Carnival Ecstasy

The 1991-built/2022-scrapped Carnival Ecstasy cruise ship was the second of CCL's eight Fantasy-class liners, with sisterships Sensation and Fascination plus the "no balcony ships" Fantasy, Elation, Imagination, Inspiration, Paradise.

The vessel (IMO number 8711344) was last Panama-flagged (MMSI 353479000) and registered in Panama City.

History - construction and ownership

Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) is a US shipping company, trademarked brand and subsidiary of Carnival Corporation (shipowner). CCL was founded in 1972 as an independent company by Ted Arison (1924-1999, co-founder of NCL Norwegian). 

CCL has the Corporation's largest fleet as number of vessels and GT-tonnage (ship sizes/volumes and passenger capacities). In 2023, CCL had ~9% (by revenue) and ~19% (passengers) share of the cruise industry's worldwide market. In 2024, the parent company (Carnival Corporation) had ~51% stake in the US$64+ billion industry.

The 2052-passenger ship Carnival Ecstasy was an "original classic" liner with amenities such as LCDTVs and Internet cafes. Ecstasy had many dining places and nightclubs, casino lounge, duty-free shops.

The ship had only one swimming pool and didn't receive many of the Fun Ship 2.0 upgrades/amenities. Right after Hurricane Katrina (2005), Ecstasy was drydocked to receive new kids' facilities, Lido restaurant, mini golf course, Panorama Bar and Grill refit, and all passenger staterooms were newly furnished. In 2009 was added "The Serenity" (adults-only sundeck), Camp Ocean (children's complex) and "Circle C" (kids club).

In 2022, the CCL fleet left the ships Carnival Ecstasy (1991-built/31-years-old) and Carnival Sensation (1993-built/29-years-old). The announcement was made on February 3, 2022, and triggered the following deployment changes:

• In Jacksonville, Ecstasy was replaced by Carnival Spirit, starting April 23rd. Ecstasy was repositioned to/homeported in Mobile for the period March 5 thru October 10. Carnival Sensation's Mobile schedule (Oct 15, 2022, thru Sept 30, 2023) was canceled.
• In Australia, Carnival Splendor's schedule June 10 thru Sept 26, 2022, Carnival Spirit's schedule June 5, 2022, thru October 5, 2023, were canceled.
• Carnival Sensation will not restart operations/was sold for scrapping. Carnival Ecstasy's last voyage for CCL departs October 10, 2022, from Mobile.

A total of 165x Carnival Ecstasy cruises out of JAXPORT-Jacksonville Florida (departures planned for the period March 7, 2022, thru April 29, 2024) were canceled. The itineraries included:

• 4-day Bahamas (Freeport, Nassau)
• 5-day Bahamas (Nassau and Princess Cays)
• 5-day Bahamas (Nassau and Bimini)

Carnival Ecstasy's last voyage left homeport Mobile (Alabama) on October 10, 2022. The 5-day itinerary visited Mexico's Cozumel (Oct 12) and Progreso (Oct 13), with two seadays. During its 31-year Carnival service, Ecstasy served 5,5+ million tourists.

After the last voyage, Ecstasy first remained docked in PortMiami (Oct 18-20) then departed Florida (Oct 20/21:17 UTC) on an 18-day Transatlantic crossing to Aliaga Ship Breaking Yard (Turkey) where it arrived and anchored on November 7th (at 4:47 am UTC). The AIS transmitted for the last time on Nov 8th (at 12:46 UTC) showing the liner docked at Aliaga.

Note: In 2022-Q4, only Elation and Paradise (of all FANTASY-class boats) remained in active service, after Ecstasy's leaving and the scrapping (at Aliaga) of Fantasy, Imagination, Inspiration, Sensation.

Decks and Cabins

Carnival Ecstasy staterooms (1028 total, in 26 categories) include 54 Suites, 98 Balcony, 466 Oceanview and 408 Inside cabins. Most cabin balconies are sized 35 ft2 (3 m2). Most staterooms are sized 170-185 ft2 (16-17 m2). CCL Ecstasy ship has 25 wheelchair-accessible cabins (ADA staterooms adapted for passengers with disabilities). The largest (Grand Suites) are sized 330 ft2 / 31 m2 plus 115 ft2 / 11m2 terrace and accommodate up to 5 passengers. They feature sitting areas and spacious bathrooms with whirlpool bathtubs, separate shower, VIP services and amenities.

The boat has 13 decks, of which 10 are passenger-accessible and 5 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Carnival Ecstasy had no alternative dining venues, so every meal was served in one of the two MDRs or the Lido buffet. However, excellent service was one of the bright spots as bar servers and waiters remember your name and even your preferences.

Follows the complete list of Carnival Ecstasy restaurants and food bars.

