As you may know during the coming months the Fantasy class of ships will undergo many new and exciting changes. The first of these vessels is the soon to be renamed Carnival Inspiration.
Here then is the first of three special reports live from the scene. Our reporter is my mate Preston Bircher who I have known for 15 years. Preston started as an Entertainment Technician onboard and is now based in our Head Office in Miami. However, he spends very little time there as he can usually be found in shipyards and on new buildings designing and supervising the installation of our entertainment staging, sets, lighting and designs. So, here is Preston’s first report ON THE CARNIVAL INSPIRATIONS EVOLUTION OF FUN.
Dear John:
I’m here on the Fun ShipTM Carnival Inspiration in Charleston, South Carolina at Detyens Shipyard for the renovation and installation of new shows in the Paris Lounge. (Where we’re removing ceilings and walls to make the stage bigger and upgrading all the technical to be ready for the next generation! And adding many safety features for the security of the cast, band and stage-crew environment.)
I heard that you wanted to know how things are going… so here you go!
There was excitement here in today as the steel for the supports of the White Water Waterslides arrived today from Vancouver. All of the fiberglass slide portions are just entering the city limits. It seems that “Evolutions of Fun” is becoming a reality!
You can see by the pictures that I’m sending you that the deck-11 aft (Verandah) is all cleared and ready for all the substructures that will make up the Carnival Water Works Spray Park. The hole where the small swimming pool trunk was is being decked-over, as are the two penetrations for the former Jacuzzi tubs were. All the teak decks were removed and saved for reuse. I was in the pier-side warehouse yesterday – the size of some of the structures are huge! It’s going to be an amazing place.
Forward on deck-10 around the Lido Patio Pool – the old slide is long-gone. As it the former “scruppers” that surrounded the main pool. Now it’s all open and ready for water to cascade over and creating a “wet beach” area surrounding the pool. The two Jacuzzis are going to have hut-like roofs over them. And the Italian stretched-canvas structure will replace the hand-crank mini-cover that used to cover the stage.
Also around the Lido Patio Pool two large spiral stairs were just installed. That’s going to make the entire Lido and Verandah area so much more maneuverable! (not to mention that the Bar Waiters can get to the deck-11 area easier and faster!)
Another upgrade is the new and much larger Camp Carnival. It’s going where the ping-pong tables were on deck-11 (Verandah) forward – just aft of the Atrium. Then to make sure there is even MORE space to work on your tan, they’re adding a wrap-around deck outside the new Camp Carnival.
Spa Carnival is 100% all new. An all new reception with water feature. Aerobics & weight area is all new – actually the aerobics is being relocated to where the Jacuzzis were… and the skylight being removed to make space for the improved golf-swing cage (which is a part of the new City Sports Park – miniature golf!). All of the dark-red tiles are being removed and replaced with light-colored tiles… new changing rooms with beautiful wood lockers and seating space.
The treatment rooms are completely new. All ready for the staff to bring in all new treatments – so that the Carnival Inspiration can offer many of the same treatments that are offered on the larger Destiny/Conquest/Spirit-classes of vessels.
And I can’t forget the re-branding of the eight Fantasy-Class ships. No longer are their names different from the rest. The m/s Inspiration is now going to be known as the m/s Carnival Inspiration! I’m also attaching some pictures of where the name “was” on the bow of the ship – and with the logo on deck-12 over the life boats. (Also a few interesting pictures of the steel letters sitting on the pier ready to be hoisted up and welded to the ship’s hull.
Then there’s the largest project on the ship – the rebuilding of the 1,026 staterooms and cabin corridors. All new cabin interiors, flat-panel televisions and new bathroom modules! Now that is one huge undertaking. Don’t forget that most all of the contractors are living on the ship as well. So it is a very tightly choreographed ballet of accommodations.
New dining rooms, removal of fixed seating in the Candlelight Aft Lounge for larger dancing space and Group Meetings.
I must say that to keep all of the crew and contractors happy, Hotel Director Ron Ness, and Food & Beverage Manager Luis Alvarez, have made sure that the Coffee Shop is open all day – you know we all need are espressos and iced-mocaccino-non-fat-latte drinks to keep us going! In addition to the water stations placed throughout the vessel, there are portable iced soda stations placed around the vessel so that contractors on short breaks can grab an iced cold soda or bottle of San Pellegrino (many Italian contractors) to quench one’s thirst. And to top it all off… the ‘Crew Lounge’ is also open extra all-day hours that is located next to one of the specified smoking areas. A happy crew is a good crew!
Well… I will start sending some pictures soon!
