Multicultural Travel News

Multicultural dining and entertainment choices, including The Taste Bar complimentary appetizer program and the Punchliner Comedy Club and Comedy Brunch presented by George Lopez, debut on the Carnival Miracle which launched the line’s first year-round schedule from New York on April 12, 2012.Carnival’s newest casual dining option, The Taste Bar, is being introduced on Carnival Miracle with fleet wide implementation expected to be completed by summer 2013. The Taste Bar sample offerings include roasted pork tacos with green chili salsa and aged cotija cheese and chicken, avocado, and lime tortilla soup; fried malanga (sweet potatoes) filled with ginger-scented pork and lime aioli, and pepper pot soup with cilantro sour cream; short rib croquettes with chipotle aioli and guava and tomato relish, served with pumpkin bisque with sour cream. For the Punchliner Comedy Brunch, many items are inspired by Lopez’s Mexican heritage, including Carne y Huevos – filet mignon topped with two eggs and béarnaise sauce; Hen Alla Diavola, grilled chicken with lemon and pepper; and Mexican-style churros. Two special “George’s Recipes” dishes created by the comedian himself – his own take on Huevos Rancheros which features a chicken quesadilla topped with fried eggs and manchego cheese, and a breakfast burrito filled with scrambled eggs, beans and chorizo – are also offered. As Carnival’s “curator of comedy,” Lopez will act as a consultant on the vetting and hiring of comedic talent in one of the line’s most popular nighttime entertainment options, and advise on décor, lighting, music and more to enhance the overall comedy club experience. The Punchliner Comedy Club will offer five side-splitting 35-minute shows on multiple nights during each voyage, with at least two comedians performing each night. Two early-evening shows offer family fun while the later performances feature R-rated adults-only comedy. Lopez has recorded a number of fun, light-hearted greetings that will be shown on Carnival Miracle’s in-cabin televisions and played during introductions of comedy club performances. Itineraries offered: Eastern Caribbean departures to San Juan, St. Thomas and Grand Turk; Bahamas sailings featuring stops at the private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk and Nassau, and Bahamas/Florida cruises with port calls to Port Canaveral (Orlando), Nassau and Freeport. For more information, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit www.carnival.com