AUGUST 21, 2008. Carnival Cruise Lines will deploy the 2,052-passenger Carnival Elation on a new three- and four-day cruise schedule from San Diego beginning Feb. 12, 2009. The ship currently operates four- and five-day cruises from San Diego and will continue that program through the departure of Feb. 7, 2009.

On its new route, Carnival Elation will depart Thursdays on three-day cruises to Ensenada, providing a value-packed long weekend getaway. Four-day cruises will depart Sundays and visit two ports, Ensenada and Catalina Island.

Carnival has offered a similar, highly successful program from Southern California for a number of years, currently on the Carnival Paradise based in Long Beach, with those departures occurring on Fridays and Mondays.

“Between the two ships, consumers will have a choice of two very popular departure points, Long Beach and San Diego, as well as four different departure days each week to select from,” said Terry Thornton, Carnival’s senior vice president of marketing planning. “These will be the only ships in the Southern California market offering three and four-day cruises starting in 2009, and with short getaways currently a trend among North American consumers, combined with the inherent value of a cruise, these voyages represent an extremely desirable vacation choice,” he added.

Carnival, which is the West Coast’s largest, most popular cruise line, also offers longer length voyages from Southern California. The Carnival Pride operates seven-day Mexican Riviera cruises from Long Beach year-round (to be replaced by the new Carnival Splendor in March 2009) and the Carnival Spirit offers seasonal eight-day Mexican Riviera voyages from San Diego.

Myriad ‘Fun Ship’ Features
Part of Carnival’s highly successful Fantasy class, the 70,000-ton Carnival Elation features 12 lounges and bars, including a multi-level theater showcasing lavish revues, a 12,000-square-foot health and wellness center, full casino gambling, and a wide range of full-service and casual dining options.

Family-friendly amenities include organized programs for children in three age groups – “Camp Carnival” for ages 2-11, “Circle C” for 12- to 14-year-olds, and “Club O2” for older teens – all with facilities, activities and staff for each.

Carnival Elation also features three swimming pools, a 115-foot-long water slide, a one-eighth-mile jogging track and a variety of stateroom categories, each offering the Carnival Comfort Bed sleep system with plush mattresses, luxurious duvets and high quality linens and pillows. Cell phone service and ship-wide Wi-Fi access are available, as well.

Reservations
Reservations are currently being accepted for the Carnival Elation’s new three- and four-day cruises from San Diego. Special rates for third and fourth guests sailing in the same stateroom, along with round-trip air supplements from a variety of North American gateways, are also available.