<p>Carnival Cruise Lines is introducing a &ldquo;cancel for any reason&rdquo; enhancement to its travel protection program, the Cruise Vacation Protection Plan.&nbsp; The new feature will be included in all plan purchases for voyages departing on or after January 1, 2011. <br /><br />With the new enhancement, those who purchase Carnival&rsquo;s Cruise Vacation Protection Plan will be able to cancel their cruise &mdash; regardless of the reason &mdash; and receive a future cruise credit equal to 75 percent of cancellation charges, provided they notify Carnival prior to the ship&rsquo;s departure. Those who cancel for a covered reason will receive 100 percent cash reimbursement.<br /><br />The &ldquo;cancel for any reason&rdquo; feature further bolsters the line&rsquo;s current vacation protection plan, which offers a package of benefits, ranging from trip cancellation/interruption, trip delay, emergency medical evacuation, medical, baggage loss and baggage delay. The program also provides a 24-hour emergency assistance hotline.&nbsp; Last year, the plan was expanded to include severe weather watch/warning protection, as well as job loss protection.<br /><br />All plans purchased for voyages departing next year will be eligible for the &ldquo;cancel for any reason&rdquo; benefit, including those plans that were already purchased for an upcoming 2011 voyage.&nbsp; The price of the plan remains unchanged.<br /><br />The plan is administered by BerkelyCare, a recognized leader in travel insurance. Prices begin at $49 per person and vary by cruise cost.&nbsp; Guests must purchase the plan no later than the final payment date for the cruise to be eligible for the &ldquo;cancel for any reason&rdquo; benefit.&nbsp; <br /><br />Carnival is the most popular cruise line in the world with 22 &ldquo;Fun Ships&rdquo; operating voyages from three to 16 days in length to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England, Europe, Bermuda and the Panama Canal. <br /><br />The line currently has two new 130,000-ton ships on order &ndash; Carnival Magic, set to debut in Europe May 1, 2011, and Carnival Breeze, scheduled to enter service in spring 2012.<br /><br />Additional information on Carnival&rsquo;s Vacation Protection Plan is available at www.carnival.com.</p>