Australian travellers can now heavily customise their Carnival cruise holiday prior to boarding through the local launch of the line’s ‘Fun Shops’ program.

Until today, Fun Shops has been widely available to Carnival Cruise Line’s core American traveller base, however the expansion to Australia means Aussies can take advantage of the program for sailings departing from Sydney on Carnival Spirit and Carnival Legend.

Among the gifts available include items which can be placed in a guest’s stateroom prior to their arrival, such as flowers and decorative balloons, wine and cheese platters, chocolate cake, fruit hampers and chocolate covered strawberries.

Designed to help travellers spoil themselves prior to embarkation and for friends & family to buy gifts for others to enjoy on their cruise, the online Fun Shops catalogue features a wide variety of gifts and experiences which can be pre-purchased and applied to a traveller’s onboard account before they even set sail. For example, it’s perfect to help guests celebrate a special occasion or to pre-purchase some perks to make their cruise more comfortable.

Less tangible gifts which can also be purchased include prepaid internet packages to help a guest stay connected for part of all of their cruise voyage. These can be purchased under the line’s ‘Social’, ‘Value’ and ‘Premium’ categories depending on how much access the purchaser wishes to give and are available for different cruise lengths from three days up to 19 days.

Cabin decorations to suit occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries can be tailored right down to the size and flavour of a cake or cookie platter waiting in the room. Fruit and sweet baskets are available and can even be complemented with a bottle of white or red wine. A canape platter featuring fruit and cheese slices or assorted pastries can also be organised.

On a more traditional level, a colourful flower bouquet of either a half or full-dozen roses in either classic red, pink or yellow can be pre-booked and paid. If you know your friends or guests love fine dining, purchase a specialty dining experience for them at Nouveau Steakhouse and a card informing them of their gift will be left in the room for them to find.

Carnival’s full wine list is also available for pre-purchase if you would like to secure one or more bottles for your own private consumption in advance. The available list includes sparkling whites, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Rose, Chardonnay, Moscato, Pinot Gris and more along with red blends including Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz & exotic reds. Wines are not delivered to a guest’s room but can be redeemed at a restaurant or bar.

Gifts can only be booked and secured for a guest based on a confirmed and fully paid cruise reservation, with bookings completed at least two days prior to sailing. Flowers are the only exception to this rule, with floral bouquet bookings needing to be finalised a week in advance.