Interview with Kathy Ireland, Godmother of Carnival Freedom

Interview with Kathy Ireland, Godmother of Carnival Freedom from The Avid Cruiser. Like this? Watch the latest episode of The Avid Cruiser on Blip! http://blip.tv/the-avid-cruiser/watch Cruising Europe, American Style Ralph Grizzle reports from Carnival Freedom inaugural events in Venice Shortly after noon this past Saturday, Venetians and vacationers lined the waterfront of the Italian island city to view an American spectacle. Floating past them was the worldapos;s newest cruise ship, the 3,700-passenger Carnival Freedom -- practically screaming Americana. Reminiscent of an American flag, the shipapos;s trademark red, white and blue funnel, more than 13 decks up, soared well above the Venetian skyline. Passengers in the Freedom Restaurant (on Lido Deck) peered past an ice-blue Statue of Liberty (towering two decks) on Veniceapos;s age-old basilicas, while the shipapos;s signature blue "Twister" waterslide snaked against the backdrop of Saint Markapos;s Square. Though Carnival Freedom was built in Marghera, Italy (on the mainland shore just west of Venice), she appeared to be a long way from home. Whereas ships operated by cruise lines with roots in Europe (Holland America Line, PO Cruises, Costa Cruises) might appear at home cruising the waters of the Northern Adriatic Sea, Carnivalapos;s colorful and colossal ship looked like an American tourist waving his national colors. The resemblance to an American abroad should not be disregarded by U.S. cruise sellers. Indeed, the predominant story of this past weekendapos;s christening of Carnival Cruise Linesapos; 22nd ship (and its first in two years) was one not of the ship itself but of the lineapos;s commitment to introducing Americans (primarily) and families (particularly) to the wonders across the Big Pond -- at affordable prices. Underscoring that emphasis, Carnival chose Kathy Ireland, the former supermodel turned businesswoman, to serve as godmother of the ship. Ireland, who broke a ceremonial jerboam of Veuve Cliquot across the bow, remained on board after inaugural events to cruise with her husband, three children (ages 12, 8 and 3) and their grandparents. "Itapos;s a wonderful way to see the world, particularly if you have children," Ireland told The Avid Crusier. "The ship is really family friendly. Thereapos;s something for everyone." "Based on the combination of the amenities aboard the Carnival Freedom and the ports we chose, it really is a perfect family vacation," says Terry Thornton, vice president of market planning for Carnival Cruise Lines. And while almost any North American cruise line operating in Europe could make such a claim, Thornton says what distinguishes Carnival is that the line brings to Europe "a kind of a youthful vitality" that is not based on age of ships but outlook. "Itapos;s fun, itapos;s exciting, itapos;s active," he says. "And itapos;s evident in everything from the architecture of the ship to the way we design our facilities for families." From Camp Carnival for kids to the new teen Club 02, Carnival "really put together a spectacular product for the younger market," Thornton says. "And when you combine that with family friendly activities ashore, it makes for a vacation ideally suited for mulitgenerational families. Thereapos;s not a hotel or a resort in the region that offers the variety of experiences that Carnival does -- and at such an affordable price." With lead-in rates priced below four figures, Carnival appears well-poised for families reluctant to pony up total vacation costs expected to approach or exceed five figures on another North American cruise line celebrating its inaugural season -- the Disney Magic, sailing from Barcelona. Indeed, Carnival executives expect the lineapos;s first foray into the Greek Isles and Turkey to be especially popular among Carnivalapos;s repeat guests. Following the nine-day inaugural cruise underway this week, Carnival Freedom will sail seven 12-day Mediterranean Greek Isles cruises and a dozen 12-day "Grand Mediterranean" voyages through October 16. Cruises will operate round-trip from Civitavecchia, the port for Rome. What sets Carnival Freedom apart in Europe? "Weapos;re fun," says Vicki Freed, senior vice president of sales and marketing. "And we offer more fun for more people than any other cruise line. When we talk about fun, weapos;re really talking about fun for all ages, so itapos;s not just young. Itapos;s families, itapos;s multigenerational families, itapos;s younger people, itapos;s older people. We offer such a variety of activities and entertainment and things to do for people of all ages." That concept extends shoreside as well. Freed says she bicycled with her husband and three kids through Barcelona (on an excursion that Carnival Freedom offers). "It was a fun way to see Barcelona," she says. Clearly Carnival is touting a different kind of fun than it did decades ago. While the definition of "fun" has not changed during those