Carnival Fantasy

[mikem5]

How much longer do you think carnival will be using the services of the fantasy? You'd think it would be time to go soon but they sank alt of money in upgrades on her not too long ago.

[maldenmusic]

How much longer do you think carnival will be using the services of the fantasy? You'd think it would be time to go soon but they sank alt of money in upgrades on her not too long ago.

I like the Fantasy. It was the ship I cruised on for my 1st and 2nd cruises. Now that it has been moved to Charleston I cruise on the Elation out of NOLA which is my closest port.

[Gamecock_Cruiser]

I have cruised on the Fascination and the Fantasy so far. I think that the Fantasy was nicer than the Fascination. So I don't think they would get rid of one anytime if they are not getting rid of the other,

[Matt62]

The Fantasy is a surprising ship to those who have sailed the newer, nicer ships on CCL or even more upscale lines. I think this is because the decor is a bit more understated than most Carnival ships, it is in excellent condition and the staff is very good. It will probably stay in Charleston until a) the community groups suing CCL and our State Ports Authority prevail and force so many restrictions on it that it will have to leave, or b) those groups finally lose or compromise and our SPA can finally build the newer, larger, state of the industry Cruise Port that they've had on the drawing board for a decade.

 

To those who think our port facilities look like crap, it is NOT the fault of Charleston or our Port Authority, it is that the plans to build the new facility have been enjoined for a very long time and are still being litigated.

 

To me, port facilities are like airports, the faster you move through them, the less you care about what they look like. When we left on the Fantasy last, the time from entering the maze that leads you to the passenger drop off until the time we were standing in our cabin, was about 30 minutes. It took us longer than that to get parked and find our so-called VIP check-in line at the Port Everglades "nicer" port facility.

 

Fantasy passengers need to know one thing, the appearance of our present cruise port facility, is as indicative of the spectacular beauty of the rest of the City as the Freeport Industrial container transhipment port is reflective of the beaches and waters that can be found on Grand Bahama if you are willing and able to venture beyond what is inherently going to be a rather industrial setting.

 

If (when?)our Port is finally expanded for cruise ships despite the litigation, expect to see CCL move a larger ship to Charleston. We are a comfortable drive from many areas of SC, NC, GA and eastern TN (which includes one heck of a lot of people) and it is so nice to be able to avoid flying these days. And a larger CCL ship is exactly what a small minority in Charleston are trying to prevent.

 

Random thoughts from one long-time Charleston resident who will gladly be boarding the Fantasy after the grueling 10 minute ride from my house in 11 days!

[flucocruiser]

The Fantasy is a surprising ship to those who have sailed the newer, nicer ships on CCL or even more upscale lines. I think this is because the decor is a bit more understated than most Carnival ships, it is in excellent condition and the staff is very good. It will probably stay in Charleston until a) the community groups suing CCL and our State Ports Authority prevail and force so many restrictions on it that it will have to leave, or b) those groups finally lose or compromise and our SPA can finally build the newer, larger, state of the industry Cruise Port that they've had on the drawing board for a decade.

 

 

 

To those who think our port facilities look like crap, it is NOT the fault of Charleston or our Port Authority, it is that the plans to build the new facility have been enjoined for a very long time and are still being litigated.

 

 

 

To me, port facilities are like airports, the faster you move through them, the less you care about what they look like. When we left on the Fantasy last, the time from entering the maze that leads you to the passenger drop off until the time we were standing in our cabin, was about 30 minutes. It took us longer than that to get parked and find our so-called VIP check-in line at the Port Everglades "nicer" port facility.

 

 

 

Fantasy passengers need to know one thing, the appearance of our present cruise port facility, is as indicative of the spectacular beauty of the rest of the City as the Freeport Industrial container transhipment port is reflective of the beaches and waters that can be found on Grand Bahama if you are willing and able to venture beyond what is inherently going to be a rather industrial setting.

 

 

 

If (when?)our Port is finally expanded for cruise ships despite the litigation, expect to see CCL move a larger ship to Charleston. We are a comfortable drive from many areas of SC, NC, GA and eastern TN (which includes one heck of a lot of people) and it is so nice to be able to avoid flying these days. And a larger CCL ship is exactly what a small minority in Charleston are trying to prevent.

