Carnival Firenze Opens for Sale with Cruises from Long Beach

Posted on 24 March, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

Carnival Cruise Line announced that it has opened reservations for the inaugural season of the Carnival Firenze, which will offer year-round sailings from Long Beach, California from May 2024 through April 2025.

“Carnival Firenze is named after the spectacular city of Florence, Italy. She was designed to evoke the same charm and beauty found in Florence and she’ll also pack in plenty of Carnival fun, which will be brought to life by the friendly and dedicated team members that make cruises across our fleet memorable,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

“This truly stunning ship will serve as a great new cruise vacation option from Long Beach, joining Carnival Panorama and Radiance, and offering a range of sailing lengths to Baja Mexico and the Mexican Riviera.”

The new sailings feature 15 different itineraries of three to seven-day cruises. Sailings from Long Beach, California include:

A five-day Mexican Riviera Inaugural Cruise, departing on May 2, 2024, with calls in Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, Mexico;
A six-day Mexican Riviera Cruise, with multiple departure options and calls in Ensenada and two days in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico;
A seven-day Mexican Riviera Cruise, with multiple departure options and calls in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

The Carnival Firenze will be the second ship to feature the all-new Carnival Fun Italian Style, after Carnival Venezia, which will make its debut in May 2023.

Enchanted Opens Princess’ 2023 Summer Program in Europe

Posted on 24 March, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

The Enchanted Princess is launching Princess Cruises’ 2023 summer program in Europe today.

After crossing the Atlantic, the vessel is in Barcelona to start the first cruise of the season: a six-night voyage to the Western Mediterranean.

Cruising roundtrip from the Spanish port, the itinerary sails to France and Gibraltar. In addition to the UK port in the Iberian Peninsula, the cruise features visits to Ajaccio and Marseille, as well as two full days at sea.

Following a routine drydock, the Enchanted Princess continues its European summer program in mid-April, offering additional itineraries in both the Western and Eastern Mediterranean.

The series of seven-to 21-night cruises include different destinations across the Greek Islands, France, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Montenegro and more.

Fifth in a series of six ships known as Royal Class, the Enchanted Princess first entered service in November 2021.

Built-in Italy by the Fincantieri shipyard, the 3,660-guest ship offers more than 25 dining venues and bars onboard, including the new such as La Mer, a French Bistro that debuted on the Majestic Princess.

The ship also offers varied entertainment options, as well as unique Sky Suites. According to Princess, the balconies of the staterooms – which measure over 90 square meters – are among the biggest in the entire cruise industry.

In addition to the Enchanted Princess, three other Princess Cruises vessels are cruising in Europe during the 2023 summer: the Sky Princess, the Regal Princess and the Island Princess.

Mostly sailing in Northern Europe, the ships will offer different itineraries between March and early December.

Based out of the UK, the Sky Princess is sailing a series of four- to 24-night cruises to Scandinavia, Iceland, Norway, the Canaries, the Baltic and the Mediterranean departing from Southampton.

Also sailing from the English port, the Regal Princess is poised to sail a program of ten- and 12-night itineraries to the British Islands.

Completing the local offering, the Island Princess sails in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean, offering longer cruises departing from Southampton, Copenhagen, Civitavecchia and more.

Oceania Vista Ready for 2023 Debut

Posted on 4 January, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

Oceania Cruises’ new ship, the Oceania Vista, is joining the fleet in 2023.

The cruise line’s newest ship is being constructed by Fincantieri, as is Oceania Vista’s sister ship scheduled to arrive in 2025. Both are part of the brand’s new Allura class of ships.

The Oceania Vista will deliver the “Finest Cuisine at Sea” according to the company, with personalized service and a range of dining options for guests to choose from.

Aside from casual dining experiences such as a poolside burger, the ship will also feature private dining venues as well as Privée, a special venue for bespoke culinary celebrations for a maximum of ten guests.

The 67,000-ton ship accommodating 1,200 guests will embark on its maiden voyage from Rome, Italy to Barcelona, Spain on April 14, 2023.

Itineraries include visits to 24 countries across four continents for in debut season.

The Oceania Vista’s inaugural 2023 season will include:
● Exploring the Spanish, French and Italian Rivieras
● Greek Isles
● Holy Lands of Turkey and Israel
● Canary Islands
● Wine Country of Spain,
● Portugal and France
● The British Isles and Ireland
● Colonial America and Panama Canal

The itineraries will feature overnight stays in Lisbon, Venice, Istanbul, Jerusalem, Bordeaux, Montreal and New York City. The ship will also explore off-the-beaten-paths such as Port-Vendres, Bodrum, Kavala/Philippi, Bozcaada, Chania, Izmir, Salerno, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Killybegs, Saint-Pierre, Shelburne, Martha’s Vineyard and Corinto.

On April 26, the ship will embark on a ten-day journey from Barcelona, Spain with calls to the ports of Grenada, Tangier, and Lisbon. On May 16, the Oceania Vista will set sail on a 14-day Mediterranean Visions voyage.