Carnival Cruise Line is bringing two of Costa Cruises’ ships to the United States next year, Caribbean Journal has learned.
The plan is for a new concept called “Costa by Carnival,” which will see ships sailing from New York and Long Beach, Calif.
Costa Venezia will be sailing out of New York in the spring of 2023, while Costa Firenze will be sailing from Long Beach in the spring of 2024.
Costa Venezia will likely be sailing Caribbean itineraries out of New York.
Carnival will operate the ships, which will “marry the great service, food and entertainment that Carnival’s guests enjoy with Costa’s Italian design features,” according to a statement.
“Costa Venezia and Costa Firenze will bring Carnival’s guests the ambiance and beauty of Italy,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “This is an exciting opportunity for us to operate two additional beautiful Vista class ships in the U.S. and bring a unique experience to those who love the culture, food and vibe of Italy. 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.”
The ships will continue operating their regular Costa itineraries in Europe until they are assigned to Carnival for dry dock work and deployment.
Both Italian cruise ships accommodate up to 5,260 guests.
“We are excited to see these iconic ships make their debut in the U.S. under the leadership and operation of our sister brand,” said Mario Zanetti, president of Costa Cruises.