The upcoming Carnival Firenze has officially been opened for bookings for its first sailings in 2024 and 2025. The renovated “Carnival Fun Italian Style” vessel will be homeported from Long Beach, California, and will offer a wide range of west coast itineraries ranging from 3-7 nights.

Carnival Firenze Opens for Bookings

The soon-to-be Carnival Firenze is now open for its first reservations as part of the Fun Ship fleet, beginning in May 2024. The ship will sail year-round from Long Beach, California, and bookings can be made from its first departure on May 2, 2024 through sailings in April 2025.

The very first cruise is to be a 5-night voyage, leaving Long Beach on Thursday, May 2, and visiting both Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, Mexico, with two days at sea for guests to experience all the Italian vibes and Carnival fun of the renovated ship.

“Carnival Firenze is named after the spectacular city of Florence, Italy. She was designed to evoke the same charm and beauty found in Florence and she’ll also pack in plenty of Carnival fun, which will be brought to life by the friendly and dedicated team members that make cruises across our fleet memorable,” said Christine Duffy, Carnival Cruise Line president.

A total of 15 itinerary options with varying days of departure are now available for Carnival Firenze, and all will visit some of Mexico’s most vibrant and charming ports of call, including Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, and Cabo San Lucas.

Of special interest are the 6-night sailings, which will spend two days in Cabo San Lucas at the tip of the Baja Peninsula, one of the most beautiful destinations along the Mexican Riviera. There, guests can enjoy a number of excursions, from meeting dolphins to camel rides to snorkeling, pirate ships, beach resorts, luxury sailing, and more.

Along with Mexican ports of call, Carnival Firenze will also visit Catalina Island, a luxury destination off the southern California coast and home to amazing snorkeling and scuba diving opportunities, as well as other exploration opportunities.

Carnival Firenze Style

The Vista-class, 135,156-gross-ton Carnival Firenze will be the third ship transferred to the Carnival fleet from Costa Cruises, bringing with it distinctive Italian flair but with Fun Ship familiarity and amenities.

Carnival Luminosa was the first ship to be transferred from Costa Cruises, but without the overall Italian Style flair. She is now sailing South Pacific and Australian itineraries from Brisbane. The vessel will move to Seattle for the 2023 Alaska sailing season, but will return to Australia in the fall.

Carnival Venezia, which was just transferred to the Carnival fleet on March 22, 2023, is the first vessel that will truly incorporate the “Carnival Fun Italian Style” theme. She will be homeported year-round from New York beginning in mid-June, after a two-month transformation that will add Carnival venues and branding to the ship.

Carnival Firenze will undergo a similar transformation, preserving a good deal of her Italian personality in the refit. This will give guests a completely new ship to experience, with architecture, venues, and artistry very distinctive from other Carnival vessels, including Italian-themed restaurants, bars, and entertainment.

Other Carnival Ships From Long Beach

While West Coast cruise lovers are thrilled to have a new ship planned to homeport in the region, other Carnival ships will not vanish from Long Beach when Carnival Firenze arrives.

As of March 2023, more than a year before the debut of Carnival Firenze, three other Carnival ships are sailing from Long Beach: Carnival Radiance, Carnival Panorama, and Carnival Miracle.

“This truly stunning ship will serve as a great new cruise vacation option from Long Beach, joining Carnival Panorama and Radiance, and offering a range of sailing lengths to Baja Mexico and the Mexican Riviera,” Duffy said of Carnival Firenze’s debut.

While Carnival Panorama and Carnival Radiance will remain in Long Beach, Carnival Miracle will move to San Francisco for both the 2023 and 2024 Alaska seasons, offering a unique homeport option for that sought-after destination.

In fall 2024, Carnival Miracle will move to Galveston, Texas to offer longer Caribbean from that port. Deployment plans for Carnival Firenze beyond April 2025 have not yet been announced.

Food waste is a significant problem on cruise ships, with thousands of passengers generating enormous amounts of leftovers daily. Historically, cruise lines have discharged food waste into the ocean, causing serious environmental concerns. 

Power Knot Ocean, a leading provider of onboard organic waste solutions for the industry, announced that it had received orders from Carnival Corp totaling more than half a million dollars. These orders include multiple food digester machines, spare parts, and services for the world’s largest cruise company, with a fleet of over 90 ships. 

Carnival’s Environmental Compliance

In 2022, Carnival announced the completion of nearly 600 food waste biodigester installations across its fleet as part of its ongoing commitment to environmental compliance and food waste management.

The state-of-the-art biodigesters from Power Knot Ocean offer an environmentally friendly solution for food waste management, essential for the rapidly growing cruise industry.

