Carnival Cruise Line is having a busy 2023, having simply launched the brand new Carnival Celebration, whereas additionally planning for an additional new ship later this yr, the Carnival Jubilee; launching “Carnival Fun Italian Style” with two rebranded former Costa ships, the Carnival Venezia and Carnival Firenze in 2023 and 2024; and launching a second ship in Australia, the Carnival Luminosa, additionally a former Costa ship.
The 5,200-passenger Carnival Celebration launched service from Miami in November, crusing alternating seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries. She is the second LNG-fueled ship to sail from a North American homeport, following her sister ship, the Mardi Gras, which is predicated in Port Canaveral.
The third Excel-class ship, the Jubilee, which may also be LNG-fueled, is ready to launch service from Galveston in November 2023.
First launched as “Costa by Carnival,” the branding was later modified to “Carnival Fun Italian Style.” The two former Costa Cruise Line ships might be rebranded, with the Carnival Venezia becoming a member of the fleet within the spring, crusing from New York.
The Carnival Firenze will be part of the fleet in 2024 and begin visitor operations from Long Beach.
The two ships will increase the cruise line’s presence in two of the road’s American homeports. Carnival began crusing from New York in 1988 and from the West Coast in 1979.
On Carnival Corporation’s third quarter earnings name, Josh Weinstein, president and CEO, mentioned that in mild of the continued closure of cruise operations in China, the place Costa had a big presence, it made sense to bolster the extremely profitable Carnival model by transferring the three Costa ships.
He commented additional that these fleet selections will present robust tailwinds (for earnings).
The Carnival Splendor returned to service in Australia in September when she was mentioned to be the primary ship to enter Australian waters with worldwide passengers in practically three years.
In addition, the Carnival Luminosa arrived in Brisbane on the finish of October, turning into the primary Carnival ship to be homeported there.
While the Splendor sails year-round in Australia, the Luminosa transfers to Seattle for Alaska cruises throughout the summer season season.
Including the three former Costa ships and the 2 newbuilds, the Carnival model is including 5 ships over the subsequent two years.
Meanwhile six ships have left the fleet since 2020: the Carnival Ecstasy, Fantasy, Fascination, Imagination, Inspiration and Sensation.
Describing itself as America’s Cruise Line, the model will proceed to sail from 14 U.S. homeports in 2023, with Caribbean cruises commanding roughly 75 % of its passenger capability, in accordance with the 2022 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.
By 2024, Carnival Cruise Line can have 27 ships and an estimated annual passenger capability of 5.5 million, in comparison with 4.3 million in 2019.
Excerpt from Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine: Winter 2022-2023