A new ship will soon set sail for the travel giant Carnival — the 25th in its fleet. But it’s a new ship with an asterisk.
Dubbed the Venetian Festival, the 4,090-passenger vessel, which departed late Monday on its maiden voyage for the brand, had previously sailed for another cruise line.
The 14-deck, 1,061-foot-long ship was originally built for headquarters in Italy Costa Cruisesa sister brand to Carnival.
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Originally called the Costa Venezia, the ship made its maiden voyage to Costa in 2019, turning three years old.
Carnival Venezia is just one of a number of Costa ships that Carnival Corporation, the parent company of Costa and Carnival, has moved from Costa to Carnival since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic and its aftermath have hurt the Costa brand more than the Carnival brand, in part because the Costa brand has major operations in China, where flights have been shut down during the pandemic for a long time. much more so than in North America.
Carnival operates most of its ships outside of U.S. ports and draws a lot of customers for these ships from the states surrounding these ports — a booming “near-home” segment since its inception. excursions begin to resume in 2021.
As a result, demand for Carnival ships is stronger than Costa ships.
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Carnival Venice’s maiden voyage for Carnival will be a 15-night transatlantic cruise departing Monday from Barcelona to New York. Then the ship will based in New York until December 2024, when it will change its location to Port Canaveral, Florida.
Festive Cruise with an Italian Twist
Carnival Venezia will be something different in the Carnival fleet, as the three-year-old ship was moved to Carnival without comprehensive changes to its Italian-themed design, befitting the Costa.
Many locations inside the ship remained relatively unchanged from when the ship sailed for Costa. The ship also retains the distinctive yellow and blue chimneys that are trademarks of Costa ships.
That said, Carnival Venezia won’t be short of Carnival’s signature on-board locations. In recent months, the ship has undergone a major overhaul at a dry dock in Spain, including changing the theme of some of the eateries and bars inside as well as the attractions. on deck to make them more in line with the Carnival brand.
The ship, for example, will feature the Carnival Waterworks and a steakhouse called Fahrenheit 555 – a signature Carnival venue.
Related: Explanation of the 8 types of Carnival cruise ships
Other locations aboard the ship that will be familiar to Carnival fans include Guy Fieri-inspired Guy’s Burger Joint, Bonsai Sushi, Chef’s Table, Lido Marketplace, Seafood Shack, pizzeria Pizzeria del Capitano, Piano Bar 88 and Heroes Tribute Lounge.
The ship will also have a new crew consisting of Carnival employees.
In a nutshell, Carnival Venezia will combine elements of both Costa and Carnival ships.
Originally, Carnival intended to call the ship a “Costa by Carnival” product, to distinguish it from the rest of the Carnival fleet. But it eventually moved on to market the Venetian Festival as a vessel that brings “Fun Italian Style to the Festival”.
Notably, the Venice Carnival was originally built with the aim of sailing out of China with Chinese tourists, but with an Italian theme that showcased Costa’s Italian roots. Its theme is tied to Venice, Italy – Venice is what Italians call Venice.
The Carnival and Costa brands have long had similarities that make transfers between the two lines less complicated than one might think. Vessels for both Costa and Carnival are often built on the same platform – that is, they share the same basic structural design and raw interior space. In such cases, the main difference between the ships of the two brands is the theme of specific spaces.
New festival itinerary from New York
With a tonnage of 135,225 tons, the Carnival Venezia will be a newer and larger ship that Carnival recently based in New York. It will also provide a many unusual journeys for a Carnival ship, with 22 different routes from New York lasting from 4 to 15 nights.
Destinations for trips from New York will include the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Bermuda, New England and Canada.
As of this week, fares start at $394 for a four-night Canada and New England trip from New York.
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