Carnival Fun Ship 2.0 Refurbishment Schedule

This is CruiseMapper's article dedicated to Carnival Cruise Lines ships' refurbishments. Here you will find drydocks schedule for the entire Carnival fleet, with vessel refits dates, details on all upgrades and renovations, deckplan changes on the refurbished ships, dry-docks cost. This is a jump link to the drydock dates and refurb details - if you wanna skip the "Fun Ship" renovation program details.

"Carnival Fun Ship" is a trademarked term referring to Carnival Corporation's consistent policy to keep its huge fleet up-to-date, always better, most fun, special and absolutely unique.

IMPORTANT: In 2020 were sold (left the fleet) the Carnival liners Fantasy, Inspiration, Imagination, Fascination.

Carnival's "Fun Ship" fleetwide renovation programs

This "first wave" of making the Fun Ships better started in 2007 and was finished in 2010.

Fun Ship 1.0 program

Fun Ship 1.0 upgrades program (officially "Evolutions of Fun") was part of the company's ship refit-refurbishment program, pertaining mostly to the oldest Carnival ships of the Fantasy-class (Ecstasy, Elation, Fantasy, Fascination, Imagination, Inspiration, Paradise, Sensation). It included adding all the special Fun Ship features, like the biggest LED screen at sea ("Seaside Theatre"), WaterWorks (aquapark), Serenity Retreat (adults-only complex), mini-golf course, enlarging the onboard spa, Camp Carnival (kids programming), refitting Oceanview cabins into balconied, implementing fleetwide the "Your Time Dining" concept, etc.

Fun Ship 2.0 program

Fun Ship 2.0 is the company's newest fleet refurbishment program for vessel renovations and shipboard enhancements of amenities and services. "Impressive" is the right word for "Fun Ship 2.0". The new set of ship upgrades and renovations covers onboard dining, entertainment, public venues (bars, lounges, outdoor decks).

It all started with the Liberty ship in October 2011. The list of ships that didn't receive the "full package" of upgrades included Conquest, Glory, Freedom and Valor, and partially Magic and Dream. The reason - they don't have the necessary deck space for all 2.0 upgrades.

Fun Ship 2.0 program was initiated in 2011 (Liberty ship in October) and extended through the end of 2015. "Fun Ship 2.0" was budgeted around USD 2 billion, with planned product-enhancements encompassing 16 ships and incorporating the company's concepts already introduced on its newest ships (Vista, Horizon, Panorama), plus adding numerous brand new features. It also includes design visions and direct involvement and participation of celebrities, like Guy Fieri and George Lopez.

Fun Ship 2.0 upgrades

"Carnival cruise burgers" at "Guy's Burger Joint" (by the Food Network's Fieri) are free of charge top-notch Beef burgers with huge slabs of beef, 2 kinds of cheese, hand-cut fries and the ton of smiles (poolside, open for lunch/dinner/snacks).

A new onboard comedy program overseen by the new Carnival Line's comedy director - the celebrity George Lopez and the "The Punchliner Comedy Club" - high quality live comedy shows as part of the onboard evening entertainment, performed in the main dining rooms.

The upgraded music program, overseen by the Carnival Line's official DJ - the celebrity DJ Irie of the "Miami Heat". Upgraded stage shows - "Motor City" (60s Motown hits), "Divas" (music-dance-fashion, with music from female singers) and the themed "Latin Nights" and "The Brits!".

The list of new shipboard venues includes "SportSquare", "Cherry on Top" (shop), "Cucina del Capitano" (family restaurant with its best Italian cuisine and singing waiters), "RedFrog Pub" (introduced on Breeze, then copied fleetwide: as the Caribbean "RedFrog Rum Bar", the new Carnival "ThirstyFrog Red" (private label draft brew) "BlueIguana Tequila Bar" (signature frozen drinks and Mexican beers. Both bars are located pool deck, both allowing the most casual shorts and flip-flops.

The list of new shipboard bars continues with "Library Bar" (bar service, automatic wine dispensers), top-modern "EA SPORTS Bar" (interactive EA video games, watching live sports on a huge video-wall, 24-7 real-time sports scores) and "Alchemy Bar" (traditional, specialty custom-made cocktails) - a free-choice concept to mix your own concoctions via tablet.

A new (complimentary) casual dining venue is "BlueIguana Cantina" (pool deck) serving fresh Mexican cuisine (burritos, tacos, fresh-made tortillas, huge variety of salsas and toppings), Mexican beers (Cerveza), frozen drinks, live music.

