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises from Miami November 24, features all of the innovations of the line’s groundbreaking Fun Ship 2.0 product enhancement initiative, along with new features such as the multi-dimensional Thrill Theater, Bonsai Sushi, the line’s first full-service sushi restaurant, and Fat Jimmy’s C-Side BBQ, a complimentary open-air dining venue reminiscent of a backyard barbecue. Commenting on Carnival Breeze, Cruise Critic editors said, “Carnival Breeze embodies a new breed of Carnival’s ‘Fun Ship’ concept with a toned-down tropical feel and new-to-Carnival restaurants and entertainment, while also remaining true to its casual cruising roots. Big hits include a sit-down sushi bar, Guy Fieri’s Burger Joint, and George Lopez’s Punchliner Comedy Club – not to mention a fabulous water park, an adult-only serenity sundeck, and the all-new BlueIguana Tequila Bar.”
Alchemy Bar, a cocktail pharmacy-themed lounge with expert mixologists “prescribing” custom-cocktails using interesting ingredients, debuted on Carnival Liberty last year and has been added to Carnival Conquest and Carnival Glory in recent weeks. The venue will also be featured on Carnival Sunshine (currently sailing as Carnival Destiny) when it debuts next spring. Here’s what Cruise Critic editors had to say about Alchemy Bar: “In Carnival’s new Alchemy Bar, currently available on Carnival Liberty, Carnival Conquest and Carnival Glory, you create your own concoction on a ‘prescription’ pad — and let the bartender do the hard work. Not feeling creative? There’s also a standard bar menu with various drinks for different ‘ailments.’”
This marks third time that Carnival has earned the Best Value for the Money Award – an area of strong emphasis by the line. Many components of Fun Ship 2.0 – Guy’s Burger Joint, Playlist Productions, Fat Jimmy’s C-Side BBQ, Hasbro, The Game Show, BlueIguana Cantina, and the Punchliner Comedy Club presented by George Lopez, among others – are entirely free of charge, making the value proposition at Carnival even greater. Added Cruise Critic editors, “Carnival consistently offers solid prices and hard-to-beat value. As part of its fleetwide Fun Ship 2.0 overhaul, the line is adding burger, BBQ and taco dining venues to a number of ships. And while competitors have increasingly adopted the a la carte dining model, these three eateries, at least, are surcharge-free.”
Source: www.carnival.com
