Carnival Spirit

The 2001-built Carnival Spirit cruise ship is the first of four Spirit-class CCL liners, with sisterships Miracle, Pride, and Legend, as well as Costa ships Atlantica and Mediterranea.

The vessel (IMO number 9188647) is currently Bahamas-flagged (MMSI 311001095) and registered in Nassau. Previously, she was Malta-flagged (MMSI 229136000) and registered in Valletta.

History - Construction and Ownership

Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) is a US-based shipping company, a trademarked brand, and a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation. CCL was founded in 1972 by Ted Arison (1924–1999), who also co-founded NCL Norwegian.

CCL operates the Corporation's largest fleet in terms of both the number of vessels and GT tonnage (size/volume and passenger capacity). In 2023, CCL held ~9% of global cruise industry revenue and ~19% of passenger volume. In 2024, Carnival Corporation controlled ~51% of the US$64+ billion cruise industry.

The 2,100-passenger Carnival Spirit introduced several company firsts, including onboard wedding chapels and alternative dining venues. Spirit-class ships feature an impressive 80% ratio of outside cabins, and various enhancements such as designer martinis and museum-quality artwork. Sharing her basic design with Costa Atlantica, Spirit combines elements from earlier Carnival ships including a waterslide, multiple bars, and comprehensive kids’ facilities.

In early 2012, Carnival Spirit underwent a US$7 million refit in preparation for deployment to Australia. The refurbishment added the Green Thunder waterslide (a 180-foot-long slide with a near-vertical drop), a new aqua park, Serenity adults-only retreat, and a top-deck barbecue venue. After the 2015 refit, enhancements for Australian passengers included improved coffee, more draft beer selections, and additional interconnecting cabins.

Decks and Cabins

Carnival Spirit staterooms (1,062 total, across 28 categories) include 50 Suites, 634 Balconies, 171 Oceanviews, and 214 Inside cabins. There are 17 wheelchair-accessible cabins, but no Spa cabins. Most cabins are 185 ft² (17 m²), and balconies are typically 40 ft² (4 m²). Suites come in four types (Grand, Vista, Ocean, Junior), with the largest being Grand Suites at 300 ft² (28 m²) and a 115 ft² (11 m²) terrace.

The ship has 12 passenger decks, of which 6 are dedicated to cabins.

Shipboard Dining Options - Food and Drinks

The 1,300-seat, two-deck Empire Restaurant showcases Napoleonic grandeur with mural-decorated domes and crystal chandeliers. Portholes are trimmed in gold, and a grand circular staircase features a sculpture of Napoleon’s coronation. Open-seating breakfast is available from 8–10 a.m. on Deck 2, with a Sea Day Brunch (8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.) replacing breakfast and lunch on sea days. La Playa Grill, located on Deck 9, is a buffet eatery also referred to as the Lido Restaurant. It spans a large section of the Lido Deck, between the Serenity Retreat and the main Dome Pool.

The restaurant features ten food stations offering Asian cuisine, deli sandwiches, carved meats, salads, and desserts. Ice cream and pizza bars are available 24/7.

Complete list of Carnival Spirit restaurants and food bars:

• Empire Restaurant (1,250-seat aft dining room, with fixed seating or "Your Time Dining"; offers Seuss At Sea-themed breakfasts for $5; includes the Napoleon Room annex)
• Nouveau Steakhouse (156-seat, reservation-only venue serving seafood and prime steaks; features a dance floor and live performances)
• La Playa Grille Lido Buffet (1,458-seat self-service venue with complimentary food stations; transforms into a bistro at night)
• Sushi Bar (complimentary)

Shipboard Entertainment Options - Fun and Sport

Carnival Spirit offers a global-inspired cruise experience. Legendary designer Joe Farcus drew inspiration from the “creative spirit,” reflected throughout the ship's decor. The main showroom features Egyptian hieroglyphics, the piano bar nods to Shanghai’s Chinoise style, the Artist's Lobby pays tribute to European masters, and the Library of Chippendale emulates an English manor.

