Carnival Firenze
Carnival Firenze as Costa Firenze in Kiel in 2023
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History | |
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Panama | |
Name |
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Namesake | Florence, Italy |
Owner | Carnival Corporation & plc |
Operator |
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Port of registry |
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Ordered | 1 April 2016[1] |
Builder | |
Yard number | 6273 |
Laid down | 22 December 2015[1] |
Launched | 6 November 2019 |
Sponsored by | Jonathan Bennett (Carnival Firenze) |
Christened | 24 April 2024 (Carnival Firenze) |
Completed | 22 December 2020[1] |
Acquired |
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Maiden voyage |
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In service | 2021–present |
Identification | |
Status | In service |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Vista-class cruise ship |
Tonnage | 135,156 GT[1] |
Length | 323.63 m (1,061 ft 9 in) |
Beam | 37.2 m (122 ft 1 in)[1] |
Draught | 8.25 m (27 ft 1 in) |
Depth | 11.2 m (36 ft 9 in)[1] |
Decks | 18[1] |
Installed power | |
Propulsion | 33,000 kW (44,000 hp ) |
Speed | 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) (service) |
Capacity |
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Crew | 1,278 crew |
Carnival Firenze is a
In 2023, amid a corporate fleet reshuffling in the wake of the pandemic, Carnival Corporation announced Costa Firenze would be transferred to Carnival under a new sub-brand named "Costa as Carnival" operating as "Carnival Fun Italian Style". The new concept was designed to integrate Costa Firenze and sister ship Costa Venezia into Carnival in a bid to boost domestic American capacity after the cruise line had sold numerous older vessels while Costa contended with operational challenges in its core markets. In February 2024, she was officially renamed Carnival Firenze during her pre-delivery renovation and will debut for Carnival in April 2024 in the new sub-fleet of Venice-class ships.
Planning and construction (2015–2020)
In June 2018, it was revealed that construction on the ship had begun with the steel cutting that was performed earlier that year.[6] On 6 May 2019, Costa Cruises announced that the second of the two vessels built specifically for the Chinese market would be named Costa Firenze, after the Italian city of Florence, and have interior features inspired by Florentine history and culture.[7] The ship was floated out from the shipyard in Marghera on 6 November 2019.[8]
Delivery for Costa Firenze was originally scheduled for 30 September 2020,[8] but amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it was later postponed to 22 December 2020.[9][10][11]
Design
Carnival Firenze measures 135,156
Costa commissioned design firm YSA Design for the vessel's Florentine-inspired interior decor. The firm centered the history of Florence on the ship's dining spaces, with influences including the Piazza del Duomo, Florence Cathedral, Palazzo Vecchio, and Palazzo Pitti, in addition to the use of velvet, marble flooring, and gilding work for further emphasis. Lounges were inspired by the Tuscan countryside setting and styles of Italian fashion.[13][15]
Costa Cruises (2020–2024)
Costa Firenze had her debut postponed from 2020 to 2021 after Costa was forced to revise the ship's inaugural plans on numerous occasions as a result of the pandemic-induced delivery delay and operational challenges. Costa first announced on 6 May 2019 that the ship would initially spend her first month sailing in the
