Carnival Cruise Line Welcomes Former Costa Ship Venezia
Carnival Cruise Line officially took possession of a ship from sister brand Costa Cruises. The ship is undergoing a renovation and has been renamed Carnival Venezia. Both cruise lines are operated by parent company Carnival Corp.
On March 22, Costa Capt. Tihomir Muzic handed over the ship to Carnival Capt. Claudio Cupisti in Cadiz, Spain, with additional leadership team members from both lines in attendance.
“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,” said Carnival President Christine Duffy. “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.”
Carnival Venezia will depart on a 15-day transatlantic voyage from Barcelona on May 29, 2023, and is set to begin year-round cruising from New York’s Manhattan Cruise Terminal on June 15. The ship will operate 22 itineraries of varying lengths and visit 25 ports in 14 countries. Built in 2019, Carnival Venezia accommodates up to 5,145 guests and 1,393 crew members.
The ship has an Italian architectural design. Its atrium was modeled after Venice’s main public square, Piazza San Marco, while the Lido deck draws inspiration from the Italian Riviera with a retractable roof so the pool can be used year-round.
The ship will introduce new food and beverage options, including La Strada Grill with classic Italian street food, a Mexitalian fusion restaurant Tomodoro, a similar-to-Alchemy-Bar Amari, and Frizzante, serving prosecco and spritzes, Italian beer, Italian coffees and biscotti.
The Gondola Lounge was designed with the Venetian canals in mind, while the Carnevale Bar & Lounge, celebrates Venetian masquerades during Carnival. New activities include the Italian Street Party, “where Little Italy meets Lido,” the Captain’s Venetian Toast, and Italian-inspired youth programming for kids and teens.
Carnival Venezia will include many features found on other Carnival ships, including Carnival Waterworks, Piano Bar 88, Heroes Tribute Lounge, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, Bonsai Sushi & Teppanyaki, Guy’s Burger Joint, Cloud 9 Salon & Spa, the Serenity Adult-Only Retreat, and Dr. Seuss Bookville.