 

 

 

Random thoughts from one long-time Charleston resident who will gladly be boarding the Fantasy after the grueling 10 minute ride from my house in 11 days!

 

 

I thought the case was dropped?

 

 

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[goldwinger88]

I have to make that grueling 30min ride from Da Creek to the Fantasy in 54 days and a wakeup...

Charleston Blue Hairs can Byte ME!!!!

[Matt62]

I thought the case was dropped?

 

 

To make a very long story short, it was not dropped. As a lawyer I am prone to over-answering these legal questions but several of the plaintiff's (neighborhood groups and environmental groups) claims were indeed dismissed on appeal but enough were sustained to continue the seemingly endless process. The permitting process needed to build the new terminal was completely vacated requiring a new process to begin and be approved before anything can happen. The groups fighting the presence of this ship will fight the new permitting process at every turn.

 

We were on the Fantasy last week and the view is bizarre. There is this amazing city in the distance with the most dilapidated building you can imagine in the foreground ruining what should be a great first impression for many.

 

Oh well.

[kybluecruiser]

I hate to see the day they retire the fantasy. However i see her last days coming soon. I would say with the added tonnage of Carnival Vista. They will retire her and probably send her to a smaller cruise line in the company. So my guess is sometime in 2016

[alligirl78]

To make a very long story short, it was not dropped. As a lawyer I am prone to over-answering these legal questions but several of the plaintiff's (neighborhood groups and environmental groups) claims were indeed dismissed on appeal but enough were sustained to continue the seemingly endless process. The permitting process needed to build the new terminal was completely vacated requiring a new process to begin and be approved before anything can happen. The groups fighting the presence of this ship will fight the new permitting process at every turn.

 

We were on the Fantasy last week and the view is bizarre. There is this amazing city in the distance with the most dilapidated building you can imagine in the foreground ruining what should be a great first impression for many.

 

Oh well.

 

Easy, easy! I didn't find the view to be as bad as you say..LOL. I think the Customs House is lovely, as is the view of the bridge. Every port has industrial cranes and ships and and not-pretty stuff but in Charleston, you can literally grab your bags and waltz right onto Market St, by the old market, sit down and enjoy coffee and donuts (which is what we did waiting for our friends to pick us up). I loved our Fantasy cruise and loved Charleston too.

[Matt62]

Easy, easy! I didn't find the view to be as bad as you say..LOL. I think the Customs House is lovely, as is the view of the bridge. Every port has industrial cranes and ships and and not-pretty stuff but in Charleston, you can literally grab your bags and waltz right onto Market St, by the old market, sit down and enjoy coffee and donuts (which is what we did waiting for our friends to pick us up). I loved our Fantasy cruise and loved Charleston too.

 

Well I love your attitude. Most of the view from the ship is lovely and the location is perfect but it is that one completely unused building closest to the ship with the caving in roof that detracts from what should be a better sight to behold. And we do love our Ravenel Bridge which is as great to look at as to drive over every day.

 

My complaint is that we have the money ready to build a facility befitting our lovely city and the level of tourism we enjoy and that litigation is leaving us in a bind, which is in fact, the worst of both worlds. We have neither the new terminal that the Port has been planning since I moved here in 1991 nor do we have a total ban on cruise ships in the historic area that the plaintiffs so desire so we are stuck. At least we are keeping my fellow lawyers busy.

 

Again, as residents of Charleston, we appreciate your seeing past our port facility and look forward to your return.

 

And as for the good old Fantasy, when we were aboard her last week and my friend, who lives in one of the adjacent, historic neighborhoods, and I commented that there is no way, at any price point, to get better bar service than we had on that ship. We had a lovely time, the service was uniformly excellent and the ship was in great condition.

