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Carnival Cruise Line today confirmed it had sold the Carnival Fascination and Carnival Imagination, which the line had previously put into long-term lay-up but were widely reported to be sold, with the Imagination already at a Turkish shipbreaking yard.
The confirmation comes a day after parent company Carnival Corp. said that it would dispose of three additional ships from its global fleet of nine brands this year, bringing the total to 18.
The sale of the Fascination, launched in 1994, and the Imagination, introduced in 1995, follow the sale of Fantasy-class sisters the Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Inspiration in July, which are both being dismantled at the Turkish shipbreaking yard. Plans for the Fascination have not been confirmed, and its current voyage plan is to Cadiz, Spain, according to CruiseMapper.com.
Since announcing its plan to trim its fleet of its older, most inefficient ships, Carnival Corp. has so far sold 11 of the intended 18. In addition to the four Fantasy-class ships, it has sold the Costa Victoria and the Costa NeoRomantica; Holland America Line’s Veendam, Maaasdam, Rotterdam and Amsterdam; and P&O Cruises’ Oceana.
Carnival said its still plans to operate its four upgraded Fantasy-class ships, the Carnival Ecstasy, Carnival Sensation, Carnival Elation and Carnival Paradise, when the line returns to service,
“While we are sad to see Carnival Fascination and Carnival Imagination leave our fleet, it is a necessary move as it allows us to focus on ships that offer the greatest variety of features and stateroom accommodations for our guests,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
Carnival also said today that it is further delaying the return to service of four ships so they can undergo scheduled dry dock enhancements. The Carnival Magic canceled cruises from Miami through Mar. 13, the Carnival Paradise from Tampa through Mar. 19, the Carnival Valor from New Orleans through Apr. 29 and the Carnival Spirit from Brisbane until June 12, when the ship will sail from Singapore to Brisbane.
“This extended pause in our operations has also impacted shipyard availability, and we’ve had to reschedule required dry docks,” said Duffy. “As we continue to work through issues related to our eventual return to operations, we are committed to providing our guests and travel agent partners with certainty where we can, although we regret disappointing our guests. We appreciate the continued support and understanding of our guests and hope to welcome them back on board soon.”
Source: travelweekly.com