What was the MS Holiday?

MS Holiday was the lead ship of Carnival's Holiday Class, launched in 1985. She was the first SuperLiner and the largest ship Carnival had ever operated at 46,052 GT.

What were Holiday's sister ships?

Holiday's sisters were MS Jubilee (1986) and MS Celebration (1987), completing the Holiday Class trio that bridged between Tropicale and the Fantasy Class.

MS Holiday (1985) — Holiday Class Lead Ship

Item: MS Holiday (1985)
Author: Ken Baker

The SuperLiner Era Begins

At 46,052 GT, Holiday was the largest ship Carnival had ever operated. She launched the SuperLiner revolution—ships so large they offered experiences smaller vessels couldn't accommodate. More venues, more entertainment, more space for celebration. The size jump wasn't incremental; it was revolutionary. Every mega-ship sailing today traces ambitions back to Holiday's pioneering scale.

Service Timeline

1985: Delivered by Aalborg Værft as lead ship of Holiday Class

1985-2009: Served Carnival for 24 years as Caribbean SuperLiner

2009: Sold to Ibero Cruceros, renamed Grand Holiday

2014: Costa Cruises absorbed Ibero, kept ship briefly

2015: Sold to Cruise & Maritime Voyages, renamed Magellan

2020: CMV collapsed during COVID pandemic

2021: Scrapped at Alang, India after 36 years of service

Specifications

Gross Tonnage: 46,052 GT
Length: 727 feet (221m)
Passenger Capacity: 1,452 passengers
Builder: Aalborg Værft, Denmark
Carnival Service: 24 years (1985-2009)
Total Service: 36 years

From the Logbook

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Legacy

The SuperLiner experiment Holiday pioneered became industry standard. Every cruise line now builds large ships. The size arms race Holiday started continues today with ships exceeding 230,000 GT. Her legacy isn't just size—Holiday proved that larger ships could be profitable, that scale created efficiency, that passengers preferred more options to fewer. The Holiday Class template informed every generation that followed.