New Additional Carnival Cruise Ship Opens to First-Time Bookings

The upcoming Carnival Florence has officially opened to bookings for its first sailings in 2024 and 2025. The renovated “Carnival Fun Italian Style” ship will be based out of Long Beach, California and will offer a wide range of west coast itineraries from 3 to 7 nights.

Carnival Florence Opens for bookings

The soon Carnival Florence is now open for first reservations as part of the Fun Ship fleet from May 2024. The ship will sail year-round from Long Beach, California, and bookings are available from her first departure on May 2, 2024 through arrivals on April 2025.

The first-ever cruise is a 5-night voyage departing Long Beach on Thursday, May 2nd and visiting both Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, Mexicowith two days at sea to allow guests to experience the Italian atmosphere and carnival fun of the refurbished ship.

“Carnival Firenze is named after the spectacular city of Florence, Italy. Designed to evoke the same charm and beauty as Florence, she will also feature plenty of carnival fun brought to life by the friendly and dedicated team members who make cruising on our fleet unforgettable.” said Christine Duffy, President of Carnival Cruise Line.

A total of 15 itineraries with different departure days are now available to choose from Carnival Florenceand all will visit some of Mexico’s liveliest and most charming ports of call, including Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán and Cabo San Lucas.

Of particular interest are the 6-night cruises, which last two days Cabo San Lucas at the tip of the Baja Peninsula, one of the most beautiful destinations on the Mexican Riviera. There, guests can enjoy a range of excursions from dolphin encounters to camel rides to snorkeling, pirate ships, beach resorts, luxury sailing and much more.

Along with Mexican ports of call, Carnival Florence will also visit Catalina Island, a luxury destination off the Southern California coast and home to fantastic snorkeling, diving and other exploration opportunities.

Carnival Florence style

The Vista class, 135,156 gross tons Carnival Florence will be the third ship to join the Carnival fleet Costa Cruisesthat brings distinctive Italian flair but with the familiarity and convenience of Fun Ship.

Bright carnival was the first ship to be taken over by Costa Cruises, but without all the Italian flair. She now sails from Brisbane to the South Pacific and Australia. The ship will be relocated to Seattle for the 2023 Alaska sailing season but will return to Australia in the fall.

Carnival Venicewhat just was transferred to the Carnival fleet on March 22, 2023, is the first ship to truly embody the theme of Carnival Fun Italian Style. She will be brought home from New York year-round beginning mid-June after a two-month remodel that will add carnival venues and branding to the ship.

Carnival Florence will undergo a similar transformation while retaining much of her Italian personality in the overhaul. This allows guests to experience an all-new ship with architecture, venues and craftsmanship very different from other Carnival ships, including Italian restaurants, bars and entertainment.

Other Long Beach Carnival Ships

While West Coast cruise enthusiasts are excited that a new ship is planned to be the region’s homeport, other Carnival ships won’t be disappearing from Long Beach when Carnival Florence arrives

As of March 2023, more than a year before the debut of Carnival Florencethree other Carnival ships sail from Long Beach: carnival shine, Carnival PanoramaAnd Carnival Miracle.

“This truly stunning ship will serve as a great new option for cruising from Long Beach, joining Carnival Panorama and Radiance and offering a range of sail lengths to Baja Mexico and the Mexican Riviera.” Duffy said about the debut of Carnival Firenze.

While Carnival panorama And carnival shine will stay in Long Beach, Carnival Miracle will be relocating to San Francisco for both the 2023 and 2024 Alaskan seasons, providing a unique homeport option for this desirable destination.

In the fall of 2024, Carnival Miracle will be relocating to Galveston, Texas offering longer Caribbean sailings from this port. Deployment plans for Carnival Florence beyond April 2025 have not yet been announced.