Favorite Former Carnival Ship

[dchurchward]

Back in 1991, my mother and I went on our first cruise. We had the option of going on the Carnival Fantasy which was then in her second year but ended up on the Mardi Gras on a 4 day Bahamas cruise out of Port Canaveral. What stands out to me about this cruise was that the Mardi Gras and the Carnivale sailed together this entire cruise. We spent about half of the time in front and half of the time following the Carnivale on the starboard side. Our cruise went to Freeport and Nassau and was my first exposure to cruising. At the time, it was impossible to imagine how the industry would grow, and the features that would be added to the ships as time went on.

 

Now that we are getting ready to cruise to Alaska next year, I started to think about which former ships in the Carnival fleet are favorites and why. For me, I loved the Mardi Gras even though it was run down and the air conditioning didn't work half of the time because it was my first experience cruising, and I loved the coziness of the ship. The staff was excellent, and while the ship was old, I felt like they did their best to make the cruise a memorable experience. We enjoyed the ports and it was all a big adventure since there wasn't an internet and a lot of information readily available back then outside of our TA.

 

What is your favorite former Carnival ship and why?

[WIFamily]

We've been on the Dream and the Fascination in that order. The Fascination was our favorite due to the smaller size and also the awesome itinerary - 5 islands on a 7 night cruise out of San Juan. Yes it was older and yes it was smaller... but being an adult only 20th anniversary cruise for my wife and I, we really enjoyed the ship and the staff.

 

Ah sorry, I thought you were asking about ships that people were formerly on! LOL. In that case, the closest thing I have is being on one of the Big Red Boats (Starship Oceanic) back in 1990 for a four day to Nassau and back. Premier purchased a ship from Carnival - the Festivale... that's the connection.

Edited August 6, 2018 by WIFamily

[schazzy]

Well, the only Carnival ship that I've cruised on that is no longer in the fleet is the Celebration , so I guess that makes her my favorite favorite former Carnival ship :D

 

Seriously thought, it was a fun cruise, this was in 2007, so it was not long before she left to go on to be the Grand Celebration. She was an older, smaller ship that was like a 80's time capsule, but was still in really good shape. I'm really glad I had the opportunity to take a cruise on her. :D

[2Shoes2Go]

Holiday! Simpler times! :)

[MommytoAsquared]

What happens to ships when Carnival is finished with them?

[dchurchward]

What happens to ships when Carnival is finished with them?

 

Most of the time, the major cruise lines sell their ships to other smaller cruise companies. Big companies like Carnival or Royal Caribbean also will sometimes assign older ships to their subsidiary companies. In an extreme case, the company may scrap an old ship, but this is fairly rare now with how much money is invested in their ships.

[SummerXU]

Does Destiny count as a former ship even though she's technically still around? If so, that's my choice. I know she had a bad rap and many negative reviews (which I feel was the catalyst to her being completely overhauled and renamed), but my cruise on her was great!

[SallyPilot]

We've been on the Dream and the Fascination in that order. The Fascination was our favorite due to the smaller size and also the awesome itinerary - 5 islands on a 7 night cruise out of San Juan. Yes it was older and yes it was smaller... but being an adult only 20th anniversary cruise for my wife and I, we really enjoyed the ship and the staff.

 

Ah sorry, I thought you were asking about ships that people were formerly on! LOL. In that case, the closest thing I have is being on one of the Big Red Boats (Starship Oceanic) back in 1990 for a four day to Nassau and back. Premier purchased a ship from Carnival - the Festivale... that's the connection.

 

 

 

I sailed on the Premier Royale in 1985 and the Oceanic in about 1996. ... The good all days of the big red boat!

 

 

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[Joebucks]

I imagine what it will look like 30 years from now when Horizon is the tiny ship

[surf kahuna]

Just off old Costa Classica and will sail old Carnival Celebration later this month . Premier cruise line , Port of Palm Beach .

[MediumB]

My very first cruise was on the Celebration in 2004 and since that's the only retired Carnival ship I've been on it wins. I do like the smaller Fantasy class ships now that the Holiday class ships are gone. I don't need all the bells and whistles.

[joepeka]

Holiday! Simpler times! :)

Agree. Our first cruise was on Holiday in the mid-90's so it set the tone for all our future cruises. Good to see that she's still sailing, albeit under a different banner.

[pghsteelerfan]

The only one of Carnival's former ships that we've been on was Festivale for our honeymoon in 1992. We did a southern itinerary out of San Juan on her and just loved her. And I also loved the coziness of her. Our little Festivale, although no longer in service, will always have a special place in our hearts.

 

Carnival Festivale docked in St. Thomas - June 15, 1992

Edited August 9, 2018 by pghsteelerfan

[Jamman54]

The Holiday was my first cruise experience and started my cruise addiction. Had 4 great cruises on her! :cool:

[pascalburns]

enjoyed the holiday.small.

[AD5ZA]

Celebration....met my future wife on that ship and 2 years later got married in the library aboard the Celebration. Wonderful memories.

 

 

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[Bobstam]

The Inspiration was our 1st cruise and we loved it but ended up on the Triump twice and loved it, looking forward to Horizon.

[Luckiestmanonearth]

Tropicale 1986. 1st ever cruise and my honeymoon. Great times

 

 

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[Frank12]

Celebration. Loved that ship!

[lele100]

First cruise southern Caribbean on the festivale. I have recently within the past few year cruises in the old Celebration out of palm beach and two months ago in the costa clasica also out of palm beach same company fun times

 

 

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[coast2coast]

Tropicale is the only other Carnival ship I've been on. December of 1984. I was 14 at the time and there were lots of teens on board, and I had a great time. My brother was 19 at the time and was at that awkward stage where he was too old for the teen club but not old enough to hang out at the bars. :p

[The4Cruisers]

Celebration and Holiday are the only two former CCL ships that we've sailed on.

 

I prefer the Celebration, but would gladly sail on either again if they were brought back to CCL.

 

I like the smaller ships as well!

[mzloolue]

Holiday.

 

For several reasons, but one being that Holiday was made to look like a ship.

 

Why do they want a ship to look like a brick building or a park now?

I have bricks, grass and trees at home, so I don't need them in the ocean...

[DANCING GRANDMOMMY]

Holiday. Sure do miss her. We sailed on her r times