Carnival Horizon Arrives at PortMiami

Carnival Horizon's arrival to PortMiami, its new year-round homeport, was marked today by a fun basketball-themed event featuring the company's Chief Fun Officer – NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal – along with Miami HEAT legends Alonzo Mourning, Shane Battier and Glen Rice, according to a press release. 

The festivities, which took place prior to Carnival Horizon's inaugural two-day cruise, included the unveiling of a large Choose Fun bumper sticker on the ship's stern, as well as a flyover from the Carnival AirShip.

During the event, Carnival presented a $25,000 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital representing funds from an online promotion in which consumers who posted a photo of the AirShip in social media with the hashtag #ChooseFun triggered a donation to the hospital and entered them in a drawing for free cruises and other prizes.

"With its awesome top-deck attractions and a wide variety of al fresco dining experiences, Carnival Horizon is the ideal ship for the Caribbean and this event was a perfect way to celebrate her Miami arrival while benefiting the special children of St. Jude," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. "And we've taken our Choose Fun tagline to the next level by putting a giant a bumper sticker on our newest ship proclaiming our never-ending commitment to FUN!"

Added O'Neal: "In my role as CFO, I get to tell everyone just how much fun you can have on a Carnival cruise and I was absolutely thrilled to be a part of the festivities for the new Carnival Horizon which takes the concept of choosing fun to entirely new level with so much to see and do for guests of all ages."

Following the two-day cruise, Carnival Horizon kicks off a year-round schedule of six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises from PortMiami beginning Sept. 22, 2018.

On its new Miami-based schedule, six-day cruises depart Sundays, calling at Ocho Rios; Grand Cayman; and Cozumel. Two different eight-day itineraries will be offered with departures on Saturdays – one featuring Grand Turk; La Romana (Dominican Republic); Curacao; and Aruba; and the other visiting Grand Turk; San Juan; St. Kitts; and St. Maarten.