Carnival Cruise Line has confirmed the retirement of two more cruise ships. Carnival will say goodbye to Carnival Sensation and Carnival Ecstasy.
The cruise line also outlined several itinerary and deployment changes.
Sensation and Ecstasy are Leaving Carnival’s Fleet
Earlier this week, Carnival Cruise Line announced the retirement of its two oldest vessels.
Ecstasy, built-in 1991, and Sensation, built-in 1993, will be retired by the end of 2022.
Carnival Sensation was set to resume operations on March 7, 2022. However, we now know Sensation will not return to operations. Since the industry-wide pause of cruise ship operations following the Covid-19 pandemic, the vessel has been sidelined. Although the ship was initially scheduled to return early this year, it will instead be retired, with Carnival Ecstacy taking over the ship’s itineraries.
Carnival Ecstasy will now take over Carnival Sensation’s sailings from Mobile, Alabama, beginning March 7, 2022. The Fantasy-class vessel will operate from the Port of Mobile through October 10, 2022. Following the October 10, 2022 sailing, Carnival Ecstasy will retire from Carnival’s fleet.
Carnival has not released details on whether the two cruise ships will be scrapped or purchased by another cruise line.
“Our guests have remained passionate and supportive throughout the restart, and 2022 gives us plenty of reasons for enthusiasm and excitement as we reach full operations in the U.S., prepare for our 50th birthday celebration, and await the arrival of Carnival Celebration this fall,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
“Our very loyal guests, our vibrant homeport strategy and our fleet of popular ships are strengths to our advantage as we adapt to changing opportunities and circumstances.”
Deployment Changes
Carnival is making several changes to its upcoming ship deployments. The cruise line is canceling the planned operations of Carnival Splendor from June 10, 2022, through September 26, 2022.
Carnival Spirit will be redeployed in Jacksonville, taking over Carnival Ecstasy’s itineraries from March 7, 2022, through April 9, 2022. The next two sailings following April 9 are canceled, and a new ship will be reassigned to Jacksonville for the itineraries beginning April 23, 2022. That announcement will be made shortly.
Carnival is canceling planned Australian operations of the Carnival Splendor from June 10, 2022, through September 26, 2022, and of the Carnival Spirit from June 5, 2022, to October 5, 2023. The cruise line will announce details for returning to Australian sailings when they are confirmed.
As part of the updated deployment plan, the Carnival Sensation will not restart guest operations and leave Carnival’s fleet with Carnival Ecstasy picking up the ship’s itineraries.
Carnival Ecstasy’s last cruise in guest operations will be the October 10, 2022 departure from Mobile, and both ships will leave the Carnival fleet.
