Carnival Fantasy to Get 'Extreme Makeover'

It's upgrade time for the Carnival Fantasy, one of the line's oldest ships.

Carnival says the popular vessel, which sails to the Caribbean out of New Orleans, will go into dry dock this fall for a multi-million dollar "extreme makeover" that includes a new deck top water park.

The long-planned face-lift for the 18-year-old ship also will bring an adults-only pool area, among other upgrades to the top decks.

The 2,052-passenger Fantasy -- the only ship sailing year-round out of New Orleans -- is a favorite of Southerners and Midwesterners who can drive to the port to pick it up. It's the third of Carnival's eight Fantasy Class ships to get such a makeover as the line spends $250 million to revamp its oldest ships. The Carnival Inspiration and Carnival Imagination have undergone a similar overhaul over the past year.

In recent years, Carnival also has revamped the ships cabins with all new bedding and flat-screen TVs, among other improvements that include a new nine-hole miniature golf course, a renovated spa, updated dining rooms and upgraded kid camp areas.