Carnival Cruise Line works hard every day to take care of guests with special needs and this past weekend, Carnival was surprised with KultureCity’s Human Highlight Award for one particular effort at the organization’s annual national gala, KultureBall, in Birmingham, Alabama.
The honor is given to one organization that “makes the nevers possible” and goes above and beyond to advocate for sensory inclusion and acceptance of those with disabilities. In June, Carnival assisted a family who was unable to fly home to New Jersey after a trip to Aruba. As a special added surprise during the ceremony, KultureCity invited the mother, Jamie Greene, to personally give Carnival the award.

“We empathized with the challenging situation Jamie and her son Elijah were in, and it was natural for us to step in and do the right thing to help this family get home safely,” said Vicky Rey, vice president of guest care and communications at Carnival Cruise Line. “We work daily to make a difference in people’s lives, and we are grateful for the opportunity to help and for this special recognition.”

KultureCity is a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to accessibility and inclusion for individuals with sensory needs and invisible disabilities. Carnival was the first line cruise operator to be certified “sensory inclusive” by KultureCity in late 2019 and through the partnership provides training and education to its team members to provide positive vacation experiences to all.

Every Carnival ship also offers KultureCity Sensory Bags, which include items to help calm, relax and manage sensory overload such as comfortable noise-canceling headphones, fidget tools, a visual feeling thermometer, and a KultureCity VIP lanyard, to help Carnival team members easily identify a guest.