MIAMI, Nov. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest leisure travel company, today announced it has completed an extensive, multi-million-dollar redesign and upgrade of Cruise Terminal 2 at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. Used exclusively by the company's Princess Cruises brand, the upgraded terminal now features a more streamlined departure design, interactive experiences, movie theater and more comfortable pre-boarding areas transforming guests' experience as they prepare to depart for their cruise vacation.
"When our guests arrive at the terminal excited about their cruise, that's a great opportunity for us to begin immersing them in a more personalized and hassle-free vacation experience," said John Padgett, chief experience and innovation officer for Carnival Corporation. "We have completely transformed the arrival so that our guests can board at a pace that's more relaxed and convenient for them. Our focus is on the entire guest experience with a special emphasis on making the arrival experience exceptional. From guests' homes through the cruise terminal and to their stateroom, every guest engagement is intended to maximize their vacation experience."
The transformation includes the addition of Carnival Corporation's proprietary xIoT (Experiential Internet of Things) network, which is activated by the Ocean Medallion™. As a result, guests sailing on Medallion Class ships will enjoy expedited boarding and a more personalized arrival experience as soon as they enter the terminal.
That includes interacting with their Ocean Tagalong™ on a gigantic LED screen (8' 3" tall by 53' 5" wide) that surrounds the Ocean Portal area where guests enter after clearing the security and check-in area.
Ocean Tagalongs are digital companions that guests create and personalize using the SocialOcean™ app – available for download through the Apple App Store and GooglePlay. Guests can select from among three sea creatures – Sea Turtle, Seahorse or Butterfly Fish – to best reflect their personality or mood, then further customize their Ocean Tagalong by body shape, color, pattern, markings and more.
Guests' Ocean Tagalongs take center stage on the Ocean Portal screen in the heart of the terminal as the avatars of guests in the immediate area appear in a vibrantly-animated ocean setting that creates an excellent photo moment.
For guests wanting to stay connected prior to boarding their cruise, Terminal 2 now features Carnival Corporation's new MedallionNet™, a game-changing connectivity service that delivers the best Wi-Fi experience in the cruise industry. MedallionNet provides cruise guests in the terminal and onboard Medallion Class ships with easy-to-access Wi-Fi that features exceptional speeds and bandwidth, pervasive stateroom signal strength and unprecedented service consistency.
That unprecedented connectivity also lets guests enjoy the company's portfolio of original mobile games before and after boarding. PlayOcean Everywhere™ features four social casino games that can be played anywhere at any time with virtual currency, in addition to in-app purchases to boost gameplay for even more fun.
On the first floor, guests also can relax in the OceanView Theater – a comfortable cinema that features the award-winning, originally produced Ocean Original travel series that transports viewers to new and exotic places, introduces them to extraordinary people who live there and provides inspiration for near and far ocean travel.
The terminal's second level offers picturesque views of Fort Lauderdale's Intracoastal Waterway and the magnificent Princess Cruises ships docked for departure.
It also includes another interactive Ocean Tagalong experience that allows guests to direct their "creatures" through a series of screens by moving their arms and hands to control the creature's swimming motions and directions, as guests prepare for ship boarding.
The 141,000-ton Regal Princess will be the first ship to depart from the newly redesigned terminal, as she begins a series of preview cruises introducing Ocean Medallion Vacations.
About Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation & plc is the world's largest leisure travel company and among the most profitable and financially strong in the cruise and vacation industries, with a portfolio of 10 dynamic brands that include nine of the world's leading cruise lines. With operations in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, its portfolio features Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises (Australia) and P&O Cruises (UK), as well as Fathom, the corporation's immersion and enrichment experience brand.
Together, these brands operate 103 ships with 231,000 lower berths visiting over 700 ports around the world, with 18 new ships scheduled to be delivered between 2018 and 2022. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour company in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only dual listed company in the world to be included in both the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100 indices.
In 2017, Fast Company recognized Carnival Corporation as being among the "Top 10 Most Innovative Companies" in both the design and travel categories. Fast Company specifically recognized Carnival Corporation for its work in developing Ocean Medallion™, a high-tech wearable device that enables the world's first interactive guest experience platform capable of transforming vacation travel into a highly personalized and elevated level of customized service.
Additional information can be found on www.carnival.com, www.fathom.org, www.hollandamerica.com, www.princess.com, www.seabourn.com, www.aida.de, www.costacruise.com, www.cunard.com, www.pocruises.com.au and www.pocruises.com.
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SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc
Roger Frizzell, Carnival Corporation, rfrizzell@carnival.com, (305) 406-7862; Mike Flanagan, LDWW, mike@ldwwgroup.com, (727) 452-4538
