NEW ORLEANS – Carnival Cruise Line, New Orleans’ largest cruise operator, and Dr. Seuss Enterprises teamed up with the Louisiana SPCA to celebrate the release of the new Dr. Seuss book, “What Pet Should I Get?” with a special book reading to local children aboard the Carnival Dream at the Port of New Orleans on Sunday, August 2, 2015.
“With two year-round ships carrying 400,000 passengers annually, Carnival is New Orleans’ largest cruise operator and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate the first Dr. Seuss book in 25 years than with a fun event aboard Carnival Dream at the Port of New Orleans,” said Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president. “Carnival has been a part of the New Orleans community for the better part of two decades and we are delighted to host kids from local schools and summer camps for this exciting event and recognize the valuable work done by Louisiana SPCA each and every day.”
Carnival made a $10,000 donation to the Louisiana SPCA.
“We are thrilled to partner with Carnival on this exciting event to raise awareness of the importance of animal rescue and pet adoption and we thank them for their generous donation to our organization,” said Ana Zorrilla, chief executive officer of the Louisiana SPCA.
Donning Dr. Seuss’ signature striped hat and surrounded by dogs from the Louisiana SPCA, New Orleans broadcasting icon Angela Hill, a member of the New Orleans Broadcasting Hall of Fame, a longtime supporter of the Louisiana SPCA and an advocate for animal rescue, delighted children with a reading of “What Pet Should I Get?”
“What Pet Should I Get?” is based on an original manuscript and accompanying sketches by Dr. Seuss, aka Ted Geisel, that were discovered in the La Jolla, CA, home of the late beloved children’s author.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1984, an Academy Award, three Emmy Awards, three Grammy Awards, and three Caldecott Honors, Geisel wrote and illustrated 44 books for children. Hundreds of millions of copies have found their way into homes and hearts around the world.
Following the reading, the children and their chaperones joined The Cat in the Hat, Sam-I-am, Thing 1 and Thing 2 for Carnival’s popular Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast with The Cat in the Hat and Friends, part of the line’s exclusive Seuss at Sea program.
Launched in 2014, Seuss at Sea is a fleetwide program featuring exciting youth, family, dining and entertainment experiences inspired by the amazing world and words of Dr. Seuss. The program includes such fun activities as the Seuss-a-palooza Parade and Story Time, as well as character interactions, Dr. Seuss toys and games and popular movies.
Carnival’s Duffy said Carnival will expand capacity on short cruises from New Orleans by 34 percent when the Carnival Triumph launches year-round 4 and 5-day cruises to Mexico this spring.
According to a study by the Cruise Lines International Association, the cruise industry has a $400 million annual economic impact to the state of Louisiana and accounts for 8,000 jobs in the state.
Carnival, a unit of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), is "The World's Most Popular Cruise Line®" with 24 ships operating 3 to 16-day voyages to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. The company currently has two 133,500-ton ships on order – Carnival Vista, scheduled to enter service in 2016, and an as-yet-unnamed vessel set to debut in 2018.