Anticipating further expansion, Carnival has placed additional orders for Power Knot Ocean’s LFC biodigesters to outfit Carnival Jubilee under construction at the Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany. 

“Additional orders for the LFC biodigester reaffirms Carnival Corporation’s trust in the LFC biodigester as best in class,” said Iain Milnes, President at Power Knot. “Throughout the pandemic and despite global supply chain shortages, Power Knot continues to deliver food waste biodigesters, service, and support to our customers without issue.”

Using biodigesters, Carnival Corporation can significantly reduce the volume of food waste discharged into the ocean, contributing to a cleaner and healthier marine environment.

Furthermore, the reduction in food waste being offloaded in ports decreases the burden on local waste management systems and helps to lower greenhouse gas emissions associated with waste transportation and disposal. Power Knot has also been working with Carnival to replace defunct biodigester installations from previous years. 

What is a Biodigester?

Bio-digesters are enclosed containers that convert food waste into liquid at an accelerated rate, breaking down 99% of the food put into them, leaving only a fine, silk-like material by utilizing beneficial microorganisms, oxygen, and warm water.

Available in several different sizes, the LFC biodigester can process anywhere from 10 kg (20 lb) per day to 3000 kg (6600 lb) per day of food waste.

With hundreds of installations worldwide, both on land and at sea, the LFC biodigester is a reliable, safe, and cost-effective way for a cruise line to significantly reduce the amount of food waste offloaded in port or even at sea and reduce the expense, inconvenience, mess, and carbon footprint.

In May 2022, Carnival announced it had completed the installation of nearly 600 food waste biodigesters across its fleet in support of ongoing food waste management and reduction efforts as part of its overall commitment to environmental compliance, ensuring that every ship sailing was fully equipped for the galley crew to use them. 

On Mardi Gras alone, 14 biodigesters can process about 142,000 pounds of food waste per week. The successful implementation of biodigesters across Carnival’s fleet has the potential to encourage other cruise lines to follow and invest in sustainable waste management solutions. This will reduce the industry’s environmental impact without impacting guest operations. 

Italian line Costa Cruises officially handed over the Costa Venezia to Carnival Cruise Line during a ceremony in Cadiz, Spain. The 5,145-guest ship will undergo a two-month dry dock renovation at the Navantia shipyard in Cadiz, in preparation for becoming the first “Fun Italian Style” ship in the Carnival Cruise Line fleet.

From Captain to Captain

The long-planned transfer of Costa Cruises’ Costa Venezia to the Carnival Cruise Line fleet was completed on March 22, when the vessel, now called Carnival Venezia, was officially handed over from Costa Captain Tihomir Muzic to Carnival Captain Claudio Cupisti.

The ship, which launched in 2019, was built by Costa Cruises for its Chinese market itineraries, but the collapse of that market in recent years prompted Carnival Corporation, parent company of both cruise lines, to rethink the strategy.

Carnival Venezia is the second of three Costa Cruises’ vessels that have joined, or soon will join, Carnival Cruise Line. Costa Luminosa, now Carnival Luminosa, transferred to Carnival in November 2022, and Costa Firenze is scheduled to transfer to Carnival in 2024.

Carnival Luminosa is not scheduled to be part of what Carnival Cruise Line calls its “Fun Italian Style” ships. That designation launches with Carnival Venezia, and refers to the ship’s Italian-style architecture, design inspirations, and entertainment and dining options.

Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy said, “We are so pleased to welcome Carnival Venezia to the fleet, which following a dry dock, will debut as our first ‘Fun Italian Style’ ship this May. A big thank you to everyone from our sister line Costa and all those within the Carnival family who will work to add the Carnival touches to this ship over the next two months.”

Following the dry dock refit, Carnival Venezia will depart on her 15-day transatlantic sailing from Barcelona to New York on May 29, 2023, and operate year-round sailings from New York’s Manhattan Cruise Terminal starting on June 15, 2023. Cruise options from the Big Apple will feature 22 itineraries of varying lengths, calling at 25 ports in 14 countries.

Italian Inspirations for Carnival Venezia

Carnival Venezia’s atrium was inspired by Venice’s main public square, the Piazza San Marco, while its Lido deck was modeled on aspects of the Italian Riviera. New dining options focused on the flavors of Italy will include La Strada Grill, serving classic Italian street food, and Tomororo, a Mexitalian fusion restaurant.

Carnival Cruise Line favorites, such as Guy’s Burger Joint, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse and Bonsai Sushi & Teppanyaki, will be offered on Carnival Venezia as well. In fact, some menus will be altered to reflect the ship’s Italian influence; Guy’s Burger Joint will add a pepperoni burger to its menu, for instance.

