On Carnival the Fantasy Includes Guy's Burger Joint, RedFrog Rum Bar and BlueIguana Tequila Bar

The Paradise Carnival's 22nd ship to return to service begins cruising from Tampa.

Carnival Paradise resumed guest operations Saturday from Tampa, Fla., making it the 22nd Carnival ship to return. Carnival Paradise joins Carnival Pride, which restarted operations from Tampa on November 12, 2021, as the second of two ships that sail year-round from Port Tampa Bay.

To commemorate the special day, as well as celebrate Carnival’s 50th birthday, the Carnival Paradise team greeted their first guests on board with a special welcome conveying their excitement in getting “Back to Fun.” The ship departed today on a five-day cruise to Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan, Honduras and Cozumel, Mexico.

Carnival Paradise guests will enjoy four, five or six-day cruises featuring popular destinations including Key West, Fla.; Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico; Mahogany Bay, Honduras; Montego Bay, Jamaica; as well as Belize and Grand Cayman.

Carnival began service from Tampa in 1994, and the 28,000 annual guests per year from its initial start has grown nearly ten-fold, as it now offers nearly 200 sailings per year from Port Tampa Bay and will carry more than 200,000 guests annually.

Carnival will have its entire fleet back in service by May when Carnival Splendor begins service from Seattle to Alaska, completing an impressive and successful restart of its guest operations and setting the pace for the rest of the U.S. cruise industry.

The Paradise has been refurbished many times over the years. with last make-over done in 2018. During that the vessel received a number of new features and extra food and beverage concepts, in addition to 38 new cabins. At the same time, 98 of the existing cabins also received new private balconies. New features included Guy's Burger Joint, RedFrog Rum Bar, BlueIguana Cantina, BlueIguana Tequila Bar and Camp Ocean.

The vessel also got a WaterWorks Aqua Park, an expansive all-ages water park that features an enclosed 300-foot-long Twister water slide, two 82-foot-long racing slides, and a splash zone for kids.