Another workhorse from Carnival Corp's flagship brand has departed the Caribbean for Turkey, and is believed to be heading for recycling.
Vessel tracking data showed that Carnival Cruise Line’s 70,400-gt Carnival Inspiration (built 1996) was entering the Atlantic on Monday morning and heading for Izmir, a port close to the Turkish shipbreaking hub of Aliaga.
Cruise industry sources said the 2,054-passenger ship had undergone unloading of items on board in Willemstad, Curacao, before setting off on what is believed to be its final voyage.
It is following the 70,400-gt Carnival Fantasy (built 1990), which TradeWinds reported last week as having undergone a similar de-storing process at Willemstad before setting off for Turkey.
Both ships are part of the eight-strong Fantasy class built for Carnival in the 1990s. They are regarded as the workhorses of the fleet and have spent most of their careers operating out of secondary US cruise ports.
One industry source familiar with the ships described them as cash cows for the company, hard-worked and paid for long ago.
Trimming the fleet
Before the Covid-19 outbreak, Carnival Cruise Line put several of the class through extensive life-extension refits that included installing private balconies and other entertainment facilities matching those found on newer Carnival tonnage.
The two that are heading to Turkey did not undergo such a refit.
They are part of a major fleet trimming exercise at Carnival Corp, which recently indicated that it wants to sell at least 13 ships.
Midsized vessels from the Holland America Line, Costa Cruise and P&O Cruises brands have found new homes with trading buyers in recent weeks.
Vessels of 70,000 gt or larger put on the market by Carnival and its rival Royal Caribbean Group have attracted less buying interest, and most have been sold for scrap.
European Union-compliant yards in Turkey have been the main beneficiaries of the tonnage unwanted by other players in the cruise industry, despite paying prices that are 43% less that what is being offered by yards in India.
The two Fantasy-class ships, which are each 29,000 ldt, would sell for $4m to $4.35m based on rates of between $140 and $150 per ldt recently being offered by the Turkish shiprecylers.
Sources there said the price also depends on the volume of spare parts left on the ship, although it is likely that these were removed during the de-storing process.
Carnival Corp has not been willing to comment on reports about sales of individual ships for recycling.
