Carnival Corporation Partners with Univision to Launch New Primetime Show–‘La Gran Sorpresa’

Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest leisure travel company, has announced it is partnering with Univision Communications Inc.—the leading media company serving Hispanic America—to develop the first O·C·E·A·N primetime series. The show will air on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT / 7 p.m. CT beginning January 7 on the Univision Network.

‘La Gran Sorpresa’ (The Great Surprise) uses the power of travel to reunite families as they overcome hardships created by illness, separation and other challenges. The one-hour program is hosted by award-winning television personality Poncho de Anda. For the series’ first six episodes, de Anda will be joined by several well-known personalities, including Univision Deportes’ Karina Banda; “Despierta America’s” Franscisca Lachapel and Maity Interiano; and Ligia Uriarte of Univision’s primetime dramedy, “Mi Marido Tiene Familia.”

In its first season, the series surprises a number of families as they sail aboard ships from Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and Holland America Line—three of Carnival Corporation’s nine global cruise brands—to exotic destinations including Cozumel (Mexico), Mahogany Bay (Honduras), and Half Moon Cay (Bahamas).

“Based on the exceptionally positive viewing results that exceed all other travel-related shows and the increased interest in cruise vacations our shows continue to generate, we are very excited to partner with Univision on ‘La Gran Sorpresa’ and build on their strong connection with the Hispanic community,” said John Padgett, chief experience and innovation officer for Carnival Corporation. “Showcasing the extraordinary experiences our guests enjoy while on a cruise vacation for a full hour in primetime will position us to significantly expand the awareness of and demand for cruising within a burgeoning demographic that inherently values everything cruise vacations represent – family, friends, culture and fun.”

“We are thrilled to deliver the power of Univision Studios and our beloved personalities to bring ‘La Gran Sorpresa’ to the leading Spanish-language network in the country,” said Steve Mandala, president of advertising sales and marketing, UCI. “Our partnership with Carnival Corporation and its award-winning cruise line brands will further deepen their efforts by engaging Hispanic America with stories that resonate and unite families.”

‘La Gran Sorpresa’ is the seventh Ocean Original series created by Carnival Corporation, the fifth to appear on network or cable TV in the U.S. and the first to engage the growing Hispanic community in the U.S. The new series builds on other Ocean Original series the company has produced that have aired on network and cable TV in the United States, and is part of its focus on expanding awareness of and increasing demand for cruising vacations.

The company currently produces three other travel series that appear weekends on ABC and NBC stations, and rank as number one or number two in their time slot. With cruise vacations growing 20 percent faster than land-based vacations and with more people than ever taking cruise vacations in 2017, the strong ratings are further evidence that Americans’ interest in cruise vacations is growing.

Ocean Original series produced by Carnival Corporation and now in their second season include “Ocean Treks with Jeff Corwin” and “Vacation Creation with Tommy Davidson and Andrea Feczko” on ABC; and “The Voyager with Josh Garcia” on NBC.

Earlier in the fall, the company announced it had created OceanView—the world’s first over the top digital streaming channel from a travel provider for completely free on major digital streaming platforms Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku. The streaming channel features a slate of more than 100 Ocean Original episodes that includes the company’s four original series that have been broadcast on network and cable TV in the past year, as well as two new direct-to-digital streaming original series, “GO” and “Local Eyes.” OceanView content is also available on more than 80 of the company’s 103 cruise ships.