Carnival Cruise Line has announced a dry dock that will transform Carnival Victory into Carnival Radiance.
The move represents the final phase of a $2 billion fleet enhancement programme that has brought a consistent level of experiences from WaterWorks aqua parks, speciality dining, entertainment, enhanced accommodations and amenities to the more than five million passengers who annually sail with the line.
The refurbishment of Carnival Victory in 2020 will add the line’s popular culinary, bar and entertainment innovations and complete an “any ship, any port, any itinerary” level of service and offerings across its fleet of 26 ships that is unparalleled in the cruise industry.
Following a 38-day dry dock in Cadiz, Carnival Radiance will enter service in 2020.
Homeport and itinerary details for the new Carnival Radiance will be announced in mid-November.
“We have been investing in our products, amenities and experience offerings at unprecedented levels, which are driving higher results in guest satisfaction, passenger yields and onboard revenue,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
“Our guests and travel agent partners can count on a high degree of consistency and quality holiday offerings across all our fleet and homeports regardless of what ship they’re sailing on.
“Ultimately, this effort is about driving demand by giving each and every guest a memorable holiday and offering a reason to come back to Carnival again and again.
“And it’s clearly working based on extremely positive feedback from the more than five million guests we carry each year.”
Carnival launched its fleet enhancement programme in 2011.
Since that time, it has completed refurbishments to more than 20 ships, taken delivery of three new ships and has three additional ships scheduled for delivery through 2022.
Since the fleet enhancement programme was launched, Carnival’s annual passenger count has grown from 4.1 million to 5.2 million guests; the number of children under 18 sailing annually has grown from 650,000 to 800,000; its employee base has grown from 34,000 to 40,000; its voyage operations have grown from 1,400 to 1,700 sailings per year; and its lower berth count has grown from 58,000 to 70,000.
As Carnival completes this phase of the capital investment and fleet expansion programme, it is focusing more intensely on providing a better onboard technology experience for guests.