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June 22, 2006
Carnival Cruise Lines Release
Wireless Customers Can
Now Use Their Personal Cell Phones Aboard Carnival 'Fun Ships'
MIAMI and ATLANTA, June 22, 2006 – Cruising is oft-cited as the
idyllic vacation choice for complete relaxation and escape. The
lifestyle of today’s consumer, however, often means that to truly
relax and enjoy, people want an easy and convenient way to keep in
touch with family, friends, or the office. What could be easier than
using your own cell phone aboard ship the same as you can at home?
Through an exclusive agreement between Carnival Cruise Lines and
Wireless Maritime Services (WMS), a joint venture of Cingular
Wireless and Maritime Telecommunications Network, Carnival guests
sailing aboard the “Fun Ships” can now enjoy a new communications
option that allows them to stay in touch with people back home using
their personal cell phones while in port or at sea.
“Consumers view cell phones as a necessity in today’s world. We’ve
been exploring cellular phone service for some time and have
developed a capability that provides unparalleled connectivity and
convenience to allow guests to keep in touch with friends, family
members and business associates back home,” said Bob Dickinson,
Carnival president and CEO.
“WMS is excited to offer Carnival guests the opportunity to stay
connected while cruising worldwide,” said Leighton Carroll, Chairman
of the Board of Directors of Wireless Maritime Services. “Whether
making a voice call, responding to email, sending a picture message,
or accessing the Internet to check on local happenings back home,
what a great convenience for Carnival guests to enjoy the same
features of their wireless service at sea as they would roaming on
land.”
Utilizing WMS’ state-of-the-art high-bandwidth technology, the new
fleetwide service is compatible with any cellular phone and enables
guests sailing on Carnival to make and receive calls anywhere in the
world from any cruising region. The technology is currently
available aboard the Carnival Triumph, with the balance of the
line’s 21-vessel fleet scheduled to be completed by early next year.
The new fleetwide cellular phone service requires no additional
software or special dialing procedures – guests simply make and
receive calls as well as transmit text and multimedia messages as
they would on land using their personal cell phone. International
roaming fees apply to all shipboard cell phone calls.
Consumer benefits to having wireless service while at sea:
• Connectivity – keep in touch with family, friends and business
associates through voice calls, email or text messages. Guests can
also share travel highlights while at sea through photo messaging.
• Convenience – no need to rent a local phone while at port; guests
can be reached by the wireless number their friends and colleagues
know.
In addition to being able to use their phones on Carnival “Fun
Ships,” Cingular customers can also enjoy competitive international
roaming rates as well as a greater selection of quad-band devices
than any other carrier.
For additional information on pricing, please visit
www.cingular.com/cingularworld or
www.cellularatsea.com.
About Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival Cruise Lines, a unit of Carnival Corporation & plc
(NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), is the largest and most popular cruise
line in the world, with 21 "Fun Ships" operating voyages ranging
from three to 16 days in length to the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico,
Alaska, Hawaii, New England, Canada, Bermuda, Europe and the Greek
Isles.
The line currently has three new ships on order – the 110,000-ton
Carnival Freedom, scheduled for delivery in February 2007, the
112,000-ton Carnival Splendor, slated to enter service in fall 2008,
and an as-yet-unnamed 130,000-ton SuperLiner – to be the largest
"Fun Ship" ever constructed – set to debut in fall 2009.
For additional information on Carnival’s “Fun Ship” vacations,
contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit
carnival.com.
About Wireless Maritime Services
Wireless Maritime Services, LLC, (WMS) a joint venture of New
Cingular Wireless Services, Inc. and Maritime Telecommunications
Network, Inc. is the largest maritime cellular service provider in
the world. WMS currently provides service for 8 cruise lines
including Carnival Cruise Lines. WMS has roaming agreements in place
with over 300 carriers in over 180 countries internationally, and
delivers both GSM and CDMA roaming capability to the cruise
industry.
<link
to Carnival online article>
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