Carnival Destiny will sail on its final voyage from Miami later today – an 18-day trans-Atlantic crossing that will end in Venice, Italy, on Feb. 22, positioning the vessel for a groundbreaking, $155 million renovation that will add a host of dining, bar and entertainment innovations and spectacular outdoor spaces.

Following a 49-day dry dock at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, the ship will be renamed Carnival Sunshine and launch an inaugural schedule of nine- to 14-day European cruises beginning April 12, 2013.

Innovations added during the dry dock will include a stunning three-level Serenity adults-only retreat, a spectacular WaterWorks aqua park featuring a 334-foot-long water slide – the longest in the “Fun Ship” fleet – along with fun poolside watering holes RedFrog Rum Bar and BlueIguana Tequila Bar, and only-on-Carnival-Sunshine spaces such as Havana Bar, Ji Ji Asian Kitchen, ShakeSpot, JavaBlue Café, and much more.

Carnival Destiny entered service in November 1996 as the world’s first 100,000-plus-ton cruise ship, introducing a wide variety of new features and facilities.  Over the past 17 years, Carnival Destiny has played a pioneering role in the company’s history, operating voyages from Miami, San Juan, New York, Boston, Norfolk, Va., and other ports and carrying millions of satisfied vacationers.

The ship is ready to make history again, undergoing an unprecedented makeover that will add all of the exciting elements that are part of Carnival’s “Fun Ship” 2.0 enhancement program.

Source: carnival.com