Virginia Boy Gets Free Cruise In Exchange For Snapchat Handle

PROSPECT, VA — Like many brands, Carnival Cruise Line had a problem that could only exist in the age of social media. A 16-year-old boy had the Snapchat handle that Carnival wanted and the company went to his hometown to take it from him.

Carnival went to Prospect, Virginia, earlier this week to request that Darian Lipscomb hand over his Snapchat handle "@CarnivalCruise" and in exchange, the company offered Lipscomb and his family a free cruise on Carnival's newest ship, Carnival Horizon.

According to Carnival, Lipscomb has been on four Carnival cruises already. Lipscomb told The Richmond Times Dispatch that when he was 9, he went on a Carnival cruise and wanted to share the experience with his friends. So he made the Snapchat handle to share photos and videos of the cruise.

Carnival inundated the town of Prospect with billboards and signs that said "Hey Prospect, does anyone know Darian?" The cruise company then surprised Lipscomb at this home with the offer on Tuesday.

"We thought this would be a fun way to claim our handle and reward a ‘superfan’ at the same time,” Robyn Fink, director, consumer public relations at Carnival Cruise Line, said in a press release.

According to the Times Dispatch, Lipscomb accepted the offer. Lipscomb will now sail with his family on Carnival Horizon's inaugural voyage on March 31, heading to Barcelona and other destinations in Europe. Carnival says Lipscomb's trip will be filled with "exclusive features and surprises."

Photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line