Daytime activities focus heavily on trivia, with 3–4 games per day, along with golf chipping contests, ping-pong tournaments, scavenger hunts, towel-folding and dance classes. Lectures by the cruise director or guest experts are offered daily. Sushi-making demos are held in Bonsai Sushi, and ticketed wine-and-cheese tastings take place in the Serenity area.

Complete list of Carnival Spirit lounges, clubs, and entertainment venues:

• Versailles Lounge (484-seat; hosts Punchliner Comedy Club and brunch)
• Dancin’ Dance Club (118-seat, 2-level nightclub)
• Pharaoh’s Palace Theatre (1,167-seat, 3-level main show lounge for movies, bingo, game shows)
• Monarch’s Card Room (20-seat)
• Fountain Cafe (112-seat patisserie and coffee bar)
• The Champions Bar (67-seat sports bar); Artists' Lounge (85-seat wine bar); Shanghai Piano Bar (106-seat); Deco Foyer Lounge (66-seat)
• Club Cool Jazz Club (135-seat)
• Louis XIV Casino (278-seat, served by Louis XIV Bar)
• Spirit Atrium (9-deck midship atrium with dance floor and 147-seat bar)
• The Jungle Interior Promenade and Deco Walk Upper Promenade (52-seat each)
• The Fun Shops (duty-free, souvenirs, logo items); Formalities Shop (tuxedo rentals, special gifts); Studio Photo Gallery
• The Cove (teen lounge)
• Circle C (kids’ lounge with games, movies, and activities)
• Camp Carnival (aft kids’ area with supervised programs)
• Spa Carnival (Steam Rooms, Saunas, Whirlpool, 10 treatment rooms, salon, fitness center)
• SoulPlay (kids' playroom)
• Serenity (adults-only retreat with pool, whirlpool, bar, loungers)
• Sun Pool and Dome Pool (each with 1 whirlpool; Dome Pool covered by sliding roof)
• Club O2 (teens club with games, movies, karaoke, themed parties)
• Carnival WaterWorks (Twister slide, PowerDrencher, mini slides, Green Thunder, splash zones)
• Sports facilities: volleyball-basketball court, mini-golf (9 holes), jogging track, shuffleboard

For details on recent changes, see the ship's Wiki section.

Itineraries

As of October 2023, Carnival Spirit is homeported in Mobile, Alabama (replacing Carnival Ecstasy). The 6–8-day roundtrips visit ports in Mexico, Belize, Jamaica, and the Bahamas, including Half Moon Cay and North Bimini. The ship also sails seasonally to Alaska (summer) from Seattle.

Previously, Carnival Spirit operated out of Sydney, Australia (2012–2020), sailing to the South Pacific, Tasmania, and on cruises to nowhere.

For the 2017–2018 winter season, Spirit was redeployed to Asia and homeported in Shanghai following a refurbishment in Singapore. She returned to Australia in spring 2018. In 2019, Carnival Splendor took over the Asia deployment.

In 2021, Carnival Spirit became the first CCL ship homeported in Brisbane, Queensland. This deployment followed the approval of a new cruise terminal in Brisbane. Summer 2020 plans to sail in Alaska from Seattle were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Spirit was paused from March 2020 to May 2022, with a planned restart from Brisbane on May 29, 2022. Instead, she was redeployed to Jacksonville, Florida on March 7, replacing Carnival Sensation.

Carnival Spirit’s Australia 2022 program included:

• 3-day Getaways (short cruises to nowhere)
• 4-day trips to Airlie Beach
• 7-day "Great Barrier Reef" cruises (Airlie Beach, Cairns, Port Douglas, Willis Island)
• 7-day "South Pacific Islands" (New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji including Dravuni Island)
• 10-11-day "Papua New Guinea" itineraries (Alotau, Kitava, Rabaul, Kiriwina, Conflict Islands)

In early February 2022, Carnival canceled all Australian sailings for Spirit (June 5, 2022–Oct 5, 2023) and Carnival Splendor (June 10–Sept 26, 2022). Spirit was instead homeported in Jacksonville (March 7–April 9), then deployed to Alaska (May 3–Sept 13) from Seattle, followed by homeporting in PortMiami (Oct 6, 2022–April 16, 2023). Splendor was also redeployed to Alaska (May 2–Aug 30).

