Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy and Chief Culinary Officer Emeril Lagasse joined the Times Square Alliance President of Countdown Entertainment Jeffrey Straus tonight, along with their families, to flip the switch that lit New York City’s famous New Year’s Eve Ball for the countdown to 2023.
Duffy and Lagasse invited everyone celebrating in New York and watching from home to “Choose Fun Together,” which is also the theme of Carnival’s 2023 advertising campaign that can be seen throughout Times Square.
At the same time, the iconic ball was lit in Times Square, and nearly 100,000 guests onboard Carnival ships fleetwide also kicked off celebrations to ring in the new year.
After departing from the same port on Nov. 20, the 11-night voyage sailed to Turkey, Egypt and Israel, visiting Izmir, Kusadasi, Bodrum, Alexandria and Haifa.
The Vista-class cruise ship will now enter an operational pause before being officially added to the Carnival fleet.
During the period, it will be adapted to showcase what the U.S.-based company calls “Carnival Fun Italian Style.”
According to the brand, the new concept combines Carnival’s signature experience with the Italian theming of the ship.
For instance, the ship’s main theatre was inspired by the Venetian La Fenice theatre, while the main atrium recalls the famous Piazza di San Marco.
Other themed areas include the main restaurants, which were dedicated to the typical architecture of Venetian alleys and feature original, life-sized gondolas made by local artisans.
While being prepared to launch service for its new operators, the ship will also receive some of Carnival’s signature activities and experiences, such as Carnival Waterworks, Piano Bar 88 and the Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse.
Other additions include Bonsai Sushi, Seafood Shack, Cloud 9 Salon & Spa and the Serenity Adult-Only Retreat.
The Venezia also receives a new livery that mixes Costa and Carnival colours, highlighted by the Italian brand’s yellow funnel.
Carnival Cruise Line is adjusting itineraries of multiple Eastern Caribbean sailings onboard the Mardi Gras.
Affecting a total of 21 cruises with departure dates between December 2022 and April 2024, the change will see a call to San Juan, Puerto Rico, being replaced with a visit to Nassau, The Bahamas.
According to a statement sent to booked guests, the itinerary alteration is part of a “operations plan refining.”
Any pre-purchased Carnival shore excursions for San Juan will be automatically refunded to their original form of payment, the company said.
New shore tours for the visit to Nassau will be available online shortly, Carnival added.
After debuting in July 2021, the Mardi Gras continues to offer year-round departures from Port Canaveral.
Sailing from its Central Florida homeport every Saturday, the 5,200-guest vessel offers week-long departures to both the Western and Eastern Caribbean.
Visited destinations include Grand Turk, Amber Cove, Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatán and more.
In 2023, the LNG-powered ship is also set to offer a one-time cruise to the Southern Caribbean. Sailing in August, the eight-night voyage features visits to Aruba and Bonaire, as well as to Grand Turk.
Along with the Mardi Gras, two additional Carnival ships sail from Port Canaveral on a year-round – the Carnival Freedom and the Carnival Liberty.
Offering three- to five-night cruises to the Bahamas and the Caribbean, the vessels will soon be joined by the Carnival Magic for the upcoming winter season.
Before repositioning to Norfolk in May, the Dream-Class cruise ship offers six- and eight-night cruises to the Eastern and Southern Caribbean.
Itineraries include visits to popular ports such as St. Maarten, St. Thomas, St. Kitts, La Romana, Aruba, Bonaire, Princess Cays, Half Moon Cay and others.
Similar itineraries will be offered by the larger Carnival Vista during the 2023-2024 winter cruise season.
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