Carnival Luminosa has officially set sail with her new livery, matching the new, refreshed look of the Fun Ship fleet.
This brings the Spirit-class ship one step closer to joining the ranks of other Carnival ships and welcoming passengers with the signature fun of Carnival Cruise Line.
Carnival Luminosa Receives New Livery
Carnival Luminosa‘s new livery has now been revealed, with two very dramatic style changes to the former Costa Cruises ship.
Now, the ship’s hull has the graceful red, white, and blue colors characteristic of Carnival Cruise Line. Those new hull colors were first revealed with the fleet’s flagship Mardi Gras in 2021, and have gradually been added to other Carnival vessels as they go through schedule dry dock updates.
Carnival Luminosa also has another feature, however, that is unique to the ship. The ship’s straight-line funnel has been repainted with Carnival Cruise Line’s colors, reminiscent of the classic funnel from the line’s very first vessels – the original Mardi Gras, Carnivale, and Festivale.
“We’ve been anticipating the day where we could see Carnival Luminosa sail the open seas with our new hull design and updated funnel, and it’s even more special than we imagined,” said Carnival Luminosa’s master, Captain Adriano Binacchi.
The iconic “whale tale” funnel was first introduced in 1982 aboard Tropicale, the first cruise ship specifically built for Carnival Cruise Line. Because Carnival Luminosa is retaining some of her Costa Cruises features through the “Costa by Carnival” initiative, it was decided she would not receive a completely new funnel.
Setting Sail
Now that the ship has her new colors, she is finally setting sail from Palermo, Italy, on the northern coast of Sicily, where the conversion work has been done to update Costa Luminosa to Carnival Luminosa – updates which include new dining and entertainment venues, as well as other Carnival favorites.
This also marks the first time the ship has formally set sail under her new registry with the Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA). That registration was completed on September 21, 2022.
Deck Cadet Mark Casson, a Bahamian citizen from Freeport, raised the new Bahamian flag on the vessel to mark the occasion as the ship joins Carnival Sunshine, Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Spirit, Carnival Legend, and Mardi Gras sailing under Bahamas registration.
The vessel is now heading for Dubai, where she will take on crew members and further supplies to prepare for guest operations once again.
“Now, she’s on her way to what truly makes a Carnival cruise vacation special – getting our crew on board!” said Binacchi. “With Luminosa’s uniqueness and our team members who make everyone feel at home, this ship is truly going to deliver a new level of fun that our guests have not experienced before.”
After taking on crew members in Dubai, Carnival Luminosa will head for her new homeport, Brisbane, Australia.
The ship’s first passenger sailing with Carnival Cruise Line will depart Brisbane on November 6, 2022 – a 7-night roundtrip Great Barrier Reef itinerary visiting Airlie Beach, Cairns, Port Douglas, and Willis Island. Guests will also enjoy two full days at sea to experience all the new ship has to offer.
The 92,600-gross-ton Carnival Luminosa will offer 3-11 night itineraries from Brisbane through mid-April, and can welcome as many as 2,260 guests at double occupancy or up to 2,826 passengers when fully booked.
On April 13, 2023, the ship will depart Australian waters on an epic 21-night repositioning sailing to Seattle, where she will offer Alaskan itineraries through the summer months before returning to Australia next fall.
