Delivery Ceremonies for Carnival Cruise Lines Carnival Splendor Ship Begin

Carnival Cruise Lines today officially took delivery of its newest "Fun Ship" and largest vessel ever constructed, the new 113,300-ton Carnival Splendor. Ceremonies for the 3,006-passenger SuperLiner took place at the Fincantieri shipyard in Sestri, Italy.

Splendor offers a host of innovative facilities and features, highlighted by a luxurious health and fitness facility–  the two-level, 21,000-square-foot Cloud 9 Spa. Other features include a two-deck-high children’s play area along with a water park, and a mid-ship pool covered by a magradome and featuring Carnival’s Seaside Theatre, a 270-square-foot LED screen displaying movies, concerts and other programming.

The ship debuts July 2 with an inaugural eight-day Western Europe voyage from Genoa to  Dover, near London, where it will be officially named and presided over by its godmother, British celebrity Myleene Klass. Following the naming, Carnival Splendor will sail on a special three-day voyage to Amsterdam July 10-13, then launch the line’s first-ever Northern Europe cruise program featuring ports from Denmark, Germany, Russia, Finland, Estonia and The Netherlands.

The ship will operate a winter schedule of seven-day Caribbean voyages from Fort Lauderdale followed by a series of 14- to 18-day South American voyages – Carnival’s first.  These voyages will position Carnival Splendor for year-round seven-day Mexican Riviera voyages from Long Beach, CA, beginning March 29, 2009, continuing the line’s West Coast expansion.

Carnival is currently accepting reservations for all of the Carnival Splendor’s European, Caribbean, South American and Mexican Riviera cruises.

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