In May 2023, CCL announced its first-ever cruise from Seattle to Hawaii—Carnival Spirit’s 15-day “Carnival Journeys Hawaii Cruise” (departing Sept 24, 2024) visiting Honolulu, Kauai (Nawiliwili), Maui (Kahului), Hilo, and Victoria (British Columbia).

Fun Ship 2.0 upgrade was completed in 2015. Carnival Spirit is the first Spirit-class liner, with sisterships Legend, Miracle, Pride, and Costa Cruises' Atlantica and Mediterranea. The vessel was christened by godmother Elizabeth Dole, North Carolina’s first female senator (served 2003–2009).

Carnival Spirit was the first "Fun Ship" to cruise to Alaska and Hawaii. She features the world’s steepest waterslide at sea—Green Thunder. Her drydock refurbishment in San Francisco (2012) cost USD 7 million and included the addition of the WaterWorks aqua park and the adults-only Serenity retreat deck.

During the winter 2017-2018 season, Carnival Spirit was temporarily repositioned to China, offering Asian cruises roundtrip from her seasonal homeport in Shanghai. This redeployment was scheduled ahead of a drydock in Singapore. Carnival Spirit had been homeported in Sydney, Australia since 2012 and performed strongly on the local market. This move made her the first-ever Carnival ship to depart from China. She returned to Australia in spring 2018 to resume her year-round itinerary program from Sydney. Another Carnival Asia vessel, Carnival Splendor, was repositioned in spring 2018. Carnival's Asia cruise operations are managed through a partnership between Carnival Cruise Line and Costa Asia, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation.

Carnival Spirit Refurbishment 2022 Review

The vessel was last drydocked in February–March 2025 in Cádiz, Spain, at the Navantia Shipyard. This drydock focused on routine maintenance, machinery overhauls, hull cleaning and repainting, general hotel upkeep, and classification works.

In February 2022, Carnival Spirit underwent drydock in Dubai, UAE, primarily for general maintenance and to update her exterior livery to the fleet's new blue-red-white design.

Venue updates during the 2022 drydock included:

(Deck 2) The Taste Bar was replaced with the Art Gallery (relocated from Deck 3). The Shore Excursions desk was renamed Carnival Adventures.

(Deck 3) The Chippendale Library & Internet Cafe (23 seats, open 24 hours) and the Wedding Chapel (30 seats) were replaced with a new video arcade, The Warehouse. The Photo Gallery was renamed Pixels Gallery. The Conference Room (100 seats) was transformed into the SoulPlay Room for board games, puzzles, arts and crafts, and card games.

(Deck 4) The Techno Video Arcade (forward-portside) was replaced with The Cove, a kids-only breakout space for arts and crafts.

(Deck 9) The Asian Corner (a Mongolian Wok station for complimentary made-to-order stir-fry) was replaced with the Seafood Corner.

(Deck 10) Fat Jimmy’s C-Side BBQ was removed.

Carnival Spirit Refurbishment 2018 Review

The 2018 drydock took place from May 23 to June 5 in Singapore. Upgrades included the addition of new entertainment venues for youth activities—SoulPlay (kids-only arts and crafts area) and Warehouse Arcade (teens-only).

Additional enhancements included:

• Redesigned retail area featuring new duty-free brands such as Clinique, Lacoste, Quay Australia, Seafolly, Swarovski, and Swatch
• Redesigned Photo Gallery with the new Pixels Digital Photo Gallery, featuring kiosks for passengers to view and purchase photos via smartphones and iPads
• Updated Fitness Center with the latest training equipment

In 2017, new kids’ programming was introduced on Carnival Spirit (then based in Australia), featuring onboard activities, games, and themed parties:

• An inflatable bocce court and giant board games like Cranium, Trivial Pursuit, and Guess Who were added
• Cluedo (Clue) murder mystery game was introduced as a group activity for 2–6 players. At the start of each cruise, costumed characters present their alibis, and guests solve the mystery using clues provided throughout the voyage
• New themed events were also added, including “80s Rock” (music-themed), “Glow Night” (fashion-themed), and “Lip Sync Battle” (a musical competition with costumes, choreography, and set design)