Carnival Cruises 2019 will bring new ships and upgrades to the popular cruise line’s fleet. The Carnival Panorama will begin cruising in November 2019, and the new Carnival Horizon cruise ship just began cruising, but what about Carnival’s older ships? In today’s world of cruise ships with exciting resort-style amenities, you would think that a 26 year old ship would have trouble competing, yet the Carnival Ecstasy cruise ship continues to be a popular option for loyal Carnival cruise line guests. Part of the reason is that the cruises are always reasonably priced, and a great option for families. For those that don’t like a huge vessel, this is a comfortable size and cruises with up to 2,000 guests vs. over 5,000 with some of the newer ships. It is also very convenient for those in the South Carolina area, as the ship offers voyages from 4 to 7 days from Charleston.
Here are some of the Carnival Ecstasy Upgrades that were completed last year:
- Guys Burger Joint – this free dining option features burgers developed in partnership with Food Network personality Guy Fieri serving hand-crafted burgers and fresh-cut fries
- BlueIguana Cantina – another complimentary dining option that is poolside for convenience and has fresh made tortillas and tacos along with a great salsa and topping bar
- Alchemy Bar – have creative and unique cocktails created by mixologists just for Carnival cruise line.
- Cherry On Top, the “sweetest spot on board” which celebrates the joys of simple indulgences with bins of bulk candy, fun fanciful gifts and novelties, custom apparel and more
Parents can relax in the adult only Serenity area, while children participate in a comprehensive program with a range of supervised youth activities for cruisers 2–17… including Seuss at Sea.
On the down side, there is only 1 pool area that is small compared to modern ships, and there is no outdoor movie screen. On the plus side, the service is food and its a great option for those in the Carolina area that dont want to have a long drive or flight to take a cruise.
Another older ship, the 2,758 passenger Carnival Triumph will undergo such a big make over that the ship’s name is even being changed to the Carnival Sunrise. The ship will spend over 2 months in dry dock and it will cost Carnival over $200 million. All restaurants and bars will be revamped. Italian restaurant, Cucina del Capitano will be added as well as Carnival’s popular signature steakhouse Fahrenheit 555, and Guy Fieri’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que. New cabins will be added along with a ropes course, golf course and basketball course. The transformation will also include the addition of the adult-only retreat called Serenity and a large spa. The ship will go into dry dock on March 1, 2019 and begin sailing again in late April. May though August the ship will sail out of Norfolk and New York, and then move to Ft. Lauderdale in October 2019.
