REG-Carnival PLC: Carnival Cruise Line Announces Updates to Fleet Plan

CarnivalAnnouncement

23/07/2020 14:05

Carnival Cruise Line Announces Updates To Fleet Plan

Arrival of Second LNG Excel Class Ship Confirmed for November 2022

Carnival Radiance Coming to Long Beach in Spring 2021

Two Fantasy Class Ships Sold, Two Others Going to Long Term Lay-Up Status

MIAMI, July 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Cruise Line today announced new
plans for its fleet that will generate tremendous guest excitement once it
resumes sailing, with a confirmed date for an additional Excel-class,
LNG-powered ship arriving in November 2022, four ships either sold or put on
long term lay-up status, and other ships redeployed to new homeports, as it
seeks to leverage its strong network of year-round and seasonal homeports in
the U.S. with upgraded offerings.  The highlights of the plan include:
* As part of Carnival's 50(th) birthday in 2022, a November 2022 delivery date
for the unnamed, second Excel-class ship has been confirmed from the Meyer
Turku shipyard. The sister ship to Mardi Gras will showcase many of her
features, including BOLT, the first roller coaster at sea, and sail out of
PortMiami as previously announced. Carnival said it will open the ship for
sale this fall and guests can register to be the "first to know" about the
ship's itineraries and special open for sale promotions at
www.carnival.com/ship2022.
* As part of Carnival Corporation's recent announcement to reduce its overall
capacity and focus on ships with upgraded features, Carnival Fantasy and
Carnival Inspiration have been sold. Carnival Fascination and Carnival
Imagination will move to a long term lay-up status, with no specific timeline
identified for a return to operation.
* Carnival Sensation will move from Miami to Mobile and take up itineraries
previously assigned to Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Fascination, with guests
on those two ships being re-accommodated on Carnival Sensation.
* Carnival Sunrise will move from Port Everglades to PortMiami and assume the
itineraries previously operated by Carnival Sensation, providing a larger,
upgraded ship for short itineraries with the many new features installed
during Carnival Sunrise's $200 million transformation completed in 2019.
Guests booked on the Sunrise 4- and 5-day itineraries from Port Everglades
will be automatically moved to sailings from PortMiami.
* Carnival Sunrise is part of Carnival's 50(th) birthday celebration and there
will be no changes to her birthday sailing, which is scheduled for March 5,
2022. These special sailings have been in high demand and will feature special
entertainment, at-sea ship rendezvous and onboard activities and offerings.
For more information on this special group of itineraries in March 2022,
please visit www.carnival.com/sailabration.
* Carnival Fascination itineraries from San Juan and Barbados have been
cancelled for 2020-2021 as the cruise line focuses its return to operations on
mainland drive markets in the U.S.
* Itineraries for Carnival Imagination and Carnival Inspiration from Long
Beach have been cancelled through Apr. 19, 2021. Carnival Panorama will
continue to operate 7-day cruises from Long Beach while Carnival Miracle will
operate shorter itineraries from San Diego to Baja Mexico.
* Carnival Radiance will now move directly from Europe after its $200 million
transformation and homeport in Long Beach in April of 2021, where it will
assume the short Baja Mexico itineraries previously served by Carnival
Imagination and Carnival Inspiration. Guests booked on Carnival Imagination
and Carnival Inspiration after April 22, 2021 will be re-accommodated on
Carnival Radiance, where they will experience the host of upgrades and new
features including Shaq's Big Chicken Restaurant and an expanded waterpark
popular with families sailing with children.
* Separately, Carnival also notified its Australian guests that it has
extended its pause of operations in that country, and has cancelled six
cruises scheduled to operate between Sept. 25 and Oct. 29, 2020.
"We have used this pause in operations to think carefully about our fleet and
to build a plan that gives our guests new choices and upgrades to current ship
offerings," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. "We have
a great variety of ships across the Carnival Cruise Line fleet and we are
thrilled to have been able to confirm a delivery date ahead of what we had
anticipated for our second Excel ship, which is exciting news for guests
interested in sailing from PortMiami on the sister ship to Mardi Gras!  At
the same time, we will continue to invest in the four remaining Fantasy class
ships that we are keeping in the fleet.  We have many guests who prefer our
Fantasy class ships which work so well for shorter itineraries from smaller
ports that cannot accommodate our larger ships.  With a fleet that gives
guests lots of choices in ships, homeports, destinations and features
including a multitude of dining, entertainment and accommodation choices, we
are very excited about the future for Carnival Cruise Line."

Guests and travel agents are being notified directly about impacted sailings,
guest re-accommodations and cancellations. Duffy thanked guests and travel
agent partners alike for their continued patience, loyalty and support during
this unprecedented time for the cruise industry. "With our future fleet plan
resolved, we are focused on ensuring we are ready to return to operations once
it is determined that the time is right to resume cruising in the U.S.," she
said.

CONTACT: Vance Gulliksen, Media@carnival.com



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