• Wind Star Restaurant (650-seat, forward Main Dining Room, with two fixed dinner seatings, or "Your Time Dining")
• Wind Song Restaurant (658-seat, aft Main Dining Room, with two fixed dinner seatings; offers themed breakfasts - "Seuss At Sea", for $5 cover charge).
• Panorama Lido Buffet Restaurant (722-seat, complimentary self-service restaurant with various food stations; operates as a bistro in the evenings).
• Sushi Bar (complimentary)
• Guy's Burger Joint (Lido Deck, complimentary poolside food bar serving hand-crafted burgers and fresh-cut fries)
• BlueIguana Cantina (Lido Deck, complimentary poolside Mexican food bar for fresh-made burritos and tacos on homemade tortillas, with salsa bar and a variety of toppings).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The first impression that cruisers receive onboard the Ecstasy, is the Grand Atrium, which bright lights remind them of the big city - the vessel features the New York City theme which runs throughout the public rooms. If cruisers look for a lively, active sailing with lots of nightlife, this ship is exactly for them. Ecstasy appeals to the young-at-heart of all ages who prefer a more spirited vacation.

Carnival Ecstasy offers great fun for children with a range of supervised activities for the little ones. Adults also benefit from a lot of night bars and a casino. The Serenity Adult-Only Retreat is an exciting relaxation spa. There is also a mini-golf course onboard. Rolls Royce Cafe is a new coffee shop offering a diversity of designer coffees and milkshakes with amazing prices in the range of 2.50 dollars and 4 dollars per piece. There is also a late afternoon sushi bar and a totally new photo gallery that winds around the Atrium.

Follows the complete list of Carnival Ecstasy lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• Ecstasy Grand Atrium Plaza (7-deck high midship open area served by Grand Plaza Lobby Bar)
• Internet Cafe (24-hour Internet computers room)
• Art Gallery; Photo Gallery and Shop; Formalities Shop (tuxedo rentals, special occasion gifts); The Fun Shops (offer Bon Voyage store menu, souvenirs, watches, jewelry, logo merchandise, duty-free liquor, fashion boutiques)
• Blue Sapphire Theatre (1300-seat, 2-level main show lounge)
• Circle C (kids' complimentary club lounge with movies, video games, parties, planned activities)
• The Neon Bar (92-seat piano bar)
• The Rolls Royce Cafe (58-seat lounge)
• China Town Lounge and Bar (109-seat, with dance floor and karaoke)
• Society Bar (92-seat cigar bar with piano)
• The Explorer's Club Library (43-seat; offers board games)
• 24-hour Video Games Arcade; Club O2 teens' lounge for movies, karaoke, parties
• Crystal Palace Casino (450-seat, served by Metropolis Bar)
• City Lights Boulevard Promenade and Bar (230-seat lounge), Jewelry Shop
• Cherry On Top (bulk candy store, also selling Carnival-logoed merchandise and special occasion gifts)
• Alchemy Bar (cocktail lounge served by professional mixologists)
• Stripes Disco and Nightclub (capacity 230 seats Dance Club with own bar, DJ program)
• Starlight Lounge and Bar (540-seat, with dance floor and stage for live performances - Punchliner Comedy Club/brunch shows)
• BlueIguana Tequila Bar (poolside bar for Mexican drinks - brews, frozens, cocktails, margaritas)
• RedFrog Rum Bar (poolside bar serving best Caribbean rums, bottled Caribbean beers, draft beers (including Carnival's ThirstyFrog Red brew), Red's Beer Cocktail, frozens, cocktails, mojitos, margaritas, soft beverages)
• Serenity (adults-only sundeck with padded lounges, hammocks and two Whirlpools).
• Ecstasy Lido Pool area; Carnival WaterWorks Aqua Park (with the 4-deck high Twister Waterslide, 2 racing mini-slides, Splash Zone - fountains, jets, splash pool, kids playground area)
• Camp Ocean (kids' club lounge with a complimentary program and play area)
• Spa Carnival (Spa and Fitness complex with Relaxation Room, Steam Rooms, Saunas, Massage Rooms, Beauty Salon, Gymnasium with Aerobics Studio)
• Basketball/Volleyball Court, Jogging Track, Tennis Tables, 9-hole Mini-Golf Course, Shuffleboard.

Itineraries

From PortMiami, Carnival Ecstasy operated 3- and 4-day short breaks to The Bahamas and Western Caribbean, with call ports Nassau, Cozumel, Key West FL. In February 2016 Ecstasy started 4-5-7-night roundtrips out of Charleston SC to Bermuda, Bahamas, Caribbean (Grand Turk and Dominicana/Amber Cove).

In May 2019 the ship was homeported in JAXPORT (Jacksonville Florida) for year-round on 4-5-day roundtrips to The Bahamas (Nassau, Freeport, Princess Cays/Eleuthera). In JAXPORT Ecstasy replaced Elation.

Due to the Coronavirus crisis, the Carnival ship Ecstasy was paused for 2 years (between March 2020-2022). The restart was on March 5, 2022 (from homeport Mobile Alabama). From Mobile AL were operated 4-5-day Western Caribbean itineraries visiting Quintana Roo Mexico's ports Cozumel and Cozumel plus Costa Maya or Progreso).