"The Game Show" (licensed by Hasbro Inc) permits passengers to play Hasbro classics on stage and on giant LED screens. 6 main games are included in the show - "Sorry Sliders", "Simon Flash", "Yahtzee Bowling", "Operation" and "Connect 4 Basketball". "Playlist Productions" (30-minute shows by leading West End and Broadway-caliber producers and directors) features current musical hits, "high-speed energy" shows, great special effects combined with live performances. Breeze ship's passengers were the first ever to experience this new kind of show productions.

Carnival refurbishment schedule ("Fun Ship 2.0" drydock dates)

CruiseMapper's list of "Fun Ship 2.0" refurbished ships shows on which liners are implemented the new upgrades, and when. We also show Carnival's cruise ship refurbishment schedule for regular maintenance works on vessels with "Fun Ship 2.0" upgrades already installed.

Ships refurbished in 2016

• Inspiration (Jan 18 - Feb 5)
• Fantasy (Feb 6-20)
• Liberty (Dec 1-16)
• Magic (Feb 21 - Mar 5)
• Imagination (Sept 4-22) Fun Ship 2.0
• Splendor (Mar 6-20)
• Sunshine (May 8-20)
• Triumph-Sunrise (Mar 21 - Apr 3)
• Valor (Apr 23 - May 7) Fun Ship 2.0

Ships refurbished in 2017

• Breeze (Apr 16-29)
• Conquest (Sept 30 - Oct 13)
• Dream (Jan 30 - Feb 11)
• Ecstasy (Jan 10-27)
• Elation (Aug 31 - Sept 27) Fun Ship 2.0
• Glory (Feb 25 - Mar 10)
• Sensation (Feb 9-22)

Ships refurbished in 2018

• Victory (Jan 4-20)
• Fascination (Feb 4-17)
• Inspiration (Nov 2-15)
• Paradise (Feb 22 - Mar 25) Fun Ship 2.0
• Legend (May 1-15)
• Spirit (May 23 - June 5) in Singapore
• Sunshine (Oct 14-21) in Freeport Bahamas

Ships refurbished in 2019

• Carnival Pride (Feb 3-16)
• Carnival Triumph (Mar 1-Apr 28) the ship entered drydock in Cadiz Spain for ~USD 200 million refurbishments, after which it will be renamed "Carnival Sunrise". The refitted liner will be transformed into the Sunshine-Class vessel. It will have the same facilities and amenities as the sistership Carnival Sunshine (former Carnival Destiny, refitted in 2013 for USD 155 million).
• Carnival Splendor (Oct 30 - Nov 24, USD 60 million "Fun Ship 2.0") - technical overhauls, refreshed interiors, new venues - RedFrog Pub, Alchemy Bar, Guy's Burger Joint, Serenity Retreat), redesigned waterpark (with a free-fall drop waterslide)
• Carnival Ecstasy (Oct 7-17)

Ships refurbished in 2020-2021

• (2020, USD 25 million drydock) Carnival Sensation (January 6-17, Freeport Bahamas) - technical upgrades, new carpeting and tiling
• (2020, USD 40 million drydock) Carnival Miracle (February 14 - March 4, Freeport) hotel maintenance works, Fun Ship 2.0 upgrades (Guy's Burger, WaterWorks, Red Frog Rum Bar, Blue Iguana Cantina)
• (2020) Carnival Victory (March 18 - April 26, Cadiz Spain) - following the USD 200 million, 38-day refit project, the liner was renamed "Carnival Radiance".
• (2020, USD 36 million drydock) Carnival Elation (March 2-20, Freeport Bahamas) - the project includes adding 30 new cabins (Deck 9), new carpeting (all staterooms), technical maintenance works, repairs.
• (2021) Magic (Apr 24 - May 24) in Marseille France, added the fleet's first new trademarked hull livery (red-white-blue/introduced on Mardi Gras)
• In 2021-2022 (January-February-March) were drydocked the ships Freedom-Glory-Paradise (Freeport Bahamas), Spirit (at Sembcorp Marine/Singapore), Valor-Sunshine-Liberty (at Navantia/Cadiz). All these projects are planned mainly for general maintenance works as well as repainting (receiving CCL's new livery.

Ships refurbished in 2023

• Carnival Elation (January-February)
• Carnival Freedom (October)
• Carnival Pride (May)
• Carnival Paradise (October)

Ships refurbished in 2024

• Panorama (September 9 - October 12) Singapore
• Splendor (August 5-24) Singapore
• Glory (March 24 - May 5) Freeport Bahamas
• Legend (April 28-May 29) Marseille France
• Radiance (September) Victoria BC Canada

Ships with drydock refurbishments scheduled for 2025-2026

• Mardi Gras (Sept-Oct) Cadiz Spain
• Pride (March-April 2026) Freeport Bahamas

Note: All drydocks include general maintenance and steel works, machinery repairs, upgrades to passenger staterooms, renovation of public areas (interior public space and outdoor decks), hull cleaning and repainting (silicone-based coating) and changing CCL's old livery (white hull with a red line) with the new trademarked livery (red-white-blue) introduced with Mardi Gras.