After repeated delays, Costa Firenze sailed on her inaugural voyage on 4 July 2021 on an all-Italian itinerary that called at Savona, Civitavecchia, Palermo, Naples, Messina, and Cagliari; she also began calling at ports in Spain and France in September 2021.[25][26][27] She then followed her summer debut season with her maiden circuit in the Persian Gulf, where she operated week-long voyages from Dubai between December 2021 and March 2022.[28][29] She returned to the Mediterranean in April 2022, where she operated week-long sailings through to November 2022,[30][31] which were followed by a repositioning to Brazil for her maiden South America season, where she operated until April 2023.[32][33] Costa Firenze operated her last summer with Costa through a maiden Northern Europe deployment between May and September 2023[34][35] and sailed her final winter season for the cruise line, calling at ports in the Mediterranean, Atlantic Europe, and Macaronesia prior to her exit from the fleet in February 2024.[36][34][37]
Carnival Cruise Line (2024–present)
On 22 June 2022, Carnival Corporation announced that sister ship Costa Venezia and Costa Firenze would be transferred to Costa's sister brand, Carnival Cruise Line, in 2023 and 2024, respectively, under a new sub-brand, "Costa by Carnival" operating as "Carnival Fun Italian Style". Both ships would be renamed with the Carnival prefix, painted in a hybrid Costa and Carnival livery, and staffed and operated by Carnival.[38] It was a project aimed at boosting Carnival's capacity in the American market during its recovery following the pandemic and came after Carnival had sold numerous older vessels in its fleet while Costa faced operational challenges in its core markets, including Europe and China.[39]
In December 2022, Carnival revealed that Carnival Venezia and Carnival Firenze would be slotted into its fleet as a sub-class of its existing Vista-class, known as the Venice-class. It also revealed that the two ships would combine many of the staples found on existing Carnival ships with new features and amenities inspired by Italian design and tastes, including new menu items across their bars and restaurants.[40]
In January 2024, the ship began her 42-day refit and rebranding effort at the Navantia shipyard in Cádiz, where she was officially transferred into the Carnival fleet on 2 February 2024 and renamed Carnival Firenze.[41][42] The ship left the shipyard on 22 March 2024 and sailed to her new homeport of Long Beach, California, after which she was christened by her godfather, American actor Jonathan Bennett, on 24 April 2024.[43][44][45] Originally scheduled to sail her inaugural voyage on 2 May 2024,[46] Carnival Firenze will commence operations one week earlier, on 25 April 2024 to the Mexican Riviera, a region to which she will sail on a year-round basis.[42][43]
References
- ^ Registro Italiano Navale. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
- ^ "Fincantieri: Five Next-Generation Ships for Carnival Corporation" (Press release). Fincantieri. 27 March 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
- ^ "Fincantieri: 4 Cruise Ships for Carnival" (Press release). Fincantieri. 30 December 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
- ^ a b Leppert, Jason (4 January 2016). "Carnival Corp. Announces Four New Cruise Ships for Three Brands". TravelPulse.
- ^ Leppert, Jason (4 April 2016). "Carnival Corp. Celebrates Koningsdam and Finalizes New Ship Orders for Costa, P&O and Princess". TravelPulse.
- ^ "Costa Cruises Celebrates Float-out of Costa Venezia -- Its First Ship Being Built for China Market" (Press release). Carnival Corporation & plc. 22 June 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ "Costa Names 2020 Newbuild for China Costa Firenze". Cruise Industry News. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- ^ a b "Costa Firenze Floats Out at Fincantieri". Cruise Industry News. 6 November 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- ^ "Carnival to Delay New Ship Introductions". Cruise Industry News. 11 July 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ Dolven, Taylor (8 July 2020). "COVID-19 construction delays push cruise ship deliveries into 2021". Miami Herald. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ a b Jainchill, Johanna (22 December 2020). "Costa takes delivery of the Firenze". Travel Weekly. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Costa Firenze" (PDF). Fincantieri.
