It has been a busy year with four Carnival cruise ships already upgraded this year and even more on the way.
Carnival Cruise Line has already had a busy 2019 so far with the upgrade of four cruise ships so far and another three on the way before the year comes to an end. We’ll go through the ships which have already undergone a dry dock upgrade and what we have to look forward to for the remainder of the year.
Carnival Fantasy
The first ship to receive some much-needed attention was the oldest ship int he fleet, Carnival Fantasy. it was a relatively general refurbishment which took place at the Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport, Bahamas. The dry dock took place from January 7 to January 20, 2019.
There were no major features added but a cruise ship as old as the Carnival Fantasy needs to make sure the technical aspects are well maintained. New carpeting and tiling was added to public spaces, the arcade reived a renovation and Dreams Studios.
The 70,367-ton Fantasy-class vessel which joined the fleet back in 1990 is currently based out of Mobile, Alabama sailing Western Caribbean cruises.
Carnival Pride
The second Carnival ship to undergo a dry dock was the Carnival Pride at the Grand Bahama shipyard from February 3 to February 16, 2019.
Just like Carnival Fantasy, the Spirit-class ship underwent a routine update which included new carpets and tiling across public areas; renovated Arcade which replaced the chapel and library; The Cove which is a lounge for teens replaced where the original arcade was located.
The 88,500-ton Carnival Pride which joined the fleet in 2002 is currently offering cruises to the Bahamas and the Caribbean out of Baltimore, Maryland.
Carnival Freedom
Carnival Freedom received a refurbishment which added some new spaces and made some major enhancements between February 13 to March 8, 2019, at the Grand Bahama shipyard.
One of the biggest highlights added is the expansive WaterWorks which includes a 203-foot-long AquaTunnel slide and the signature 212-foot-long Twister slide. A new SplashZone area was added too.
Related: 13 Reasons Why You Should Cruise on Carnival Freedom
There was a new Bonsai Express venue added and a new Carnival Adventures store a part of an expansive shopping experience. Major changes included the nine-hole mini-golf course relocated to deck 11 and a completely re-branded Deli on deck 9.
The Conquest-class ship is currently based out of Port of Galveston, Texas with alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.
Carnival Sunrise
One of Carnival’s most complex and expensive upgrades was the transformation of Carnival Triumph into Carnival Sunrise during March 1 and April 28 at the dry dock in Cadiz, Spain. It was one of the largest dry docks since the Carnival Destiny was transformed into Carnival Sunshine in 2013.
Also Read: 18 Reasons to Take a Carnival Sunrise Cruise
The entire vessel was changed with totally new cabins, public spaces, lounges and more. Highlights include 115 new suites and staterooms; Guy’s Pig & Anchor BBQ venue, RedFrog Pub, Serenity area, and a new WaterWorks. it all cost around $200 million!
The newly transformed ship re-joined the fleet as a new cruise ship and made its debut from Norfolk in April 2019. The ship is also based out of New York which is where the naming ceremony took place with Godmother Kelly Arison. The ship will begin Caribbean and Bahamas cruises out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida from October 28.
Still to Come
Three more scheduled dry docks are planned before the end of 2019, and that’s not including the unscheduled first-of-its-kind urgent floating dry dock for Carnival Vista and the arrival of the shiny new Carnival Panorama on the U.S. West Coast in December.
Carnival Ecstasy will begin her upgrade on October 5 and it will be completed on October 16. No details have yet been released of what will be done so do keep checking Cruise Hive for the latest on that.
Carnival Imagination will be upgraded starting from October 20 and ending on November 2. We’re not expecting any major new features, the focus will likely be on technical aspects and general updates throughout the vessel.
The final Carnival cruise ship to undergo a dry dock will be the Carnival Splendor, and it is set to be a big one. The ship will reposition to Australia in December but before the new service down under begin the ship will be upgraded. The dry dock will take place from October 30 to November 24 and during the time a brand new WaterPark will be added along with new dining experiences.
Cruise Hive will be on hand to keep readers updated on all the latest Carnival upgrades throughout the remainder of 2019.
