Carnival to Offer Cruise Giveaways with Launch of CELEBRITY APPRENTICE Charity Challenge

Carnival Corporation & plc, the world's largest leisure travel company, today announced the launch of its Celebrity Apprentice Charity Challenge, an online consumer CONTEST running in conjunction with the upcoming season of NBC's THE NEW CELEBRITY APPRENTICE which premieres on January 2 at 8 p.m. EST.

Designed to support the charities chosen by the show's celebrity contestants while driving viewer engagement with the show, the challenge builds on Carnival Corporation's sponsorship of the popular program's two-part season finale, set to air nationally on February 6 and 13.

Beginning today and through the duration of the eighth season of "The New Celebrity Apprentice," consumers can visit ApprenticeCruiseChallenge.com to learn about the celebrities and charities involved in the show and cast votes in support of their favorites. After they vote, viewers are encouraged to share their choice via their social media channels using the hashtag #ApprenticeCharityChallenge to inspire their friends to vote and learn about the charities as well.

In return for their vote, consumers will be entered to win weekly cruise giveaways from three of Carnival Corporation's North American brands, as well as a grand prize of a cruise a year for life.

In addition to selecting CONTEST winners each week for a cruise giveaway, Carnival Corporation will also make donations to the charities of the celebrity contestants who were voted off the show that week, bringing further attention to the worthwhile organizations. Carnival Corporation's donations to all 16 of the contestant's charitable groups as part of the Celebrity Apprentice Charity Challenge will total $145,000.

"With the popularity of cruising and the enthusiasm surrounding 'The New Celebrity Apprentice,' our challenge will bring important awareness of these charities while offering great cruise giveaways that will create a lot of excitement," said Ken Jones, vice president, group marketing and insights for Carnival Corporation. "This challenge will reach millions of people watching the program, which will help create a way for us to generate awareness of cruising and help inspire people to consider cruising when they are planning their vacations."

Below is a list of this season's 16 celebrity contestants vying for the title of Celebrity Apprentice and the charities they are representing. Consumers can begin submitting their votes today as part of the Celebrity Apprentice Charity Challenge:

· Laila Ali, The Women's Sports Foundation: a charitable, educational organization dedicated to promoting girls and women in sports and fitness.

· Brooke Burke-Charvet, Operation Smile: a nonprofit medical service organization founded to provide cleft lip and palate repair surgeries to children worldwide.

· Eric Dickerson, Young Warriors: a program to develop positive and healthy male-to-male relationships.

· Boy George, Safe Kids Worldwide: a global network working to prevent accidental injury in children under 19.

· Matt Iseman, The Arthritis Foundation: a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention, control and cure of arthritis in the United States.

· Carrie Keagan, The Humane Society of the United States: the nation's largest and most effective animal protection organization.

· Carson Kressley, The True Colors Fund: a program dedicated to ending homelessness among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth.

· Lisa Leslie, The Semper Fi Fund: a fund providing financial assistance to wounded Marines and their families while they recover.

· Jon Lovitz, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital: a pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children's catastrophic diseases.

· Vince Neil, Keep Memory Alive: an organization committed to improving the lives of patients and families as they navigate the challenges of brain disorders, including Alzheimer's.

· Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, North Shore Animal League of America: the world's largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization.

· Kyle Richards, Children's Hospital Los Angeles: a non-profit hospital and is the largest regional referral center for children in critical condition who need life-saving care.

· Chael Sonnen, Hire Heroes USA: organization dedicated to helping veteran find jobs across the country.

· Porsha Williams, HOSEA HELPS: a community effort to fight childhood hunger throughout the country.

· Ricky Williams, Dr. John E. Upledger Foundation: concussion and military veteran PTSD intensive therapy programs and research studies.

· Carnie Wilson, The Weight Loss Surgery Foundation of America: a foundation focused on ending obesity by empowering people to move from surviving to thriving through medical treatments including surgery, education and support.

Celebrity Apprentice Charity Challenge Specifics Each vote cast will automatically enter the fan into that week's pool eligible for the free cruise giveaways, as well as the larger voting pool eligible for final grand prizes. Following the season finale on February 13, a runner-up grand prize winner will be selected to receive one cruise a year for five years and an overall grand prize winner will be selected to receive one cruise a year for life. Cruise giveaways are redeemable for three, four or seven-day itineraries on three of Carnival Corporation's North American brands - Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises.

Voting is officially open for consumers to begin voting now through 8 p.m. EST on Monday, January 2, ahead of the show's premiere. Following the airing of the premiere, a winner(s) will be chosen for the weekly cruise giveaway(s) and the CONTEST pool will reset for the next week.

Following this same schedule, voting will close each week at 8 p.m. EST on Monday ahead of the show, and will reopen for the following week at 2 a.m. EST the next morning. Viewers are eligible to cast one vote per celebrity per day.

The full list of Celebrity Apprentice Charity Challenge's rules and eligibility information is available at ApprenticeCharityChallenge.com.