Carnival Cruise Lines Christens Carnival Magic in Venice, Italy

Carnival Cruise Lines Christens Carnival Magic in Venice, Italy

Carnival Cruise Lines christened the 130,000-ton Carnival Magic in Venice, Italy, on May 1. Guests watched the ceremony in the ship’s Showtime Theater as godmother Lindsey Wilkerson pushed the button that sent a champagne bottle outside smashing into the hull. The bottle breaking was shown on video screens in the theater.

Wilkerson is a representative of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, where she received treatment at age 10 for cancer. Now married and the mother of two, she thanked Carnival for its support of the hospital and its pledge to donate $3 million over three years. “Thank you, Carnival, for having hearts as big as your ships,” she said in a video showcasing the hospital.

Wilkerson walked onto the stage to a standing ovation and then accepted a $50,000 check to St. Jude’s from Carnival Senior Cruise Director John Heald.

The ceremony started with Carnival President and CEO Gerald Cahill turning up during a song-and-dance show sitting in a small red helicopter used in the ship’s magic show. Cahill highlighted the ship’s Red Frog Pub, the first pub on a Carnival ship, as well as its outdoor ropes course and new Italian restaurant.

Cahill also noted that the ship is the 100th for Carnival Corporation, and that all passengers throughout the fleet enjoyed a champagne toast as the company accepted the Magic on April 29. He also noted that it is the 23rd ship designed by architect Joe Farcus, who is now designing ships for sister company Costa Cruises.

The Carnival Magic departed on its inaugural voyage after the ceremony, a repositioning to Barcelona, where it will be based through mid-October. Then, it will head for its new year-round homeport of Galveston, Texas.