Carnival Fascination

Carnival Fascination (formerly Fascination) is the fourth of eight Fantasy-class cruise ships operated by Carnival Cruise Line. Built by Kværner Masa-Yards at its Helsinki New Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland, she was floated out on July 1, 1994, and christened Fascination by Jeanne Farcus.[2]

Carnival Fascination
History
Name:
  • Fascination (1994–2007)
  • Carnival Fascination (2007–present)
Owner: Carnival Corporation & plc
Operator: Carnival Cruise Lines
Port of registry:
Builder:
  • Kvaerner Masa-Yards
  • Helsinki New Shipyard
  • Helsinki, Finland
Yard number: 487
Sponsored by: Jeanne Farcus
Completed: 1994
In service: 1994–2020
Out of service: 2020
Refit: 2006
Identification:
Fate: Operational; removed from service
Status: Laid up
General characteristics
Class and type: Fantasy-class cruise ship
Tonnage:
Length: 855 ft (261 m)
Beam: 103 ft (31 m)
Draft: 7.80 m (25 ft 7 in)
Decks: 10
Installed power:
  • 2 × Sulzer-Wärtsilä 8ZAV40S
  • 4 × Sulzer-Wärtsilä 12ZAV40S
  • 42,240 kW (combined)
Propulsion: Two propellers, 3 bow thrusters, 3 aft thrusters,
Speed: 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Capacity:
  • 2,056 passengers (lower berths)
  • 2,634 passengers (all berths)
Crew: 920

During 2007, in common with all of her Fantasy-class sisters, she had the prefix Carnival added to her name.[3] She is currently home-ported in San Juan, Puerto Rico and sails to the Caribbean year-round. After the destruction caused from both Hurricane Irma and Maria, she was docked in St Croix, US Virgin Islands under charter to FEMA to house hurricane relief workers from October 15, 2017 until February 3, 2018.[4]

In July 2020, as a result of Carnival Cruise Line reducing fleet capacity, Carnival Fascination entered a long term lay-up status, with no planned date for the ship to enter back into service.[5]

Refits

Fascination was given a multimillion-dollar refurbishment while in dry dock during September 2006.[6]

In January 2010 Carnival Fascination was again dry docked to be refurbished.[7]

In January 2013, Carnival Fascination underwent another dry dock.

Areas of operation

Fascination sailed from New York between July 24 and September 4, 1994 before moving to San Juan, Puerto Rico.[8]

Until 2016 Carnival Fascination sailed from Jacksonville, Florida to the Bahamas.[9]

In 2013 and 2014, Coco Cay replaced Key West on some of Carnival Fascination's itineraries. Coco Cay is a private island in the Bahamas owned by rival cruise line Royal Caribbean International.[10]

In April, 2016, Carnival Fascination re-positioned to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she undertook Southern Caribbean cruises.[11]

In October 2017, Carnival Fascination was chartered to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for four months and was docked in St. Croix as part of hurricane relief efforts in the U.S. Virgin Islands.[12] This charter cost FEMA $74.7 million.[13]

From February 2018 until March 2020, the ship resumed operating Southern Caribbean cruises departing from San Juan, Puerto Rico.[14]

Incidents

Power loss

In June 2010, Carnival Fascination lost engine power due to a technical malfunction while returning to Jacksonville, Florida. Power was restored after several hours, and the ship was able to return to Jacksonville, Florida under its own power.[15]

Health inspection failure

In April 2013, it was reported that on February 21, 2013 Carnival Fascination failed a CDC health inspection after inspectors found insects in food preparation areas, dried food waste, insufficient chlorination in the pools, and insufficient sneeze guards at the salad bars. A satisfactory rating from the CDC is a score of 85 or higher. Carnival Fascination scored an 84.[16]

SARS-CoV-2

In February 2020, the ship canceled a call to Saint Lucia over a scare of COVID-19 pandemic. This is after a crew member reported illnesses, and flu like symptoms. The ship docked in Barbados but was not allowed to disembark until the individual was declared negative for SARS-CoV-2.[17]

References

Notes
  1. "FASCINATION - IMO 9041253".
  2. Smith 2010, p. 37.
  3. Dake, Shawn J. (January 2008). "Cruise Ships 2007 the year in review" (PDF). Ocean Times. Steamship Historical Society of America: Southern California Chapter. 12.1: 2–8.
  4. "Carnival Cruise Line News - Statement Regarding Carnival Fascination". carnival-news.com. October 12, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  5. "Carnival Cruise Line Announces Update to Fleet Plan - Carnival Cruise Line News". carnival-news.com. July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  6. Carnival Cruise Lines - News Release
  7. "Carnival Fascination Returns to Service from Jacksonville Following Extensive "Evolutions of Fun"™ Upgrades". February 2, 2010. Retrieved February 13, 2012.
  8. "Fun Ship From Fun City". Cruise Travel: 31. March–April 1994.
  9. Sloan, Gene (August 1, 2011). "Carnival adds more four- and five-day cruises out of Jacksonville, Fla". USA Today.
  10. Sloan, Gene (February 27, 2013). "New port for Carnival ships is owned by Royal Caribbean". USA Today. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  11. "Carnival Cruise Lines News". Carnival Cruise Lines News.
  12. "Carnival Fascination chartered to FEMA, San Juan departures canceled: Travel Weekly". www.travelweekly.com. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  13. Staff, CIN (January 8, 2018). "FEMA Carnival Charter Cost $74.7 Million". Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  14. "Carnival Cruise Line News". carnival-news.com. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  15. Carter, Adam. "5 troubles on Carnival cruises". CBC News. CBC. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  16. Golden, Fran (April 11, 2013). "Carnival ship fails health inspection". USA Today. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  17. "Carnival Cruise line employee on 'Fascination' tests negative for coronavirus". al. February 27, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2020.

Bibliography
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