Give my love to Heidi and all the gang there on the FunShipTM Carnival Freedom! See y’all when you get to Miami!
Preston
PHOTO 1 – Inspiration letters removed
PHOTO 2 – letters on the ground for the ship’s bow
PHOTO 3 – were the “logo” letters were and are being replaced with the new name (you can see the word Carnival behind the #1 lifeboat & rescue boat)
PHOTO 4 – letter for the stern of the ship sitting on the pier
PHOTO 5 – supports for the White Water Waterslide(s) on the pier
PHOTO 6: Water Spray Park w/funnel
PHOTO 7 – Water Spray Park pool being covered
Lido Patio Pool without old slide – Camp Carnival being built – and new spiral stairs on the port side
the side of steel cutting shed at Detynes Shipyard.
Filed under: Catherine Zeta Jones, Tales from the Ship | Tagged: Splendor Godmother, Tales from the Ship
Hi John,
Wow, its good to hear about Preston. We had some comments and questions about him in our previous post in the section titled…
“Introducing from the Housekeeping Department……Mr. Luis”
Please take a look at our message and comment if you will. We spent a wonderful evening in Venice with Preston and his mother on her 60th B-Day cruise last year on the Liberty. I believe he stayed there after the cruise to supervise construction of the new ship being built at that time in the ship yard outside of Venice. (which I saw on the Travel Channel recently regarding a new ship being built). What a HUGE place!
Did my previous mention of Preston spur this interview with him, or was he already on your list of people to ‘hit’?
Nonetheless, ask him how he is doing and if he remembers me and my wife in Venice last year during the October cruise of the Liberty. We shared a Gondola with him and he started singing.
Thanks again, see you in about 6 days on the 9/22 sailing!! Swab the deck and get ready for us!
Remember, if you have any leftover Canollis, feel free to leave them in room #7211. We had left you some last year (per your request) once we left Messina. We got them at a wonderful little shop in Taurimino. They had to be the best I’ve ever eaten in my life… If you happen to eat them all, a voucher for a couples massage in the spa will suffice.
(I thought I’d at least give it a try with them being at your disposal…) We like to think positive, so we hope it works. (wink, wink)
I was going to get you under a ’spell’ talking about food to make your mind wander, then hit you up with that… I was thinking the subliminal message may help. hahaha.
Best regards, good to hear your feeling better.
BTW, not to sound ignorant, but from the sizes of the bathrooms, how on earth did you manage to hug the porcelin goddess while on your 24 hour, ‘floppin like a fish’, scenario. I mean you had to have taken gymnastic classes in the past to be able to fit comfortably in there on the floor… unless of course, your cruise in the luxury of the Presidential Suite, aka John and Heidi’s room!
Take care,
M@ & RT
PS: You’ve been besieged with generous gifts lately for yourself and your lovely wife, Heidi… is there anything we can bring you from ‘HOT’ Arizona?
PSS: The night before you posted your mum’s recipe for Shepards Pie, we were at a local English pub for some suds and they had a special on Shepards Pie and Spotted Dick… I immediately thought of you, and WAMMO, the next day, here is your recipe for Shepards Pie… seems like great minds think alike.
AWESOME, thanks so much for providing us with an update. Looking forward to your continuation of the updates!
Looking forward to sailing her again after the 1st of the year!
It is amazing what they can do in such a short period of time.
Hope all the crew living on board are surviving this experience, we really enjoyed Risa as CD!
John, it sounds like they are just about reworking the whole Lido deck. Removing the old and put all new in. The sketches your posted before looked great and I wondered how they would do it . Now I see. To bad we can’t get one of the reworked ships in the Great Lakes. Oh YA! that’s right since I’m coming on the Bloggers Cruise Uncle Gerry owes me a ship in the Great Lakes.
“BIG” ED
Great Lakes first CARNIVAL CD, well I can wish too.
Great report on the refurbishment of the Inspiration! Thanks for passing it along.
John, Thanks for posting pictures of the (almost) new and improved Inspiration. I took my first cruise on the Inspiration in 1997, and it was quite a bit different than the Freedom this summer. It sounds like it’s going to be quite a different ship when it’s done!
Hey John!
I was the Club O2 Director onboard the Inspiration for two contracts, including the one right before dry dock. I can assure everyone who is scheduled to sail on her after dry dock you are going to be impressed!
As corny as it sounds, out of the 3 ships I worked on for Carnival, Inspiration has a special place in my heart. It gives me chills to see some of these pictures! I used to work deck party on that Lido pool ledge, or always look up and feel proud of the “Inspiration” logo on Deck 12. I consider the “IS” as we call it my home away from home. I grew up so much onboard her, and I will always have a soft spot for it!
