Tag Archives: Mardi Gras

Carnival Corporation 2023 Preview

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Carnival Corporation is set for an eventful year in 2023 with a new product and new builds entering service.

Cruise Industry News looks into the most anticipated events taking place across the company’s nine brands over the next 12 months.

Carnival Fun Italian Style
Carnival Fun Italian Style is debuting in 2023, with the introduction of the Carnival Venezia in May.

Originally built for Costa Cruises, the vessel is set to offer a unique product, combining Carnival’s experience with special touches from the European country.

Following the Venezia, which will sail year-round from New York, the Carnival Firenze is also set to join the concept in 2024 and launch service from California.

Two Newbuilds
Two new builds are entering service for core Carnival Corporation brands in 2023.

Originally ordered for AIDA Cruises, the new Carnival Jubilee is currently being built in Germany by the Meyer Werft shipyard. Joining the Mardi Gras and the Carnival Celebration, the XL-Class ship will debut during the fourth quarter, offering Western Caribbean cruises out of Galveston.

A sister to the Seabourn Venture, the Seabourn Pursuit is set to become Carnival Corp’s second expedition ship. Under construction in Italy, the vessel is scheduled to enter service in October, ahead of a winter season in Antarctica.

In addition is a yet-to-be-named new build for Adora Cruises, Carnival’s joint venture in China.

More Efficient Fleet
While new ships enter service, Carnival continues to withdraw smaller and less efficient ships from its fleet.

In 2023, at least three vessels are set to be retired by the brands, including the AIDAaura, which will bid farewell to AIDA Cruises in September.

Two more ships from Costa Cruises are also expected to be withdrawn. The exits are part of an effort to right-size the brand in light of the continued closure of cruise operations in China – where Costa had significant capacity before the pandemic.

More Passengers Onboard
Carnival Corporation is expecting more passengers onboard its ships in 2023, with an aimed average occupancy rate of 90 per cent across its nine cruise brands in the first quarter.

The number is up from 54 per cent occupancy in the first quarter of 2022 when cruise operations were still being restarted across the globe.

Return to Asia and World Cruises
Following a three-year gap, several Carnival brands are returning to Asia in early 2023.

While Seabourn is set to offer a series of Southeast Asia itineraries during the entire winter season, Princess and Holland America are returning to Japan in the spring.

Several brands – including P&O, Cunard, Costa, Princess and Holland America – also resumed their world cruise itineraries in January, offering long global voyages that visit several international destinations and countries.

China Joint-Venture Debut
After years in the making, Carnival’s joint venture with CSSC is set to launch service in China in 2023.

Named Adora Cruises, the new brand will serve the local market, offering itineraries from several Chinese homeports.

In addition to two ships acquired from Costa, the joint venture is set to operate a pair of new builds, which are currently being constructed at a shipyard in Shanghai and are scheduled for 2023 and 2025 deliveries.

Carnival Celebration Named in Miami

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Carnival Cruise Line’s new Carnival Celebration arrived at its PortMiami homeport and was christened by actress Cassidy Gifford Sunday evening.

“This naming ceremony of our new flagship Carnival Celebration is the perfect culmination of our 50th birthday as this spectacular ship honours our past and signifies the fun and growth ahead,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Carnival Celebration builds on the success of our incredible Mardi Gras and the many innovations we introduced with our Excel-class, including a top-deck roller coaster, and offers unique features all her own that give guests a truly incredible new cruise experience to have fun and make memories.”

Duffy spoke before an audience gathered for the ceremony in the ship’s three-deck-high atrium, Celebration Central. Carnival Celebration Godmother Cassidy Gifford christened the ship, with a traditional breaking of a champagne bottle, alongside Capt. Vincenzo Alcaras.

Gifford was also joined by her mother, Kathie Lee Gifford, who served as godmother of Carnival Celebration’s namesake, M/S Celebration, which was similarly christened in 1987.

Along with an impromptu performance by Kathie Lee, who sang the memorable tune to the now-legendary commercials that helped to popularize the Carnival brand in the 1980s, attendees were also treated to a preview of Carnival Celebration’s spectacular entertainment programming, the company said, including an aerialist performance. A concert by Kool & The Gang capped off the night, which included their dance classic, “Celebrate!”

Carnival Celebration’s first guests to board the ship from Miami will depart today on a special six-day Thanksgiving cruise, with visits to Grand Turk, Amber Cove and Nassau. On Nov. 27, the ship will begin a rotation of week-long Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings that depart every Sunday and visit popular destinations, such as the Dominican Republic and St. Thomas, as well as Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico. To see sailings offered on Carnival Celebration, visit Carnival.com.

Carnival Celebration completes sea trials in Baltic

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Carnival Cruise Line’s newest ship Carnival Celebration has completed sea trials and is inching closer to its debut voyage at the Port of Miami

Carnival Celebration set sail on its first round of sea trials on 5 September from Finland’s Meyer Turku shipyard, where sister ship Mardi Gras was built. The vessel had a full contingent of officers, technicians and engineers on board to test the ship’s technical, mechanical and navigation systems.

Captain Vincenzo Alcaras said the vessel underwent several tests during its sea trials, to determine the ship’s capability and performance. “We’ve done many manoeuvring tests, such as endurance tests, steering tests, speed tests and thrusters tests. The ship performed wonderfully, and shortly, we will start cruising.”

The 180,000-dwt, LNG-powered Excellence-class ship will become the operator’s largest upon delivery, capable of accommodating up to 6,500 passengers.

Carnival Celebration will arrive in PortMiami in November, and following an inaugural six-day voyage to the eastern Caribbean, the ship will launch year-round, seven-day cruises to the eastern and western Caribbean from PortMiami beginning 21 November. The week-long voyages will visit San Juan, Puerto Rico, Cozumel, Mexico and Grand Turk.

Carnival Celebration will feature many of the attractions seen on Mardi Gras, including BOLT, an onboard roller coaster at sea, an atrium spanning three decks and Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken restaurant.

The ship will also have a new Miami-themed zone aboard: named after the address of Carnival’s original headquarters, 820 Biscayne will celebrate the culture, architectural styles and flavours of the home city where the line was founded in 1972.