Carnival Paradise

Paradise in Catalina
History
Name	1998—onwards: Paradise
Owner	Carnival Cruise Lines
Operator	Carnival Cruise Lines
Port of registry	Panama City, Panama
Route	Baja Mexico
Builder	Kvaerner Masa-Yards Helsinki New Shipyard, Finland
Cost	$300 million
Yard number	494
Completed	1998
Acquired	29 October 1998
In service	6 December 1998-present
Refit	2008
Identification	IMO number: 9120877
Status	In Active Service as of 2010
Notes	First non-smoking passenger ship.
General characteristics
Class and type	Fantasy class cruise ship
Tonnage	70,390 GRT
Displacement	6894 DWT
Length	262.00 m (859 ft 7 in)
Beam	31.50 m (103 ft 4 in)
Draft	7.80 m (25 ft 7 in)
Decks	10
Installed power	2 × Sulzer-Wärtsilä 8ZAV40S diesels 4 × Sulzer-Wärtsilä 12ZAV40S diesels combined 47520 kW
Propulsion	2 Azipod propulsion units
Speed	19.5 kn (36.11 km/h) service speed 22 kn (40.74 km/h) maximum speed
Capacity	2,052 passengers (lower berths) 2594 (all berths)
Crew	920

The MS Paradise, is the eighth and last vessel in Carnival Cruise Lines' Fantasy class of cruise ships. She was built in 1998 by Kvaerner Masa-Yards Helsinki New Shipyard, Finland.

History

The Paradise was built to be the world's first completely non-smoking cruise ship. Every step of her construction was done by non-smoking personnel and she was entered into service supported by several anti-smoking and cancer-prevention groups. "No smoking" signs were placed prominently on both sides of the ship and on the stern under the name.

Non-smoking rules were strictly enforced. No smoking materials of any kind were permitted aboard. If anything was seen or found, the passenger was fined $250 and put off at the next port (transportation home to be provided at passenger's own expense). Due to poor revenue, Carnival decided to discontinue the smoke-free ship in December 2003 because non-smokers tend to not drink or gamble as much as those accustomed to smoke.

Scheduled to arrive in the Port of Long Beach, California, on September 20, 2004, her arrival was delayed due to several major hurricanes (see 2004 Atlantic hurricane season). Her cruise through the Caribbean and Panama Canal, and up the Mexican coast was further hindered by more hurricanes. After having skirted the bad weather with minimal inconvenience, Paradise arrived in Los Angeles in the early morning, docking at the Long Beach terminal of Carnival Cruise Lines, which was the building that had housed the Spruce Goose. Later that day, the nonsmoking signs were painted over. She still boasts one of the strictest smoking policies in the fleet.

Since her arrival in Long Beach, she has become popular among younger cruisers looking for a more casual and affordable alternative to the longer more structured lines, with her 3 day and 4 day cruises to Ensenada, Mexico.

Carnival Cruise Lines retrofitted the Paradise with the first “earth-friendly” dry-cleaning system, which uses environmentally safe detergents and reduces hazardous chemical runoff. In addition, Carnival has also been at the forefront of engine design, and their new class of ships features a “highly efficient” diesel-electric propulsion system known as the “enviro-engine”, which nearly eliminates visible smokestack emissions.

MS Paradise images

• 
  MS Paradise
• 
  MS Paradise anchored off the Catalina Island coast
• 
  MS Paradise. Night at the Ensenada, Mexico port
• 
  The Atrium & Galleria
• 
  The 18 and older REX Dance Club
• 
  The pool area on the Lido Deck
• 
  The America Bar, set for tea service
• Paradise from Avalon, Catalina
  Paradise from Avalon, Catalina

External links

• Carnival Website on the MS Paradise
• Review of a cruise on the Paradise