<p>Carnival Cruise Lines&rsquo; 2,974-passenger Carnival Freedom, which was originally scheduled to operate six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on a seasonal basis, will now operate the program year-round, following the conclusion of its 2008 Mediterranean program in October.&nbsp; </p><p><br />Carnival Freedom&rsquo;s year-round schedule from Fort Lauderdale begins November 22, 2008, with six-day cruises departing Sundays and visiting Key West, Fla., George Town, Grand Cayman; and Ocho Rios, Jamaica, while eight-day voyages departing Saturdays alternate to the eastern and western Caribbean. </p><p>Eight-day eastern Caribbean voyages visit five ports: San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas/St. John, U.S.V.I.; Antigua, Lesser Antilles; Tortola/Virgin Gorda, B.V.I.; and Nassau, The Bahamas. Western Caribbean cruises include Cozumel, Mexico; Limon, Costa Rica; and Colon, Panama. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>According to Lynn C. Torrent, Carnival&rsquo;s senior vice president of sales and guest services, &ldquo;The Caribbean is, by far, the most popular cruising region for North Americans.&nbsp; It is easily accessible and affordable, and when combined with attractive, destination-rich itineraries such as these, a Caribbean cruise represents the ideal vacation choice for consumers.&rdquo;</p><p>Torrent noted that while the plan had been for Carnival Freedom to return to Europe in 2009, the strong performance of the line&rsquo;s entire Caribbean fleet made the new six- and eight-day deployment a compelling choice.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Exciting Six- and Eight-Day Cruises </p><p>On Carnival Freedom&rsquo;s six-day cruises, guests can enjoy three distinctly different island experiences &ndash; Key West, Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios &ndash; each of which offers excellent shopping and dining opportunities, along with a variety of &ldquo;fun in the sun&rdquo; activities, including magnificent beaches and watersports.&nbsp; </p><p>Carnival Freedom&rsquo;s eight-day eastern Caribbean cruises feature five ports &ndash; San Juan, St. Thomas (optional shore excursion to St. John), Antigua, Tortola (optional shore excursion to Virgin Gorda) and Nassau &ndash; providing consumers a diversity of landside experiences, along with a variety of restaurants, shops and boutiques. A wide range of shore excursions are also offered, including horseback riding, scuba diving, hiking and kayaking.&nbsp; During an extended evening stay in San Juan, guests can also sample that city&rsquo;s legendary nightlife. </p><p>In addition to historical sites and attractions, including centuries-old ruins, the eight-day western Caribbean cruises to Cozumel, Limon and Colon offer a multitude of dining, shopping and watersports experiences. A number of &ldquo;adventure-type&rdquo; tours, including canoeing, and white-water rafting, are featured, as well. From Colon, guests can experience all the wonders of the Panama Canal and even a unique bi-coastal railroad adventure. </p><p>Both of these eight-day cruises offer visits to ports that are usually available only on cruises of 10 days or longer.&nbsp; In addition, these cruises depart on Saturdays and return on Sundays, which allow them to fit into the consumer&rsquo;s traditional one-week vacation pattern.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Variety of &lsquo;Fun Ship&rsquo; Amenities </p><p>Spanning a length of 952 feet, Carnival Freedom offers a variety of on-board amenities and facilities: a 14,500-square-foot health and wellness facility, a jogging track, a duty-free shopping mall, full casino gambling, and 22 lounges and bars, including a multi-level theater showcasing lavish revues.</p><p>Dining options include two two-level main dining rooms offering extensive menus and wine lists, a 1,200-seat poolside eatery with full breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets and a 24-hour pizzeria, and an elegant reservations-only supper club.</p><p>Family friendly amenities include children&rsquo;s programs for three different age groups &ndash; &ldquo;Camp Carnival&rdquo; for kids ages 2-11, &ldquo;Circle C&rdquo; for &rsquo;tweens, and &ldquo;Club O2&rdquo; for older teens &ndash; with facilities and activities for each.</p><p>Carnival Freedom also offers a variety of accommodations including a wide selection of balcony staterooms and suites &ndash; perfect for scenic cruising.&nbsp; All Carnival Freedom accommodations feature the Carnival Comfort Bed sleep system with plush mattresses, luxurious duvets and high quality linens and pillows.&nbsp; Carnival Freedom also houses an Internet Caf&eacute;, along with ship-wide Wi-Fi access and cell phone service. </p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Reservations </p><p>Reservations are currently being accepted for the Carnival Freedom&rsquo;s year-round six- and eight-day voyages from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Special rates for third and fourth guests sailing in the same stateroom, along with round-trip air supplements from a variety of North American gateways and pre- and post-cruise South Florida land stays, are also available.&nbsp; </p>