Carnival Fascination (formerly Fascination) is the fourth of eight Fantasy-class cruise ships operated by Carnival Cruise Line. Built by Kværner Masa-Yards at its Helsinki New Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland, she was floated out on July 1, 1994, and christened Fascination by Jeanne Farcus.

During 2007, in common with all of her Fantasy-class sisters, she had the prefix Carnival added to her name. She is currently home-ported in San Juan, Puerto Rico and sails to the Caribbean year-round. After the destruction caused from both Hurricane Irma and Maria, she was docked in St Croix, US Virgin Islands under charter to FEMA to house hurricane relief workers from October 15, 2017 until February 3, 2018.

Renovations

Fascination was given a multimillion-dollar refurbishment while in dry dock during September 2006.

In January 2010 Carnival Fascination was again dry docked to be refurbished.

In January 2013, Carnival Fascination underwent another dry dock.

Itineraries

Prior to 2016 The Carnival Fascination sailed from Jacksonville, Florida. She offered 4-day cruises to the Bahamas, with stops in Nassau and Freeport and 5-day cruises included stops in Key West and Nassau on the Monday sailing. The alternate 5-day sailing (Saturday departure) stopped at Nassau and Half Moon Cay. In April and May, 2011, Fascination operated a 7 night itinerary stopping in Nassau, Half Moon Cay, and Grand Turk. However, Carnival later announced that all 7-Day sailings would be canceled, citing strong demand for the shorter 4 and 5 day sailings.

The Fascination was the first Carnival ship to sail from New York. When she arrived in New York starting on July 24, 1994 - September 4, 1994 she sailed 5-Day cruises to Saint John, New Brunswick & Halifax, Nova Scotia. She also sailed 2-day cruises to nowhere, with the ship itself as the destination. After September she moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In 2013 and 2014, Coco Cay replaced Key West on some of the Carnival Fascination's itineraries. Coco Cay is a private island in the Bahamas owned by rival cruise line Royal Caribbean International.

In April, 2016, Fascination repositioned to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she now sails seven-day Southern Caribbean cruises.

In October 2017, Fascination was chartered to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for four months and was docked in St. Croix as part of hurricane relief efforts in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This charter cost FEMA $74.7 million.

Beginning February 2018, the ship resumed operating 7 Day Southern Caribbean cruises departing from San Juan, Puerto Rico.