Carnival Fantasy (formerly Fantasy) was a cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line. She was the first ship of her namesake class, which was the largest by number of ships, before the scrapping of the Fantasy, Inspiration, Imagination, and the selling of the Fascination in 2020. Built by Kværner Masa-Yards at its Helsinki New Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland, she was floated out on December 9, 1988, completed on January 27, 1990[2] and formally named on March 1, 1990, as Fantasy by Tellervo Koivisto,[3] wife of the then President of Finland, Mauno Koivisto. During 2007, in common with all of her Fantasy-class sisters, she had the prefix "Carnival" added to her name.[4]

Carnival Fantasy docked at Charleston, July 2012
History
Name
  • Fantasy (1990–2007)
  • Carnival Fantasy (2007–2020)
Owner Carnival Corporation & plc
Operator Carnival Cruise Line
Port of registryPanama City,  Panama[1]
Builder
Yard number479
LaunchedDecember 9, 1988
Sponsored byTellervo Koivisto
ChristenedMarch 1, 1990
CompletedJanuary 27, 1990
Maiden voyageMarch 1, 1990
In service1990–July 2020
Out of service2020
Refit2013 2016 (Funship 2.0)
Identification
FateScrapped in Aliağa, Turkey in 2020
General characteristics
Class and typeFantasy-class cruise ship
Tonnage
Length855 ft (261 m)
Beam103 ft (31 m)
Draft7.80 m (25 ft 7 in)
Decks10
Installed power
  • 2 × Sulzer-Wärtsilä 8ZAV40S
  • 4 × Sulzer-Wärtsilä 12ZAV40S
  • 42,240 kW (56,640 hp) (combined)
PropulsionTwo propellers
Speed21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Capacity
  • 2,052 passengers (lower berths)
  • 2,675 passengers (all berths)[1]
Crew920

In July 2020, Carnival Corporation & plc confirmed that it had sold Carnival Fantasy for scrap.[5]

Service history

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Fantasy entered service in 1990 and was by 2020 the oldest ship in the fleet.[6] Until 1993 she cruised from the Port of Miami when she relocated to Port Canaveral.

In the Fall of 2006, Fantasy was the first Carnival ship to move back to Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina with New Orleans becoming its home port, undertaking cruises to Mexico.[citation needed]

Carnival Fantasy spent a month in drydock being refitted in the Fall of 2008.[7]

On September 17, 2009, Carnival announced that Carnival Fantasy would be based out of Mobile, Alabama.[8] Subsequently, she was relocated to Charleston, South Carolina.

Carnival Fantasy was refitted in February 2016. The upgrades included being fitted with diesel engine scrubbers as well the alteration of some of the restaurants and child care areas on the ship.[9] In November 2016, she moved back to Mobile.[10]

 
Carnival Fantasy being scrapped in Aliaga, Turkey in October 2020.

Carnival Fantasy was again refitted in January 2019.[11] The ship assisted the US Coast Guard in rescuing 23 people at sea in April 2019.[12] On March 14, 2020, Carnival announced suspension of service for all of its ships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was previously announced that service would resume on April 10, but the suspension was extended to October 1, 2020. On July 23, 2020, Carnival announced the sale of Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Inspiration.[13] She was beached in Aliağa, Turkey for scrap on July 29, 2020.[14] A report on August 26, 2020 indicated that the scrapping process had begun.[15] Scrapping was completed in September 2021.[citation needed]

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c "Carnival Fantasy Review". Cruise Critic. The Independent Traveler, Inc. 1995–2008. Archived from the original on August 25, 2008. Retrieved August 16, 2008.
  2. ^ "Carnival Fantasy (8700773)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  3. ^ Smith 2010, p. 36.
  4. ^ Dake, Shawn J. (January 2008). "Cruise Ships 2007 the year in review" (PDF). Ocean Times. 12 (1). Steamship Historical Society of America: Southern California Chapter: 2–8.
  5. ^ "Carnival Sells Two Ships and Two Enter Long Term Layup". Talking Cruise. July 23, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  6. ^ Sloan, Gene. "Most Popular". USA Today.
  7. ^ "Carnival Fantasy to Under Full Evolutions of Fun Upgrades This Fall". Carnival Cruise Lines. January 28, 2008. Archived from the original on January 6, 2009.
  8. ^ Kaija Wilkinson (August 18, 2008). "Carnival's Fantasy cruise ship coming to Mobile". Press-Register. AL.com. Retrieved August 18, 2008.
  9. ^ Carnival-news.com
  10. ^ "Cruises return to Mobile with move of Carnival Fantasy ship, AL.com reports". NOLA.com. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  11. ^ "Carnival Cruise Line's Cruise Ship Dry Dock Schedule and Upgrades". cruisefever.net. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  12. ^ "Coast Guard worked with Carnival cruise to rescue 23 illegal Cubans adrift for days in Gulf of Mexico". USA TODAY. April 15, 2019.
  13. ^ "Carnival Cruise Line Announces Update to Fleet Plan - Carnival Cruise Line News". carnival-news.com. July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  14. ^ "Carnival Corporation to Sell More Ships as First Arrives at Scrapyard". Maritime Executive. July 29, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  15. ^ "Carnival Cruise Line Announces Update to Fleet Plan - Carnival Cruise Line News". Cruise Radio. August 27, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.

Bibliography

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