Tampa Veterans honored aboard Carnival Cruise ship

TAMPA, Fla. - Veterans Day is around the corner, and as we honor our Nation's Heroes, some got a special treat aboard a ship at Port Tampa Bay Sunday afternoon.

One of them, was Benjamin Cruz, who spent more than two decades traveling the world while serving in the United States Marine Corp.

"I went to camp Lejuene North Carolina, Japan, San Diego," Cruz recalled. "I was on the Eisenhower, so we made stops for business, I was in Kuwait, and then we had to go Afghanistan."

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Being aboard Carnival's Paradise cruise ship docked at Port of Tampa on Sunday, was the first time he'd been back on a ship since retiring.

"Its totally different, the ships I used to be on were not this luxurious," Cruz laughed.

Now living in Clearwater, Benjamin was one of 60 Bay-Area veterans invited on board for the afternoon to enjoy a special ceremony and luncheon put on by Carnival, as they honor hometown heroes in their six home port cities leading up to Veterans Day next weekend.

Benjamin said its extra special anytime he's surrounded by those who've also taken a stand to protect our nation.

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"You can relate better when you talk to people that have been through the same thing you've been through," Cruz said.  "You talk to them, and they know exactly what you're talking about."

In addition to the tribute, Carnival cruise line also presented a passenger van to VA Tampa Healthcare, to help better assist with transportation for programs and services offered to the more than 200,000 veterans they serve across seven local counties.

"One of the feedback areas we got in conversations with the VA is that sometimes VA members have difficulty getting to some of their healthcare appointments," said Vera Lannek, VP of Strategic Sourcing for Carnival Corporation. "So, hopefully this van will help alleviate some of those challenges."