ORLANDO, Fla. -- As the April 30 launch of Disney Cruise Line
approaches, Carnival Cruise Line and the Universal City Travel Co.,
the tour arm of Universal Studios Florida, readied a preemptive
strike.
The two Disney rivals introduced three land-sea packages
featuring sailings out of Port Canaveral, Fla., on the
2,044-passenger Fantasy, the same port that the Disney Magic will
use.
"This cooperative effort is the first step in what we hope will
be a long and exciting partnership," Roberta Jacoby, Carnival's
vice president of air-sea operations, said.
A Carnival spokeswoman added, "Universal is on a big growth
track."
The Destination Universal-Carnival package includes the
five-night Sail & See plan, featuring a three-night Bahamas
cruise and the two-night Star Vacation components, already in
place, which include a hotel, two days' admission to Universal
Studios Florida plus admission to Church Street Station. The lead
rate is $459 per person, double.
A seven-night Anchors Away plan calls for a four-night cruise
and a three-night Star Vacation, from $559 per person, double.
The third package,the seven-night Starlight, includes a
three-night cruise, and four-night Celebrity Vacation, which has
the most value-added features. The land portion includes a hotel
stay and unlimited admission to Universal Studios, Wet 'n Wild and
Sea World; unlimited hotel shuttles to the three parks; a choice of
one meal at the Hard Rock Cafe or at other Universal restaurants or
dinner shows, and a choice of golf, a theme park guided tour or
another activity.
Universal's new land-sea product with Carnival will be very
competitive with Disney's especially when "mainstream" family
clients seeking affordable vacations walk into an agency and ask
for advice, according to Norm Merritt, chairman, and Don Gleason,
president, of the tour concern.
Agents can offer more flexibility for clients, he said, and more
experiences because of the distinct products of Universal City
Travel and Carnival. They cited the availability of three different
theme parks in one package with the included Orlando FlexTicket and
total flexibility in the land portion. If clients only want two
nights in Orlando they will not be locked into a three-night
minimum land stay, they said, in order to take the cruise.
The new tour product will be promoted to agents by Universal
Studios Florida's 20 U.S. sales offices, some opening during 1998,
coupled with the sales force of Carnival, they said.
The Universal Florida destination resort under construction will
involve the CityWalk entertainment district opening in late fall, a
second theme park (Islands of Adventure) opening in early summer
1999 and two or more Loews-managed hotels opening in 1999 and
2000.