This week, the Carnival Ecstasy arrived at its last destination. After concluding its sailing career in October, the former Carnival Cruise Line ship was beached in Aliaga for destruction. The 31-year-old vessel, one of the three remaining Fantasy-Class cruise ships, will soon be recycled at a Turkish shipbreaking yard.
The Ecstasy will be disassembled throughout the process, and its building materials, fittings, and technical components will be sold and repurposed. Prior to crossing the Atlantic on her final journey, the 2,040 passenger vessel offered a farewell season from March to October 2022.
The itinerary comprised four- and five-night voyages to Mexico and the Western Caribbean from Mobile, the vessel’s final homeport. According to Carnival, the ship carried approximately 5.5 million passengers during her three-decade lifetime while sailing from eight different homeports.
The Carnival Ecstasy, constructed in Finland by Kvaerner Masa-Yards, debuted as the second ship of the eight-ship Fantasy Class. The 70,367-ton vessel had a multi-story atrium, themed public areas, and a resort-style pool deck. It was the oldest ship in Carnival’s fleet.
A 1934 Rolls Royce Saloon, which had been parked in front of the ship’s Rolls Royce Café, will remain a part of the fleet. The car became a part of Carnival Celebration’s The Gateway, a two-deck section highlighting the evolution of Carnival’s ships over the past 50 years.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic, Carnival has retired a total of six Fantasy-Class vessels, bringing the total to six. Beginning in 2020, the company has sold off the Carnival Fantasy, the Carnival Inspiration, the Carnival Imagination, the Carnival Fascination, and the Carnival Sensation.
Two Fantasy-class vessels are still in operation in North America. The Carnival Elation offers year-round trips to the Bahamas from Jacksonville, while the Carnival Paradise sails from Tampa Bay to the Western Caribbean.
