The 135,156gt Costa Firenze, built in Italy, was formally transferred to Carnival Cruise Line in early February 2024, where Navantia will transform it for ‘Carnival Fun Italian Style’. Renamed Carnival Firenze, she will be the 27th ship in Carnival’s fleet.
The former Costa Cruises vessel will undergo two months of work before her introduction as the second ‘Carnival Fun Italian Style’ ship, joining Carnival Venezia in the Carnival fleet.
The 2021-built Carnival Firenze is scheduled to begin year-round service from Long Beach, California, on 25 April. She will operate three- and four-day cruises to Ensenada and Catalina Island and five-, six- and seven-day Mexican Riviera cruises, with calls at Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta.
The ship’s atrium is modelled after Florence’s Piazza del Duomo, while the Lido Deck draws inspiration from the Italian Riviera.
Following her Navantia conversion, Carnival Firenze will feature many food and beverage venues currently available on Carnival Venezia, including La Strada Grill, with classic Italian street food, a Mexitalian fusion restaurant, Tomodoro, and Il Viaggio, a specialty Italian restaurant.
Bars Amari and Frizzante will serve a variety of Italian specialties, with Amari offering craft cocktails, authentic Italian coffee and biscotti and Frizzante delivering bubbly libations. The ship will also gain activities and experiences from other Fun Ships, including the Heroes Tribute Lounge, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, Java Blue Café, Serenity Adult-Only Retreat and Carnival WaterWorks.
Photo by courtesy of Ludpord/shipspotting
