In another sign of rebound from Covid lockdowns, Carnival Cruise Line has announced it is adding a ship to its fleet that sails from L.A.’s port complex.
Carnival is a year away from bringing its newest ship to passengers, but guests can already find out about the Carnival Firenze.
The company, owned by the Miami-based Carnival Corp. & PLC has launched an online portal on which guests can register to be among the first to know all about the ship.
Carnival Firenze will join the Carnival lineup in spring of next year and will sail yearround from the Port of Long Beach.
Its destinations will include Baja and the Mexican Riviera, according to a release from Carnival.
Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said that the line embarks more passengers from California than any other cruise ship operator.
“When the ship joins our fleet, she’s going to bring our valued guests a new experience that complements our signature fun with the ship’s spectacular Italian atmosphere,” Duffy said in a statement.
The debut of the Firenze comes as the industry rebounds from the coronavirus pandemic, which forced a shutdown of all cruises for months.
Last year, Carnival Cruise Line served more than 500,000 guests from Long Beach. This year’s projections for passengers embarking from Long Beach are between 650,000 and 700,000, according to a company spokesman.
At the Port of Los Angeles, which handles cruise ships from Princess, Celebrity, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean lines, among others, 34 cruise ship calls handled 173,947 passengers in 2020, while in 2021 61 cruise ship calls handled 151,971 passengers. But last year, as the pandemic eased, 229 cruise ship calls brought about a million passengers through the World Cruise terminal, which is operated by Ports America, the largest marine terminal operator in North America.
The Firenze, which is currently operated by Costa Cruises, another subsidiary of Carnival, was built in 2020 by Fincantieri S.p.A., one of the largest shipbuilders in the world.
The ship will feature the cruise line’s new Carnival Fun Italian Style experience — think Italian-themed restaurants, bars and entertainment — which debuts with the June 2023 arrival of Carnival Venezia in New York.
“We are excited to see these iconic ships make their debut in the U.S. under the leadership and operation of our sister brand,” Mario Zanetti, president of Costa Cruises, said in a statement.
