COSTA LUMINOSA GOING TO CARNIVAL

[maryann2]

  Name will be Carnival Luminosa.  Costa Magica is going back to Costa.

Costa Luminosa will be sailing in the Australian market in Winter and doing Alaska in the Summer.

 

Edited June 15, 2022 by maryann2

[kremerlorraine]

We've just had the cancellation e-mail for our 50-day Luminosa cruise from Buenos Aires next February. They are offering two "segments" of the world cruise on Deliziosa instead, but the consultant I contacted today doesn't have any information as to what those segments are. Really disappointed to lose the opportunity to cruise the Amazon (at least at a reasonable price!)

[Wansbrough]

Strange when you think that the ship will be almost identical but with the whale tail funnel and they are sending it down under. Obviously its a brand/image thing.

[BVILady]

On 6/15/2022 at 12:51 PM, kremerlorraine said:

They are offering two "segments" of the world cruise on Deliziosa instead, but the consultant I contacted today doesn't have any information as to what those segments are. Really disappointed to lose the opportunity to cruise the Amazon (at least at a reasonable price!)

That surprises me, last time I checked there hadn't really been a lot of availability on Deliziosa for the 2023 World Cruise and have not been aware of any segments either. I am sorry to hear your cruise was cancelled, hoping to do this one at a later date to cruise the Amazon and northern part of Brazil. I think HAL has a cruise to the Amazon but at a more expensive rate. So where is Magica going then, all her scheduled cruises had been already cancelled.

[kremerlorraine]

Still waiting for more information from our personal consultant (in the French market). We are on the Pacifica in the Caribbean until 15 January, so wouldn't be able to join from the beginning anyway. I'm not hopeful that they will find us a balcony cabin. They have sold segments of the world cruise in the past, but usually last minute. I'll check out HAL. The only other Amazon cruises I've found are with Regent Seven Seas and Seabourn - not what I'd call affordable!

[kremerlorraine]

On 6/16/2022 at 6:57 PM, BVILady said:

That surprises me, last time I checked there hadn't really been a lot of availability on Deliziosa for the 2023 World Cruise and have not been aware of any segments either. I am sorry to hear your cruise was cancelled, hoping to do this one at a later date to cruise the Amazon and northern part of Brazil. I think HAL has a cruise to the Amazon but at a more expensive rate. So where is Magica going then, all her scheduled cruises had been already cancelled.

Your instinct was right - we've been told today that there is no availability on the 2023 WC. But they have offered two sectors on the 2024 WC, which we are interested in doing - probably Santiago de Chile - Sydney - Singapore. 

[molecrochip]

Venezia and Firenze to also move across ‘temporarily’ from 2023 and 2024 respectively U.K. become Costa by Carnival.

[maryann2]

12 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

Venezia and Firenze to also move across ‘temporarily’ from 2023 and 2024 respectively U.K. become Costa by Carnival.

Yes will be interesting.

Seems they will remain Costa ships but managed by Carnival.

Costa Venezia to sail out of New York and Costa Firenze to sail out of Long Beach California.

 

https://www.cruisehive.com/two-more-costa-ships-to-join-the-carnival-cruise-line-fleet/74682

 

[sealynx]

This makes me wonder if business for Costa is going well or not. Of course they've added two giants to their fleet, but that was planned years ahead. Apparently they don't have the bookings in the med to keep their fleet intact, so they need to dispose of Luminosa. On the other hand, MSC is adding extra capacity to the med with the transfer of the Bellisima. If the market was the same for Costa, they wouldn't have the need to dispose of the Luminosa, but they would also have the possibility to get the Firenze and Venezia (either or both) to their home market.

[BVILady]

3 hours ago, sealynx said:

This makes me wonder if business for Costa is going well or not. Of course they've added two giants to their fleet, but that was planned years ahead. Apparently they don't have the bookings in the med to keep their fleet intact, so they need to dispose of Luminosa. On the other hand, MSC is adding extra capacity to the med with the transfer of the Bellisima. If the market was the same for Costa, they wouldn't have the need to dispose of the Luminosa, but they would also have the possibility to get the Firenze and Venezia (either or both) to their home market.

I have been wondering about all this shifting around. Maybe the reason is that they have lost all the Russian customers in the Med, so they are moving these ships temporarily to serve other markets. Must be quite a struggle.

[Essiesmom]

 It weren’t these two ships intended/built for the China trade, which doesn’t exist right now…?  Better to bring them to the US and see what happens.  Introduce Americans to Costa in English so they will be willing to book Costa in Europe rather than waiting for Carnival to send a ship over for the season.  EM

[Janet&Carl]

On 6/23/2022 at 6:04 PM, sealynx said:

This makes me wonder if business for Costa is going well or not. Of course they've added two giants to their fleet, but that was planned years ahead. Apparently they don't have the bookings in the med to keep their fleet intact, so they need to dispose of Luminosa. On the other hand, MSC is adding extra capacity to the med with the transfer of the Bellisima. If the market was the same for Costa, they wouldn't have the need to dispose of the Luminosa, but they would also have the possibility to get the Firenze and Venezia (either or both) to their home market.

 

Both Firenze and Venezia were built specifically for the Chinese market and no one else was able to book them. China has not resumed cruising so they are "spare".  It makes sense to take them to Carnivals biggest market but Costa does not have the same following as Carnival.  Both owned by the same parent company so to market them it makes sense to do it this way. .... 

 

Costa Venezia is a Vista-class cruise ship operated by Costa Cruises. Originally intended to serve the Chinese market, she debuted in Shanghai on May 18, 2019

 

Built at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard, Costa Firenze is the second ship of Costa Asia

 

Edited July 3, 2022 by Janet&Carl

[Wansbrough]

Spotted this the other day....

 

https://www.carnival.com/cruise-ships/carnival-luminosa

 

 

 

 

 

[Dancer Bob]

Mentioned Venezia to a New York-based organiser who does a lot of business with Costa. Her Costa contact said the ships are expected to be completely Carnival-ised, staff on Carnival contracts, etc etc. They don't expect it to be a Costa experience and it wouldn't be suitable for her.

Edited July 12, 2022 by Dancer Bob

[gkbiiii]

I saw the TV series about the ship and crew: question, what does the ship's interior look like now?

[Wansbrough]

Just picked these up on Twitter. 

What an earth are thinking? Is anyone going to take this seriously? 

 

[CarnivalShips480]

I really like the Carnival Venezia and Carnival Firenze plans and livery, I think they did a very good job.

 

Also, usually when there is a sign up, the itineraries are released the next week so I am hoping that is true for this too.