MIAMI, Aug. 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children's Books Dr. Seuss's Word Challenge to promote literacy, kids sailing aboard Carnival Cruise Line this summer read an astonishing 213 million Dr. Seuss words through fun, educational activities across the line's 26-ship fleet, helping to surpass the goal of 100 million Dr. Seuss words read during the campaign.
Events were highlighted by book readings to local children by New Orleans Saints tight end Ben Watson aboard Carnival Triumph in New Orleans and Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kike Hernandez in Long Beach. Donning Dr. Seuss' signature striped hat, Watson and Hernandez gave spirited readings of the new Dr. Seuss classic "What Pet Should I Get?" while extolling the benefits of reading to hundreds of kids from local summer camps and social service organizations.
Young cruisers sailing on Carnival ships in June and July were also encouraged to read as many Dr. Seuss words as possible during summertime book reading sessions on board and then log their words and monitor their progress using a word tracker on Seussville.com. Children at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee – one of Carnival's favorite charitable partners – also participated and were treated to a special reading of "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" by hospital survivors.
All those who registered and entered their Dr. Seuss word count at Seussville.com before July 31 were also eligible to win a free Carnival cruise.
Dr. Seuss's Word Challenge is part of Seuss at Sea, Carnival's exclusive partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises that showcases the wonderful words and world of the famous children's author through family-oriented entertainment, youth activities and dining experiences. Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children's Books launched the first-ever Dr. Seuss's Word Challenge on May 29. Readers responded so quickly to the campaign and original goal of reading 20 million Dr. Seuss words that the goal was increased and expanded it to an incredible 100 million word goal.
"Carnival Cruise Line is the leader in family cruising carrying more than 800,000 kids a year and we're very proud to be the Official Seagoing Partner of Dr. Seuss's Word Challenge which serves to reinforce the importance of reading – even on vacation – in a fun and creative way," said Caroline Lombardi, director of youth programming for Carnival Cruise Line.
Added Susan Brandt, president of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, "Our Dr. Seuss's Word Challenge was one of our most successful literacy promotion programs ever and hats off to the kids of Carnival Cruise Line for doing their part and helping us surpass our goal by reading an amazing 213 million words at sea."
Launched in 2014, Seuss at Sea has become one of the most popular children's programs in the travel industry and includes such fun activities as The Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast with The Cat in the Hat and Friends and the Seuss-a-Palooza Parade and Story Time, as well as character interactions, Dr. Seuss toys and games, and popular movies shown on board.
Dr. Seuss Bookville, a vibrant and colorful family reading venue, is also featured on select ships, including the new Carnival Horizon which debuted this year and also offers the first-ever Dr. Seuss water park at sea.
To learn more about Carnival Cruise Line or to make a reservation, visit Carnival.com, call 1-800-CARNIVAL, or contact any travel agent. Follow us on: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube
About Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Line, part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), is "The World's Most Popular Cruise Line®" with 26 ships operating three- to 24-day voyages to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Cuba, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia. The line currently has three new ships scheduled for delivery – the 133,500-ton Carnival Panorama set to debut in 2019 and two as-yet-unnamed 180,000-ton ships in 2020 and 2022.
About Dr. Seuss
Theodor "Seuss" Geisel is quite simply the most beloved children's book author of all time. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1984, three Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards, three Grammy Awards, and three Caldecott Honors, Geisel wrote and illustrated 45 books for children. Hundreds of millions of copies have found their way into homes and hearts around the world. While Theodor Geisel died on September 24, 1991, Dr. Seuss lives on, inspiring generations of children of all ages to explore the joys of reading. For more information about Dr. Seuss and his works, visit Seussville.com.
Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P.
The primary focus of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. is to protect the integrity of the Dr. Seuss books while expanding beyond books into ancillary areas. This effort is a strategic part of the overall mission to nurture and safeguard the relationship people have with Dr. Seuss characters. Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) said he never wanted to license his characters to anyone who would "round out the edges." That is one of the guiding philosophies of Dr. Seuss Enterprises.
Random House Children's Books is the world's largest English-language children's trade book publisher. Creating books for toddlers through young adult readers, in all formats from board books to activity books to picture books, novels, and nonfiction, the imprints of Random House Children's Books bring together award-winning authors and illustrators, world-famous franchise characters, and multimillion-copy series. Random House is the longtime home of the beloved and bestselling Dr. Seuss books, which continue to make learning to read fun for millions of children everywhere. The company's websites, rhcbooks.com and GetUnderlined.com, offer an array of activities, games, and educational resources for children, teens, parents, and educators. Random House Children's Books is a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
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SOURCE Carnival Cruise Line
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