BlueMonkey Bahamas has officially launched its second Bahamas Carnival Cruise for Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival 2017.
The Bahamas Carnival Cruise is an all-inclusive weekend sail-away from Miami, Florida to Nassau, The Bahamas for Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival weekend, May 5-8, 2017.
The weekend package includes a four-day/three-night cruise from Miami on board the Carnival Victory, along with a VIP carnival package that contains a carnival costume, souvenir and goodie bag, ground transportation and much more, offering attendees an entertainment and culture rich experience that The Bahamas and its Junkanoo Carnival is steadily gaining notoriety within the carnival circuit for.
One reason why Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival has grown in popularity in such a short time is the proximity of host city Nassau to major cities across North America and the ease of travel from those cities, as well as cities in Europe and the Caribbean and the quality of accommodations that can be found in Nassau.
Hoping to attract even more persons to Nassau for Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival, BlueMonkey Bahamas is offering its three-night weekend cruise that it hopes would attract even more persons including the budget conscious 'feters' to Nassau.
BlueMonkey Bahamas principals Stephan Rolle and Crystal Bleasdell said "The Bahamas Carnival Cruise adds another method for people to get Nassau for Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival and that is our goal, to get more people to visit The Bahamas and participate in Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival.
"For many, cost is the major factor in deciding when and where to travel and travel isn't cheap. For Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival weekend, airfare, hotel and ground transportation could easily cost over $750 per person, and that's not even including the price of a carnival costume. So what we were able to do is create a cost-effective package that includes transportation to Nassau, accommodation on the luxurious Carnival Victory, and A carnival costume all for under $750. You really can't beat that."
"Additionally, what we've found to be a great selling point for the Cruise; someone that lives in Florida or along the U.S. East Coast can leave work Friday afternoon, hop on this cruise, party in The Bahamas for the weekend and be back at their desk Monday morning. That puts the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival in a very good position that not many other carnivals across the region can offer its visitors, so we in The Bahamas must take advantage of that."
Bleasdell added that she has travelled to Barbados, Miami and New York for Carnival and has had friends come to her native Trinidad for Carnival. "Traveling and organizing things like events and costumes for Carnival can be very stressing and time consuming; we hope this package would eliminate that stress so visitors can just come here and have fun."
The cruise departs on Friday, May 5, 2017 from Miami on board the recently refurbished Carnival Victory, which can accommodate nearly 3,000 passengers. While on board the Carnival Victory, guests can expect world-class service that the Carnival Cruise Line is known form with an array of entertainment and food options. Rolle, who had a chance to tour the Victory in July, said the ship is elegant and just right for the Bahamas Carnival Cruise.
"I was able to tour the Victory and check out the cabins, the dining areas, pools and other public areas. I think people who are coming on the cruise will enjoy this ship; this ship has it all." he said.
Rolle also added that cruisers will be able to enjoy all the amenities of the Victory including their choice of cabin, from the budget friendly interior cabins to the super sleek grand suites.
Also a part of the VIP package is the Welcome Aboard Party -- Bahamas Carnival Style. The party will feature entertainment to get cruisers ready for Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival. "All that fun and we're not on the road yet, so the cruise plus the Road Fever is definitely a win."
"Guests will have the full Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival experience" said Rolle. "the will not only enjoy Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival, but they will also have an opportunity to experience 'Da Cultural Village', where they can purchase local food and souvenirs and also experience the Road Fever After Party."
According to BlueMonkey Bahamas, entrance to both Da Cultural Village and the after party is included in the cost of the package. The 2016 Road Fever After Party featured performances by Tarrus Riley, Bunji Garlin, Fayann Lyons, Puzzle and more.
The 2017 cruise will be the second year that BlueMonkey Bahamas offers its Bahamas Carnival Cruise and according to Bleasdell, the support and interest so far has grown tremendously. "The interest has been spectacular, we've gotten calls and emails from all over the Caribbean and the United States, we've completed several bookings so far with the majority being from persons that sailed with us for the 2016 cruise."
One cruiser from the 2016 cruise, Kimberly Jordan of Georgia, said she and her friends had a great time. "The experience was great. We were looking for a new experience and saw the ad on Facebook. The package was reasonable so this was a great chance to take in the quick cruise to The Bahamas and play mas."
According to Jordan, she and her husband will be part of the 2017 cruise.
"We've already paid our deposits and told all of our friends. Bahamas Carnival 2017 won't miss us" she said with glee.
Tyrell Charles, of Florida, said she too had a great experience and was looking forward to returning for Bahamas Carnival 2017. "In May, I came with two of my friends and we all had a blast. Because Nassau is so close, we can see ourselves doing this again, we already plan to and we've already started inviting more friends to come along with us. The cruise itself was nice, lots of fun but the real highlight was Junkanoo Carnival, it was great. We were in Rhythms Band and their costumes were amazing, they and BlueMonkey Bahamas took great care of us; overall it was a great experience and I will definitely recommend it."
Tiko Cox of Miami said he can't wait for the 2017 cruise. "I visit The Bahamas often; I have family over there but I have never seen that side of The Bahamas. The cruise was awesome and the road march was vibes!"
Bleasdell explained that through partnerships with local carnival bands, BlueMonkey Bahamas was able to supply the costumes needed for revelers on the Bahamas Carnival Cruise. "For the 2016 cruise, we were able to meet our need for costumes through partnerships with Euphoria, Fusion and Rhythms Carnival Bands and we were so grateful for their assistance; we have to congratulate them; every cruiser spoke highly of the quality of their costumes and the experience they had on the road. For the 2017 Bahamas Carnival Cruise, we hope to expand this so more carnival bands can participate in the Bahamas Carnival Cruise."
Sean Burrows of Euphoria said he was excited to participate and was looking forward to the partnership once more.
"The Bahamas Carnival Cruise is a great idea; it gets more people to Nassau for Junkanoo Carnival so I applaud Stephan and Crystal and BlueMonkey Bahamas for what they are doing."
Burrows added, "In order for Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival to be successful, we need people from outside of The Bahamas to participate, once they're here, as band owners, we'll do the rest to keep them coming. I had a group from Miami on the cruise and they're excited to return; they've even messaged us directly asking when our costumes for 2017 will coming out."
Fusion band leader, Trevor Williams said, "My belief is simple, 'the more the merrier.' To make Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival bigger and better, we have to expand our reach and what BlueMonkey Bahamas is doing is excellent in that regard. We can focus on what we have to do here, making beautiful costumes and creating an experience that people will love and want to come back for and they can use their expertise to do what they have to do to get people on the ship and here for Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival, it's a win for everyone involved. Moving forward, we will definitely be looking to partner with BlueMonkey Bahamas again."
According to Bleasdell, registration is now open and she is urging persons to book early. "We're urging people not to wait until the last minute to book. Things can happen, so book early. We know everyone may not have all the money to pay the full price of the cruise, so we've created flexible payment options for persons to take advantage of."
She added, "Persons can visit our website for more information or to book, visit www.bahamascarnivalcruise.com or email info@bluemonkey242.com or call (242) 425-0100."
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