Carnival Announces Digital Streaming Channel

PHOTO: A Carnival Cruise Line ship in Galveston Harbor. (photo via Flickr/Jerry and Pat Donaho)

The Carnival Corporation announced Monday it is launching the world's first over-the-top digital streaming channel from a travel provider.

OceanView will be completely free to access on land and at sea and will feature a unique mix of travel content for viewers around the world. Original shows from Carnival's OceanView channel are now available on major digital streaming platforms Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku.

The OceanView channel will be found on the Ocean.com website and more than half of the Carnival Corporation’s 103 cruise ships by late October. The digital streaming channel will feature more than 100 Ocean Original episodes, including the company's four original series and its two direct-to-digital streaming series.

Carnival will celebrate the official availability of OceanView Thursday and will also demonstrate its new PlayOcean interactive gaming platform, which includes two new mobile apps and onboard, location-based experiences for guests.

“One of the great things about our cruise vacations is that we connect people, places and cultures around the world through extraordinary experiences on state-of-the-art ships to more than 760 global destinations – and over the past year we have been bringing that unique experience to life through original storytelling that breaks perceptions by showcasing why cruise holidays are the fastest-growing segment of the vacation sector,” Carnival Corporation chief experience and innovation officer John Padgett said in a statement. “Our original programming is already a big hit on network and cable TV. With the launch of OceanView, we are excited about making our authentic experiences accessible to people around the world through digital media. Our ultimate goal is to continue generating broad awareness of cruising as a great vacation and exceptional value, and to inspire consumers to consider cruising as a vacation option.”

GO and Local Eyes, the two direct-to-digital streaming original series, will run 10 minutes per episode without commercials. GO follows explorer Trek Thunder Kelly on his many adventures using visually stunning cinematography, and Local Eyes explores unique destinations with the help of residents and host Anji Corley.

OceanView also includes programs from the company's One Cruise Experience Access Network original content portfolio. Guests will be able to watch episodes of Vacation Creation"(ABC), Ocean Treks with Jeff Corwin (ABC), The Voyager (NBC) and Good Spirits (A&E Networks).