By
Rebecca Gibson |
Carnival Cruise Line is to sell Carnival Fascination and Carnival Imagination as part of its plan to accelerate the removal of less efficient ships from its fleet.
Launched in 1994 and 1995 respectively, Carnival Fascination and Carnival Imagination were put into long-term lay-up when the Covid-19 pandemic forced Carnival to halt operations. This follows the sale of Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Inspiration in July.
"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.
Carnival will also delay four ships from returning to service until they have undergone scheduled dry dock enhancements in the first half of 2021. These vessels include Carnival Magic, Carnival Paradise, Carnival Valor and Carnival Spirit.
"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 onboard soon.”