Carnival Cruise Line has opened sales on more 2025-26 voyages from Long Beach, California, and announced an earlier debut of Carnival Firenze, the second ship that will offer its new Fun Italian Style onboard experience. This will bring amazing new vacation opportunities to the West Coast even sooner than expected.

New 5-Day Itinerary Unveiled on Carnival Radiance

New sailings aboard two Carnival ships, Carnival Radiance and Carnival Firenze, have opened for bookings from Long Beach, California. Available from November 8, 2023, Carnival Cruise Line has added more 2025-26 sailings on Carnival Radiance, offering 3-, 4-, and 5-day itineraries to the Mexican Riviera and Baja Mexico.

Some cruises from Long Beach aboard Carnival Radiance, along with Carnival Panorama, had previously opened for sale in early October 2023, when the line revealed that the 3,000-guest Carnival Radiance will operate alternating 3- and 4-night cruises visiting Ensenada. The 4-night sailings add a call at Catalina Island. Now, the ship will also offer a 5-night option visiting Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Carnival Cruise Line also announced that the 4,100-guest Carnival Firenze will debut earlier than previously scheduled. The ship’s inaugural sailing from Long Beach is now set for April 25, 2024, roughly a week earlier than her original launch date under the Carnival brand. The ship’s maiden voyage will be a 7-day sailing with calls at the Mexican Riviera ports of Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, and Cabo San Lucas.

Carnival Firenze formerly operated as Costa Firenze for Italian line Costa Cruises before she transferred to the Carnival Cruise Line fleet. Costa Cruises and Carnival Cruise Line are both brands of Carnival Corporation.

Read Also: Carnival Cruise Line Unveils Specialty Restaurant for New Ship

The third Carnival Cruise Line ship sailing from Long Beach, Carnival Panorama, currently sails 7-night cruises. The 4,000-guest ship will switch to 6- and 8-night voyages in spring 2025, including overnights in Cabo San Lucas. No new sailings have opened for sale on this vessel.

Carnival Firenze to Bring Italian Vibe to West Coast

Carnival Firenze will sail 4-night cruises to Catalina Island and Ensenada and 5-night cruises calling at Ensenada and Cabo San Lucas. With a themed design meant to evoke the city of Florence, the ship will have a distinctly Italian vibe, similar to Carnival Venezia, another transfer from the Costa Cruises fleet that debuted as a Carnival Cruise Line ship on June 15, 2023.

Like Carnival Venezia, which is home-ported in New York, Carnival Firenze will sport Italian-themed restaurants such as Il Viaggio, and offer Italy-inspired venues and activities.

Carnival Firenze is a newer ship, having launched in 2021 as a Vista-class ship operated by Costa Cruises. Constructed at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Marghera, Italy, Carnival Firenze is a sister ship to Carnival Venezia.

A third former Costa Cruises ship, Costa Luminosa, also transferred to Carnival Cruise Line in 2022 and was renamed Carnival Luminosa. The 2,260-ship is not part of the line’s new Fun Italian Style concept; rather, it was renovated to include several Carnival Fun Ship venues such as the Alchemy Bar, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, and the popular RedFrog Rum Bar, among others.

New Carnival Journeys Voyages Sail to Hawaii

Carnival Cruise Line also opened for sale six Carnival Journeys voyages that will operate aboard Carnival Radiance and sail from Long Beach to Hawaii in 2025 and 2026.

These 14-day cruises will offer guests the opportunity to explore the Hawaiian Islands, with port calls to Maui; Honolulu, Oahu; Kauai; and Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii. A port call also will be made in Ensenada.

Carnival Journeys sailings are particularly special because of exclusive destination-oriented programming and activities onboard that make these longer sailings even more immersive and memorable.

In 2025, the dates for these special cruises are October 18 and November 29. In 2026, the Hawaii departures are set for January 10, February 7, March 7, and April 4.

The ship offers the signature Carnival Fun Ship venues such as BlueIguana Cantina, Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse, and Shaq’s Big Chicken, ensuring everyone great signature Carnival fun as well as an amazing opportunity to explore and enjoy Hawaii.

A holiday cruise can be an amazing experience to look forward to, but what can you expect onboard? Carnival Cruise Line has outlined what unique activities will be featured aboard its upcoming holiday sailings, giving guests the chance to be sure they are prepared with festive attire, holiday knowledge, and a Fun-Ship-sized dollop of seasonal spirit.

Holiday Activities on Carnival Cruise Ships

Following the recent confirmation of the 2023 holiday decorating schedule for the Carnival fleet, Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador John Heald has announced the different seasonal activities that will be featured onboard the line’s ships through the festive season.