[OCruisers]

To make a very long story short, it was not dropped. As a lawyer I am prone to over-answering these legal questions but several of the plaintiff's (neighborhood groups and environmental groups) claims were indeed dismissed on appeal but enough were sustained to continue the seemingly endless process. The permitting process needed to build the new terminal was completely vacated requiring a new process to begin and be approved before anything can happen. The groups fighting the presence of this ship will fight the new permitting process at every turn.

 

Matt explained the ongoing situation.

Both sides feel very strongly about this issue so it's not going away any time soon. Honestly, I have mixed feeling on it.

LuLu

~~~

[iSpark]

One of the issues, is that the Fantasy violates the city code on height. You can see the stack above the 23 church steeples.

 

BTW, I'm a fan of the CCL's Fantasy or any other line, being in Charleston for cruise business. I would like to see more ships based there.

[kybluecruiser]

Well if charleston ever does build a new cruise terminal I see a larger ship coming there. I say most likely will be the glory since she use to do seasonal cruises before the fantasy

 

 

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[Gabrielle R.]

The Fantasy is a surprising ship to those who have sailed the newer, nicer ships on CCL or even more upscale lines. I think this is because the decor is a bit more understated than most Carnival ships, it is in excellent condition and the staff is very good. It will probably stay in Charleston until a) the community groups suing CCL and our State Ports Authority prevail and force so many restrictions on it that it will have to leave, or b) those groups finally lose or compromise and our SPA can finally build the newer, larger, state of the industry Cruise Port that they've had on the drawing board for a decade.

 

To those who think our port facilities look like crap, it is NOT the fault of Charleston or our Port Authority, it is that the plans to build the new facility have been enjoined for a very long time and are still being litigated.

 

To me, port facilities are like airports, the faster you move through them, the less you care about what they look like. When we left on the Fantasy last, the time from entering the maze that leads you to the passenger drop off until the time we were standing in our cabin, was about 30 minutes. It took us longer than that to get parked and find our so-called VIP check-in line at the Port Everglades "nicer" port facility.

 

Fantasy passengers need to know one thing, the appearance of our present cruise port facility, is as indicative of the spectacular beauty of the rest of the City as the Freeport Industrial container transhipment port is reflective of the beaches and waters that can be found on Grand Bahama if you are willing and able to venture beyond what is inherently going to be a rather industrial setting.

 

If (when?)our Port is finally expanded for cruise ships despite the litigation, expect to see CCL move a larger ship to Charleston. We are a comfortable drive from many areas of SC, NC, GA and eastern TN (which includes one heck of a lot of people) and it is so nice to be able to avoid flying these days. And a larger CCL ship is exactly what a small minority in Charleston are trying to prevent.

 

Random thoughts from one long-time Charleston resident who will gladly be boarding the Fantasy after the grueling 10 minute ride from my house in 11 days!

 

THANK YOU for this information! I have been thinking of visiting Charleston and IF I can swing it for early June I plan on going on Fantasy. I've gone out of Port Everglades... so 'seeing' a comparison was helpful! Thanks for the information- you didn't scare me off... it just makes my decision a bit easier. THANKS

[flucocruiser]

One of the issues, is that the Fantasy violates the city code on height. You can see the stack above the 23 church steeples.

 

 

 

BTW, I'm a fan of the CCL's Fantasy or any other line, being in Charleston for cruise business. I would like to see more ships based there.

 

 

How does a ship count as a building?

 

 

 

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[A2Mich]

The Fantasy is only 14 years old? Why are we even speculating about her retirement? Ships are generally designed for at least a 30 year life cycle. When the Fantasy costs too much to maintain/repair, is too inefficient, or no longer meets safety requirements / costs too much to upgrade, then they may consider selling it off. Most of the great classic ships of the past were scrapped for many of the above reasons. These ships when new are several hundred million dollars (or over $1B in the case of the Oasis class RCI ships) - that is the purchase price alone - let alone operating, maintenance, repairs, insurance, costs, etc. That takes considerable time to even get to a break even point before the ship truly becomes profitable. Doubt the Fantasy is going anywhere anytime soon.

