Carnival Cruise Line is spending $200-million to breathe new life into one of its cruise ships. The 1999 built Carnival Triumph will undergo a major refurbishment beginning in March 2019 and will emerge with a new name – Carnival Sunrise.
The 2,754 passenger ship will receive bow-to-stern upgrades during a two-month dry dock in Spain. When she emerges, she will have all the latest Carnival signature food, beverage, and entertainment outlets as well as upgraded staterooms.
The ship’s two Captain’s Suites, adjacent to the navigational bridge, will be redesigned offering floor-to-ceiling windows and extended balconies. All staterooms will receive new island-inspired interiors with bright colors and soothing pastels inspired by the line’s Caribbean itineraries.
When it comes to places to eat, Carnival Sunrise will feature:
- Cucina del Capitano: offering Italian favorites and new Carnival classics served family-style.
- JavaBlue Café: this expanded version of the line’s coffee bars will offer lattes, cappuccinos and other caffeinated favorites, as well as “spiked” coffees made with liqueurs, and confections.
- Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse: a classic American steakhouse offering steaks, gourmet appetizers, entrees, and desserts.
- Bonsai Express: a casual spot, featuring a mouth-watering array of sushi, sashimi, rolls and more.
- The Chef’s Table: a new multi-course dining experience hosted in a special glass-enclosed venue in the forward dining room.
- Cherry on Top: an expanded Cherry on Top featuring bulk candy, gifts, custom apparel and a Carnival Adventures shop.
- Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse: a casual open-air eatery featuring BBQ favorites created by Food Network star Guy Fieri.
- Lido Marketplace: A casual poolside marketplace featuring the Seafood Shack offering lobster rolls and other New England-inspired fare; The Deli with sandwiches and paninis; Pizzeria del Capitano serving hand-tossed artisanal-style pies free of charge 24/7, and an expanded Swirls venue with complimentary ice cream and frozen yogurt.
For those looking to grab a beverage, passengers will find new bars to sip and mingle:
- RedFrog Pub: Featuring rums and beers – including Carnival’s own ThirstyFrog Red – enjoyed in a distinct British-West-Indies-meets-Key-West atmosphere.
- Piano Bar 88: A new twist on Carnival’s popular piano bar concept that amps up the excitement with themed nights, engaging new décor and spontaneous sing-along fun
- Limelight Lounge: Home to the Punchliner Comedy Club featuring a hilarious line-up of comics which later transforms into a sizzling nightclub where guests can dance the night away.
- New Multi-Purpose Liquid Lounge: an expansive theater that’s home to daytime and nighttime entertainment, including the line’s high-tech Playlist Productions revues and audience participation favorite Hasbro, The Game Show.
For those looking to play during the day:
- SportSquare: A suspended ropes course offering views to the sea 150 feet below, basketball court, jogging track, ping pong, foosball, pool tables, and a nine-hole miniature golf course highlight this open-area recreation complex.
- WaterWorks: Featuring a 203-foot-long AquaTunnel slide and Carnival’s signature 212-foot-long Twister slide along with a 75-gallon PowerDrencher tipping bucket and kiddie area.
- Serenity Adult Only Retreat: An adult only oasis offering plush chaise lounges, whirlpools, and oversized umbrellas, enhanced by sea views.
But wait, there’s more!
- Cloud 9 Spa: the health and wellness center offers an elaborate thermal suite, private treatment rooms, and the latest cardio and weight-training equipment.
- Modern, Spacious Facilities for Kids and Teens: including a new Camp Ocean, a colorful marine-inspired play area designed for kids ages 2-11, along with new spaces for Circle “C” aimed at 12- to 14-year olds and Club O2 geared to those 15-17.
- The Warehouse: promising fun for all ages with a variety of the latest video and arcade games.
- Expanded Retail Spaces: a mall-style shopping area lined with retail outlets offering fine jewelry, watches, fragrances, and more along with the line’s own branded spaces like Hip Fish and The Carnival Store.
“These new dining spaces and features complement many of Carnival’s signature food and beverage outlets that were added during previous renovations, including Guy’s Burger Joint developed in tandem with Guy Fieri,” said Gus Antorcha, Carnival’s chief operating officer, who has led the reimagination of Carnival Sunrise and many other ships in the fleet. “Carnival’s investments are part of an overall plan that is raising the bar on ship amenities and features, itineraries and offshore excursions that our guests are loving.”
Speaking of itineraries, Carnival Sunrise will kick off her inaugural season sailing from Norfolk, VA with a seven-day journey departing April 29, 2019 and calling on Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay and Freeport. A pair of five-day cruises departs May 12 and 17, 2019 calling at Nassau and Freeport and three six-day cruises departing May 6, and Oct. 14 and 20, 2019, visiting Half Moon Cay, Nassau and Freeport.
The ship then heads to New York for a series of four- to 14-day voyages beginning May 23, 2019. The schedule includes four- to eight-day Bermuda cruises, including long weekend sailings to the island departing Thursdays and returning Mondays, along with seven-day fall foliage cruises to New England and the Canadian Maritimes, and two different eight-day Caribbean itineraries. Several longer voyages will also be offered, including a 10-day exotic eastern Caribbean itinerary and a 14-day Carnival Journeys Panama Canal cruise.
Carnival Sunrise will set her sights on the warm waters of the Caribbean and reposition to Fort Lauderdale for four- and five-day cruises beginning Oct. 28, 2019. Four-day long weekend cruises will call on Half Moon Cay, Princess Cays, Grand Turk and Nassau, while five-day cruises will visit Cuba, as well as destinations in The Bahamas, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Grand Turk.
Carnival Sunrise‘s departures from Norfolk, New York and Fort Lauderdale are currently open for reservations.
If the name Carnival Triumph rings a bell, it should. The ship was made famous after an engine room fire disabled her while off the coast of Mexico in February 2013. The ship remained adrift until it was towed to Mobile, Alabama where it underwent a four-month dry dock to make repairs. While the ship was disabled, passengers were camped out on decks and balconies and forced to use buckets as toilets as there was no power on board to run the ship’s vacuum toilet system. The cruise, infamously dubbed, “The Poop Cruise” was covered widely by the press worldwide at the time.