Guests can use the details to be sure and pack an ugly holiday sweater, hone their holiday trivia knowledge, or otherwise be prepared to join in all the festive fun.

“Tis the season to be jolly and there is no where jollier than on our Fun ships,” said Heald.

Activities will include “Spirit of the Season Atrium Moments” for everyone to share, such as the official Christmas tree lighting onboard every holiday sailing. Christmas caroling and a Santa visit are always popular options, but be careful – the Grinch just might make an appearance as well!

For guests who want to dress in their best – or maybe their worst – the Ugly Sweater Competition is a chance to show off holiday duds, or for more casual family fun, try the Family Pajama Jam on the Lido Deck before the Dive-In Movies, where crafts, treats, and a pajama parade will be good fun for all ages.

Competitive activities will also have a holiday flair, including Christmas and holiday-themed trivia contests and Bingo games. Guests can also try their hand to be the best at Christmas and holiday arts and crafts.

The most competitive guests won’t want to miss the Snow Friends Scavenger Hunt with images of snowmen hidden around the ship (in public areas!) to see who can find every friend to celebrate the season with.

Holiday Entertainment

It isn’t just daily activities that will have a festive flair during the holiday sailing season. Carnival Cruise Line has prepared several special entertainment options that are only onboard at this time of year, making each one a wonderful gift to all guests.

A special production show to celebrate Christmas and other holidays of the season will be also be performed, and guests can join in the festivities with Carol-oke – karaoke featuring the favorite tunes of the season. The Dive-In Movies will be Christmas and holiday favorites as well, with timeless laughs to share.

Read Also: What to Expect on a Christmas Cruise

Of course, the solemn and thoughtful aspects of the season aren’t to be forgotten, even at sea. All Carnival ships will feature a special Christmas service on the night of December 24 or December 25, depending on the sailing. Hanukkah services will also be held each night from December 7-14, including a menorah lighting.

When Is the Holiday Season Onboard a Cruise Ship?

The exact dates of holiday sailings vary throughout the Carnival fleet, with the first ships – Carnival Conquest and Carnival Radiance – being festively decorated on November 24, 2023, the day after Thanksgiving.

By December 4, the final three ships – Carnival Freedom, Carnival Splendor, and Carnival Sunshine – will have received their decorations, completing the seasonal decking out of Carnival cruise ships.

Only one vessel will not be decorated by the first week of December, but with good reason. The upcoming Carnival Jubilee – welcoming guests for the first time on December 23, 2023 – will join the fleet in full festive glory, as she will have her holiday decorations onboard from December 20.

Decorations will be removed at the beginning of January, depending on when each ship turns around for the first non-holiday sailing after New Year’s Eve and when decorations can be properly stored to await the 2024 holiday season.

Carnival Freedom has returned to her year-round homeport at Port Canaveral with a whole new look following her recent dry dock in Cadiz, Spain.

The ship arrived in Florida looking much different than when she departed, now having a brand new whale-tail funnel as well as the new red-white-and-blue hull livery being added to the entire Carnival fleet.

Welcome Home, Carnival Freedom!

Carnival Freedom sailed smoothly into Port Canaveral in the early morning hours of Monday, November 6, 2023 after completing her transatlantic cruise from Barcelona, Spain. The ship spent 16 days in dry dock in Cadiz undergoing extensive refurbishment inside and out, but is now home again and has already set sail on her first post-dry-dock regular sailing.

The 110,000-gross-ton, Conquest-class ship returned to Port Canaveral via a 14-night transatlantic sailing from Barcelona that called on Valencia and Malaga in Spain, Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, and Kings Wharf in Bermuda. Carnival Freedom departed Barcelona on Monday, October 23, 2023.

Now, the ship returns to her regular deployment offering 4- and 5-night Eastern Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries. Depending on the cruise length and departure date, the refreshed ship will be visiting popular destinations like Bimini, Grand Turk, Nassau and Puerto Plata.

Carnival Freedom‘s return to Port Canaveral was a busy 5-ship day at the world’s busiest cruise port, with her sister ship Carnival Liberty also in port along with Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis-class Allure of the Seas and Voyager-class Mariner of the Seas as well as Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, Disney Wish.

The first post-dry-dock sailing of Carnival Freedom has already departed – a 5-night Eastern Caribbean cruise to Grand Turk and Bimini, with two full days at sea for guests to enjoy the refreshed vessel.

Also on various itineraries are private island destinations, including Half Moon Cay as well as Princess Cays. In 2025, the ship will also begin visiting Carnival Cruise Line’s upcoming exclusive port of call on Grand Bahama Island, Celebration Key.

