Carnival Cruise Lines' FunShipIsland.com Recreates Cruise Experiences Online

New Web site designed by Avenue A | Razorfish is the next best thing to being on board the "Fun Ships" or ashore at a variety of tropical destinations 


MIAMI, July 10  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Carnival Cruise Lines, the world's largest cruise operator and its interactive agency, Avenue A | Razorfish, today announced FunShipIsland.com (http://www.funshipisland.com/), a first- of-its-kind online destination that provides vacationers with a virtual glimpse at the many diverse activities they can engage in while onboard or ashore.

Through a simple, interactive navigational experience, Avenue A | Razorfish designed the innovative Web site with the goal of making FunShipIsland.com a truly immersive virtual world where visitors can explore, play and experience a Carnival cruise first hand. Visitors can experience the line's iconic Twister Waterslide(TM) on the Lido deck, take an adventurous ride on the Rhino 4x4 Jeep, swim with dolphins, relax at the spa or even gamble in a virtual casino.

"These days more travelers are turning to the internet to research their vacation options," said Christine Arnholt, Carnival's vice president of marketing services. "By creating a brand-immersive, interactive cruise experience, FunShipIsland.com makes the process fun and engaging for travelers. Instead of simply providing them with pricing, itinerary details and a virtual ship tour with photos, FunShipIsland offers them a highly interactive experience that provides a comprehensive, visual overview of the various aspects of a Carnival cruise."

Other site features include a downloadable screen saver, custom-created ring tones for mobile phones, downloadable music for iPods and personalization for each visitor. While interacting with FunShipIsland.com, quick, optional questions/answers and individual preferences are gathered for each visitor, creating a basis for a "Fun Ship" cruise recommendation should they choose.

"The future of digital marketing is creating interactive consumer experiences that appeal to people's emotions and follow the consumer across multiple platforms including laptops, mobile phones and digital music players," said Susan Kidwell, vice president and managing director of Avenue A | Razorfish's Ft. Lauderdale office. "Carnival's focus on innovation in the digital industry is unparalleled, which allows us to collaborate and create breakthrough Web sites like FunShipIsland.com."

Together, Carnival Cruise Lines and Avenue A | Razorfish have worked on Web site initiatives since 2001. Most recently, Carnival and Avenue A | Razorfish collaborated on CarnivalConnections.com, a social networking application that enables travellers to easily plan and manage their group travel needs in a single social setting. In 2004, the Carnival.com Web site received a makeover, which offered enhanced site navigation, streaming video, personalized content tailored to each visitor, and more 360-degree "virtual tours" of the "Fun Ship" fleet. In 2005, a re-fresh of the Carnival.com Web site was released, which includes enhanced imagery, more information to assist customers in their cruise vacation purchase decision and direct connection to the line's offline branding.

About Carnival Cruise Lines

Carnival Cruise Lines, a unit of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), is the largest and most popular cruise line in the world, with a fleet of 22 "Fun Ships" operating three- to 16-day voyages to the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Europe and the Greek Isles.

The line will expand its fleet with the launch of three new SuperLiners -- the 113,300-ton Carnival Splendor in July 2008 and the 130,000-ton Carnival Dream and Carnival Magic -- to be the largest "Fun Ships" ever constructed -- in October 2009 and June 2011, respectively.

About Avenue A | Razorfish

Avenue A | Razorfish is one of the largest interactive marketing and technology services agencies in the world. The company helps industry leaders such as Kraft, Dell, The New York Times and Starwood Hotels use digital channels to acquire and service customers. Avenue A | Razorfish's full suite of digital offerings includes online advertising, Web site design and development, email and search engine marketing, emerging media strategies, and enterprise portal development. Its award-winning client teams have a great understanding of customer needs and provide solutions through distinct business disciplines, which include: analytics, strategy, technology, media, creative design and user experience. An operating unit of Seattle-based aQuantive, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQNT), Avenue A | Razorfish has offices in markets across the United States, and global operations in Australia, China, France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom. Please visit http://www.avenuea-razorfish.com/ for more information. 

DATASOURCE: Carnival Cruise Lines



CONTACT:  Jennifer de la Cruz or Tim Gallagher of Carnival Cruise Lines,

[phone], ext. 16000, ; or Jamie Leady of Avenue A |

Razorfish, [phone],  



Web site:  http://www.carnivalcorp.com/

http://www.funshipisland.com/

http://www.avenuea-razorfish.com/ 

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