[Terre]

I love the Fantasy. We've sailed her several times recently and she was the third ship we cruised on, so it has been updated from back then. The drive for us is not as quick as Goldwinger, it takes us about 3 hours, but it's an easy drive. I just wish she had a better itinerary!

 

Hey, Goldwinger..Bubba and I sailed with you last year.

Edited April 2, 2014 by Terre

[kybluecruiser]

The Fantasy is only 14 years old? Why are we even speculating about her retirement? Ships are generally designed for at least a 30 year life cycle. When the Fantasy costs too much to maintain/repair, is too inefficient, or no longer meets safety requirements / costs too much to upgrade, then they may consider selling it off. Most of the great classic ships of the past were scrapped for many of the above reasons. These ships when new are several hundred million dollars (or over $1B in the case of the Oasis class RCI ships) - that is the purchase price alone - let alone operating, maintenance, repairs, insurance, costs, etc. That takes considerable time to even get to a break even point before the ship truly becomes profitable. Doubt the Fantasy is going anywhere anytime soon.

 

No she is 24 years old. She entered service in 1990

[A2Mich]

No she is 24 years old. She entered service in 1990

 

 

Oops. You're right. My math was wrong! I know what I meant! It just didn't come out right....

 

 

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[kybluecruiser]

Oops. You're right. My math was wrong! I know what I meant! It just didn't come out right....

 

 

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I thought it may have been April fools day lol

[Matt62]

Yes she was launched in 1990, I saw her in that first year when I was staying in Nassau at what was then Carnival's Crystal Palace Casino Hotel. She seemed quite stunning, the first of a new class of larger ship with a vivid, color changing "huge" atrium (at the time). I've sailed on older ships, the Festivale being much older when I cruised on it and newer, we sailed on a Disney ship in its early days. No doubt the Disney ships are more appealing to look at, they still are, and I could get a huge discount on a last minute sailing if I wanted to as my brother is a DCL exec but if both were based in Charleston with the same itinerary at the same price, I'd choose the Fantasy. Why? I'm 51 and my youngest child is 18. I like a great bartending staff and a good sized casino with nice employees and I want to see adults partying (in the proper places mind you, not in the halls) late into the night dancing to the band by the Casino Bar. I am past the point of having to chase or supervise the little kids. I loved that stage but I am at a different stage of life and this fact matters when choosing a cruise ship.

 

This is exactly what I got last week. We didn't sail the Fantasy for the food, our food in Charleston cannot be beat by Seabourn or Regent. We did find plenty of good to great food and even managed to stick to a new diet. We saw lots of people gorging on crappy food, (I am past filling up on old fries and burgers at 11:00pm) but that is what they wanted to do so good for them. The choices are plentiful, keep looking and you will find what you want.

 

We sailed the Fantasy because of its convenience and because our last experience on her was excellent and this one was even better.

 

This ship shows none of the negative signs of aging, no smells, no faded paint, no rust, nothing broken and elevators that (amazingly) work like new. Our bed, bedding and pillows were also AMAZING, and the shower pressure was great and consistent so our cabin was perfect.

 

We could afford to sail a premium line and I am sure we will for the right occasion (25th anniversary looming) but I'd rather take multiple trips on this ship that works just fine than one on a ship that is only slightly better, or even much better in ways that do not matter to me anymore.

 

Bottom line, if you do your research, you should find the ship that meets your needs. If you do not, you may not be happy, regardless of how much or little you spend.

 

Wow, I started to just reiterate just how well the old ship is aging and started into a rambling semi-cruise review. I think this is a symptom of acute cruise withdrawal.

 

I am still missing my favorite bartender (Larry) from the 21st Century Bar (the Casino bar) who knew my name, drink preference (down to the right size glass) and folio number so I didn't even need to hand him my "Cheers" card. He was that good with everybody and they were constantly busy.

 

Any questions about the Fantasy and the Port of Charleston or our city itself are welcome.

[Pinkfloydfan]

