Carnival Fantasy (formerly Fantasy) is the lead ship of the Fantasy-class of cruise ships operated by American/British company Carnival Cruise Line. Built by Kværner Masa-Yards at its Helsinki New Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland, she was floated out on December 9, 1988, completed on January 27, 1990 and formally named on March 1, 1990, as Fantasy by Tellervo Koivisto, wife of the then President of Finland, Mauno Koivisto. During 2007, in common with all of her Fantasy-class sisters, she had the prefix "Carnival" added to her name. She is currently the oldest vessel in the Carnival fleet.

Fantasy was the third ship to receive Carnival's Evolutions of Fun upgrade, during 2006-2010. She currently sails out of Mobile, Alabama.

History

Carnival Fantasy entered service in 1990 and is now the oldest cruise ship in the fleet. She was initially based out of the Port of Miami as the first new ship ever placed on three- and four-day cruises to the Bahamas from Miami.

In 1993, she was moved to Port Canaveral becoming the first "mega-ship" to be homeported there.

In the Fall of 2006, the Carnival Fantasy was the first Carnival ship to come back to Louisiana and make New Orleans its home port after Hurricane Katrina, embarking on four- and five-day cruises to Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico.

Carnival Fantasy spent a month in drydock in the Fall of 2008. She was the third ship to receive the full "Evolutions of Fun" upgrade, which her sister ships Inspiration and Imagination had received in 2007.

On September 17, 2009, Carnival announced that Fantasy would be based out of Mobile, Alabama to replace the Holiday until Elation began operations in Mobile.

On September 18, 2009 Carnival announced that Fantasy would be relocated to Charleston, South Carolina.

Carnival Fantasy was refitted in February 2016 under Carnival's "Fun Ship 2.0" standard. The upgrades included being fitted with diesel engine scrubbers as well the alteration of some of the restaurants and child care areas on the ship.

In November 2016, the Fantasy was moved back to Mobile, which had not had a cruise ship stationed there since 2011 when the Elation moved to New Orleans.

The Fantasy was named Most Improved Ship in Cruiseline.com Members’ Choice Awards in spring 2018.

Carnival Fantasy underwent her next renovation in January 2019. The ship assisted the US Coast Guard in rescuing 23 people at sea in April 2019.

Current service

Fantasy sails year-round out of Mobile, Alabama until at least November 2019.