Mega ‘fun ship’ to sail in the Med
US-based Carnival Cruise Lines is to sail in the Mediterranean for the first time next summer.
The company is to operate new 110,000 tonne “fun ship” Carnival Liberty on 12-day cruises from Italy.
The 2,974-passenger vessel is currently under construction and will feature 22 lounges, bars and nightspots, a 14,500-square-foot health and fitness centre and four swimming pools.
Sixty per cent of the ship’s 1,487 cabins will have ocean views, with more than half of those offering private balconies.
For families, Carnival Liberty features a 4,200-square-foot children’s play area, a teenagers’ recreation centre and a “mock-tail” lounge offering non-alcoholic drinks for youngsters.
Carnival is to run eight cruises from Rome (Civitavecchia) between July 20 and October 12, 2005. Ports of call include Naples, Dubrovnik, Venice, Messina, Barcelona, Cannes and Livorno in Italy.
The ship then operates a 15-day transatlantic cruise from October 24, arriving in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on November 9.
Carnival chief executive Bob Dickinson said: “With its mega-sized features, huge number of balconied staterooms and acres of open deck space, Carnival Liberty is ideally suited to scenic cruising. We expect our new ‘Fun Ship’ Mediterranean voyages will attract both experienced and first-time guests.”
Report by Phil Davies
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