Entertainment spaces will include the Gondola Lounge, a nod to the famous Venetian canals, along with Carnevale Bar & Lounge, which will sport a theme tied to the Venetian masquerades during Carnevale.

Activities will feature an Italian Street Party and for youngsters, Captain’s Venetian Toast will offer Italian-inspired programming for children and teens. Also, for youth, Carnival Venezia will feature Camp Ocean and Club O2, and the ship’s SportSquare will be set up with Italian favorites such as bocce ball and foosball.

New Stateroom Category

A new class of stateroom will debut onboard Carnival Venezia following the refit. Terrazza staterooms, which will be similar to the line’s existing Havana staterooms found on some Carnival ships, will be offered in a range of categories from interior to balcony.

Guests who book Terrazza Cabanas will enjoy private patios with direct access to Terrazza Carnevale, an outdoor terraced deck featuring two whirlpools, a bar, and lounging spaces.

Terrazza Carnevale is for the exclusive use of guests staying in the ship’s 77 Terrazza staterooms, which also come with other perks, including an exclusive sail-away party with live music.

Costa Venezia, a cruise ship initially built for Costa Cruises, has arrived at the Navantia shipyard in Cádiz, Spain, to be converted into a Carnival Cruise Line ship. After a dry dock period, the vessel will be renamed Carnival Venezia and adapted to showcase the new “Carnival Fun Italian Style” product.

Carnival Venezia is the first cruise ship to sail under the Carnival Fun Italian Style banner. Carnival Firenze will join her in 2024. In the meantime, the former Costa Luminosa has also been converted into a Carnival Cruise Line ship but is not part of the new program. 

The Transformation of Costa Venezia into Carnival Venezia

Costa Venezia, a Vista Class cruise ship of 135,225 gross tons with a capacity of 4,208 passengers, has arrived at the Navantia shipyard in Cadiz, Spain, to undergo a comprehensive refurbishment. 

This conversion will introduce Carnival’s signature activities and experiences, such as the Carnival Waterworks aqua park, the Piano Bar 88, and the Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse. Additionally, the ship will feature Bonsai Sushi, Seafood Shack, Cloud 9 Salon & Spa, and the Serenity Adult-Only Retreat.

During the two-month dry dock period, the Costa Venezia will receive a new livery that shows off the traditional Costa Cruises and Carnival Cruise Line colors and lines and is highlighted by the traditional Costa Cruises funnel. Upon completion of the refurbishment, the newly transformed Carnival Venezia will embark on a 15-night transatlantic crossing in late May. 

The cruise ship will then homeport in New York City, commencing year-round cruising operations in June with a variety of four- to 15-night cruises to destinations such as Bermuda, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Canada, and New England.

Carnival Venezia will be perfect for the colder weather that can be expected on the North-East coast of the United States, as she will be one of the few cruise ships in Carnival’s fleet that features a dome over the main pool deck. 

Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy: “I think this may be my favorite spot on the ship. The Lido deck, believe it or not, and it’s unique. This ship has a Dome, so we thought it would be a perfect ship to bring to New York year-round. Because obviously, in the winter months, as we leave New York, we’re probably going to keep that Dome closed.”

For the coming three weeks, Costa Venezia will be in a wet dock to prepare for her dry dock period, which will begin once Symphony of the Seas sets sail for her summer of Mediterranean cruises starting April 12. 

Introducing the “Carnival Fun Italian Style” Concept

Carnival Cruise Line has taken possession of Costa Luminosa, Costa Venezia, and Costa Firenze due to the collapse of the Chinese cruise market. All three cruise ships were due to sail in China, but as the cruise industry in China is far from fully operational, there was a significant overcapacity for Costa Cruises. 

This acquisition has led to the creation of the “Carnival Fun Italian Style” concept, which combines Carnival’s signature experiences with the Italian theme of these ships.

Carnival Venezia‘s interior design is inspired by the city of Venice, with themed areas such as the main restaurants featuring Venetian architecture and life-sized gondolas made by local artisans. This unique combination of Carnival’s signature elements and the Italian theme will be the hallmark of the “Carnival Fun Italian Style” concept.

The Carnival Venezia will be the first to sail under the concept after its transformation at the Navantia shipyard. Meanwhile, Costa Firenze will join in 2024, sailing from Long Beach, California. 

Carnival Luminosa joined the Carnival fleet last year and has been operational in Australia since then. She will be repositioning to Alaska for the summer season. Although a former Costa cruise ship, she is not part of the Carnival Fun Italian Style. Yet, she does share many similarities with the concepts of Carnival Venezia and Carnival Firenze.