The following table shows all Fun Ship 2.0 upgrades by ship. The information is partially integrated with CruiseMapper's Carnival Cruise Line dining options.

By the Fun Ship 2.0 program, the older boats were upgraded with the following signature facilities, venues, and amenities:

1. RedFrog Bar
2. BlueIguana Tequila Bar
3. BlueIguana Cantina
4. Guy's Burger
5. Alchemy Bar
6. DJ IRIE
7. Punchliners Club
8. Hasbro
9. Playlist Productions
10. EA Sports Bar
11. Library Bar
12. Taste Bar
13. Steakhouse

All refurbished in 2017-onwards liners have installed shore-power capabilities. The technology allows the berthed vessel to receive shore-to-ship electrical power supply (provided by the port city's power grid) instead of using the marine engines.

Carnival Sunshine dry-dock refurbishment

The most extensively-expensive of all (ever) was the Carnival Destiny's drydock refit/transformation. At the staggering cost of USD 155 million, this really extreme makeover produced a brand new Carnival ship in 2013! After its last dry-dock ever (a 49-day refurbishment), the Destiny ship emerged as Carnival Sunshine. This amazing cruise ship transformation was made in the Fincantieri shipyard (Monfalcone, Italy) adding a new partial deck and 2 other decks (in the front section). As a result of the Carnival Destiny renovation, 182 new cabins were added (including 96 spa cabins), all of the ship's other cabins were also refurbished (with a new tropical decor). The list of all major changes includes:

• new Asian restaurant (casual dining venue)
• "The Comfort Kitchen" (in the Lido Marketplace)
• the "Havana Bar" (Lido Marketplace) with floor to ceiling windows
• the "Sunshine Bar" (Atrium)
• a new cigar club
• the first-ever 3-deck-high Carnival Serenity retreat (an adults-only area) with the Carnival Cloud 9 Spa package.
• the "SportSquare" (an open-air complex with a ropes course, a minigolf course, and a half-size basketball-volleyball court.

Carnival Triumph Fun Ship 2.0 refurbished

Carnival Triumph (now Sunrise) was in drydock in the Bahamas (Freeport, Grand Bahama shipyard) from May 11 through June 12. The Triumph dry dock was for final repairs/enhancements, and CCL used the drydock time to implement some of the Fun Ship 2.0 upgrades. The list of upgrades includes: "Guy's Burger Joint", "BlueIguana Cantina", "Alchemy Bar", "EA SPORTS Bar", "RedFrog Rum Bar", "BlueIguana Tequila Bar". By the new USD 300 million fleet-wide renovation program (see below) the Triumph ship was also outfitted with new fire detection-suppression systems and with an additional emergency backup generator. At the above link, there's a video from CCL about all the new stuff on this magnificent better-than-ever Fun Ship. The total cost of the work on the Triumph ship (repairs and enhancements) USD 115 million.

Carnival refurbishment program - technology, upgrades, updates

On April 17, 2013, CCL announced the company will spend over USD 300 million on ship upgrades and enhancements fleetwide. Safety and electrical fixes were done to ships currently in dry-dock, but in general, the work was done while the vessels were fully operational (in service). CCL officials said the improvement plan for the upgrades came after a comprehensive review of Carnival Triumph's fire incident. The main goals of the new (very expensive) renovation program are:

• Enhancing emergency power capabilities. An additional emergency diesel generator was installed on each ship (back-up power for cabin and public toilets, freshwater, elevators). A 2nd permanent back-up power system was also installed to additionally back up hotel est services (cooking facilities, food refrigerators, internet one communications).
• Improving fire prevention/detection/suppression capacities by implementing the newest fire safety technologies. Upgrades were made on the existing fire suppression systems (the new system produces a larger and thicker cloud of water droplets), some engine-related electrical components were also upgraded.
• Improving the operating redundancy of each ship's 2 separate engine rooms.
• Expanding the hotel services availability during incidents involving loss of main power.
• New technology initiatives - scrubbers (air pollution control devices) were installed on all ships through the end of 2014 at the cost of USD 1-1,5 million per engine. An air bubble technology- and an LNG (liquefied natural gas) pilot tests were launched later in 2013. A new Carnival global training center was completed in Holland with numerous Navigation Bridge and Engine Room simulators.

