Cruising Coming to a TV Near You
First up is NCL's Norwegian Pearl on the Travel Channel this Sunday, December 21. The Pearl is focused in a new show from one of her 2008 Alaska sailings. The one-hour special entitled “Great Cruises: Norwegian Pearl,” is hosted by Brook Lee, Miss Universe 1998. Filmed in high-definition during a seven-day Alaska cruise aboard the ship, it will premiere during the network’s Alaska-themed night on Dec. 21 at 10 p.m. EST. The show will feature Lee as the ship sails through Alaska’s Inside Passage with stops in Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay and Ketchikan, Alaska. While on board, she explores the ship’s amenities, including bowling in Bliss Ultra Lounge; dining in several of the ship’s specialty restaurants; dancing in the Spinnaker Lounge at Nil’s White Hot Party; rock climbing; relaxing in a whirlpools while sailing through Glacier Bay; taking in a show at the Stardust Theater; and getting a hot stone massage at the spa.
On shore excursions, Lee journeys into Juneau to take in the Mendenhall Glacier and sets off on a wildlife quest where she sees orca and humpback whales, seals, salmon and eagles. In Skagway, she indulges in Alaskan king crab at the Skagway Fish Company and sets off shopping in the town. Then, she embarks on a Bering Sea crab fishermen’s tour in Ketchikan aboard the Aleutian Ballad, one of the fishing boats featured on Discovery Channel’s hit show “Deadliest Catch.”
Of course, if you have other plans on Sunday, “Great Cruises: Norwegian Pearl” is scheduled to air again on the Travel Channel on Dec. 27 at 10 a.m. EST, Jan. 10 at 2 p.m. EST, Jan. 16 at 10 a.m. EST and Feb. 12 at 10 p.m. EST.
But if that's not enough to get your cruise juices flowing, Carnival is set to debut a new series of commercials. The new network TV advertising campaign kicks off December 25 with two 30 second spots designed to evoke the kind of spontaneous and spirited fun that underlies the Carnival vacation experience. The two spots were shot during local events held recently in Dallas and Philadelphia attended by several thousand people. During the events, Carnival set Guinness World Records for the world’s largest inflatable beach ball and the world’s largest piñata.
The new commercials are part of the line’s new “Fun For All. All For Fun.” branding campaign intended to capture the truly unique essence of the Carnival vacation experience. “Fun is more important today than ever,” said Ruben Rodriguez, executive vice president of marketing and guest experience for Carnival Cruise Lines. “These new spots capture a sense of genuine, spontaneous fun which is the same kind of experience that makes a Carnival cruise such a memorable vacation.”
“There is a difference between telling consumers you’re fun and actually being fun,” added Pete Favat, Arnold’s chief creative officer. “These commercials truly capture the essence of fun and you can’t help but have a good time watching them. We hope that this will create even more passion for the Carnival Cruise Lines brand among consumers.”
In the “Beach Balls” spot, members of the Carnival Fun Team inflate three gigantic beach balls, each measuring a world record-breaking 35 feet in diameter. They then roll the balls off the tops of buildings in downtown Dallas as thousands of people below come together to help bounce the enormous balls up and down the city streets.
In the “Piñata” spot, the Carnival Fun Team assembles the world’s largest piñata in Philadelphia. Members of the community wake up in the morning to discover the gigantic, colorful donkey measuring over six stories tall, standing near a busy street corner. Thousands of people begin gathering to help break open the piñata, and celebrate in the 8,000 pounds of candy that showers down from the massive burro.
The new commercials are scheduled to air nationally on ABC, CBS and NBC as well in select local markets on FOX, on primetime programming including Grey’s Anatomy, Ugly Betty and Private Practice. They will also be running on several cable networks as well as in movie theaters nationwide and in various online channels.
In other words, they'll be tough to miss if you watch TV.
So while you're celebrating the holidays be sure to get your cruise fix from NCL and Carnival on a TV near you!
