Carnival Cruises Retiring “Carnival Ecstasy” After 31 Years

Carnival Ecstasy is sailing her farewell cruise this week after transporting over 5.5 million guests since 1991. After more than 2,300 trips, the ship will end its service with a five-day cruise that will take passengers to Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico.

John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador, and an early Carnival Ecstasy cruise director currently entertaining a huge group of the ship’s devoted passengers.

It’s safe to say that Heald and his family have had fun aboard Carnival Ecstasy throughout the years. When she and her Fantasy-class ‘Superliner’ sisters entered service, the “M/S Ecstasy,” as she was then known, revolutionised the fleet. Today, many of the hallmarks of modern vessels can be traced back to the advancements made at that time.

The Carnival Ecstasy, the second “Fun Ship” of the ground-breaking Carnival Fantasy class, was built in Helsinki, Finland, and made her debut on the high seas in 2010.

A total of eight of Carnival’s home ports have been visited by the vessel over the years: Miami, Port Canaveral, and Jacksonville, Florida; Galveston, Texas; Long Beach, California; New Orleans, Louisiana; Charleston, South Carolina; and most recently, Mobile, Alabama.

The 1934 Rolls Royce Saloon on view in the Rolls Royce Café of the Carnival Ecstasy will continue to be part of the fleet as it finds a new home aboard the Carnival Celebration.

The car that millions of Carnival passengers have adored will be featured at The Gateway, a two-deck section of the ship that focuses on the thrill of discovering new places and the history of Carnival’s vessels over the past half-century. The 20th of November marks the first appearance of the brand-new ship in Port Miami.

Carnival will resume sailings from its homeport of Mobile, Ala., in October 2023, when Carnival Spirit arrives. It will offer a selection of Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries beginning the 6th of October 2023. The new seasonal six- and eight-day cruise itinerary includes excursions to famous sites such as The Bahamas, Mexico, Belize, and other favourite places.