The oldest and smallest ship in the Carnival Cruise Line fleet is about to leave for the last time.
After 31 years of service, the 2,052-passenger Carnival Ecstasy will leave Mobile, Alabama, late Monday on a five- night trip to Mexico.
Over the course of its long career, the ship has delivered vacations to millions of Carnival fans. Carnival hasn't said if it has been sold to another cruise operator or if it will be sent to the scrappers.
One of the last remaining vessels in Carnival's hugely successful, eight-ship Fantasy-class series was built in 1991, and was instrumental in the growth of the cruise industry.
Sign up for the cruise newsletter to get more cruise news.
Carnival had a small number of ships at the time. Between 1990 and 1998 the arrival of the vessel catapulted the line into the big leagues of North American tourism.
The Fantasy-class ships were part of the Carnival fleet. The class has been phased out by the line in order to save money.
Carnival removed four of the eight Fantasy-class ships from its fleet soon after the COVID-19 epidemic began, and later this year it retired a fifth vessel in the series.
Carnival Ecstasy will be the sixth Fantasy-class ship to leave the Carnival fleet.
You can sign up for our newsletter.
The Fantasy-class ships lack a large number of balcony cabins, the cabin type that everyone wants these days. Most of the cabins on these ships only have a window or a porthole.
There is a guide to Carnival ships and itineraries.
The newer and bigger Carnival ships have more amenities than the smaller ships. There are no giant water parks on these vessels. There are several slides and a spray park for the children. There are not many dining options.
The Fantasy-class ships have mostly been used in secondary ports that can't support larger vessels.
The Carnival Ecstasy was one of the largest cruise ships in the world when it was built. The passenger capacity was a lot at the time.
It doesn't make the list of the 50 biggest cruise vessels, some of which can hold more than 5,000 people. Over the years, cruise ships have gotten bigger.
Carnival Fantasy is less than half the size of the largest ships in the world. The new Carnival flagship can carry over 5,300 passengers and can fit six pull down bunks and a pullout sofa.
The Carnival ships are divided into eight classes.
Mobile will not have a cruise ship after Carnival Ecstasy leaves this week.
The city built a 66,000- square-foot cruise terminal in 2004, which has been a home base for Carnival ships for most of the years since. The city says that cruisers arriving for sailings account for about 35,000 room nights at local hotels each year.
There will be a cruise ship in Mobile for some time. A new ship will be redeployed to Mobile for part of each year starting in the late-20th century.
The departure of Carnival Ecstasy will leave the company with just 23 vessels. The Carnival Celebration will be the 24th vessel to be delivered by the line. A ship is being built in Italy.
Are you planning to go on a cruise ship? These are the stories to start with.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
