Cruise

TRIUMPH HEADS FOR DRY DOCK UPGRADES

Carnival Triumph departed Mobile, Ala., yesterday under its own power bound for Freeport, Bahamas, to enter a dry dock facility where final repairs and shipboard operating enhancements will be completed, along with implementation of a variety of new Fun Ship 2.0 features. The ship is expected to arrive at Grand Bahama Shipyard on May 11. Following the dry dock, Triumph is slated to re-enter regular service from Galveston, Texas, June 13. “With the ship temporarily out of service for repairs, we decided to take the opportunity to add a host of new dining and bar venues that are part of our tremendously popular fleetwide Fun Ship 2.0 enhancement program,”said Carnival president Gerry Cahill. Fun Ship 2.0 is a US$500 million product-enhancement initiative being gradually rolled out across the Carnival fleet. New features being added to Carnival Triumph include: Guy’s Burger Joint, a complimentary poolside venue serving fresh-made burgers and hand-cut fries created by Food Network personality and chef Guy Fieri; BlueIguana Cantina, a free-of-charge Mexican cantina with custom-made tacos and burritos that can be personalized by diners at an extensive salsa and toppings bar; Alchemy Bar, a cocktail “pharmacy”where highly trained mixologists create custom cocktails using interesting flavors and ingredients; EA SPORTS Bar, an interactive sports-themed lounge where patrons can view live action, play popular EA SPORTS video games and keep up with the latest scores; RedFrog Rum Bar, a poolside Caribbean-themed watering hole offering a variety of the region’s top rums and beers in a laid-back island-infused atmosphere; BlueIguana Tequila Bar, a lively and engaging poolside bar serving frozen cocktails and Mexican beers in a fun and festive environment. In addition to installation of the Fun Ship 2.0 features and other repairs, as part of a US$300 million fleetwide program announced in April, Carnival Triumph is being outfitted with new systems to improve operating reliability to further prevent a potential loss of primary power, an upgrade in fire detection and suppression systems, and, in the rare event of a loss of main power, additional emergency backup power to provide core hotel services to ensure guest comfort. (http://www.carnival.com)