The Carnival Paradise is resuming guest service today in Tampa. As the 22nd ship to reenter regular operations for Carnival Cruise Line, the Fantasy-class vessel is kicking off a program of short cruises.
Cruising to the Western Caribbean, the four- and five-night itineraries include visits to cruise destinations in Mexico, Honduras and the Cayman Islands.
For its first cruise in two years, the 1998-built ship is sailing to Cozumel and Roatán, on a five-night itinerary that also includes two full days at sea.
The Carnival Paradise is the eighth in a series of eight ships known as the Fantasy Class. Built in Finland, the vessel has capacity for over 2,040 guests and is 70,000 tons.
With interiors created by Joe Farcus, the ship features a distinctive interior look with public spaces that pay homage to the great ocean liners of the past. Venues include the Queen Mary Lounge, the United States Bar, the Normandie Theater, and the Rotterdam Bar.
Heavily refitted over the years, the Carnival Paradise was saw a major refurbishment in 2018.
During the multi-million-dollar modernization, the vessel received a number of new features and extra food and beverage concepts, in addition to 38 new cabins. At the same time, 98 of the existing cabins also received new private balconies.
New features included Guy’s Burger Joint, RedFrog Rum Bar, BlueIguana Cantina, BlueIguana Tequila Bar and Camp Ocean.
The vessel also got a WaterWorks Aqua Park, an expansive all-ages water park that features an enclosed 300-foot-long Twister water slide, two 82-foot-long racing slides, and a splash zone for kids.
With the Paradise now in service from the port, two Carnival ships are offering cruises from Tampa.
After resuming service in September with a series of Baltimore-based cruises, the Carnival Pride repositioned to its seasonal Florida homeport in November. The Spirit-class vessel is now offering week-long Western Caribbean itineraries from the Tampa Bay.
In addition to the Paradise, other two Carnival ships resumed service this month.
Returning to the U.S. after a ten-year hiatus, the Carnival Spirit welcomed guests back on Mar. 7 in Jacksonville, while the Carnival Ecstasy kicked off its farewell season on Mar. 5, in Mobile.
