Carnival Cruise Line To Honor Military Families At The Carnival Freedom Arrival In Texas

When Carnival Freedom arrives in its new year-round homeport of Galveston, Texas, on Saturday, Feb 14, U.S. military families will get more than a simple Valentine card from Carnival Cruise Line. Through a partnership with Operation Homefront, a national non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial and other assistance to military families, Carnival will provide a day of onboard fun and activities for service members and their families.

As part of the festivities, 14-time GRAMMY® nominee Martina McBride will perform that afternoon outdoors on one of the ship’s top decks. The country singer has previously performed as part of the line’s breakthrough onboard concert series, Carnival LIVE, which offers guests the best live music at sea from some of the most popular and highly requested music acts.

“The arrival of Carnival Freedom to its new Galveston homeport is historic as it marks the first time a cruise line has based three year-round ships in Texas,” said Jim Berra, chief marketing officer for Carnival Cruise Line. “We’re thrilled to celebrate this occasion by giving back to the great state of Texas and welcoming aboard military families who make our freedom possible.”

Military families who have registered through Operation Homefront will enjoy a full day and evening of fun aboard the 110,000-ton Carnival Freedom while it is in port, including overnight accommodations, meals, entertainment, and activities, all compliments of Carnival Cruise Line. Prior to the concert, Carnival will conduct a special check presentation to Operation Homefront providing $100,000 to the organization.

Carnival Freedom recently underwent a $70 million makeover which added an array of Fun Ship 2.0 product enhancements. Event attendees will have access to the ship’s new family entertainment programming including Seuss at Sea, as well as the new Camp Ocean kids facilities. The latest updates also incorporated a number of bar, dining and entertainment innovations including complimentary eateries such as BlueIguana Cantina and Guy’s Burger Joint, developed in partnership with Food Network personality Guy Fieri, poolside bars serving up delicious frozen drinks and cocktails including BlueIguana Tequila Bar and RedFrog Rum Bar, as well as the pharmacy-themed Alchemy Bar and the line’s Caribbean-inspired RedFrog Pub.

To kick off year-round sailings from Galveston, Carnival Freedom will depart on Feb. 15th for a special 6-day voyage to Mexico followed by the launch of 4- to 7-day cruises that visit ports throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Florida. Together with Carnival Triumph and Carnival Magic, the line will carry more than 600,000 passengers annually from Texas.

Image: Carnival Freedom in Key West © CruiseDiva.com