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 spring 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.
For more information on WMS and its services, please visit the
www.cellularatsea.com website.
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