Costa Venezia, right, is to begin sailing from New York in spring 2023, followed by Costa Firenze, left, from Long Beach in spring 2024
Carnival Cruise Line teamed with sister brand Costa Cruises on a new concept for Carnival’s North American customers, ‘Costa by Carnival.’
This debuts in spring 2023 and Costa Venezia joins the Carnival fleet sailing from New York. Costa Venezia will be followed by Costa Firenze in spring 2024 to sail from Long Beach, California.
Carnival will operate the ships, which will marry the service, food and entertainment that Carnival passengers enjoy with Costa’s Italian design features.
‘Costa Venezia and Costa Firenze will bring Carnival’s guests the ambiance and beauty of Italy,’ Carnival President Christine Duffy said. ‘We’re going to invite our guests to “Choose Fun with Carnival, Italian Style.”‘
Two addition Vista-class ships in the US
Duffy noted this brings two additional Vista-class ships to the US. Costa Venezia and Costa Firenze are sisters of Carnival Vista, Carnival Horizon and Carnival Panorama, at 135,500gt and accommodating up to 5,260 passengers.
‘There are lots of ways we plan to create an immersive fun experience for our guests who choose to sail on these ships, which have beautiful Italian-design elements, dining and retail that will deliver Carnival fun leveraging the spirit of Italy from our sister line Costa Cruises.’
Both ships will continue operating their regular Costa itineraries until they are assigned to Carnival for dry dock work and deployment. Deployment and itinerary plans are being finalized, with the Venezia announcement coming soon.
Follows Costa Luminosa transfer
This follows the recent announcement that Costa Luminosa will be transferring to Carnival and renamed Carnival Luminosa, to operate in Australia starting in November, and then in Alaska.
Answer to MSC’s stateside rise?
In presenting an Italian-style product to Americans, Carnival would seem to be addressing the rising presence of MSC Cruises in the US. MSC presentsitself as a Mediterranean-style product, not specifically Italian.
By putting Costa Venezia in New York, it will go against MSC there with MSC Meraviglia starting year-round service in April 2023. And withCosta Firenze going toLong Beach, it’s in the US West Coast market where MSC has yet to expand — although MSC Group’s new Explora Journeys luxury brand has just announced its inaugural Alaska season in 2024.
Neil Palomba’s Costa experience
Neil Palomba, EVP and chief operating officer at Carnival Cruise Line, has deep experience with the Costa brand, having previously served as Costa president in Genoa until mid-2020.
