Aboard Carnival Ecstasy’s Final Passenger Cruise After 31 Years

(4:07 p.m. EDT) – When first christened in 1991 by godmother Kathie Lee Gifford, the 70,000-ton, 2,052-passenger Carnival Ecstasy was one of the world’s most lively and exciting cruise ships.

Now, 31 years and 5.5 million happy passengers later, Carnival Ecstasy was just given a gala send-off with a five-night farewell cruise from Mobile, Alabama that called at Cozumel and Progresso before being decommissioned and sent to the shipwrights.

Unlike five of its sisters (Carnival Fantasy, Carnival Imagination, Carnival Inspiration, Carnival Enchantment and Carnival Sensation), which were all sold for scrap during the global health pandemic, Carnival Ecstasy was given a break of temporary with a return to service last March. . When it was announced that the Oct. 10 cruise would be the last, according to Carnival brand ambassador John Heald, the cruise sold out almost immediately.

Heald himself flew from the UK to attend the bittersweet occasion. His presence added sensitivity and fun to this issue. “I came aboard as Cruise Director during Ecstasy’s third week of service, and I’ll never forget walking into that lobby for the first time. The ‘wow’ factor was off the charts. Maybe some of Joe Farcus’s designs were too strange for the minority, but for the majority, it was an absolute escape from everyday life.”

A fantasy on the seas

The second ship in Carnival Cruise Line’s eight Identical Class SuperLiners, Carnival Ecstasy was the latest vision of then-Carnival architect Joe Farcus, who gave her interiors a themed decorative “City on the sea”.

At the heart of the ship, a six-deck long, roofed Grand Atrium made a stunning first impression. The soaring space literally hummed with Art Deco skyscraper facades straight out of a Fritz Lang film that gradually changed color as twin neon-framed panoramic elevators ascended to its heights. Farcus’ metropolis concept worked from there into the City Lights Promenade connecting a wide range of public spaces, each with its own eye-catching elements, representing the height of floating entertainment decor.

One can only imagine what Carnival’s accountants were thinking when they signed off on all the hand-crafted materials such as granite, marble, leather, etched glass and solid bronze that went into Ecstasy’s construction. There was even a blue 1934 Rolls Royce Saloon car that was “parked” in front of the specialty coffee bar until it was moved to the new Carnival party, which debuts this November.

Among the decorative highlights that survived the various renovations were custom-designed, quilted velvet curtains in the Blue Sapphire Hall, museum-quality kinetic art panels by Len Janklow on the stair towers, and a massive dragon lurking on the ceiling above a ornate yin and yang dance floor at China Town Hall.

Although extremely successful, Ecstasy endured her share of trials and tribulations. The shipyard that built her — Helsinki, Finland-based Wartsila — went bankrupt. Carnival founder and then CEO Ted Arison responded by coordinating with other ship owners to purchase the facility, which was then renamed Masa Yards, so that the ship’s empty hull could be outfitted and the rest of the Fantasy class could finally be delivered.

Ecstasy sailed without incident until 20 July 1998, when off the coast of Florida, a fire broke out in her laundry room and spread to the aft berth deck and engulfed the stern. Fourteen crew members and eight passengers suffered minor injuries before the fire was extinguished, resulting in $17 million worth of repairs.

In 2005, Carnival Ecstasy’s sailing career was interrupted again when she spent six months in New Orleans sheltering aid workers and locals displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Since then, until the global health pandemic, it has thankfully been smooth sailing.

The latest cruise aboard Carnival Ecstasy attracts loyal passengers

Throughout those five desperate days aboard Carnival Ecstasy’s final voyage, fellow friends from all walks of life sang the ship’s praises and shared fond memories.

Thirty-one years ago, Doug Brian proposed to his wife Leslie in the Ecstasy star dining room. The still happily married couple from New York returned to relive that historic moment. “I bought the ring and gave it to our waiter, who put it on top of a cake to surprise her. He actually filmed us, so thankfully, she said yes!” Brian said.

