Carnival Cruise Line has announced new plans for its fleet, a confirmed arrival date for an additional Excel-class, LNG-powered ship in November 2022, four ships sold or in long-term inactivity, and ships heading to new homeports as it looks to leverage its strong network of year-round and seasonal U.S. homeports with enhanced offerings.
The plan's highlights include:
- As part of Carnival's 50th anniversary in 2022, a November 2022 delivery date has been confirmed for its second Excel-class ship from the Meyer Turku shipyard. The sister ship to the Mardi Gras will showcase many of its features, including BOLT, the first roller coaster at sea, and will depart from PortMiami as previously announced. Carnival said it will open sales this fall, and customers can sign up to be the first to know about the ship's itineraries and special launch promotions.
- As part of Carnival Corporation's announcement to reduce its overall capacity and focus on ships with enhanced features, the Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Inspiration have been sold. The Carnival Fascination and Carnival Imagination will be placed in long-term inactivity, with no date given for their return to service.
- Carnival Sensation will move from Miami to Mobile and will operate the itineraries previously assigned to Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Fascination, with passengers from both ships being rebooked on Carnival Sensation.
- The Carnival Sunrise, a larger and recently refurbished ship, will relocate from Port Everglades to PortMiami and will take over the itineraries previously operated by the Carnival Sensation. Guests who book 4- and 5-day Sunrise itineraries from Port Everglades will automatically be transferred to cruises departing from PortMiami.
- Carnival Sunrise will participate in the celebration of Carnival's 50th birthday, scheduled for March 5, 2022.
- Carnival Fascination itineraries from San Juan and Barbados have been canceled for 2020-2021.
- Carnival Imagination and Carnival Inspiration itineraries from Long Beach have been canceled through April 19, 2021. Carnival Panorama will continue to operate 7-day cruises from Long Beach, while Carnival Miracle will operate shorter itineraries from San Diego to Baja Mexico.
- Carnival Radiance will relocate from Europe following its refurbishment to its home port of Long Beach in April 2021, where it will take over the short Baja Mexico itineraries previously served by Carnival Imagination and Carnival Inspiration. Guests booking on Carnival Imagination and Carnival Inspiration after April 22, 2021, will be accommodated on Carnival Radiance, where they can enjoy a number of upgrades, including Shaq's Big Chicken restaurant and an expanded water park for families sailing with children.
- Furthermore, Carnival has also informed its Australian customers of the extension of its pause in operations in that country and has cancelled six cruises that were scheduled to operate between September 25 and October 29, 2020.
“During the pause in operations, we’ve taken a long, hard look at our fleet, with the goal of building a plan that offers our guests new choices and enhancements to our current offerings,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We have a wide variety of ships in the Carnival Cruise Line fleet, and we’re thrilled to have confirmed the earlier-than-expected delivery date of our second Excel ship, which is exciting news for guests interested in sailing from PortMiami on the sister ship of the Mardi Gras. At the same time, we will continue to invest in the four remaining Fantasy-class ships we maintain in the fleet. We have many guests who prefer Fantasy-class ships for shorter itineraries from smaller ports that our larger ships can’t access. With a fleet that offers guests a wide range of ship, port of departure, destination, and feature choices, including dining, entertainment, and accommodations, we are excited about the future of Carnival Cruise Line.”.
The company is informing customers and travel agents directly about affected voyages, passenger adjustments, and cancellations. Duffy thanked customers and travel agents for their patience, loyalty, and support during this unprecedented time for the cruise industry. “With our future plan now in place, we are focused on preparing to return to operations once it is determined that the time is right to resume cruising in the U.S.,” he said.
