M/S Holiday

Introduction…

Many times as ship modelers we focus on military vessels. Even when we do this we tend to lean more toward those fighting ships and away from support vessels. There are times when our travels will take us past a warship from the past and we will take time to visit her and fill our memory cards on our cameras.

Many ships of all different makes sail the worlds oceans tankers, container ships, and cruise ships. Ships are used for trading, war, and fun. Recently my wife and I took our long delayed cruise on M/S Holiday. This is a photo feature of her.

The Holiday…

M/S Holiday is Carnival’s oldest serving cruise ship she joined the Carnival Fleet in 1985. Holiday was the lead ship in the first new built class of ships for Carnival. When introduced into the Carnival Fleet she was the largest ship in the fleet. With recent additions to the fleet she is now considered an intimate sized cruise ship.

She served Carnival on the US West coast, East Coast, and Gulf Coast. She has been used for cruising the Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Eastern Caribbean, and Western Caribbean. Her condition started to deteriorate until a dry dock period in 2003. In 2005 she was used to house Katrina victims. Afterward she returned to dry dock for a three week over haul. Her interiors were redone and new plumbing was installed.

Compared with today’s super liners Holiday might not be as bright and shiny, but she is a wonderful ship. Her crew comes from all over the world. Officers come from Italy. Entertainment staff is from England and the Caribbean. Waiters, bar tenders, and Stewards from Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean. Other non-passenger related crew members come from all over the world as well. Together they keep Holiday sailing and severing the public was very little problems.

Holiday currently sails from the Port of Mobile Alabama on 4 and 5 day cruises to Mexico. She will be retired from Carnival Service in early November 2009. She will be transferred to Iberocruceros, a line owned by Carnival, as the Grand Holiday.

Specifications…

Total Staterooms: 743
Private Balcony Staterooms: 10
Decks: 9
Passenger capacity: 1,452
Total crew: 660
Officers nationality: Italian
Ship size: Large
Tonnage: 46,052 Tons
Ship length: 728 Feet
Beam: 105.6 Feet
Draft: 21 Feet
Speed: 21 Knots
Registry: The Bahamas

Amenities…

Americana Lounge: 900 maximum guests reception, 725 maximum guests theater, 200 maximum guests modified classroom
Doc Holiday's: 350 maximum guests Theater, 150 maximum guests modified classroom
Reflections Dance Club: 400 Reception, 150 Theater, 50 modified classroom
Lounge: 110 maximum guests Reception, 60 maximum guests theater
Piano Bar: 60 maximum guests Reception, 30 maximum guests theater
Library: 15 maximum guests board meeting
Wharf Bar & Grill: 300 maximum guests reception
Four Winds Dining Room: 414 maximum guests
Seven Seas Dining Room: 480 maximum guests
9 Hole mini putt golf course
1 water slide
2 swimming pools
2 hot tubs
Fitness center

Sources…

Holiday Wiki

Carnival Site

Photos: Jim Adams
Diagram and overall Ship Photo
Cruise Critics