Carnival makes Rose Parade debut

Carnival Cruise Line kicked off a yearlong promotion of the Carnival Panorama by piloting a Tournament of Roses Parade float modeled after the ship.

The 55-foot-long floral float was Carnival’s first in the Pasadena parade, which dates to 1890 and is seen by a television audience estimated at 80 million. Carnival said the float was decorated with flowers, seeds and plants from 100-plus countries.

The design featured a Blue Iguana and Red Frog from their namesake watering holes, with scuba divers at the water line blowing actual bubbles as the float sailed down the parade route. There also were floral-inspired reproductions of Carnival’s red and blue funnel and a water park. Promoting the line’s newest attraction, a trampoline park at sea in partnership with Sky Zone, there was a working trampoline built into the front of the float.

The float also included a replica of the Carnival AirShip, the blimp that will embark on a month-long tour of California to promote Carnival’s continued expansion in Long Beach and new cruise itineraries from San Diego and San Francisco.

A nine-piece band played “Uptown Funk” and “I’ve Got a Feeling.” Also on the float were former Miss USA Deshauna Barber (the Carnival Vista’s godmother in 2016) and brand ambassador and senior cruise director John Heald.

The Carnival Panorama is scheduled to debut on Dec. 11, 2019, with a three-day cruise from Long Beach, Calif., followed by the launch of year-round, seven-day Mexican Riviera cruises.

Source: travelweekly.com