Tag Archives: Costa cruise

Carnival Firenze to Offer Third Casino on Selected Sailings

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Carnival Firenze to Offer Third Casino on Selected Sailings

The Carnival Firenze will offer a third casino during selected sailings later this year, according to an update shared by the Carnival Players Club.

An additional non-smoking casino will be added to the ship for its SEA cruises, which sail between October and November 2026.

Carnival said that the third gambling venue will create even more opportunities for guests to enjoy their favorite games at sea.

The new venue will include additional slot machines and table games, the company added, giving passengers more ways to play during the adults-only sailings.

Members of the Carnival Players Club who reach the Elite tier will enjoy preferred access to the new gaming experience.

Originally built for Costa Cruises, the Vista-class ship currently offers two gambling areas, including a smokers-friendly main casino and a smaller, smoke-free casino.

As previously reported by Cruise Industry News, Carnival cancelled a series of sailings onboard the Carnival Firenze earlier this year to make room for the new SEA cruises.

The adults-only sailings will take place between October and November 2026, sailing to the West Coast and the Mexican Riviera.

Sailing from Long Beach, the seven- to 12-night itineraries will visit a wide range of destinations, including Manzanillo, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada.

As part of the company’s casino program, the sailings will cater to gamblers, with a series of gaming-focused activities and initiatives.

Following its SEA schedule, the Carnival Firenze is scheduled to offer additional sailings from California before repositioning to the East Coast in early 2027.

As part of the Carnival Fun Italian Style product, the 4,232-passenger ship offers Italian-themed spaces and venues.

Highlights include the Amari Italian-Style Bar, which serves traditional herbal liquors and bitters, in addition to favorites from the company’s signature Alchemy Bar.

Costa Diadema Arrives in Northern Europe for Summer Season

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Costa Diadema Arrives in Northern Europe for Summer Season

The Costa Diadema arrived in Northern Europe earlier this month to kick off a summer season in the region.

Having spent the past winter in South America, the Costa Cruises vessel started a series of seven-night cruises to the Norwegian Fjords on May 15, 2026.

Sailing from Kiel and Copenhagen, the weeklong cruises sail to destinations in Norway, Germany and Denmark.

Ports of call set to be visited as part of the deployment include Bergen, Stavanger, Flam, Alesund, Geiranger, Haugesund and Hellesylt.

The season runs through mid-September, when the Diadema is scheduled to reposition to the Western Mediterranean.

The ship initially offers short cruises to Italy, Spain and France before operating longer itineraries that also sail to destinations in Portugal, the United Kingdom and Morocco.

Following its fall schedule in the region, the 2014-built vessel embarks on a repositioning cruise back to South America in early November.

Before kicking off its summer season in Northern Europe, the ship also offered a trans-Atlantic crossing that departed from Santos, Brazil.

The 25-night repositioning voyage included visits to additional Brazilian destinations, along with ports in Cape Verde, Spain, Morocco, Portugal, France, England and Belgium.

Back in South America for the 2026-27 winter season, the Diadema is scheduled to offer cruises to Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.

Following a series of short cruises from Santos and Itajaí in November, the 3,700-passenger ship kicks off regular cruises to Santos, Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Itajaí in December.

The seven-night itinerary, which allows guests to join the cruise in every port, will be offered through late March.

In addition to the Diadema, Costa is also deploying the Costa Serena in South America for the 2026-27 season, offering cruises from Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro.

Mediterranean Cruise Capacity Nears 6 Million for 2026

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Mediterranean Cruise Capacity Nears 6 Million for 2026

The Mediterranean will see close to 6 million cruise passengers this year, according to the upcoming 2026 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.

CIN data shows that over 180 ships will sail in the region across 57 cruise lines, with capacity up 3.7 percent on a year-over-year basis.

MSC and Costa will together account for nearly 40 percent of the capacity in the Mediterranean this year.

Among North American brands, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Celebrity round out the top five, collectively accounting for approximately 18 percent of the market.

In addition, AIDA, Princess, Marella and TUI each bring significant capacity, while Viking Ocean has expanded its presence as it continues to expand.

New entrants and niche operators are adding further diversity. Aroya Cruises is positioning a ship in the region for a second straight year, while Orient Express is set to debut its much-anticipated Corinthian.

The capacity increase is being driven primarily by larger vessels.

The full market breakdown, including detailed capacity data for all 57 cruise lines, is available in the 2026 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.