Carnival Conquest, currently out of service for a routine dry dock, has received the new red, white, and blue hull colors being rolled out fleetwide.
In just a few days, the vessel will return to guest operations, all spruced up for guests to enjoy.
New Hull Colors on Carnival Conquest
The 110,000-gross-ton Carnival Conquest is looking vibrant in her new hull livery, the graceful red, white, and blue coloration first introduced with the fleet’s new flagship, Mardi Gras, in 2021.
Over the past 16 months, the new design has been added to more ships as they undergo scheduled dry dock maintenance. To date, slightly more than half the fleet is now sporting the new colors.
The new livery, meant to be reminiscent of graceful ocean waves as well as Carnival’s characteristic red-white-blue iconic colors, is a rich blue hull topped with a thin red line, with a thin white line separating the two bold colors.
The coloration starts high on each ship’s bow, but sweeps toward the waterline as it extends aft. The ship’s name is painted in white on the bow, inside the blue coloration.
Regular painting of a cruise ship’s hull is essential for proper maintenance. Repainting a ship provides with better protection from seawater corrosion, as well as lowering resistance as the ship moves through the water, therefore improving fuel efficiency and reducing wear on the engines.
In addition to repainting the Fun Ships as they enter dry dock, new vessels are debuting with the new colors. The newly rebranded Carnival Luminosa, which is nearing her entry into the Carnival Cruise Line fleet, has also received the new colors on her hull as well as her classic funnel, and the upcoming Carnival Celebration will sport her bold hull when she debuts in November.
Why Ships Have Distinctive Hulls
Having unique hull colors or designs can help make cruise ships identifiable from a distance, and serves as distinctive branding for a cruise line.
Carnival Cruise Line has used the easily recognizable “whale tale” split-stack funnel as its signature look since that unique piece was first installed on the former Carnival ship Tropicale in 1982. Tropicale was the first cruise ship ever newly built for Carnival Cruise Line, and every ship since has sported the same Joe Farcus funnel design.
Now the new livery for Carnival Cruise Line adds even more distinction to each vessel, from the trio of colors to the graceful swoop that gives the illusion of speed and movement to the ship.
Many cruise lines rely on hull coloration as part of their identity. Norwegian Cruise Line ships feature some of the most elaborate hull designs of any cruise vessels, with their customized and themed artwork from names such as Peter Max, David “Lebo” Le Batard, Guy Harvey, and Robert Wyland.
Other cruise lines have more coordinated designs, such as the British flag motif of British cruise line P&O Cruises, the classic nautical dark hulls of Cunard Line, the individualized “mermaidens” of Virgin Voyages, or the iconic “Princess Seawitch” of Princess Cruises.
Carnival Conquest Dry Dock Update
Carnival Conquest has received more than just a new hull paint job during the ship’s dry dock. The ship has also had routine hotel maintenance, which typically includes updating linens or cabin fixtures as necessary.
Throughout the ship’s public areas, updates have also been made to wall coverings, carpeting, floor tiles, lighting, and paint as needed. Other updates to different venues may also have been made.
The ship’s last dry dock was in 2017 and only included minor updates, but since the vessel was out of service during the pandemic, there may not be as much wear in public areas and on stateroom materials as expected at this time.
Carnival Conquest has been in dry dock since early September and will return to service on Monday, October 10, welcoming up to 2,980 guests at double occupancy, and as many as 3,966 passengers if fully booked with every berth filled.
The first sailing for the ship will be a 4-night roundtrip Western Caribbean sailing from Miami, visiting Key West and Cozumel. The ship will remain homeported in Miami, offering 3-4 night sailings to The Bahamas and the western Caribbean.
