 Carnival Radiance departingLong Beach, California on February 12, 2024 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name |
|
| Owner | Carnival Corporation & plc |
| Operator | Carnival Cruise Line |
| Port of registry |  Panama[2][3] |
| Ordered | 30 January 1997[4] |
| Builder | Fincantieri,Monfalcone,Italy[2] |
| Cost | |
| Laid down | 26 June 1998 |
| Launched | 31 December 1998 |
| Sponsored by |
|
| Completed | 28 July 2000 |
| Maiden voyage |
|
| In service | October 2000–March 2020, December 2021 |
| Homeport | Long Beach, California |
| Identification | |
| Status | In service |
| Notes | Sister ship ofCarnival Triumph (nowCarnival Sunrise) |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Destiny-classcruise ship |
| Tonnage | 101,509 GT[3] |
| Length | 893 ft (272 m)[3] |
| Beam | 116 ft (35 m) |
| Draft | 27 ft (8.2 m) |
| Decks | 13 decks[3] |
| Installed power | 34,000 kW (46,000 hp) |
| Propulsion | Diesel-electric; twocontrollable pitch propellers (17.6 MW each)[9] |
| Speed | 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) |
| Capacity | 2,764 passenger (double occupancy), max 3,470 (with all berths filled)[3][10] |
| Crew | 1,100[3] |
Carnival Radiance (formerlyCarnival Victory) is aDestiny-classcruise ship operated byCarnival Cruise Line. Ordered by Carnival in 1997, the 101,509 GT vessel was the thirdDestiny-class cruise ship to join the fleet after her debut in 2000 and became one of the largest cruise ships of her era. In 2021, she was renamedCarnival Radiance after aUS$200 million refit was completed in October and she commenced service under her new name in December.[11]
Carnival Victory was built by Italian shipbuilderFincantieri at itsMonfalcone shipyard inFriuli-Venezia Giulia. She waslaunched on 31 December 1998[12] and laterchristened by Mary Frank,[13] wife of Howard Frank, the then vice-chairman of Carnival.[14] At the time of her launch, she was one of the largest cruise ships of her era.[10]
In October 2018, Carnival announced thatCarnival Victory would undergo a large-scale renovation in 2020 to complete the final phase of Carnival's fleet renovation program, after which the vessel would be renamedCarnival Radiance.[15] The vessel was originally scheduled to begin the $200 million dry dock inCádiz, Spain in March 2020 but the refit was postponed into the following year after theCOVID-19 pandemic paused shipyard operations at theNavantia shipyard.[16] The ship was officially renamedCarnival Radiance in September 2021 amid the continued renovation and left Cádiz in mid-October on a seven-week trip through thePanama Canal to reach her new homeport ofLong Beach, California.[17] In November, Carnival named Lucille O'Neal, mother of Carnival's brand ambassador,Shaquille O'Neal, as the ship's new godmother,[18] and she christened the vessel on 12 December in Long Beach, after which the ship commenced operations the following day with a four-day inaugural sailing toEnsenada, Mexico andCatalina Island.[19][20]
The ship is powered by four GMT Sulzer 16 ZAV and two GMT Sulzer 12 ZAV diesel-electric engines driving twocontrollable pitch propellers. She is fitted with two rudders (which can be individually controlled) as well as stabilizers.[10]
Carnival Victory is themed by American designer and architect Joseph Farcus to depict the different oceans and seas of the world.[10]
LikeCarnival Sunrise (formerlyCarnival Triumph), her architecture is different from sister shipCarnival Sunshine (formerlyCarnival Destiny). The two newer vessels have additional balcony cabins on theirLido decks and various changes to placement and architecture of public areas. There are three large pools and a 214-foot-long (65 m)[21] waterslide.
She has a nine-deck atrium with four glass elevators, a two-deck lounge with seating for 747, and a total capacity of 3,400 passengers and 1,100 crew members.[21][22]
Throughout her service,Carnival Victory was based atMiami, Florida, sailing year-round on alternating three-night and four-night cruises toCaribbean destinations.[10] In July 2020, Carnival announced thatCarnival Radiance's new homeport would become Long Beach instead ofPort Canaveral orGalveston, Texas, which were previously announced in 2018 and 2019, respectively.[23][24][25] Following her debut in December 2021, she began sailing year-round on alternating three-night and four-night cruises to Catalina Island and Ensenada.[20]
