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I was excited to be included in a special event held by Carnival Cruise Line recently. The event was held on-board the Carnival Ecstasy docked at the Port of Charleston in South Carolina. To show their commitment to children and families, Carnival invited my family to attend as well. The Port of Charleston is an easy 1.5 hour drive from home so we hopped in the car and headed south early in the morning. The ship had returned to port that morning and we arrived just as families were returning from a cruise and disembarking. Each group we passed and chatted with told us what a wonderful trip they had and how they were looking forward to cruising with Carnival again!

I was impressed by the number of large groups – family reunions, groups of friends with families, wedding parties – all traveling together and returning with huge smiles, lots of souvenirs and braided hair! Although I live relatively nearby, I had never been to the Port and was impressed by the small size that made it feel comfortable and easy to get through. Everyone there – from Port personnel to representatives from Carnival Cruise Line – were friendly, welcoming and fun!

The Carnival Ecstasy is one of 25 ships in the fleet and is impressive to say the least. The ship can hold just over 2,000 guests with plenty to do for both kids and adults. There are supervised activities for children ages 2 to 17 as well as adult only areas and a spa. Shows, a casino, lounges and food – lots of food – you’ll find it all on-board the Ecstasy.

Most importantly, I was impressed by Carnival Cruise Line’s commitment and caring shown to the young children they invited to spend a fun day on the Ecstasy.

The Event

To celebrate its commitment to the greater Charleston community and to mark National Ice Cream Month, Carnival Cruise Line hosted a “FunDay Sundae” celebration on board Carnival Ecstasy on Monday, August 31 for kids from the Connie Maxwell Children’s Home in Charleston, South Carolina. The event, which was attended by 40 children between the ages of 11 and 16, included water park fun, lunch, a magic show and an ice cream sundae bar with almost endless toppings.

During the event, Randy McManus, campus director of Connie Maxwell Children’s Home, accepted Carnival’s charitable donation of $20,000 to support the organization’s mission of providing hope for South Carolina’s children and families in need since 1892.

“Charleston is a very important year-round embarkation port for Carnival, and we like to demonstrate our appreciation for our home port communities by supporting vital local organizations,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “For 125 years, the Connie Maxwell Children’s Home has offered hope and healing to this community and it was our great pleasure to welcome the center’s children on board and provide them with an enjoyable day and special reason to celebrate.”

Participants enjoyed sliding and splashing throughout Carnival Ecstasy’s WaterWorks  aqua park complete with a 300-foot-long water slide. After lunch, the kids were treated to a FunDay Sundae Bar where they could create the ice cream sundae of their dreams with a boundless array of flavors and toppings while watching and learning magic tricks.

Connie Maxwell Children’s Home

I can’t begin to tell you how impressed I was with each and every child that was given the opportunity to spend the day on board the Ecstasy. They were fun, loving, polite, curious and smart. I think I enjoyed watching them more than anything else!

For 125 years, Connie Maxwell Children’s Home has provided hope for South Carolina’s children and families in need. Established in 1892 as a ministry of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, Connie Maxwell is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization accredited by the Council on Accreditation. The mission of Connie Maxwell Children’s Home is to care for children while developing and strengthening positive relationships in a Christian environment. Connie Maxwell accomplishes its purpose by offering hope and healing through child care, counseling and family service programs designed to meet physical needs, improve personal, family and spiritual relationships, teach wholesome and productive living, and to encourage acceptance of and growth in the Christian faith.

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Carnival Cruise Line carries approximately 150,000 guests per year from the Port of Charleston with the 2,052-passenger Carnival Ecstasy offering four- to 12-day cruises to The Bahamas, Caribbean and Bermuda.

Carnival Sunshine will also offer select voyages from Charleston later this year including four- to seven-day itineraries to the Bahamas and eastern Caribbean.

For additional information and reservations, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.

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