Fantasy-class cruise ship

Class overview
Builders: Kvaerner Masa-Yards Helsinki, Finland
Operators: Carnival Cruise Lines
Preceded by: Holiday Class No longer in service for Carnival
Succeeded by: Destiny Class
Planned: 8
Completed: 8
Active: 8
General characteristics
Type:Cruise Ship
Tonnage:70,367 GT
Length:855 ft (261 m)
Beam:103 ft (31 m)
Decks:10
Propulsion:2 fixed pitch propellers on the first six ships. 2 ABB Azipod thrusters on the last two ships.
Capacity:2,052-2,056 Passengers
Crew:920
Notes:Oldest ships active in the Carnival Cruise Line

The Fantasy class is a cruise ship class operated by Carnival Cruise Lines. The first vessel of the class, Fantasy, entered service in 1990. All eight vessels of the class were constructed by Kvaerner Masa Yards, in Helsinki, Finland. The Elation and the Paradise differ from the other ships of the class in that they have Azipod azimuth thrusters. They were also the last cruise ships built with the lifeboats only on the upper deck. This class utilizes a "modern ocean/cruise liner" design, with all of its cabins situated within the hull and only a handful of suites on the superstructure, similar to the Holiday Class cruise ships built in the late 80's. The Fantasy-class is the only class currently in service for Carnival not initially built with more than a few balcony cabins.

Ships

Ship Year
Built 		Sailed for
Carnival 		Gross Tonnage Homeport Flag Notes Image
Carnival Fantasy 1990 1990–Present 70,367 GT Charleston, SC  Bahamas originally, the Fantasy
Carnival Ecstasy 1991 1991–Present 70,367 GT Miami,
Florida 		 Bahamas originally, the Ecstasy
Carnival Sensation 1993 1993–Present 70,367 GT Port Canaveral,
Florida 		 Bahamas originally, the Sensation
Carnival Fascination 1994 1994–Present 70,367 GT Jacksonville, FL  Bahamas originally, the Fascination
Carnival Imagination 1995 1995–Present 70,367 GT Long Beach, CA  Bahamas originally, the Imagination
Carnival Inspiration 1996 1996–Present 70,367 GT Long Beach, CA  Bahamas originally, the Inspiration
Carnival Elation 1998 1998–Present 70,367 GT New Orleans, LA  Panama originally, the Elation. Received the Fun Ship 2.0 upgrades in 2014[1][2]
Carnival Paradise 1998 1998–Present 70,367 GT Tampa, FL  Panama originally, the Paradise. Will be receiving the Fun Ship 2.0 upgrades in 2015[1][2]

On May 8, Carnival Cruise Lines announced that all eight ships will get the 'Carnival'- prefix. The new names shall be Carnival Fantasy, Carnival Ecstasy, and so on. This makes the naming in line with the newer ships, as Carnival started to add the prefix with the Carnival Destiny. The name change is planned in conjunction with the line's $250 million "Evolutions of Fun" product enhancement project, started in 2007.

Evolutions Of Fun

In late 2006, Carnival Cruise Lines announced a massive refurbishment to its Fantasy class fleet called "Evolutions Of Fun", which was expected to be completed in 2010.[3]

Features Of The Evolutions Of Fun

Ship's Name

All ships were renamed with the "Carnival" prefix (e.g. Carnival Sensation) after final refurbishment of their pools and outside decks. A temporary "Carnival" prefix was initially painted on ships of the class that had not yet entered the shipyard to receive full refurbishment.

Pools and Outer Decks

A miniature golf course was added to the forward sun deck. The most distinguishable changes to swimming pools is visible on the aft pool deck, which was replaced by a waterpark with multiple slides. The main pool was completely refurbished with new materials and new spiral staircases to the top deck. The original waterslide was removed, and the adults-only area (around the funnel) was relocated, replacing the children's wading pool on the aft portion of the Promenade deck. The wading pool was replaced by the new waterpark, which features three slides (including a "racing pair" of medium length), a smaller slide for younger kids, and the spectacular high-level slide, accessed via spiral staircase, which provides a high-speed run lasting 15 seconds.

Public Areas

The restaurant and the majority of the public areas were redecorated and received new electronic equipment. Except for the Carnival Elation and the Carnival Paradise, the sculptures in the atriums were removed and replaced with a circular bar and a small stage for musicians. An atrium bar was already installed in the Carnival Elation and the Carnival Paradise when they were constructed.

Staterooms

All staterooms received new decor and new beds. A flat screen TV was added to all staterooms, and the Carnival Ecstasy, Carnival Sensation, and Carnival Fascination received 98 new balcony cabins. In addition, 8 suites on the Upper Deck got larger balconies.

Rooms

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Carnival Announces "Fun Ship 2.0" Upgrades". Cruisemates.com. 2011-10-03. Retrieved 2013-03-02.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 October 4, 2011 (2011-10-04). "Carnival Cruise Line's 'Fun Ship 2.0' Upgrade Schedule". Cruise Radio. Retrieved 2013-03-02.
  3. ↑ http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/eof/?wt.mc_id=Hhmpg08SliderEOFFA

External links