Difference between Costa and Carnival.

[JOHN 57]

we will be on the Venezia, 29 September, and I have questions.

1.What is the difference between Carnival and Costa?

2. Why would Carnival exchange ships with Costa?

thank you.

[cruisinqt]

 

Carnival's strong points are: many homeports throughout the US, many itineraries, larger cabins, competive pricing, lots of food choices with many specialty restaurants being free, good value for the travel dollar, sailing year-round, and lots more late night activities like the night comedy club and late night deck parties. Carnival also has great spas with decent prices for services too. 

 

Carnival's weak points are: crowded ships, inconsistent food quality, and clinging shower curtains. Ignore the posts about Carnival being rowdy or a party ship. That’s not true. It’s just cruise snobs loyal to higher end cruise lines that like to perpetuate that baseless rumor. 

 

Costa's strong points: Competitive pricing, good value for travel dollar, excellent Italian food, toga night, and the chance to meet lots of European travellers

 

Costa's weak points: Past guest program, cigarette smoke, limited itineraries, limited US homeport, and they don’t sail year-round.

 

Overall, Carnival isn’t that much different than Costa except that there any as many European travelers on board or things that appeal to European travelers like Italian eateries. 

[JOHN 57]

thank you for your view, found it very interesting.

[kwokpot]

53 minutes ago, JOHN 57 said:

Why would Carnival exchange ships with Costa?

thank you.

Costa has excess capacity and the Venezia and Firenze were built for the Chinese market. With China still having a zero Covid lockdown protocols no one in China is traveling. Carnival has been more successful with the restart. Carnival has gotten rid of several of their smaller and older ships. They can use more ships. So this is a smart more to reallocate resources from the Carnival corporation by shuffling around ships from the brands they own. 

Edit :It's a similar strategy when Macy's bought rival Federated Department stores and then closing some department stores but reusing some of the landmark and best located real estate for the Macys brand. 

Edited November 24, 2022 by kwokpot

[JOHN 57]

8 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Costa has excess capacity and the Venezia and Firenze were built for the Chinese market. With China still having a zero Covid lockdown protocols no one in China is traveling. Carnival has been more successful with the restart. Carnival has gotten rid of several of their smaller and older ships. They can use more ships. So this is a smart more to reallocate resources from the Carnival corporation by shuffling around ships from the brands they own. 

Edit :It's a similar strategy when Macy's bought rival Federated Department stores and then closing some department stores but reusing some of the landmark and best located real estate for the Macys brand. 

thank you,a little clearer understanding.

[kwokpot]

1 minute ago, JOHN 57 said:

thank you,a little clearer understanding.

Also the costs of building ships has risen so high that for mass market cruiselines like Carnival it wouldn't pay to build brand new but smaller ships. That's why they transferred the Costa Luminosa even though it's 13 years old. Sometimes there's a need for a cruiseline to have a few smaller ships to leave from less popular Ports and/or sail itineries where the giant ships can't get to. That's why every mass market cruiseline are only building large ships. The cruiselines that are building new small ships charge much higher rates per cabin, which changes the financials of building new small ships and sailing them profitablely. 

[JOHN 57]

35 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Also the costs of building ships has risen so high that for mass market cruiselines like Carnival it wouldn't pay to build brand new but smaller ships. That's why they transferred the Costa Luminosa even though it's 13 years old. Sometimes there's a need for a cruiseline to have a few smaller ships to leave from less popular Ports and/or sail itineries where the giant ships can't get to. That's why every mass market cruiseline are only building large ships. The cruiselines that are building new small ships charge much higher rates per cabin, which changes the financials of building new small ships and sailing them profitablely. 

I was glued to every word, most interesting

[serene56]

19 hours ago, JOHN 57 said:

we will be on the Venezia, 29 September, and I have questions.

1.What is the difference between Carnival and Costa?

2. Why would Carnival exchange ships with Costa?

thank you.

   come next year-- that will not be a costa ship   Carnival purchased costa   and rebranding Costa by Carnival.       CCome next year that ship will be called Carnival Venezia      they are keeping a lot but also adding some things      Carnival is keeping it the italian themed 

[JOHN 57]

1 minute ago, serene56 said:

   come next year-- that will not be a costa ship   Carnival purchased costa   and rebranding Costa by Carnival.       CCome next year that ship will be called Carnival Venezia      they are keeping a lot but also adding some things      Carnival is keeping it the italian themed 

thank you, we are sailing on her Venezia 29 Sep.

[serene56]

1 minute ago, JOHN 57 said:

thank you, we are sailing on her Venezia 29 Sep.

im still waiting on a cabin assignments.   I think carnival did a disservice here and should have let PVP handle the move     We are booked for August 14.    I hope it works out well.  

[serene56]

4 minutes ago, JOHN 57 said:

thank you, we are sailing on her Venezia 29 Sep.

did you see John Healds video  

 

[JOHN 57]

4 minutes ago, serene56 said:

im still waiting on a cabin assignments.   I think carnival did a disservice here and should have let PVP handle the move     We are booked for August 14.    I hope it works out well.  

 

4 minutes ago, serene56 said:

im still waiting on a cabin assignments.   I think carnival did a disservice here and should have let PVP handle the move     We are booked for August 14.    I hope it works out well.  

we sail on 29 Sep on Venezia and have a cabin assignment.

[JOHN 57]

3 minutes ago, serene56 said:

did you see John Healds video  

 

yes, I did and it is a beautiful ship

[kdr69]

1 hour ago, serene56 said:

   come next year-- that will not be a costa ship   Carnival purchased costa   and rebranding Costa by Carnival.       CCome next year that ship will be called Carnival Venezia      they are keeping a lot but also adding some things      Carnival is keeping it the italian themed 

Carnival has owned Costa for years.

[kdr69]

20 hours ago, JOHN 57 said:

we will be on the Venezia, 29 September, and I have questions.

1.What is the difference between Carnival and Costa?

2. Why would Carnival exchange ships with Costa?

thank you.

Carnival hasn't "exchanged" ships they just reallocated underutilized capacity from one of their other lines.  Costa is an Italian styled cruise ship line they own.

[JOHN 57]

Just now, kdr69 said:

Carnival hasn't "exchanged" ships they just reallocated underutilized capacity from one of their other lines.  Costa is an Italian styled cruise ship line they own.

Yes, I saw that.