Carnival reaches a major milestone as it becomes the first cruise line to embark 100 million guests since its first sailing.
Listen to this articleOn March 17, 2023, Carnival Cruise Line announced it achieved a major industry milestone as the first cruise line to host a whopping 100 million guests since its first sailing in 1972.
Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president, visited Carnival Sunrise on Friday as guests boarded in Miami where the cruise line was founded. Duffy thanked passengers for making Carnival the world’s most popular cruise line.
“We’re the first cruise line to meet this incredible mark of 100 million guests and I believe it is a testament to the fun, inclusive atmosphere our valued guests and our extraordinary team members have created together on board our ships for the past 51 years,” said Duffy.
“There is certainly much more fun to come. We’re continuing to grow our operations at a rapid pace—with three ships joining our fleet by the spring of next year,” she continued.
Recognizing Carnival’s 100 millionth guest
Cruisers Debi and David Clifford, who are vacationing from Ohio with their family, were chosen to represent Carnival guests everywhere as the cruise line’s 100 millionth. The Cliffords were recognized with fanfare from Duffy, Sunrise‘s captain Luca Cherchi, and the ship’s staff and crew.
Other cruise passengers were also able to take part in the festivities, with special photo opportunities signifying how each guest is “One in 100 Million.”
You can watch the celebration by clicking on the embedded YouTube video below:
Fun facts about Carnival’s 100 million guest milestone
In honor of reaching the 100 million guest milestone, Carnival released an infographic with some fun facts relating to the achievement.
The cruise line shared that 100 million people is more than the combined population of its three most popular homeport states—California, Texas, and Florida. It’s also more than the populations of Canada, Australia, and Panama, combined!
Carnival also shared that out of the 100 million passengers, there are 167 guests with over 100 Carnival cruises under their belts. (This low number surprised me—I feel like I’ve met half of them! If you’re a 100+ Carnival cruiser, let me know how many sailings you’ve been on in the comments below!)
There are more than 152,000 guests with 100+ Carnival cruising days (100 days would equate to Platinum status in the company’s VIFP loyalty program).
For a final fun Carnival fact, the company shared that the youngest cruiser with 100 or more Carnival cruising days is just five years old!
More Carnival Cruise Line news
- Carnival Offering New Range of Non-Alcoholic Cocktails
- Carnival Now Offering Guy Fieri and Sammy Hagar’s Santo Tequila Fleetwide
- Carnival Corporation to Install Starlink Wi-Fi Internet Across Global Fleet
- Emeril Lagasse Named Carnival Cruise Line’s Chief Culinary Officer
- Carnival Cruise Line Releases New Details About Carnival Venezia
What’s next for Carnival Cruise Line
The company’s new ship Carnival Celebration is already proving popular with guests in its first few months of sailing from Miami, and now the cruise line is preparing for another ship to debut in May.
Carnival Venezia will expand Carnival’s New York sailings from seasonal to year-round and will launch a host of all-new “Carnival Fun Italian Style” experiences.
Later this year, Carnival Jubilee, a third sister ship to Mardi Gras and Celebration, will join the fleet and begin sailing from Galveston, Texas.
Related: Carnival Miracle Will Sail From Galveston in 2024 and 2025
In the spring of 2024, Carnival Firenze, sister ship to Venezia, will begin offering year-round cruises from Long Beach, California.
Resources for your next Carnival cruise
- Carnival Cruise Line Drink Packages: The Ultimate Guide
- How to Get Onboard Credit for Owning Carnival Stock
- Ultimate Guide to Room Service on Carnival Cruise Line With Menus
- Tea Time on Carnival Cruises: Carnival’s Free Afternoon Tea
- Faster to the Fun: The Ultimate Guide to Carnival’s Skip-the-Line Pass
- Carnival Cruise Line Waterslides – Everything You Need to Know
Thinking about booking a Carnival cruise? You can find the best Carnival prices and exclusive perks at CruiseDirect. Plus, they never charge a booking fee!
Are you surprised that Carnival was the first cruise line to hit the 100 million passenger mark? How many Carnival cruises have you taken? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
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