Right now I am at college in Florida Gulf Coast University, studding for resort and hospitality management. Next May I will return back to the Inspiration and I cant wait. I would give anything to be able to see it in dry dock!
Also, if you ever need an awesome Club O2 Director John, I am your man!
Hey John,
I was the Club O2 Director on the Inspiration for two contracts, right before dry dock too. She is an amazing ship and I have so many memories onboard her. I cant wait to see the other reports! Tell Preston to get a picture of Felipe and Mike (ACD and social host) for me!
Cheers!
On another cruise line the poet did vacation
The iternary was the greatest temptation
What he learned was a huge affirmation
That Carnival has the best cruise combination
This disaster started during embarkation
I think their staff had already been through cremation
With the crew I tried pleasant conservation
But it seemed like they all suffered from constipation
The first formal night was supposedly a celebration
But it turned out to be a culinary annihiliation
Having a clean room is a minor expectation
But with this ship it willl never be a realization
The Cruise Director was in charge of communication
He wouln’t even be funny in solitary isolation
While I’m sure this line is a good corporation
With this ship they need to perform an amputation
While the Poet was gone John fell ill
Apparently the Anchovies didn’t fit the bill
Over the toilet he heaved with all his will
However hitting his target would take great skill
A sickness like that might possibly kill
But John survived through stamina and will
Which goes to show you he’s not over the hill
However Heidi had to clean up his spill
And because of the smell she’s run off to Brazil.
John, Whats the deal with this Big ED guy, he seems nice but he wants a ship in the great lakes when he goes on the bloggers cruise? While I ponder how you could even make a 7 day cruise out of that one, I seems to keep coming back to a statement people use to tell me all the time. It was ” You’ve got about as much of a chance of that happening, as a snow ball does in hell”. So Big ED if you want a ship in your backyard move to a port city, and enjoy.
Kevin
New York Resident Frequent Port of NY User
Dear John:
Sad to those letters coming off in a way; we took our first cruise on that ship and have great memories. I recall our daughters saying about the size, now look at the size of the new ones … still memories though.
guess all old things must be updated; WAIT I am an old thing, hmmmmmmmmmmm!
Thanks for the great pictures of Inspiration! I can’t wait to see how she looks when she’s done.
Absolutely amazing.
Thank you so much for including us in this information.
It really feels like we are going along for the ride as tehy transform these ships for the next generation.
Great pictures too.
I really appreciate having Preston there keping us in the loop with everything going on.
Thank you again,
David
I sailed on Inspiration 6/2/96 she made me a loyal
Carnival Criuse line Guest.
This upcoming year Jeanne and I are booked on Splender making it my sixth Carnival criuse.
Jeanne Has already talked to me about booking Splender for her 14 Day South America from Buenos Aires, Argentina criuse.
So Inspiration will have to wait but my heart a still wants to go back to the first Carnival ship I criused on Inspiration.
I can not wait to see what has become of her.
I am sure she will be Fantastic knowing what the past ships we have had the privalage to sail on are.
Conquest, Liberty, Spirit, Freedom are just awsome ships.
John your blog brought out fond memories of Inspiration.
Cheers!
Ray.C
P.S I wear my Funnel Hat with Pride.
Hats off to all who sailed on Inpiration and those who refrebished her
John Thank you the update, this is my favorite ship! I have had the pleasure of being on her 3 times. Hoping to be on her for my birthday in Oct. !!
Can you tell me how to get a past guest pin for the Fantasy? We have been on her 3 times (one was the 5 day trip) no past guest pins offered.
A Big THANK YOU to you and Heidi for keeping us entertained on this blog thingie!!
Kevin,
between Cleveland and Chicago there are many possible ports of call. And I said SINCE I was going on the Bloggers Cruise Uncle Gerry owed me a ship in the Great Lakes as per his offer.
BIG ED
John, look who is back. I knew jtoddinman would be back. We missed his words of wisdom.
jtoddinman, Welcome back.
“BIG” ED
[...] 570 sq.m, Main Dining Room refurbishment turn key delivery, surface area tot. 2000 sq.m, SOURCE Pictures and story of the Inspiration Refurb! More – Final Pictures! Empress10/28/06 11/9/06— Charleston Drydock SOURCE (RCI- New Bedding [...]
OMG. Preston.
You sure do look like your mom. But with far less hair. (That came as a surprise!)
Guess the change to lighting design worked out well for you, still man, you sure could dance..
I’m back in DFW again.
Please drop me a line if you have time
KH