- I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today here
in Miami, where in just a little while, Carnival Ecstasy
will make its final departure
from North America one last time.
But how did we get to this point,
where Carnival Cruise Lines sells
its sixth Fantasy class ship?
To find out, we go back
to March of 2020, where only a few weeks earlier, ships
were sailing, drinks were flowing,
and Lido decks were full
of cruisers checking their worries at the gangway
to escape for a week of fun in the sun.
But seemingly overnight, that fun came
to an abrupt halt when COVID forced
a 15-month industry-wide shutdown.
Throughout the shutdown, cruise operators
were doing everything they could
to stay afloat, including selling off older inventory
to ship breakers over in Turkey.
Here's Carnival Corporation's former CEO Arnold Donald
on selling ships.
- [Donald] With the ships exiting the fleet,
there were less efficient ships we accelerated
the exits given the fact that there
was no opportunity for them
to generate cash in the near term.
They were given, you know, the pause ran.
- [Parker] In an attempt to slim the fleet down even more
after the restart last summer, Carnival Corporation
offloaded more ships including two Fantasy class ships,
Carnival Sensation and Carnival Ecstasy.
Making it the number five and six Fantasy class ship
to be sold in the Carnival fleet.
Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador John Heald.
- What, this is the first time I've sailed
on a ship for the last time.
Cause we didn't get a chance to say goodbye
to Carnival Fantasy, Carnival Imagination, Inspiration
and Fascination.
- [Parker] Launched in 1991
with Kathy Lee Gifford as the godmother,
the MS Ecstasy was the second
of eight cutting edge Fantasy class ships that were built
for a Carnival Cruise Line throughout the 90s.
Best known for its multi-deck atriums
and glass elevators, Carnival Ecstasy was certainly one
for the books.
- These ships were a game changer for Carnival
in that they introduced the atriums.
Six-deck high atriums with all the fiber optic
and neon and all the other crazy decor.
And you look up at this glass skylight
and you know, it's the first thing you see
when you enter the ship.
- [Parker] The final cruise
for Carnival Ecstasy was a five night sailing
from Mobile Alabama, holding a special place
in a lot of cruiser's hearts.
- I think I'm sharing the emotions that the guests
are all feeling.
You know, I was a cruise director here in the early days.
- [Parker] But it's not all sad.
The ship also created great memories throughout the years.
Like for Doug and Leslie Bryan, who traveled
from Boston to Mobile, Alabama just to be on the cruise.
- I proposed to Leslie.
- Yes.
- [Doug Bryan] We heard the news that, you know,
this news that she was being retired and actually beached
for scrapping.
You know, it was pretty important to go back.
- [Parker] With the vessel going out
of service a lot of the artifacts
on board were auctioned off.
Like the glass bottle Kathy Lee Gifford used
to christen the ship back in 1991.
And the chance to blow the ship's horn
for the last time with passengers on board.
(ship horn blowing)
Now that Carnival has decommissioned Carnival Ecstasy,
you may be wondering what's gonna happen next to the ship.
- Well, in Turkey specifically where these ships go,
they're run up on the beach
and then the crew that deliver the ship are offloaded.
And as soon as that's done, literally
within minutes I'm told the local workers come
on board and they start ransacking the ship.
Pry it off and trash it and get it out of there.
Cause they scrap ships really fast in Turkey.
- [Parker] Looking back over a 30 plus year run
for any cruise ship is a trip through history,
but Carnival Ecstasy was truly a groundbreaking ship
and introduced a vision of entertainment architecture
to over 5.5 million cruise passengers across the globe.
And despite several dry docks had added a host
of new features, in the end, Carnival Ecstasy's demise
was the result of newer, larger ships with more bells
and whistles that consumers expect out of a vacation.
As the sun sets one last time
on Carnival Ectasy with guests
on board, I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today.