Yes she was launched in 1990, I saw her in that first year when I was staying in Nassau at what was then Carnival's Crystal Palace Casino Hotel. She seemed quite stunning, the first of a new class of larger ship with a vivid, color changing "huge" atrium (at the time). I've sailed on older ships, the Festivale being much older when I cruised on it and newer, we sailed on a Disney ship in its early days. No doubt the Disney ships are more appealing to look at, they still are, and I could get a huge discount on a last minute sailing if I wanted to as my brother is a DCL exec but if both were based in Charleston with the same itinerary at the same price, I'd choose the Fantasy. Why? I'm 51 and my youngest child is 18. I like a great bartending staff and a good sized casino with nice employees and I want to see adults partying (in the proper places mind you, not in the halls) late into the night dancing to the band by the Casino Bar. I am past the point of having to chase or supervise the little kids. I loved that stage but I am at a different stage of life and this fact matters when choosing a cruise ship.

 

This is exactly what I got last week. We didn't sail the Fantasy for the food, our food in Charleston cannot be beat by Seabourn or Regent. We did find plenty of good to great food and even managed to stick to a new diet. We saw lots of people gorging on crappy food, (I am past filling up on old fries and burgers at 11:00pm) but that is what they wanted to do so good for them. The choices are plentiful, keep looking and you will find what you want.

 

We sailed the Fantasy because of its convenience and because our last experience on her was excellent and this one was even better.

 

This ship shows none of the negative signs of aging, no smells, no faded paint, no rust, nothing broken and elevators that (amazingly) work like new. Our bed, bedding and pillows were also AMAZING, and the shower pressure was great and consistent so our cabin was perfect.

 

We could afford to sail a premium line and I am sure we will for the right occasion (25th anniversary looming) but I'd rather take multiple trips on this ship that works just fine than one on a ship that is only slightly better, or even much better in ways that do not matter to me anymore.

 

Bottom line, if you do your research, you should find the ship that meets your needs. If you do not, you may not be happy, regardless of how much or little you spend.

 

Wow, I started to just reiterate just how well the old ship is aging and started into a rambling semi-cruise review. I think this is a symptom of acute cruise withdrawal.

 

I am still missing my favorite bartender (Larry) from the 21st Century Bar (the Casino bar) who knew my name, drink preference (down to the right size glass) and folio number so I didn't even need to hand him my "Cheers" card. He was that good with everybody and they were constantly busy.

 

Any questions about the Fantasy and the Port of Charleston or our city itself are welcome.

Matt62, I agree with everything you wrote about the Fantasy. The first two years after I retired we sailed her at least every other month. Moved on after Carnival removed the cover bands:confused::mad::( . The crew were some of the nicest we ever met. Larry was my favorite bartender and I don't drink. Last year he was working the Majestic bar and he made me a "virgin Long Island Ice tea" their wasn't much in it:eek: Pink

[Pisgah]

We are sailing on the Fantasy for the first time in two months. My wife and I love the small ships. My favorite so far was the Miracle. We look forward to our May 31st sailing and visiting Charleston. We have sailed out of many different ports and the view in the port does bother me at all.

 

I hope Charleston gets an upgrade in the port area if thats what the majority of people want. I would hate to see a small minority of "nay sayers" to be able to speak for the entire community. This was stated by some CC posters several times on different threads on this issue.

 

I have read several articles on this issue and see the community is split on the Cruise industry in Charleston. I hope it all works out for the best, what ever that is. I don't really have a "dog in this fight", a strong opinion either way.

 

I enjoy driving to a port instead of flying. Presently Charleston and New Orleans are doable drives from my home in TN. We drove to Miami twice and did not like the distance. We will not do that again.

 

Rick

[iSpark]

How does a ship count as a building?

 

 

 

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A business operating at Union Pier in the city of Charleston.

 

I don't like the correlation the plaintiffs are trying to make on that one. :-\

 

Another plaintiff issue, while the ship is in port, it is causing soot on everyone's window sill from the engines running on bunker fuel. :-/

 

Like really, the ship is only in port about 7 to 8 hours each week, I don't think it's causing that kind of build up.

People just want to complain and create lawsuits.

 

 

 

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[iSpark]

Kind of related to the Fantasy.

 

Some links for reading while your bored or for general knowledge. :)

 

SC Supreme Court dismisses lawsuit

 

Future Cruise Terminal at Union Pier