Carnival Sensation, initially named Sensation, was a 70,367 GT cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line. She was built in 1993 in Finland and cruised from Florida, USA to ports in the Bahamas and the Caribbean until the COVID-19 pandemic stopped operations in March 2020. The ship was subsequently sold for scrapping.

Sensation at Nassau in 2006
History
Name
  • Sensation (1993–2007)
  • Carnival Sensation (2007–2022)
Owner Carnival Corporation & plc
Operator Carnival Cruise Lines
Port of registryNassau,  Bahamas
RouteBahamas, Caribbean
Builder
CostUS$250 million
Yard number484
Sponsored by
  • Vicki L. Freed
  • Roberta Jacoby
  • Cherie Weinstein
  • Geri Donnelly
Completed1993
Maiden voyageNovember 1, 1993
In service1993
Out of service2022
Refit2009
Identification
FateScrapped in 2022
Notes[1]
General characteristics
Class and typeFantasy-class cruise ship
Tonnage
Length855 ft (261 m)
Beam103 ft (31 m)
Draft7.80 m (25 ft 7 in)
Decks10
Installed power
  • 2 × Sulzer-Wärtsilä 8ZAV40S
  • 4 × Sulzer-Wärtsilä 12ZAV40S
  • 42,240 kW (combined)
PropulsionTwo propellers
Speed21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Capacity2,052
Crew920

Construction

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Sensation was the third Fantasy-class cruise ship operated by Carnival. Built by Kværner Masa-Yards at its Helsinki New Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland, she was floated out on November 1, 1993, and christened Sensation by four Carnival Vice Presidents: Vicki L. Freed, Roberta Jacoby, Cherie Weinstein and Geri Donnelly.[1][2]

Service history

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Sensation was one of several cruise ships chartered by the US Government in 2005 to provide accommodation for residents and relief workers following Hurricane Katrina.[3] After being released from Federal Emergency Management Agency service, the Carnival Sensation undertook cruises from Port Canaveral.

 
Carnival Sensation after renaming

During 2007, in common with all of her Fantasy-class sisters, she had the prefix Carnival added to her name.[4]

In early 2016, Carnival Sensation moved to Miami, replacing the Carnival Victory, doing 4 and 5 night cruises. Carnival Victory took over the 3- and 4-night cruises to Nassau and Freeport, Bahamas, in the Bahamas. [citation needed]

In February 2018, the company announced that Carnival Sensation would take 17 sailings to Cuba in 2019.[5]

In July 2020, the company announced that Carnival Sensation would move to Mobile, Alabama to replace Carnival Fantasy at the Alabama Cruise Terminal. Carnival Fantasy was retired and sold amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Carnival Sensation was to take over itineraries already scheduled aboard Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Fascination. However, it was announced in February 2022, that Carnival would retire both Carnival Sensation as well as Carnival Ecstasy from the fleet. The latter would remain in service until October 2022, and Carnival Sensation would not return to service.[6] In February 2022 it was reported that the ship had been sold for US$11 million, and on March 18, 2022 sailed from Miami for Aliağa, Turkey, for scrapping.[7][8] It was beached on April 5, 2022.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b Smith 2010, p. 48.
  2. ^ Heald, John (December 3, 2012). "A Cycle of Godmothers". John Heald's Blog. John Heald. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  3. ^ "Cruise ships chartered for hurricane refugees". NBC News. September 3, 2005. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  4. ^ Dake, Shawn J. (January 2008). "Cruise Ships 2007 the year in review" (PDF). Ocean Times. 12 (1). Steamship Historical Society of America: Southern California Chapter: 2–8.
  5. ^ Staff, CIN (February 27, 2018). "Carnival Sensation to Sail to Cuba in 2019". Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  6. ^ "Carnival Cruise Line Provides More Updates to 2022 Fleet Deployment Plans". February 4, 2022.
  7. ^ Mayntz, Melissa (March 21, 2022). "Carnival Cruise Ship Departs U.S. for Final Journey to Scrapyard in Turkey". Cruise Hive. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  8. ^ Bretz, Sarah (March 22, 2022). "Fifth Carnival Cruise Ship Heads to Scrapyard". Cruise Radio.net. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  9. ^ "Former Carnival Sensation Beached for Scrapping in Turkey". April 5, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022.

Bibliography

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