Carnival Cruise Lines and its interactive agency, Avenue A | Razorfish are launching FunShipIsland, an online destination that provides vacationers with a virtual glimpse at the many diverse activities they can engage in while onboard or ashore.
Through a simple, interactive navigational experience, Avenue A | Razorfish designed the innovative Web site with the goal of making FunShipIsland.com a truly immersive virtual world where visitors can explore, play and experience a Carnival cruise first hand. Visitors can experience the line’s iconic Twister Waterslide? on the Lido deck, take an adventurous ride on the Rhino 4x4 Jeep, swim with dolphins, relax at the spa or even gamble in a virtual casino.
“These days more travelers are turning to the internet to research their vacation options,” said Christine Arnholt, Carnival’s vice president of marketing services. “By creating a brand-immersive, interactive cruise experience, FunShipIsland.com makes the process fun and engaging for travelers. Instead of simply providing them with pricing, itinerary details and a virtual ship tour with photos, FunShipIsland offers them a highly interactive experience that provides a comprehensive, visual overview of the various aspects of a Carnival cruise.”
Other site features include a downloadable screen saver, custom-created ring tones for mobile phones, downloadable music for iPods and personalization for each visitor. While interacting with FunShipIsland.com, quick, optional questions/answers and individual preferences are gathered for each visitor, creating a basis for a “Fun Ship” cruise recommendation should they choose.
“The future of digital marketing is creating interactive consumer experiences that appeal to people’s emotions and follow the consumer across multiple platforms including laptops, mobile phones and digital music players,” said Susan Kidwell, vice president and managing director of Avenue A | Razorfish’s Ft. Lauderdale office. “Carnival’s focus on innovation in the digital industry is unparalleled, which allows us to collaborate and create breakthrough Web sites like FunShipIsland.com.”
Together, Carnival Cruise Lines and Avenue A | Razorfish have worked on Web site initiatives since 2001. Most recently, Carnival and Avenue A | Razorfish collaborated on CarnivalConnections.com, a social networking application that enables travellers to easily plan and manage their group travel needs in a single social setting. In 2004, the Carnival.com Web site received a makeover, which offered enhanced site navigation, streaming video, personalized content tailored to each visitor, and more 360-degree “virtual tours” of the “Fun Ship” fleet. In 2005, a re-fresh of the Carnival.com Web site was released, which includes enhanced imagery, more information to assist customers in their cruise vacation purchase decision and direct connection to the line’s offline branding.

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