Carnival Unveils New Details Of Italian-Themed Carnival Venezia Cruise Ship
(1:40 p.m. EST) -- Carnival Cruise Line revealed details of its newest "Costa by Carnival" cruise venture Monday that will see two Costa Cruises ships transferred to the Fun Ship brand to operate cruises out of the United States in 2023 and 2024.
And rather than just slapping a coat of paint on and calling it a day, Carnival is committed to offering several new Italian-themed venues and experiences, paired alongside classic Carnival Cruise Line traditions that past Fun Ship passengers have come to know and love.
Carnival Venezia Will Offer New Venues, Italian Influence, Alongside Classic Favorites
The former Costa Cruises vessel, Costa Venezia, will be transformed into the new Carnival Venezia as part of Carnival's new Costa by Carnival venture -- but not before Carnival puts it through a thorough drydock that will expand on the ship's Italian heritage while creating new experiences designed specifically for Carnival's North American passengers.
Among the new features Carnival Venezia passengers can look forward to is Tomodoro, a Mexican-Italian fusion restaurant that offers Italian meatballs and Sicilian chicken alongside traditional Mexican tacos and burritos. The venue -- open for breakfast and lunch -- will complement Carnival's existing food offerings.
Also new is the La Strada Grill, serving up Italian street food and sandwiches. This will be in addition to an as-yet-unnamed Italian specialty restaurant onboard that will offer freshly-baked focaccia bread and a variety of authentic dishes.
It's not just restaurants that are getting a slice of dolce vita. Much like the Campari Bar aboard Costa Cruises' flagship, Costa Toscana, the new Amari Bar will serve up classic Italian cocktails prepared to order like negroni, americano, Amalfi martini and sbagliatos -- also known as the "broken" negroni, a drink that uses sparkling wine instead of gin. As this bar does double-duty as a sort of Alchemy Bar (Carnival's popular craft mixology watering hole), popular Alchemy classics will also be served at the Amari Bar.
Other new niceties for cruisers to look forward to aboard Carnival Venezia include a special Italian-themed Captain's Venetian Welcome Toast, featuring Italian-themed musical performances, specialty drinks, and even Venetian masks for passengers to purchase.
The Venetian theme continues in the Carnevale Bar, which takes the place of the Havana Bar found on near-sister ships Carnival Vista, Carnival Horizon and Carnival Panorama. Inspired by the classic Venetian masquerades, this bar leads out to a superb open deck space overlooking the ship's wake, and surrounding a new category of stateroom for Carnival: the Terrazza Staterooms, similar to the Havana Cabana rooms found on Carnival Vista, Horizon and Panorama.
Other new bars and lounges include Frizzante (think prosecco and Italian beers); and Rococo, which offers frozen Italian drinks in an atmosphere Carnival calls "Baroque Goes Pop."
Carnival Venezia Will Still offer North American Conveniences
Not everything aboard Carnival Venezia will be Italian-themed. The ship will still offer Carnival staples like the line's iconic eateries Fahrenheit 555, Bonsai Sushi & Teppanyaki, Chef's Table, Lido Marketplace, Seafood Shack and Pizzeria del Capitano.
The ship will also have Carnival's popular Piano Bar 88, coupled with the live shipboard musical performances the line is known for, along with a full list of Playlist Production shows that include "Broadway Beats", "Vintage Pop", and "Epic Rock".
Likewise, popular pool deck eatery Guy's Burger Joint returns aboard Carnival Venezia, complete with two new menu items: a Pepperoni Pizza Burger and The Big Mozz, a burger smothered in melted mozzarella cheese.
In addition, all cabins will be outfitted with full North American-style power outlets and USB charging outlets.
Costa by Carnival Will Bring Two Ships to the Carnival Cruise Line Fleet
Carnival Venezia will debut with sailings from New York (Manhattan) on June 15, 2023, sailing 22 individual itineraries that visit 25 ports across 14 countries, with destinations including Canada & New England, Bermuda and the Bahamas and the Caribbean.
Carnival Venezia will be joined in 2024 by Carnival Firenze (the former Costa Firenze), which will enter service from Long Beach, California.
Reservations are now open for Carnival Venezia bookings, itineraries have yet to be released for Carnival Firenze. Both ships are nearly brand-new, having debuted in 2019 and 2020 respectively for Costa.