AIDAvitaCarnival Corporation & plc the world’s largest leisure travel company, announced it is launching OceanView – an over the top (OTT) digital streaming channel. Providing completely free access on land and at sea to showcasing compelling, immersive and experiential travel content for viewers across the globe.

Original shows from Carnival Corporation’s OceanView channel are now available on main digital streaming platforms Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku. Additionally, as the world’s largest cruise company with nine iconic cruise line brands such as Carnival Cruise Line, Cunard, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises, OceanView will also debut on more than half of its 103 cruise ships.

OceanView features a slate of more than 100 acclaimed “Ocean Original” episodes produced by Carnival Corporation. The lineup includes the company’s four original series that have been broadcast on network and cable TV over the past year, as well as two new direct-to-digital streaming original series, “GO” and “Local Eyes.”

OceanView also will showcase video collections from the corporation’s cruise brands, with viewers able to check out majestic new-ship christening ceremonies featuring royalty and celebrities, as well as the fascinating process of ship design and construction, elaborate culinary creations from world-renown chefs and ever-evolving, pushing-the-envelope ship attractions.

Carnival Corporation will celebrate the official availability of OceanView on Thursday with an event in Times Square that synchronizes multiple digital billboards to showcase the new streaming channel, as well as an activation center where people can learn more. The company will also use the event to demonstrate its new PlayOcean interactive gaming platform – also unveiled in an announcement from the company today – including two new mobile apps and onboard, location-based experiences for guests.

OceanView is another innovation built upon the company’s O·C·E·A·N Experience Platform, unveiled in January at the CES 2017, that will enable a new higher level of personalization in the media, games and vacation experience. The collective innovations tap into the growing interest in digital entertainment, immersive experiences and personalized interaction to expand the market for more popular-than-ever cruise vacations.

“One of the great things about our cruise vacations is that we connect people, places and cultures around the world through extraordinary experiences on state-of-the-art ships to more than 760 global destinations – and over the past year we have been bringing that unique experience to life through original storytelling that breaks perceptions by showcasing why cruise holidays are the fastest-growing segment of the vacation sector,” said John Padgett, chief experience and innovation officer for Carnival Corporation.

“Our original programming is already a big hit on network and cable TV. And now, with the launch of OceanView, we are excited about making our authentic experiences accessible to people around the world through digital media. Our ultimate goal is to continue generating broad awareness of cruising as a great vacation and exceptional value, and to inspire consumers to consider cruising as a vacation option.”

Carnival Corporation’s original TV series, which debuted in fall 2016 and are now available on OceanView, recently were honored with 10 Telly Awards, which recognize the best in TV and cable, digital and streaming, and non-broadcast productions.

The programs are part of the company’s larger strategy to increase awareness and demand for cruise vacations through the creation and broad distribution of compelling and authentic experiential content. Three shows were ranked as number one or number two in their time slot during their inaugural season. With cruise vacations growing 20 percent faster than land-based vacations and with more people than ever taking cruise vacations in 2017, the strong ratings are further evidence that global interest in cruise vacations is becoming more and more popular.

Ships from all nine of the company’s cruise line brands ­– Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises Together, these brands operate 103 ships with 231,000 lower berths visiting over 700 ports around the world, with 18 new ships scheduled to be delivered between 2018 and 202