Holiday-End of Era

When the 1,452-passenger Holiday set sail for Mexico today out of Mobile, Ala., it marked the end of an era for industry giant Carnival.

The 24-year-old vessel, which is leaving the fleet at the end of the five-night cruise, was just the second ship to be purpose-built for the line (following the Tropicale) and played a critical role in Carnival's legendary rise over the past two decades from a tiny, Miami-based company into a world powerhouse.

Launched in 1985 as the first of three sisters destined to tranform the brand, the Holiday was revolutionary in its day for its enclosed double width promenade and inventive interior design, which included a1930s-era bus that sat along the promenade.

The Holiday also played an important role in pioneering the short cruise market, introducing three- and four-day service from Southern California and, most recently, four- and five-day voyages from Mobile.

Once considered large, the Holiday is, by today's standards, a small ship. At 46,052 tons, it's just a third the size of the newest Carnival vessel, the 130,000-ton Carnival Dream, and holds far few passengers.

With the Holiday's departure, the 22-ship Carnival fleet no longer will have a vessel that carries fewer than 2,000 passengers. Nor will it will have a ship built before the 1990s.

Upon returning from its final Carnival voyage, the Holiday will undergo a refurbishment before transferring to IberoCruises, Carnival’s Spanish cruise operator. With its departure, the 70,367-ton, 2,056-passenger Carnival Fantasy becomes the line's oldest ship.

The Holiday's two sisters, the Jubilee and Celebration, left the fleet in 2004 and 2008, respectively.