Balconies to be Added to Carnival Fascination During January Dry Dock

mercedes · September 1, 2009

Carnival announced this week that 98 new balcony staterooms will be incorporated into the 2,052-passenger Carnival Fascination during a multimillion-dollar renovation in January 2010. Other enhancements will include a new Carnival WaterWorks aqua park, Serenity adults-only retreat and resort-style main pool area.

The refurbishment, which will take place during a 28-day dry dock, continues the extensive makeovers to the line's eight 70,000-ton Fantasy-class vessels. Carnival Fascination will be the third ship to be retrofitted with additional balconies, joining Carnival Ecstasy, which will receive new balconies during its dry dock in September, and Carnival Sensation, which had similar work completed earlier this year.

Carnival Fascination operates a four- and five-day schedule from Jacksonville, Fla. – the only cruise ship deployed year-round from that port. On this popular route, four-day cruises depart Thursdays and visit Freeport and Nassau, The Bahamas. Five-day voyages departing Mondays visit Key West, Fla., and Nassau, while five-day sailings departing Saturdays call at the private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay and Nassau.

Highlighting the Carnival Fascination's extensive refurbishment will be a host of exciting open deck features, including Carnival WaterWorks, a fun-filled aqua park located on Verandah Deck. This all-ages facility will include 82-foot-long racing slides, a splash zone and the aqua park's signature design element – a 300-foot-long Twister water slide filled with exhilarating twists and turns.

Carnival Fascination's main pool on Lido Deck also will be transformed with oversized umbrellas, colorful tile work and thatched roofing, creating a relaxing, resort-style ambiance.

Another popular element being added to Carnival Fascination will be an adults-only retreat called Serenity located on Promenade Deck aft. Featuring a tropical design incorporating colorful oversized umbrellas, teak-style decking and thatched roofing, along with chaise lounges and chairs and two whirlpools, Serenity is designed as an oceangoing oasis for relaxation and tranquility. Here, guests can relax, sip frozen drinks and other concoctions or enjoy a light snack from the nearby Coconut Grove Bar & Grille.

Carnival Fascination's dry dock includes the addition of 98 private balconies to existing ocean view staterooms, providing guests with the ideal vantage point for viewing tropical scenery. Sixty-two of the spacious new 230-square-foot staterooms will be located aft – with several of these featuring extended balconies – while 24 others will be located mid-ship and 12 near the stern. Several of the Carnival Fascination's existing suites will be retrofitted with larger, extended balconies.

In addition to cosmetic enhancements to a variety of shipboard areas, Carnival Fascination's refurbishment includes upgrades to the Sensation and Imagination main dining rooms. The Sensation dining room also will be reconfigured for Your Time Dining that provides guests with the option of open seating between 5:45 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. nightly.

A rotisserie featuring roasted chicken and traditional side dishes, and a Mongolian Wok offering custom-made stir fries also will be incorporated into the casual poolside restaurant, the Coconut Grove Bar & Grill.

Prior to the January dry dock, a new Circle "C" facility for 12- to 14-year-olds will be added on Atlantic Deck 8. The facility will include plasma screen TVs displaying movies and music videos, a high-tech sound and light system, gaming consoles and a touch-screen jukebox.