- ^ a b "Costa Firenze - Massive 5,200-Guest Ship to Serve Chinese Cruise Market". Baird Maritime. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ Bond, Mary (9 November 2016). "MAN Diesel & Turbo signs engine deal with Fincantieri for three Carnival newbuilds". Seatrade Cruise News. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ Payne, Holly (29 June 2021). "YSA Design's vision for Costa Firenze captures Tuscan culture and heritage". Seatrade Cruise News. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "Costa Cruises Presents Costa Firenze, the New Ship Arriving October 2020" (Press release). Carnival Corporation & plc. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- ^ Kalosh, Anne (27 August 2019). "Costa ship shuffle strengthens Mediterranean presence". Seatrade Cruise News. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- ^ "Costa Cruises Celebrates Float Out of Costa Firenze" (Press release). Fincantieri. 6 November 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- ^ "Costa Firenze Set to Stay in Europe 2021 Before Heading to China". Cruise Industry News. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
- ^ Young, Susan J. (10 September 2020). "Costa Cruises Outlines Fall-Winter Schedules, Cancels Some Cruises". Travel Agent Central. Archived from the original on 18 September 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ Hines, Morgan (29 October 2020). "Carnival's AIDA, Costa cruise lines cancel sailings amid COVID-19 surge in Europe". USA Today. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "Handover of Costa Firenze, the Ship Inspired by the Beauty of the Renaissance" (Press release). Fincantieri. 22 December 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "Costa Resumes Its Cruise Program In Italy From March 13 With Costa Smeralda" (Press release). Carnival Corporation & plc. 22 January 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "Costa Restarts Cruises With New Program From March 27 With Costa Smeralda And From May 2 With Costa Luminosa" (Press release). Carnival Corporation & plc. 17 February 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ Payne, Holly (22 April 2021). "Costa Cruises launches summer 2021 Mediterranean itineraries". Seatrade Cruise News. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "Costa Cruises Celebrates Restart Of Cruises In Mediterranean" (Press release). Carnival Corporation & plc. 3 May 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "Costa Firenze, the Italian Ship Inspired by the Beauty of the Renaissance, Departs For Her First Cruise" (Press release). Carnival Corporation & plc. 4 July 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ Bond, Mary (28 May 2021). "Costa Firenze to sail Arabian Gulf winter 2021/22; Costa sponsors Italy pavilion at Dubai Expo". Seatrade Cruise News. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "Costa Firenze Debuts in Dubai with Double Event: Inauguration of New Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal and Start of Tours to Discover Italy Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai" (Press release). Carnival Corporation & plc. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ Bond, Mary (14 February 2022). "Costa Cruises' entire fleet sailing by summer 2022". Seatrade Cruise News. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "Costa Cruises Restart From Genoa With Costa Firenze" (Press release). Carnival Corporation & plc. 7 April 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "Costa Set For Biggest Brazilian Season in Ten Years". Cruise Industry News. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "Costa Firenze Debuts in Brazil". Cruise Industry News. 26 December 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ a b "Costa Firenze Wraps Up First Season in South America". Cruise Industry News. 22 April 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "Costa Easter Cruises 2023: Spring-Summer Season Kicks Off" (Press release). Carnival Corporation & plc. 6 April 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "Costa Cruises Launches Costa Voyages: A New Way to Experience Long-Term Cruises" (Press release). Carnival Corporation & plc. 7 July 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "Costa Firenze Sets Sail on Farewell Cruise Ahead of Carnival Transfer". Cruise Industry News. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ Jainchill, Johanna (22 June 2022). "Two Costa ships will sail for Carnival from the U.S." Travel Weekly. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- ^ Zelinski, Andrea (5 July 2022). "Costa by Carnival: New ships and a dose of dolce vita in the U.S." Travel Weekly. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- ^ "Carnival Reveals Details Ahead of Venezia Debut". Cruise Industry News. 12 December 2022. Archived from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ Benitez, Joaquin (31 January 2024). "El 'Costa Firenze' adelantó su entrada en el astillero de Cádiz". Diario de Cádiz (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ a b Kalosh, Anne (2 February 2024). "Costa Firenze handed over for more 'Carnival Fun Italian Style'". Seatrade Cruise News. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ Zelinski, Andrea (5 April 2024). "So Fetch! 'Mean Girls' actor Jonathan Bennett named godfather of Carnival Firenze". Travel Weekly. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ Kalosh, Anne (24 April 2024). "'Honorary Italian' Jonathan Bennett names Carnival Firenze in Long Beach". Seatrade Cruise News. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ Limone, Jerry (23 March 2023). "Carnival Cruise Line opens reservations for the Firenze". Travel Weekly. Retrieved 7 April 2024.