As the most popular cruise line in the world today, it may be surprising that Carnival has only been around for 50 years.
Carnival began with their first ship in 1972. The original Mardi Gras was a 12-year old, former transatlantic liner purchased from the Canadian Pacific Line. The Florida-based company was founded by Ted Arison who got help from a friend who owned Boston-based American International Travel Service (AITS). Carnival was ran as a subsidiary of AITS in order to help market and promote the new cruise line. In 1974, AITS sold its interest in the company to Arison for just $1, and Carnival was on its own and able to promote itself to travel agents as a line for fun-loving, younger cruisers.
The Florida-based company acquired its second ship in 1975 another former Canadian Pacific Line ocean liner they named Carnivale. In 1979 they purchased yet another ocean liner, this one from the Union-Castle Line and named it the TSS Festivale.
Finding that their concept of shorter, budget-friendly cruises a success, in 1982, the ten-year old company decided it was time for their first new ship build. The MS Tropicale would be the first of Carnival’s ships to bear its now famous whale tale. Built by a Danish shipyard that I will not attempt to pronounce, the Tropicale would become the line’s “test ship” for new cruise destinations. It would be the first to be based out of San Juan, New Orleans, Alaska and Tampa. The Tropical even appeared in an episode of the A-Team as well as an episode of Growing Pains. The 80’s is also when the famous TV commercials staring Kathie Lee Gifford began airing. Man, I remember those, how about you?
The 80’s also saw a new class of ship, the Holiday class. Three ships in total were built for Carnival: The Carnival Holiday, Jubilee, and Celebration. All were eventually sold to other lines and have since been scrapped.
The end of the 80’s would usher in an era of massive acquisition for Carnival as they began purchasing other lines like Holland America, Windstar, Costa, Seabourn, etc. and formed the parent company, Carnival Corporation.
The 90’s introduced the Fantasy-class ships to the world beginning with the Fantasy. You’ll recognize a pattern here where the first ship in the class is also the name of the class of ship. The Fantasy class ended in 1998 with the eighth in the class, the Paradise. The oldest ships still sailing for Carnival are Fantasy-class ships: Carnival Elation, and Carnival Paradise. The 90’s is also when Carnival began selling off its older ships that had been purchased second-hand, which would see the end of Carnival sailing ocean liners.
The very first Carnival ship I sailed on was also built in the 90s, the Carnival Destiny! Built in 1996, it was the first of the now defunct Destiny-class ships. However, it isn’t that the ships are all gone; instead, they were refit and reimagined as the Sunshine class with ships still sailing for Carnival today although by different names including the Destiny which is now the Sunshine. At the time of its launch, the Carnival Destiny was the largest passenger ship in the world. Now it is one of Carnival’s smaller ships. Oh, how things change!
The next class of ships for Carnival begin in 2001 with the Carnival Spirit. Consisting of four ships, the Spirit Class was made up of the Carnival Spirit, Pride, Legend and Miracle. These, along with the Sunshine class, are still favorites of many who have sailed on Carnival throughout the years. While the newer and bigger ships get all the attention, these smaller ships are still loved by many.
My favorite ship so far, the Carnival Dream, was released in 2009 as the first of the line’s Dream class. She was followed by the Magic in 2011 and the Breeze in 2012. Have you been on a Dream-class ship? What did you think? I think they are Goldilocks ships: not too big, and not too small.
Making her debut in 2016 was the Carnival Vista. Vista-class ships are now a popular design found in more than just the Carnival line. Besides the Vista, the Horizon was launched in 2018 and the Panorama in 2019. Recently, Carnival has brought over the Costa Venezia, another Vista-class ship as part of its “Fun Italian style” program with the Firenze to follow suit next year bringing Carnival’s Vista class to five ships in total.
The next ship we are going to be trying out will be the Vista which currently sails out of Galveston. I have heard you either love the Vista class or hate it, but either way, I am looking forward to finding out!
2020 began a rough time for the cruise industry as cruising was shut down in March as part of the response to Covid 19. It was during this time that Carnival chose to sell off several of its older ships for scrap. The Carnival Fantasy, Imagination and Inspiration are all merely a memory now.
In 2021 the highly anticipated Mardi Gras finally entered service and is currently sailing year-round out of Port Canaveral. This has begun a new era of XL-class ships for Carnival, all bearing the names of those very first ships of the line. The Celebration joined the fleet in 2022 and the Jubilee is set to launch at the end of this year and home port out of Galveston. Originally meant for AIDA Cruises, The Jubilee is the last new build in the works for Carnival as they pause building new ships in order to pay off the loans taken during the shut down.
Carnival has a total of 40 ships under its banner over the years and currently has 27 ships in its current fleet (that includes the upcoming Jubilee and Firenze). There have been five Carnival Cruise Line presidents with Christine Duffy serving as their first female president since 2015.
How many Carnival ships have you sailed on? Do you have a favorite ship or class of ship?
Cruising From The Ozarks 