Carnival Ecstasy Future

[CarnivalShips480]

Carnival Ecstasy will leave the Carnival fleet in October.

 

Does anyone know for sure the future because people have been saying that it will be scrapped but that might just be assumed. There is enough time for a cruise line to buy it.

 

Of course my favorite future for the ship is for it to stay with Carnival but... maybe Margaritaville could buy it and they did say they would get more ships soon.

[Guest BasicSailor]

Future for Carnival Ecstasy,

 

[CarnivalShips480]

1 hour ago, BasicSailor said:

Future for Carnival Ecstasy,

 

I know about the scrapyard but how do you know it will DEFINITLY be scrapped?

[Guest BasicSailor]

10 minutes ago, CarnivalShips480 said:

I know about the scrapyard but how do you know it will DEFINITLY be scrapped?

I can't reveal my source😶, Mr. Heald would be exposed.🤫

[mz-s]

What I don't understand is why they kept Ecstasy but scrapped Sensation. Sensation was drydocked just before COVID and is newer than Ecstasy to begin with. 

[CruiseAdict218]

At the age of 31, she probably will be scrapped. Pretty sure there is a website out there that can confirmed it too, same site lists Sensation and as recent includes the ex-Star Cruises fleet. 
 

For Margaritaville, Grand Classica was a good start but they need something more modern as well or I suppose one of the cousins owned by Seajets, time will tell. 

[CruiseAdict218]

1 minute ago, mz-s said:

What I don't understand is why they kept Ecstasy but scrapped Sensation. Sensation was drydocked just before COVID and is newer than Ecstasy to begin with. 

A few of them were dry docked pre-Covid but it probably didn’t matter at that point the decisions were made because either way both are leaving. 

[CarnivalShips480]

2 minutes ago, CruiseAdict218 said:

At the age of 31, she probably will be scrapped. Pretty sure there is a website out there that can confirmed it too, same site lists Sensation and as recent includes the ex-Star Cruises fleet. 
 

For Margaritaville, Grand Classica was a good start but they need something more modern as well or I suppose one of the cousins owned by Seajets, time will tell. 

I always hope for something else but I know deep down that Ecstasy will never be saved.....

 

I do see what you are saying about seajets though

Edited May 18, 2022 by CarnivalShips480

[mz-s]

2 minutes ago, CruiseAdict218 said:

A few of them were dry docked pre-Covid but it probably didn’t matter at that point the decisions were made because either way both are leaving. 

 

Understood, seems like it would have made more sense to keep Sensation for a few more months and scrap Ecstasy immediately.

[CarnivalShips480]

4 minutes ago, mz-s said:

What I don't understand is why they kept Ecstasy but scrapped Sensation. Sensation was drydocked just before COVID and is newer than Ecstasy to begin with. 

The one who was deciding which one to scrap probably had a closer connection to Ecstasy but I don't know

[SDPadreFan]

7 minutes ago, CarnivalShips480 said:

The one who was deciding which one to scrap probably had a closer connection to Ecstasy but I don't know

 

They may have just had a closer connection to the engineering plant. While Sensation could have been prettier on the outside. Inside - the ship could have been living on borrowed time and pre-covid, Carnival could have just been trying to squeeze a few more sailings out of her. But covid arrived and it was time to say goodbye.

[mz-s]

13 minutes ago, SDPadreFan said:

 

They may have just had a closer connection to the engineering plant. While Sensation could have been prettier on the outside. Inside - the ship could have been living on borrowed time and pre-covid, Carnival could have just been trying to squeeze a few more sailings out of her. But covid arrived and it was time to say goodbye.

 

Good point, Sensation may have been due for an engine overhaul or something and that was enough to shift the calculus.

[Purvis1231]

With the new ships coming, keeping the older ones just doesn't make financial sense and there is no market right now for used cruises ship.

[BlerkOne]

With the possibility of Cuban cruises in the future, smaller ships will be required. As I understand it, until the ship is actually beached, any sale can be undone.

[tidecat]

Ecstasy is due for drydock this October, Sensation would have been due in January 2023. Yes, Carnival might have been able to operate cruises out of Mobile for a couple more months had they kept Sensation instead of Ecstasy, but it might have required more crew members for the extra 3 months - especially since Celebration should be entering service about the time Ecstasy leaves. Ecstasy's crew will likely sign off with the ship.

 

Carnival bringing Spirit over to the US also made one ship unnecessary. 

 

It may have also come down to the scrapyard saying we need a ship by X to keep their workers from being idled, and/or wanting to take advantage of higher scrap prices. Reportedly Sensation sold for $11 Million, so you don't keep a ship that burns nearly $1 Million/month sitting idle any longer than you have to.

[F27TW]

It's time, anyway.   Carnival needs to continue aiming higher and keep parking these ugly old Farcus-era Fantasy class party barges.    They're just keeping Carnival's seedy, rowdy party-boat image alive.  They gotta go ..bye bye, Ecstasy. 

