The Port of Long Beach-homeported Carnival Cruises vessel Carnival Radiance kicked off a short season on Dec. 13 after a lengthy hiatus due to a complete makeover.
The vessel, formerly known as the Carnival Victory, spent nearly two years out of commission while it underwent a $200 million stem-to-stern makeover in Spain, according to a report in the Cruise Industry News trade publication.
The revamp, which began in March 2020, was originally only expected to take six weeks, but wasn’t finished until October 2021 due to pandemic-related delays.
The 2,984-passenger vessel now features new and rebuilt public areas and cabins, as well as improved beverage and entertainment spaces, according to the Dec. 9 trade report.
Another highlight is the addition of a poolside Big Chicken restaurant, a franchise owned by Carnival spokesman Shaquille O’Neal.
In its inaugural season, the Carnival Radiance is offering a year-round schedule of three- and four-day Baja Mexico cruises from the Long Beach Cruise Terminal.
The 13-deck vessel, which was constructed by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, had its maiden voyage in October 2000. The cruise ship, which weighs 101,509 gross tons, has a length of 893 feet (272.19 meters), a beam of 116 ft (35.36 meters) and a draft of 27 feet (8.23 meters).
It has a diesel-electric transmission system and can reach a top speed of 21 knots.
The Carnival Radiance’s arrival on the West Coast follows the return of the Royal Caribbean vessel Navigator of the Seas to the Port of Los Angeles.
The cruise ship, now homeported at the Port of Los Angeles, set sail on its first post-pandemic cruise on Nov. 19.
The vessel, which has been in service since 2002, was drydocked this past summer for a maintenance work and cosmetic enhancements, according to Cruise Industry News. The work followed a larger $115 million revamp that was conducted in 2019.
New to the vessel after the retrofit were a new pool deck, restaurant and two new bars, among other features.
The 15-deck Navigator of the Seas has weighs 139,999 gross tons and has a length of 311 meters (1,020 feet). The beam is 38.6 meters (127 feet) and the draft is 9.124 meters (29.93 feet). It has a depth of 21.3 meters (70 feet).