Carnival Ecstasy to Resume Four- and Five-Day Service Nov. 1; Carnival Conquest to Begin Seven-Day Cruises Nov. 2

Carnival Cruise Lines, the Port of Galveston’s only year-round cruise operator, announced today that it will resume service from the Texas port on November 1, 2008 following a temporary seize in cruise operations due to Hurricane Ike last month.

The 2,052-passenger Carnival Ecstasy will resume year-round four- and five-day cruises from Galveston with a five-day voyage departing on Saturday, Nov. 1. The 2,974-passenger Carnival Conquest will begin year-round seven-day service from Galveston Sunday, Nov. 2.

Up until that time, the ships will continue to operate round-trip from the Port of Houston’s Bayport Cruise Terminal where they were shifted temporarily following Hurricane Ike. The Carnival Ecstasy cruises on October 23 and October 27; and the Carnival Conquest cruise on October 26 will operate round-trip from Houston.

“We are extremely pleased to be resuming service from the Port of Galveston and extend our congratulations and appreciation to the port and the Galveston community as a whole for enabling us to return so quickly,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival’s president and CEO.

“We would also like to express our gratitude to the Port of Houston for their tremendous efforts in accommodating our ships and being such exceptional partners. Their support enabled these ships to remain Texas based while Galveston worked through its recovery process,” Cahill noted.

Carnival launched the first year-round cruise program from Galveston in 2000 and has expanded its presence dramatically over the past eight years. With the return of its two year-round ships, Carnival Ecstasy and Carnival Conquest, the line expects to carry an estimated 350,000 guests annually from Galveston.

According to Steve Cernak, director of the Port of Galveston, “We took a hit however we rapidly rebounded. We had our first cargo ship in nine days after the storm. Now, six weeks after Hurricane Ike, we are fully operational. The Port, as well as all of Galveston Island, is excited to welcome home both Carnival Ecstasy and Carnival Conquest.

Carnival Ecstasy’s four- and five-day cruise schedule encompasses four-day voyages departing Thursdays to Cozumel, Mexico, and five-day cruises departing Mondays and Saturdays to Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico. Carnival Conquest’s seven-day western Caribbean cruise program includes week-long voyages departing every Sunday to Montego Bay, Jamaica; Cozumel; and George Town, Grand Cayman as well as a new 2009 itinerary option that visits Key West, Freeport and Nassau.

Carnival Ecstasy and Carnival Conquest are part of Carnival Cruise Lines’ 22-vessel fleet which operates three- to 18-day voyages to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, the Panama Canal, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Europe and South America. The line currently has two new ships scheduled for delivery between now and 2011.

MIAMI (September 16, 2008) – As a result of the closure of the Port of Galveston due to damage from Hurricane Ike, Carnival Cruise Lines’ two Galveston-based ships, Carnival Conquest and Carnival Ecstasy, are scheduled to operate their regular cruise programs from the Port of Houston’s Bayport Cruise Terminal effective with this weekend’s departures.

The 2,052-passenger Carnival Ecstasy will resume its four- and five-day Mexico schedule from the Port of Houston starting with a five-day cruise departing Saturday, Sept. 20. Beginning with the departure of Sunday, Sept. 21, the 2,974-passenger Carnival Conquest will depart Houston on seven-day cruises to the western Caribbean.

Both vessels are currently docked in New Orleans where they were deployed following the closure of the Port of Galveston. Carnival Conquest will arrive at the Port of Houston on Thursday, Sept. 18, and Carnival Ecstasy on Friday, Sept. 19, to disembark those guests who opted to remain aboard the vessels following their previous voyages.

“We are pleased to continue our Texas operations from the Port of Houston, which will be a convenient option for guests who have already made travel arrangements for previously scheduled Galveston departures,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival president and CEO. “We are especially grateful to the Port of Houston for their responsiveness. Many of their personnel involved in making this happen were dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Ike but set that aside to work with us on very short notice to assure that these vessels would continue to have a Texas homeport and with minimal disruption to our guests,” he added.

Cahill indicated that the company plans to return to Galveston as soon as the necessary repairs to the port facilities are completed. “The Port of Galveston has been a valued and important partner since we launched year-round cruising from there in 2000. We look forward to bringing both the Carnival Conquest and Carnival Ecstasy back to the city as quickly as we can. We have enjoyed an outstanding relationship with Galveston over the years and our thoughts and prayers are with the people of this wonderful city during this difficult time,” he said.

Carnival’s two Houston-based ships will operate the same itineraries as they did from Galveston. Carnival Conquest will sail seven-day western Caribbean voyages departing Sundays to Montego Bay, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Carnival Ecstasy will depart Thursdays on four-day cruises to Cozumel, and on Mondays and Saturdays on five-day voyages to Cozumel and Progreso.

The Port of Houston’s newly opened Bayport Terminal is an $81 million state-of-the-art facility with 96,000 square feet of space. It is conveniently accessed from both of the city’s airports, and a variety of fine restaurants and shops are located nearby. The Carnival Conquest and Carnival Ecstasy will be the first cruise ships to utilize the new facility.

While guests typically enjoy Carnival’s two-seat dining process and their personal relationship with their waiter, Carnival’s president Gerry Cahill acknowledged that some consumers may prefer open seating. So Cahill said that, for the past three weeks, the contemporary line has begun trying the open seating concept on Carnival Legend, which sails from Tampa.

Reportedly, if this test works, Carnival will roll out the change fleet-wide over the next two years.

MIAMI, January 14, 2008 – Everything is bigger in Texas and the next biggest thing in the Lone Star State is Royal Caribbean International’s Voyager of the Seas. The largest cruise ship ever to be based in the Gulf Coast and to sail from the Port of Galveston, Voyager will sail seven-night itineraries visiting the Caribbean, South America and Mexico calling on Cozumel, Costa Maya and Yucatan, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and George Town, Grand Cayman through April 2008.

“Voyager’s arrival also marks the first time a Voyager-class ship has been deployed in Texas,” said Alice Norsworthy, senior vice president, Marketing, Royal Caribbean International. “We are excited to offer more Texans the opportunity to experience our signature style of cruising right from their backyard.”