CruiseAdict218

La Strada Grill and Asian Lunch buffet on seas days are excellent. Entertainment wise everything else will most likely be the traditional Carnival activities.

That happened to me as well, I wanted to do it on the Pride this past March but didn’t start till a week or two later. My next cruise I was told Venezia wasn’t starting it right away but turns out they did. Leaving again for Venezia Saturday so that’s what I’ll be doing the minute I board.

We join on your second leg, can’t wait to sail on this ship again, will be my second time.

You kinda answered it, some don’t want a large crowded ship and that’s it. It could also come down to amenities, some prefer a simple pool, open air deck, without the extra toys like a roller coaster or Sky Ride. I personally like sailing on both large modern and smaller older ones, the older ones remind me of a different time of the cruising age.

Name has been revealed, cruises going to the port go on sale soon with first ships expected to arrive in July 2025. Further Details and Itineraries Open for Sale Coming in Late September MIAMI, Aug. 28, 2023 – Cue the Junkanoo band, drumroll please… Carnival Cruise Line has announced that the name of its new destination in the Bahamas is… Celebration Key. As Carnival gets ready to open itineraries in late September for cruises that will call on its highly-anticipated exclusive cruise port destination on Grand Bahama, it revealed the name – Celebration Key – to guests, employees, travel advisors and Bahamian officials today. Celebration Key is the first port destination exclusively designed for Carnival Cruise Line guests and its name is based on the vision for the destination to be a celebration of all that Carnival and The Bahamas has to offer for a memorable vacation. Once complete, it will be capable of welcoming two million guests each year. “We are working very closely with the Government of The Bahamas and the Grand Bahama Port Authority to ensure that we are highlighting the best of Grand Bahama and its culture, combined with fun like only Carnival can provide,” said Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy. “Invoking the natural beauty of Grand Bahama, every day at Celebration Key will be a celebration of our guests’ own making with a variety of experiences and something for everyone.” Grand Bahama is a northern island of The Bahamas and is known its breathtaking beaches, lush vegetation, and friendly people. Celebration Key will offer a uniquely Bahamian experience with an abundance of features and amenities, including a one-mile stretch of white-sand beach, as well as Bahamian-operated retail, food and beverage options for Carnival guests to enjoy. For the ultimate convenience and maximum enjoyment time, the adjacent cruise pier will be able to accommodate up to two of Carnival’s Excel-class ships simultaneously to allow guests to walk off the ship and arrive at Celebration Key. A groundbreaking ceremony for the destination was held in May 2022 and design, engineering and construction work is now underway. In late September, Carnival plans to announce further details of the destination, along with opening for sale the first itineraries on at least ten ships from multiple homeports that will include a visit to Celebration Key, with the first cruises calling on the destination in July 2025.

Should be getting more over the coming weeks I would think. Galveston for 2025-2026 was just released for Jubilee, Dream and Breeze. Alaska was just released two days ago? For Spirit and Luminosa.

Thanks for sharing, love seeing the positive reviews flow in. Glad you enjoyed the breakfast and brunch for the Terrazza guests, I'll be in that area in January so good to know.

Great review, glad you enjoyed the ship, can't wait for my next cruise on this ship which is the 6 Day Canada at the end of September.

They had this on Venezia, nice to see it’s going to the full fleet. Glad to have other options, few of which are dairy free.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I have yet to sail on either ship but have enjoyed two cruises on Horizon, one when it first debuted in NYC (2016) and then in September 2021. The latter being when cruising first resumed and capacity was cut, that made for an even better time. Now most recently sailed on the recently added sister the Venezia, with two more booked on that one.

JH said Venezia is returning to NYC after its season in Florida for summer 2025, unless they shuffle ships around.

Definitely the two nights, so much to do. We just did the 4 day on Venezia, it was more so to try the ship out but it ended up raining the entire day so we made it to the beach for a hour before getting caught in heavy rain. Luckily we go almost every year now so it wasn’t a total loss for us but someone like you who had never been would end up being disappointed.

Also currently onboard we absolutely love the ship, we were skeptical with something’s but all in all it was a great time. Will probably post a separate thread at some point.

NCL has done it once or twice, regardless Jay Leno is an interesting choice.

Can't wait to follow along, boarding the ship for its first round trip sailing to Bermuda following this one. Also have two more cruises in the future as well. My only question would be is if its doing the Behind the Fun tour.

Sadly I’m pretty sure New York is going back to being seasonal. I don’t think they will move another ship to the area for the winters.

Three ships now, Atlantica, the new Vista (Magic City) and Mediterranea in that order. The interesting thing is one Spirit will keep its Costa livery the other will get a “bigger” makeover to match the new Vista.

Yeah possibly, we have 3 booked in her including an 8 day to the Bahamas in January because of the cheap prices. I guess we will see. Wouldn’t mind if they swung Mardi Gras up here but that’s just being hopeful.

Is there that much more demand to fill up Vista, Mardi Gras and now Venezia? Not even including Freedom and Glory which do the shorter run.

How disappointing for NYC, that didn’t last long at all. I wonder what the reason is, she had a more variety this time around but I guess it wasn’t enough? Royal Caribbeans and Norwegian don’t seem to have this issue and well I guess we will see how MSC does.

No I agree it seems rather expensive, would hope it would be open to lunch for free but that’s just wishing.