[DCDragonfly]

15 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

With the possibility of Cuban cruises in the future, smaller ships will be required. As I understand it, until the ship is actually beached, any sale can be undone.

Cuban cruises aren't coming back in the foreseeable future.

[Itried4498]

6 hours ago, F27TW said:

It's time, anyway.   Carnival needs to continue aiming higher and keep parking these ugly old Farcus-era Fantasy class party barges.    They're just keeping Carnival's seedy, rowdy party-boat image alive.  They gotta go ..bye bye, Ecstasy. 

 

Yes, because Carnival has 8 brand new ships on order to replace the Fantasy-class and they will be delivered any day now :p.  In seriousness, how is less choice better than no choice?  We now have 6 less itineraries to choose from... if you don't like the Fantasy-class ships, you can avoid booking them, but Carnival isn't going to order replacements...

Edited May 18, 2022 by Itried4498

[ray98]

2 hours ago, Itried4498 said:

 

Yes, because Carnival has 8 brand new ships on order to replace the Fantasy-class and they will be delivered any day now :p.  In seriousness, how is less choice better than no choice?  We now have 6 less itineraries to choose from... if you don't like the Fantasy-class ships, you can avoid booking them, but Carnival isn't going to order replacements...

 

Carnival cares about profit and not necessarily about giving you a plethora of choices.  My guess is they would rather have one new efficient Excellence class mega ship in service instead of 3 fantasy class ships.  Same number of berths and considerably more profit from each.

[mz-s]

1 hour ago, ray98 said:

 

Carnival cares about profit and not necessarily about giving you a plethora of choices.  My guess is they would rather have one new efficient Excellence class mega ship in service instead of 3 fantasy class ships.  Same number of berths and considerably more profit from each.

 

Considering the Fantasy class was paid off a decade ago or more and the XL class ships cost a billion each, I'm not sure about that.

[mowogo]

11 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

Considering the Fantasy class was paid off a decade ago or more and the XL class ships cost a billion each, I'm not sure about that.

Paid off, but require relatively high maintenance costs.  Yes the new ships cost, but they are financed so their cost is relatively fixed and savings on operations for that scale can easily be profitable especially with the average fare being higher.

[ray98]

27 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

Considering the Fantasy class was paid off a decade ago or more and the XL class ships cost a billion each, I'm not sure about that.

Paid off, inefficient, maintenance hogs vs. modern,  efficient and high capacity with 30+ years ahead of it.

 

Edited May 19, 2022 by ray98

[Itried4498]

1 hour ago, ray98 said:

 

Carnival cares about profit and not necessarily about giving you a plethora of choices.  My guess is they would rather have one new efficient Excellence class mega ship in service instead of 3 fantasy class ships.  Same number of berths and considerably more profit from each.

 

Megaships aren't going to replace most of the Fantasy-class itineraries.  When the Fantasy-class ships debuted, 3 and 4 day itineraries were the most common; megaships are designed for 7+ day voyages.  This means that instead of flying to San Juan and enjoying the South Caribbean on a 3 or 4 day cruise, you will be departing Miami for a weeklong voyage instead.  This means that the future of secondary ports like Jacksonville and Mobile is now questionable.  This means that Los Angeles, which has seen 3-day weekend cruises for decades, may soon lose them as Carnival reallocates resources toward more profitable itineraries (like 4-day weekend, 5-day trips to Cabo, etc. as the Radiance proves to be too large and too costly to operate traditional itineraries in a highly competitive market). 

 

 

[ray98]

14 minutes ago, Itried4498 said:

 

Megaships aren't going to replace most of the Fantasy-class itineraries.  When the Fantasy-class ships debuted, 3 and 4 day itineraries were the most common; megaships are designed for 7+ day voyages.  This means that instead of flying to San Juan and enjoying the South Caribbean on a 3 or 4 day cruise, you will be departing Miami for a weeklong voyage instead.  This means that the future of secondary ports like Jacksonville and Mobile is now questionable.  This means that Los Angeles, which has seen 3-day weekend cruises for decades, may soon lose them as Carnival reallocates resources toward more profitable itineraries (like 4-day weekend, 5-day trips to Cabo, etc. as the Radiance proves to be too large and too costly to operate traditional itineraries in a highly competitive market). 

 

 

Huh?  Any size ship can service any itinerary.  There is nothing saying a mega ship can't run a 4 day itinerary, they simply don't have to because the older ships are plentiful to fill those roles.

[Itried4498]

4 minutes ago, ray98 said:

Huh?  Any size ship can service any itinerary.  There is nothing saying a mega ship can't run a 4 day itinerary, they simply don't have to because the older ships are plentiful to fill those roles.

 

If you live in a world where Carnival could regularly fill up the Mardi Gras (at a profit) from Jacksonville, then God bless you.