Over 1200 travel professionals from all over Australia yesterday got to experience the ‘Carnival Legend’ first hand on its inaugural visit into Sydney Harbour.
With Carnival’s newest ship arrriving officially kicking off the 2013/14 cruise season, the ‘Legend-ary’ event gave agents the exclusive opportunity to see, do, taste and try everything onboard the twelve deck, 293m long ship for themselves. And better still, mostly for free.
Clearly they were impressed, with the event taking on a party atmosphere from the minute guests arrived at the Overseas Passenger Terminal where a DJ and Carnival staff entertained the swift moving lines checking in.
Once on-board it was time to get skilled up on all the ship has to offer with a ‘Walk of fame’ style competition to win cruises for themselves. Guests were asked to follow a map trail around the ship, stopping off at twelve key points to instagram #carnivallegend selfies with costume wearing legends such as Elvis, Nemo, Marilyn Monroe and a dubious looking Pamela Anderson at the famous Green Thunder water slide.
Hello Pamela
Aside from the four pools and spas and numerous eating and drinking options, the ‘Legends’ highlights include a Bonsai sushi bar, Australian trained baristas and free 24-hour wood fired pizza and ice cream for guests. Yes indeed, 24-hours. It’d be safe to say all of those highlights certainly got fully tested throughout the night and became a chief talking point.
Cocktails flowed and live music played out on the lido deck and Serenity bar with the ship taking on festival feel on what was a glorious Sydney Spring day. From lazing in hammocks to taking in the stunning elevated views of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge as the sun set, agents most definitely got a good feel for just what their customers can expect onboard.
As the ship slid out of the harbour at nightfall it was time to turn up the volume once again as everyone to get into his or her ‘legend-ary’ costumes for the evenings celebratory bash. From Elvis to Chewbacca, to the Spice Girls and an entire team of Pat Cash’s (Nice one Cruiseabout!), no legend was left back on-shore.
Dame Edna makes an appearance onboard
Ann Sherry (CEO Carnival Australia aka Dame Edna) and Gerry Cahill (President and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines aka Paul Hogan) toasted the ships arrival with a fun game of Connect4 basketball in the Hasbro Game Show in the Follies Show Lounge to a packed crowd.
Anne Sherry leads the charge at The Hasbro Game Show
And then it was onto a delicious three-course dinner in the two deck ‘Truffles Restaurant’ where we even got to check out the wait staff dancing on tables in and amongst the throngs of costume wearing (and table dancing) legends. Those that were up for it partied long after and into the night as the ship cruised off shore before sailing back into Sydney Harbour at dawn for disembarkation.
Minnie meets Zorro
The verdict? ‘Legendary! From the agents I spoke to it’s a welcome addition to build on the success of sister ship ‘Carnival Spirit’ down here in the last two years.