Carnival Corporation's fleetwide enhancements started with an operational review of all the 10 cruise brands ships (a total of 101 vessels). Based on the results of the review, the latest technology versions were implemented on all vessels where they were not present. The overall cost of the program across the corporate fleet (CCL ships included) cost around USD 700 million.

• According to official statistics, nearly 4,5 million passengers cruise with Carnival each year.
• "I'll continue to sail on them if they're going where I want and the price is right. And if they have a serious problem while I'm onboard I know I'll get a decent compensation or a possible free cruise". Add to this statement the new Carnival vacation protection guarantee - and now you know why Carnival is the best company in this business.
• Follow this link to our cruise ship engine-propulsion-fuel survey to read interesting facts about these marine ship technology-related topics.

In March 2017, Carnival Corporation announced it had completed the installation and certification of EGCS (Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems/scrubbers) on 60 vessels across all brands.

• With a USD 400 million investment plan, the company developed and deployed its systems on more than 85 ships across the global fleet through 2020.
• First announced in 2013, the new technology implementations reduce sulfur compounds (SOx) and soot particles (from main diesel engine's exhaust) at sea, during docking maneuvering and while berthed in ports. These systems enable the company to meet all international IMO regulations placing a cap on sulfur content in fuel oil (at 0,1%).
• As of 2017, Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems ("scrubbers") were installed and certified on 17 Carnival Cruise Line vessels, 13 Holland America Line vessels, 10 Princess Cruises vessels, 7 Costa Cruises vessels, 5 AIDA Cruises vessels, 4 P&O Cruises UK vessels, all 3 Cunard liners and 1 P&O Cruises AU ship.
• Also planned is the adoption of LNG (liquefied natural gas) – the world's cleanest fossil fuel. In 2015, AIDAsol became the world's first cruise ship supplied with power by an LNG Hybrid barge. In 2016, AIDAprima became the world's first cruise liner routinely using LNG (with dual-fuel engines) while in port. iN 2019, with the introduction of the first of all 7 fully LNG-powered ships, Carnival Corporation became the world's first cruise shipping company to use LNG to power vessels while they are in port and also while on open sea cruising.

"New Economy Awards 2014" awarded Carnival Corporation with "Best Marine Solution" (category "Clean Tech"). The award recognized the company's long tradition of making environmental technologies a top priority at the corporate level and across all brands. The winners were announced in January 2015 in Davos Switzerland. Clean Tech Award honored the company's efforts to find solutions that benefit the environment, and specifically for:

• Implementing the "Fleet Fuel Conservation Program", which by 2014's end saved over 1 billion gallons of fuel. By this program, the global fleet's carbon emissions were reduced by 12 million tons (over 7-year period 07-2014).
• Improving the global fleet's fuel efficiency by 24% (2014 compared to 2007) and saving USD 2,5 billion in fuel costs.
• Committing to invest over USD 400 million to install ECO Exhaust Gas Cleaning systems fleetwide. These were the industry's first exhaust gas cleaning technologies, installed to 70% of the global fleet's vessels.
• Employing various measures that reduced CO2 emissions rate (onboard operations) by 20% (2014 over 2007), and 1 year ahead of the corporation's initial plan.

In May 2015, Wartsila Corporation and Carnival Corporation partnered to optimize cruise ship engine room operations of all the 101 ships across 9 brands. The deal was signed by Micky Arison (Carnival's Chairman) and Bjorn Rosengren (Wartsila's President and CEO).

• The plan included installing the latest Wartsila marine solutions, first tested on several Carnival Cruise Line vessels in pilot projects. The new systems and technologies included engine control and monitoring systems, safety and fuel efficiency equipment.
• Wartsila's "Asset Performance Optimization Solution" package allows obtaining optimal performance from Wartsila marine diesel engines, recommends how to deal with potential issues, maximizes ship performance, ensures full-capacity systems operations, increases the predictability of fuel management and maintenance needs. Wartsila's fuel engine package was specifically designed to reduce fuel consumption.
• Wartsila Marine technologies aim to optimize ship performance, but also allow to locate deviations from normal parameters of equipment and engines. This allows emerging problems and engine fault sources to be fixed before they occur.

At the following tag link can be found listed all CruiseMapper news related to drydock refurbishments. This page is also integrated with our hub for cruise ship refurbishments where are listed all other cruise line companies with deckplan links to each vessel. And at the following link, you can compare how Royal Caribbean spends its fleet drydock budget.