Carnival Cruise Lines Supports St. Jude Children's Hospital

Carnival Cruise Lines is known for their generosity, especially when it comes to children, and to kick off a three-year partnership with St. Jude Children’s Hospital, the line presented the organization with a $50,000 check following a waterslide christening ceremony on the new Carnival Dream during which 9-year-old Hailee Steberger inaugurated the vessel’s 303-foot-long Twister slide, the longest on a cruise ship.

The monies were raised through Carnival’s Big Book of Dreams contest that asked children ages 7 to 12 to share their dreams, along with a hand-drawn illustration, via a special web site. Carnival donated $1 per vote to St. Jude and Steberger garnered the most votes to earn the distinction as the cruise industry’s first waterslide godchild.

Pictured holding the check at the presentation ceremony aboard the Carnival Dream are (from left): John Remington, senior vice president–corporate alliances for ALSAC, the fundraising arm of St. Jude; Hailee Steberger; and Jim Berra, Carnival’s chief marketing officer.

As part of its three-year partnership with St. Jude, Carnival aims to raise $3 million to help achieve the hospital’s mission of finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic illnesses. To support the hospital, under the theme “Care to Play,” Carnival is creating fun, interactive on-board fundraising activities that will involve guest participation.

Carnival Dream, the line’s newest and largest ship, launches year-round Caribbean service from Port Canaveral, Florida on Dec. 3.

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