Carnival Announces Plans for America’s 250th Sailings

Carnival Cruise Line will celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary from Sea to Shining Sea! As America’s cruise line, and the official America250 partner—sailing more Americans than any other cruise line—they will bring fun from coast to coast so everyone can celebrate. This includes ship meetups with fireworks on both coasts, community homeport celebrations, and fleetwide onboard activities. Here is a breakdown of the planned celebrations:

From Sea To Shining Sea Onboard Activations

• During embarkation, on select ships, guests will be welcomed with 40-foot patriotic inflatables on deck.
• All ships will have 250th birthday banners and decorations.
• US YAY! Parties with balloon drops and patriotic appearances from Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat; Red, White and Blue Deck Parties.
• Festive food and drinks including specialty cocktails, strawberry shortcake, limited-edition America250 souvenir Coke cans and “America’s Cruisin” beer.

Ship Meetups On July 4^th

Get ready to be part of a memorable celebration.

• On July 4, seven ships sailing from the East Coast will meet up near Celebration Key, Grand Bahama for a special fireworks show.
• Three ships will also meet up for a front row seat to the West Coast’s largest fireworks show, Port of San Diego’s Big Bay Boom, for which Carnival is the official cruise line sponsor.

Recognizing Our Military & Their Families

One Military family on each sailing the week of July 4 will receive an American flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol. Plus, all veterans and active-duty military on those sailings will also receive a special edition military pin.

Community Festivities

Tributes will also extend into several homeport communities through a series of celebrations on Carnival ships, where community partners and veterans will be invited, as well as community celebrations where Carnival is a sponsor. 

Homeport Celebrations

• Baltimore – Carnival Pride | June 28
• Long Beach – Carnival Radiance | June 30
• Jacksonville – Carnial Elation | July 2
• Tampa – Carnival Paradise | July 2

Community Celebrations

• Norfolk, VA – Virginia Sail250 Fireworks Show | June 20
• San Diego, CA – Port of San Diego Bay Boom | July 4
• Miami, FL – Miami-Dade 250 Independence Day Celebration | July 4