Carnival Freedom will remain homeported from Port Canaveral at least through early April 2026.

Brand New Look

The most notable renovation is the ship’s new, iconic whale-tail funnel. Carnival Freedom‘s original funnel was severely damaged by a fire in May 2022, which melted the starboard wing. After the fire, the funnel’s wings were removed, and the ship sailed with a fully-functional but less recognizable straight funnel until this dry dock, which included the full wing replacement.

The ship’s exterior was also repainted with the new livery that debuted with Mardi Gras in 2021 and has been gradually rolled out across the Fun Ship fleet with dry dock renovations. All news ships are being delivered with the new hull colors.

Other renovations completed during Carnival Freedom‘s dry dock include refreshing public areas, replacing worn decking, expanding the onboard casino, and renovating guest staterooms.

The Heroes Tribute Bar has been added just in time for Veterans Day, and is now located on Deck 5, midship, on the port side near the Fun Shops in the Millennium Atrium. Formerly, the venue was the Skybox Sports Bar.

The addition of the dedicated bar is timely, just as Carnival Cruise Line celebrates hometown veterans with special tributes aboard six vessels at various homeports. For Port Canaveral, the special celebration Veterans Day tribute event will be aboard Mardi Gras on Saturday, November 11.

Four travelers just off Carnival Celebration have been arrested for credit card fraud onboard the ship amounting to tens of thousands of dollars. The individuals were arrested upon debarkation of the ship’s most recent sailing, and are currently being held on significant bond amounts.

Credit Card Fraud on Carnival Celebration

All cruise travelers know that onboard expenses can quickly add up, particularly for guests who enjoy time in the casino, but four passengers aboard Carnival Celebration recently weren’t spending their own money – they were committing substantial credit card fraud.

All four passengers were arrested by the Miami-Dade Police Department when the 180,000-gross-ton cruise ship returned to her homeport on Sunday, November 5, 2023. The ship was just finishing a 7-night Western Caribbean sailing that had visited Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico as well as Roatan, Honduras.

According to WPLG Local 10, the four individuals are Decari Demetrius Cradle (age 29) of Goodlettsville, Tennessee; Chanell Latrice Howard (age 31) of Stone Mountain, Georgia; Dominick Maurice Howard (age 31) of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; and Gilbert Salcido (age 31) of Mount Juliet, Tennessee.

No details about whether or not the individuals are connected or conspired together have been released, nor is it known if they were traveling in the same or connected staterooms.

The four travelers used multiple credit cards for onboard purchases, with spending ranging from $2,700 to nearly $20,000 each. While most of the charges were made onboard, Howard reportedly also used a stolen card to book the cruise itself. Howard’s spending was also the highest, at nearly $20,000 in charges.

Howard also cashed out casino credits purchased with the stolen cards, and nearly $11,000 (USD) in cash was found in his luggage by US Customs and Border Protection upon debarkation.

The fraud was noted onboard when the individuals’ cards were declined, and none of the four were able to produce physical copies of the cards to correlate the credit cards with their identification. The actual owners of the cards have not been identified, and it is possible the cards may be counterfeit.

All four perpetrators currently remain in custody at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, being held on individual bond amounts from $16,000 to $26,000.

In February 2023, a 31-year-old woman, Lexus Moorer of Raleigh, North Carolina, was accused of using eight stolen credit cards for a vacation aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis of the Seas. Her fraud was discovered, with charges adding up to $22,425 (USD). She was likewise arrested by Miami-Dade Police once the ship returned to port.

Protecting One’s Credit Cards

Credit card theft and fraudulent charges can be rampant, and it is essential that all travelers seek to protect their cards from unauthorized purchases and use.

Keeping cards safe and not leaving them out where unauthorized individuals could access them is critical, and when using cards online, it is important to shop only from trusted, secure websites and retailers.

The fewer “linked” credit cards one uses for different apps and websites, the safer overall accounts will be, and thoroughly reviewing statements each month can help detect any unauthorized charges or suspicious activity.

Travelers can also take additional steps to protect their cards while on a cruise. First, do not take along every credit card while traveling – only bring those cards attached to cruise ship purchases or linked to an onboard account, for example, and leave other cards in a secure location at home. Notifying one’s credit card company about travel dates can also help flag any suspicious charges more quickly.

Keeping cards securely in the in-cabin safe while onboard can also ensure they don’t get lost on the ship.

Most credit card companies offer fraud protection, but suspicious charges must be reported immediately and the resolution process can vary for different financial institutions.