Carnival Imagination

Carnival Imagination (formerly Imagination) was a Fantasy-class cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line from 1995 to 2020. Built by Kværner Masa-Yards at its Helsinki New Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland, she was floated out on July 1, 1995, and christened Imagination by Jodi Dickinson.^[2] During 2007, in common with all of her Fantasy-class sisters, she had the prefix Carnival added to her name.^[3]

Carnival Imagination leaving PortMiami
History
Name	Imagination (1995–2007) Carnival Imagination (2007–2020)
Owner	Carnival Corporation & plc
Port of registry	1995–2000: Panama City,  Panama 2000–2020: Nassau,  Bahamas
Builder	Kvaerner Masa-Yards Helsinki New Shipyard Helsinki, Finland
Yard number	488
Laid down	June 30, 1993
Launched	October 1994
Sponsored by	Jodi Dickinson
Completed	June 8, 1995
In service	1995–2020
Out of service	March 2020
Refit	2007, 2016
Identification	Call sign: C6FN2 IMO number: 9053878 MMSI number: 309933000
Fate	Sold for scrap, 2020[1]
Notes	[2]
General characteristics
Class and type	Fantasy-class cruise ship
Tonnage	70,367 GT 7,180 DWT
Length	855 ft (261 m)
Beam	103 ft (31 m)
Draft	7.80 m (25 ft 7 in)
Decks	14
Installed power	2 × Sulzer-Wärtsilä 8ZAV40S 4 × Sulzer-Wärtsilä 12ZAV40S 42,240 kW (combined)
Propulsion	Two propellers
Speed	21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Capacity	2,056 passengers (lower berths) 2,634 passengers (all berths)
Crew	920

The ship underwent an extensive multimillion-dollar renovation in September 2016.^[4]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Carnival Cruise Line suspended all North American itineraries from March 14 to April 10, 2020.^[5] In July 2020, as a result of Carnival Cruise Line reducing fleet capacity, Carnival Imagination entered a long term lay-up status, with no planned date for the ship to enter back into service.^[6]

By August 26, 2020, the vessel had filed a cruise plan for Aliağa, Turkey, the location of several ship breaking facilities. Some industry sources indicated that the vessel would be scrapped.^[7][8] The vessel arrived in Aliağa on September 14, 2020 and was beached on 16 September.^[9][10] From September 2020 until February 2023 she remained beached awaiting scrapping; some sources claimed that an unnamed hotel had been trying to acquire some of her fittings that would otherwise be damaged or destroyed during the scrapping process. The scrapping process began in February 2023.

Waterslides aboard the Carnival Imagination

Areas of operation

Prior to entering into a long term lay-up in July 2020, she sailed three- and four-day itineraries from Long Beach, California, to Catalina Island, California, and to Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.

Incidents

Collision with Carnival Fantasy

In July 2011, Carnival Fantasy struck Carnival Imagination while performing a maneuver for mooring. Carnival Imagination was docked when the incident occurred. Minor hull damage was sustained to both ships' sterns, and no injuries were reported.^[11]

Coronavirus Pandemic

During the coronavirus pandemic, the CDC reported, as early as April 22, 2020, that at least one person who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 had tested positive within 14 days after disembarking.^[12]

Sale of the vessel

Carnival announced to investors in late July 2020 that it planned to remove the "less efficient" of its ships from the fleet; most of the 15 would be sold and a few would be "recycled". While the Carnival Imagination had been said to be heading for long-term layup, some industry insiders believed that Carnival would dispose of this vessel.^[13][14]

In late August, media reports indicated the ship had filed a plan to travel to Aliağa, Turkey, where she would likely be scrapped. Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Inspiration were already at the scrap yards in that city.^[7][8] The ship left the US for the last time on August 27, 2020 heading towards Aliağa. She arrived at Aliağa on September 14, 2020.^[15]

Based on a photograph accompanying an article in The New York Times October 30, 2020 entitled "Where Cruise Ships Go to Die" the Carnival Imagination is being scrapped in Aliaga, Turkey.

Imagination and USS John L. Hall in Key West.