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What Happened to Carnival Cruise Line’s Oldest Ships
Carnival Cruise Line has retired many of its earliest ships over the decades, but most didn’t simply disappear.
Many went on to second lives with other cruise lines before eventually being scrapped, especially after the 2020 shutdown.
Below is a look at some of Carnival’s former ships and what ultimately happened to them.
| Ship | Entered Service | Later Service Name(s) | Final Fate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mardi Gras | 1972 | Olympic, Apollon | Scrapped (2003) |
| Carnivale | 1976 | Fiesta Marina, Olympic, Topaz | Scrapped (2009) |
| Festivale | 1977 | Island Breeze, Big Red Boat III | Scrapped (2003) |
| Tropicale | 1982 | Costa Tropicale, Pacific Star, Ocean Dream | Scrapped (2021) |
| Holiday | 1985 | Grand Holiday, Magellan | Scrapped (2021) |
| Celebration | 1987 | Grand Celebration | Scrapped (2021) |
| Jubilee | 1986 | Pacific Sun, Henna | Scrapped (2017) |
| Carnival Fantasy | 1990 | — | Scrapped (2020) |
| Carnival Ecstasy | 1991 | — | Scrapped (2022) |
| Carnival Sensation | 1993 | — | Scrapped (2022) |
| Carnival Fascination | 1994 | Century Harmony (briefly) | Scrapped (2022) |
| Carnival Imagination | 1995 | — | Scrapped (2020) |
| Carnival Inspiration | 1996 | — | Scrapped (2020) |
Check out a bit of history behind the 13 former Carnival Cruise Line ships and see where they are now.
1. Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras was sold to Carnival from Canadian Pacific in 1972 and was just over 18,000 gross registered tons. She sailed under the Carnival flag until 1993 and was then sold to Epirotiki.
Many names and a few cruise lines later, the ship was laid up and ultimately sold for scrap in 2003.
In 2021, Carnival debuted a new Mardi Gras from Port Canaveral, Florida. You can read our full review of the ship here.
The Excel-class ship features BOLT, the first roller coaster at sea, an attraction later added to sister ships Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee.
2. Carnivale
Before being sold to Carnival in 1976, Carnivale was called Queen Ann Maria for the operator Greek Line. In 1993, Carnival transferred her to a subsidiary cruise line, Fiesta Marina Cruises.
After a few other cruise lines and the final name of Topaz sailing under the Peace Boat Organization, she was retired and laid up in April 2008.
The ship was beached in India to be scrapped that summer, with the process completed in 2009.
3. Festivale
Carnival acquired Festivale in 1977 from the South African Marine Corporation. She was originally a mail service ocean liner, but when Carnival bought her, they refit her into a cruise ship in Japan for $30 million.
After sailing for several cruise lines, she ended up with Premier Cruise Line under the name Big Red Boat III. When Premier went bankrupt in 2000, the ship was seized and ultimately scrapped in 2003.
4. Tropicale
Tropicale was a monumental ship for Carnival, as she was their first new build. She began sailing in 1982, mainly in the Caribbean.
The ship was later transferred to Costa as Costa Tropicale, then to P&O Australia as Pacific Star. She was eventually sold to Pullmantur Cruises, refurbished, and sailed as Ocean Dream.
After a final stint with Peace Boat, the ship was scrapped in January 2021.
5. Holiday
Holiday was Carnival’s second purpose-built ship. Constructed in Denmark, Holiday entered service in 1985. In 2003, she was refurbished, and in 2005, during Hurricane Katrina, she was used as temporary housing for victims of the storm.
She sailed from Alabama to the western Caribbean until 2009, when she was transferred to Iberocruceros and renamed Grand Holiday.
She later sailed as Magellan for Cruise & Maritime Voyages. After CMV ceased operations in 2020, the ship was purchased at auction and eventually sent to Alang, India, where she was scrapped in 2021.
6. Celebration
Celebration was built for Carnival in Sweden and entered service in 1987. She sailed for the line until 2008, when she was transferred to Iberocruceros and renamed Grand Celebration.
After brief stints with Costa and Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, the ship continued sailing under different operators until being sold in 2020.
She was ultimately scrapped in Alang, India in 2021.
A new Carnival Celebration debuted in 2022.
7. Jubilee
Jubilee entered service in 1986 and was one of three Holiday-class ships. In 2004, she was transferred to P&O Cruises Australia and renamed Pacific Sun.
In 2012, she was sold to HNA Cruises and renamed Henna. After HNA shut down operations in 2015, the ship was eventually sold for scrap and dismantled in Alang, India in 2017.
8. Carnival Fantasy
Fantasy was the first ship in Carnival’s new Fantasy class when she entered service in March 1990. Built at Kavaerner Masa-Yards in Helsinki, Finland, the ship initially sailed Caribbean cruises from Miami.
In 2007, the ship was re-christened Carnival Fantasy and refurbished in 2008, 2016, and 2019. She sailed for Carnival for 30 years until the cruise industry shutdown in March 2020.
In July 2020, Carnival sold the ship, and it was scrapped in Aliaga, Turkey.
9. Carnival Ecstasy
Carnival Ecstasy debuted in 1991 as the second ship in the Fantasy class.
She resumed service briefly in 2022 for a farewell season out of Mobile, Alabama, before her final voyage in October of that year. The ship was scrapped shortly after, arriving in Aliaga, Turkey in November 2022.
10. Carnival Sensation
Launched in 1993, Carnival Sensation was one of the early Fantasy-class ships, built in Finland and sailing itineraries from ports including Miami, Tampa, and Port Canaveral.
Over the years, she underwent several updates and remained a staple of Carnival’s fleet, known for her distinctive interiors and classic “Fun Ship” features.
After nearly 30 years of service, she was sold for scrap in Aliaga, Turkey.
11. Carnival Fascination
Fascination entered service in 1994 as the fourth member of Carnival Cruise Line’s Fantasy class. Built in Helsinki, Finland, she sailed from ports including New York, San Juan, and Jacksonville during her time with the line.
After being laid up in 2020, the ship was sold with plans to be converted into a floating hotel and briefly renamed Century Harmony. Those plans never materialized.
She was ultimately sold for scrap and arrived in Pakistan in 2022 for dismantling.
12. Carnival Imagination
Like her Fantasy-class sisters, Imagination was built at Kavaerner Masa-Yards in Helsinki, Finland. The ship entered service in 1995 and most recently sailed Mexican Riviera itineraries from Long Beach, California.
The ship was renamed Carnival Imagination in 2007 and was refurbished most recently in 2016.
The vessel entered long-term layup status in July 2020; Carnival announced the ship had been sold for scrap in August 2020 and was sent to the scrapyard in Aliaga, Turkey.
13. Carnival Inspiration
Built in 1996 at the Kvaerner Masa-Yards in Helsinki, Finland, Inspiration was the fifth entry in the Fantasy class. Renamed Carnival Inspiration in 2007, the ship was most recently refurbished in 2010.
The ship sailed Mexican Riviera cruises from Long Beach, California. After the cruise industry shut down in March 2020, Carnival announced in July that the ship and Carnival Fantasy had been sold for scrap and sent to the shipbreakers in Aliaga, Turkey.
Final Thought
While many of Carnival’s early ships found second lives across the industry, most have now been retired and scrapped, especially following the 2020 shutdown.
Today, Carnival’s fleet has shifted toward larger, more efficient ships, marking a clear end to the era of its original vessels.