John said so many people are trying to book it, that it “broke” the site and they are working on fixing it.

Prices are $42 per adult and $10 per child, just fyi.

From John Heald: CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE’S NEW RESTAURANT CONCEPT ‘IL VIAGGIO’ WILL EMBARK GUESTS ON A CULINARY JOURNEY ABOARD CARNIVAL VENEZIA Reservations Open for New Specialty Dining Experience Showcasing Italy’s Finest and Most Traditional Dishes MIAMI, May 8, 2023 – Carnival Cruise Line announced today it will debut a new specialty restaurant on board its most recent addition to the fleet, Carnival Venezia, which is aptly named Il Viaggio – Italian for “The Voyage” – since it promises a journey across Italy through the country’s rich and diverse cuisine. Il Viaggio’s food and beverage offerings are curated to showcase distinct culinary regions of Italy.. Each menu item, from “antipasti” starters to “dolce” desserts, is representative of a regional specialty, so guests can create elevated meals that bring together different tastes from all areas of Italy. “Highlighting the various Italian regions renowned for certain specialties will invite our guests to enjoy an immersive exploration of flavors – a meal that’s truly unique, delicious and offers an enriching experience as well,” said Emeril Lagasse, Carnival’s chief culinary officer. “Guests will find their favorite Italian staples here, and they’ll also have the chance to try authentic dishes and drinks that might just become new favorites.” Reservations for the restaurant are now open for guests booked on upcoming Carnival Venezia sailings. Il Viaggio will carry a reservations fee in line with Carnival’s other full-service specialty restaurants. To make reservations or learn more about specialty dining options, visit Carnival.com. Elevated Menu Will Indulge in the Best of Italian Cuisine Creatively crafted to offer regional collections across each part of the menu, selections of appetizers, entrees, desserts, wines and cocktails all note diverse regions of Italy where they are most known. The menu will also feature signature dishes, called “Favorito” entrees. Among them is the Sicilian-inspired Pollo Parmigiana Pizza, which is made with a crispy chicken crust pizza with tomato basil sauce, mozzarella, pepperoncini flakes, parmesan and a honey-chili dressing, and the Lombardy-influenced Lombata Milanese, a 16-oz bone-in veal chop that’s thinly pounded, lightly breaded, pan-fried and served with a green salad. A sampling of menu selections from each of the three courses offered includes: “Antipasti” – Starters House-Made Burrata (Lombardy): A soft, fresh Italian cheese is accompanied by heirloom tomatoes and Genevese pesto. Panzarotti (Campania): A golden brown and savory puff stuffed with sausage and pesto. Supli al Telefono (Lazio): Crisp risotto croquette filled with mozzarella and marinara sauce. “Secondi” – Entrees Pappardelle Al Cinghiale (Tuscany): Delicious ribbon pasta is tossed with pork ragu in a red wine marinade. Jumbo Shrimp Scampi (Venice): A classic scampi sauce is flavored by garlic, pepperoncino, Pinot Grigio and accompanied by lemon risotto. Pasta alla Genovese (Liguria): San Marzano tomato sauce flavors ziti pasta, along with cooked onion and simmered beef rib. “Dolce” – Desserts Mile-High Gelato Pie (Tuscany): A special creation that includes the delicious flavors of salted caramel, mocha, toasted coconut and Chantilly cream. Cannoli Siciliani di Ricotta (Sicily): Crunchy shells filled with delicious ricotta cheese flavored by marsala wine and chocolate chips. Tiramisu (Venice): Espresso-flavored quintessential Italian dessert with mascarpone cream. Unparalleled Service and Authentic Ambiance Enrich Experience Il Viaggio’s culinary team will be led full-time by an Italian executive chef. Carnival’s signature friendly service will make guests feel like family from the moment they enter, and in the fashion of renowned Italian restaurants, the staff will embody the warm hospitality and passion that characterizes Italian culture. The welcoming feeling will help create an exceptional and memorable experience for each guest during every visit. The refined backdrop of the restaurant will celebrate the theme of journeying through Italy. Through artwork and architectural touches that highlight the different regions featured on the menu, Il Viaggio’s visual aesthetic will bring to life a nuanced portrayal of journeying through diverse Italian landscapes and guests will also have the option to dine al fresco on the restaurant’s lanai. Il Viaggo also features a show kitchen, where guests will see chefs baking the fresh focaccia bread that servers will share at each table to welcome them. Altogether, the intimate ambiance of the restaurant will perfectly complement the menu to create the truly unique culinary voyage that offers guests a unique and immersive dining experience. Carnival Venezia is the first ship to showcase Carnival Fun Italian Style. It’s currently undergoing an enhancement project in Spain before embarking on a 15-day Carnival Journeys transatlantic sailing May 29, 2023 from Barcelona. The ship is set to arrive to her new home at in New York City and begin operations from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal on June 15, 2023. The ship accommodates more than 5,000 guests and will offer 10 different cruise durations and 22 unique itineraries featuring visits to 25 ports across 14 countries.

We sailed on the Pride for the first time this past March and had a wonderful time. We loved the decor, had really nice touches and had some neat features you don’t see on the bigger ships. She had just enough to keep you busy so as long as you don’t need all the modern bells and whistles found on the newer ships, you’ll be just fine. Would definitely return to the Pride in the future or one of the sister ships.