The new year did not start well for former Carnival cruise line ship Ocean Dream, formerly known as Tropicale. After a long life sailing the worldโs oceans for multiple cruise lines since 1982, she was beached at the shipbreakers in Alang, India, on January 1, 2021.
The Ocean Dream is the latest in an ever-increasing list of ships that have been beached in India and Turkey over the last year. Companies are hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and are forced to eliminate costly and financially ineffective vessels.
In the last 12 months, Carnival Cruise Line has scrapped Carnival Imagination, Carnival Inspiration, and Carnival Fantasy, sold Carnival Fascination, while another former Carnival Cruise ship is also heading for the shipbreakers in India, Grand Celebration.
You can watch the cruise ship beached in Alang, India below:
Carnival’s first new-build ship
At the time she was built, Tropicale was a first in many different ways. While Carnival was sailing with Mardi Gras, Carnivale, and TSS Festivale, the line needed to increase its presence. Building a new ship was the only option to remain competitive with the stiff competition in the Caribean; Tropicale was ordered and delivered in 1982.
Built at the Aalborg Vรฆrft, Denmark, in 1981, Carnival Tropicale could hold 1,022 passengers. As-built, she weighed in at 36,674 gross tons and measured 204.76 metres from bow to stern.
She was the first vessel to feature the iconic winged funnel, designed by Joe Farcus, who would significantly influence how cruise ships would be designed and built in the future. Due to the success of Tropicale, Carnival cruise line ordered Carnival Holiday in 1985, Carnival Jubilee in 1986, and Carnival Celebration in 1987.
Carnival Tropicale sailed for Carnival cruise line from 1982 until the year 2000. As Carnival cruise line grew in size and took on larger vessels, the line used Tropicale mainly for test voyages in places like Alaska, New Orleans, Tampa, and Puerto Rico. She became a front runner in what would ultimately become incredibly popular cruise destinations.
A Lifetime Roaming The High Seas
Tropicale was transferred to sail for Costa Cruises in the year 2000 and was renamed Costa Tropicale. During her 40-year career as a cruise ship, she was a testament to the build quality of the time. Tropicale sailed for five different operators and was renamed several times as well.
After sailing with Costa Cruises until the year 2005, she was transferred to P&O Cruises Australia under the name Pacific Star, where she sailed until the year 2008. In 2008 she left Carnival Corporation and sailed for Pullmantur and renamed yet again to Ocean Dream.
The vesselโs last assignment was for the Peace Boat organization. Peace Boat is a Japanese NGO that raises awareness internationally for human rights, sustainability, environmental protection, and other global causes. Peace Boat had operated Tropicale, or how it was now named Ocean Dream, since 2008.
In 2020 the organization purchased the former Princess cruise line ship, Sun Princess, marking the end of the line for Tropicale. The end of the line sadly ended on a beach in India, amongst other iconic vessels made obsolete by the pandemic.
Featured Photo Credit: xenalll (Flickr, Creative Commons)