Carnival Cruise Line Further Salutes Military Guests with New Military Appreciation Day

MIAMI, July 20, 2023 – Building on its standing as the cruise line that carries the most military service members, Carnival Cruise Line has expanded its Military Appreciation Gathering into a full Military Appreciation Day, on all sailings in North America.

Beginning the week of July 24, Carnival’s Military Appreciation Day will be held on each ship. Guests will see special messaging presented on the Carnival Seaside Theater screen and will also hear announcements from the Cruise Director and Captain. On sailings of four days and more, a large United States Flag will be displayed in the ship’s atrium throughout Military Appreciation Day.

“At Carnival, where we’re proudly known as America’s Cruise Line, we’re intent on honoring our military heroes and expanding our Military Appreciation Gathering into a full day is a wonderful tribute to the sacrifices our Armed Services personnel and their families have made,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Carnival already carries more active and retired military service members than any other cruise line, and we are proud that our new Military Appreciation Day will serve as an incredible salute to military service members and their families.”

Every Carnival cruise currently features a Military Appreciation Gathering and those tribute events will remain an integral part of Military Appreciation Day with several enhancements. Now, guests can learn more about Carnival partner Operation Homefront, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building strong, stable and secure military families. Carnival will soon make it easier for guests to donate to Operation Homefront, with a quick swipe of their Sail & Sign card. Guests may also purchase group photos from the gathering at a discounted rate, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting Operation Homefront. All members of the military attending the gathering will receive a special pin, and the longest-serving veteran will receive a special hero coin.

Each month, Carnival will give away a free cruise to one member of the military and a guest of their choice. Guests can enter the raffle by simply swiping their Sail & Sign card at the Military Appreciation Gathering.

On all Carnival sailings, guests in the military also have the opportunity to attend a Veterans Meet and Greet. On Carnival Celebration, Mardi Gras, Carnival Venezia, Carnival Panorama, Carnival Radiance and Carnival Pride, the event will be held in the Heroes Tribute Lounge – a venue on several Carnival ships that salutes members of the military. These sailings will also include the Veteran’s Table – a reserved table in the dining room for veterans during Tea Time.

Carnival is also introducing a new beer, the Heroes American Pale Ale. The pale ale is created from Veterans Blend Hops, which combines citrus and tropical flavors. The Heroes American Pale Ale will be made exclusively on board Carnival ships with breweries, which include Carnival Celebration, Mardi Gras, Carnival Panorama, Carnival Horizon and Carnival Vista. For each pale ale purchased, Carnival will donate a dollar to Operation Homefront. Carnival will continue its current practice of donating one dollar to the nonprofit when guests purchase a Heroes Tribute Lounge pint glass.

Carnival is proud to recognize military service, holding a Military Appreciation Gathering on every cruise since 2016, and honoring veterans in unique ways throughout the year, including exclusive savings and special discounts for members of the military. In 2023, Carnival will hold a total of 1,510 military gatherings on ships across the fleet (excluding Australia and ships sailing in Europe).

For additional information on Carnival Cruise Line and to book a cruise vacation on Carnival, call 1-800-CARNIVAL, visit http://www.carnival.com, or contact your favorite travel advisor or online travel site. For more information on Operation Homefront, please visit https://operationhomefront.org.