Say goodbye to two old favorites in the Carnival lineup. The cruise line announced that two ships — Carnival Sensation and Carnival Ecstasy — will soon leave the fleet.
“Carnival Cruise Line is notifying guests and travel advisors of changes to its fleet deployment plan, including two ships leaving the Carnival fleet, as it continues to implement its successful restart of guest operations in the U.S. and adjusts for the continued uncertainty of cruising in Australia,” read a press release about the change.
Carnival Sensation has already sailed its last cruise for the line and won’t return. The ship’s original restart of cruising from Mobile was already canceled through at least February. Now the cruise line says it “will not restart guest operations.”
Carnival Ecstasy will continue to cruise through October 2022, giving passengers a chance to say goodbye one last time. The ship will move to Mobile, Alabama to replace trips originally planned for Sensation. Those sailings are set to run from March 5, 2022 through October 10.
After October 10, the cruise line says that Ecstasy will also leave the fleet.
With Ecstasy heading to Mobile, Carnival says Carnival Spirit will be its replacement for trips from Jacksonville through April 9, 2022. After that, another ship will be assigned to Jacksonville beginning April 23, however, it hasn’t been announced which ship that will be.
The Oldest Ships in Carnival’s Lineup
Carnival Ecstasy and Sensation represent the two oldest ships in the cruise line’s fleet. Ecstasy had her maiden voyage in 1991 — more than 30 years ago. Sensation first sailed in 1993.
Since then, much has changed in cruising — including the size of ships. For instance, both ships come in at just over 70,000 gross tons and carry about 2,000 passengers at normal capacity.
Compare that to Mardi Gras, Carnival’s newest ship in its fleet. That ship boasts 180,000 gross tons and carries roughly 5,300 passengers at regular occupancy. In other words, the newest ships are more than twice the size.
Carnival didn’t provide any official word on what will become of the two ships after they leave the fleet. However, the ships are typically sold or scrapped.
The move doesn’t come as a complete surprise. During the pause in sailing Carnival Corporation — parent of Carnival Cruise Line — made moves to render its fleet across all cruise lines more efficient by removing older, smaller ships. This included disposing of Carnival Fantasy, Inspiration, Imagination, and Inspiration.
Now Sensation and Ecstasy can be added to that list.
Once Ecstasy is removed from the fleet, Carnival Elation and Paradise will then be the oldest vessels in the fleet, both first sailing in 1998.
Meanwhile, the cruise line plans to welcome Carnival Celebration in late 2022, followed by Carnival Jubilee in 2023.
