Carnival Cruise Line has selected the cruise director and entertainment director that will lead their new cruise ship debuting later this year, Carnival Celebration.
Fan favorites Lee Mason and Calvyn Martens will serve as Carnival Celebration’s cruise director and entertainment director. Carnival Celebration will debut in November and sail week long cruises to the Caribbean from the Cruise Capital of the World, PortMiami.
Mason and Martens are both popular with Carnival Cruise Line guests and bring a combined quarter-century of Carnival fun and experience to lead the team responsible for the cruise line’s quintessential atmosphere, activities and entertainment aboard its new ship.
“Not only will Carnival Celebration arrive as the ship marking our 50th birthday, but it will build upon the stellar entertainment offerings which our guests have already come to love since the debut of Mardi Gras. Lee and Calvyn are the perfect team to take on this responsibility and help our guests make great memories while having lots of fun,” said Chris Nelson, Carnival’s vice president of entertainment.
Mason, currently serving as cruise director on Mardi Gras, is from Cumbria, England, and has served as cruise director on several ships across Carnival’s fleet over the past six years, including the return to service of Carnival Panorama in Long Beach.
Having trained at the American Musical & Dramatic Academy in New York City, Mason’s talent for showmanship is matched only by his boundless energy and love for life. His proudest achievement to date is helping to set Carnival Splendor’s $40,000 St. Jude fundraising record.
Martens, from Vancouver, Canada, has been entertaining Carnival guests for nearly 20 years, having joined the company as part of the team on Carnival Holiday. He has helped bring to life much of the entertainment programming Carnival fans enjoy today and is a mentor to many entertainers across the fleet.
Calvyn’s Carnival journey has had many highlights, but some of his fondest memories include being selected as part of the inaugural team for Carnival Magic and Carnival Breeze, leading the Carnival Legend for its inaugural Baltic season, becoming known to guests as the “Morning Show” co-host and serving as Executive Assistant to John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador.
Carnival Celebration will arrive to its homeport, Miami, in November and will debut along with the redesigned Terminal F at PortMiami. The new terminal will be among the first at PortMiami to be shore-power ready in 2023.