“We’re even staying in the same cabin (one inside), which is funny because our travel agent tried to convince us to upgrade, but we wanted our return to be authentic.”

Brent Riegert of Kansas City made his pilgrimage to Carnival Ecstasy for the first time in 31 years since his mother took him on one of the ship’s inaugural cruises. “I had to go back and see this ship one more time. She looks fantastic. It’s hard to believe she’s going for scrap.”

Orange, Calif.-based Tom Nicolai-Vargas, who has been on 28 Carnival cruises, reserved one of the Ecstasy suites and held nightly gatherings for the ship’s fans. “I love this particular class for their size, fun decor, beautiful teak decks and lifeboat walkways that are like those of a traditional ocean liner. I also love their long, sculptural tail funnels of whales, which became more and more truncated as the ships became larger.

New York-based self-described Millennial Joe Polidora, who was intrigued after seeing a YouTube video of “Fantazi” being taken down, booked as soon as he found out that “Ecstasy” was returning to the service. “I absolutely love it, this wild, AD-looking interior. The Neon Bar is spectacular, and the Atrium—probably my favorite—with all the little buildings that light up and change color.”

Geoffrey Lara of Salt Lake City has sailed on Ecstasy six times since 2001. “This ship has such an intimate feel, allowing you to get to know your fellow passengers. I love the eccentricity of the Chinatown Lounge and all of its beautiful details . the art on the stairwells. I absolutely love the teak decks.”

Even the ship’s officers and department heads had sentimental thoughts, including Sorrento-based captain Michele Coppola, who began his career with Carnival as a cadet on the Inspiration in 2001 and rose to the rank of captain in 2021.

The gracious captain delivered the Carnival Sensation to the Turks last March and will also take Ecstasy there. “I love this class of ship for the size and intimacy. We have fewer crew members than on larger ships, so it’s more of a family atmosphere. As far as this ship is concerned, my favorite space is the Neon Bar. It it feels like something from another era with all the colorful and beautiful lights.”

Chief Engineer Orazio D’Aita, who hails from Sicily, began his 32-year career with Carnival on the Fiesta built in 1987. He first worked on Ecstasy in 2002 and will oversee about 25 engineers who will take her ship to Aliaga. “I’m a little sad, since bringing a ship there will be like taking it to a graveyard.”

Macedonian hotel manager Mladen Spasov had signed up, not only for the last cruise season, but also for the trip to Turkey. “I am so proud and honored to be on this ship that is so loved by so many and to help send it to its resting place.”

Carnival ecstasy sails off into the sunset

On his last day at sea aboard Carnival Ecstasy, John Heald auctioned memorabilia to raise money for St Jude Children’s Hospital. In the raftered Blue Sapphire Lounge, various lots, which included a ship’s life ring, harbor plaques, a cocktail table, artwork from the Library, and even an array of linens in the stateroom, went for astronomical prices. One guest paid $4,000 for a private tour of the bridge and a chance to blow the ship’s whistle one last time. Duly impressed, Captain Coppola threw on his epaulettes to sweeten the deal.

That evening, cruise director Alex Siegler hosted a send-off crowd in the Atrium that filled its balconies with teary-eyed revelers waving fiberoptic glow sticks and cheering along to pop anthems to celebrate the life of a much-loved ship.

The following day, after all guests had departed, Carnival Ecstasy sailed to Miami to disembark most of her crew and miscellaneous equipment before sailing to Aliaga, Turkey, where Carnival Ecstasy is scheduled to arrive on the 7 November to be dismantled.

Once the ship is beached, hordes of local workers armed with acetylene torches, sledgehammers and crowbars will storm aboard and begin the grim task of dismantling the classic vessel, oblivious to all the care and thought that went into its creation. .

In just a few short months, Carnival Ecstasy will cease to exist, but those fond memories and the impact she made on the cruise world will live on. Her legacy will be carried on in part by the all-new Carnival Celebration, which will debut for Carnival Cruise Line in November.