Carnival Cruise Line kicked off a yearlong promotion of the
Carnival Panorama by piloting a Tournament of Roses Parade float modeled after
the ship.
The 55-foot-long floral float was Carnival's first in the Pasadena
parade, which dates to 1890 and is seen by a television audience estimated at
80 million. Carnival said the float was decorated with flowers, seeds and plants from 100-plus countries.
The design featured a Blue Iguana and Red Frog from their
namesake watering holes, with scuba divers at the water line blowing actual
bubbles as the float sailed down the parade route. There also were
floral-inspired reproductions of Carnival's red and blue funnel and a water
park. Promoting the line's newest attraction, a trampoline park at sea in
partnership with Sky Zone, there was a working trampoline built into the front of the float.
The float also included a replica of the Carnival AirShip, the
blimp that will embark on a month-long tour of California to promote Carnival's
continued expansion in Long Beach and new cruise itineraries from San Diego and
San Francisco.
A nine-piece band played "Uptown Funk" and
"I've Got a Feeling." Also on the float were former Miss USA Deshauna
Barber (the Carnival Vista's godmother in 2016) and brand ambassador and senior
cruise director John Heald.
The Carnival Panorama is scheduled to debut on Dec. 11,
2019, with a three-day cruise from Long Beach,
Calif., followed by the launch of year-round, seven-day Mexican Riviera cruises.