Carnival Fascination is latest cruise ship to get a major overhaul

[mercedes]

Add the Carnival Fascination to the list of aging Carnival ships that have gotten an "extreme makeover."

Carnival says the popular vessel, which sails to the Bahamas out of Jacksonville, Fla., emerged today from an extended, $34 million dry dock that brought a new deck-top water park, a new adults-only lounge area and a redesigned main pool area.

The overhaul of the 15-year-old ship also brought the addition of balconies to 98 cabins that formerly just had windows -- a major structural change.

The 2,052-passenger Fascination is a workhorse of the Carnival fleet that sails short four- and five-day trips to Nassau, Freeport and Key West, Fla. It's a favorite of Southerners who can drive.

 The ship is the sixth of Carnival's eight Fantasy Class vessels to get such a makeover as the line spends $350 million to revamp its oldest ships. The Carnival Inspiration and Carnival Imagination underwent a similar overhaul in 2007; the Carnival Fantasy was upgraded in 2008; and the Carnival Ecstasy and Carnival Sensation were redone in 2009.

As on the other ships getting face lifts, the Fascination's new water park area, dubbed WaterWorks, features a four-deck-high, 300-foot-long spiral water slide – among the longest at sea. It also has an 82-foot-long, dual-lane racing slide.

Carnival says the 28-day dry dock also brought a new Mongolian wok station to the ship's casual pool-side restaurant, and the ship's two main dining rooms were refurbished with new carpeting and upholstery.

[ShirleyUgest]

I would love to sail on her again!

[debbiebaize09]

We're going on the Fascination in September

[DebbieandJerry]

Debbie, I can't wait to hear about your vacation. We have been on the Sensation a number of times (all prior to the 2009 refurbishing) and truly had a blast. It was our "first ship with all the glitz and glitter".