Carnival Cruise Lines Takes On #IceBucketChallenge

The world's most popular cruise line enlisted all 24 of its "Fun Ships," as well as President and CEO Gerry Cahill, to participate in the #IceBucketChallenge, designed to raise much-needed awareness and funds for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.  Carnival is also making a $100,000donation to the ALS Association.

The way the #IceBucketChallenge works is simple: participants are encouraged to pour a bucket of ice water over their head and then challenge others to do the same or make a donation to fight ALS within 24 hours.

Carnival's newest ship, Carnival Breeze, was the first ship to rise to the challenge with Cruise Director Matt Mitcham throwing down the gauntlet by dumping the entire contents of the 150-gallon PowerDrencher tipping bucket and then challenging the line's other 23 ships to take up the cause. 

Team members from the 23 ships – which are sailing in regions spanning the Caribbean, Alaska, the West Coast and Australia – were up to the task, with shipboard personnel undergoing their own below-freezing drenching to support ALS research, treatment and education efforts.

The #IceBucketChallenge was then extended to Senior Cruise Director and Brand Ambassador John Healdwho is sailing, appropriately enough, in the icy waters of Alaska on the Carnival Miracle. 

Fresh from his drenching, Heald then challenged President and CEO Gerry Cahill who, surrounded by dozens of the company's employees, underwent his own frigid encounter at the company's Miami headquarters.

A three-minute video of Carnival's #IceBucketChallenge can be viewed here.         

And just to keep the momentum going, Cahill challenged popular comedian and TV personality George Lopez – the line's "curator of comedy" who helped create the fleetwide Punchliner Comedy Clubs – along with Food Network star Guy Fieri whose namesake Guy's Burger Joints are on several ships and DJ IRIE, the line's official DJ whose Spin'Iversity trains Carnival DJs fleetwide. All three gentlemen gladly accepted the challenge!

Those who wish to donate to the ALS Association may do so by clicking here.