Carnival Cruise Line Adds Florida Homeport for Upgraded Ship

With Carnival Venezia almost ready to join the Carnival Cruise Line fleet, the cruise line announces the ship will be heading south to Florida for a new series of departures from Port Canaveral, Florida.

The addition of the former Costa Cruises ship boosts Carnival Cruise Line’s presence in one of its most popular homeports to five ships in the winter of 2024-2025.

Carnival’s newest ship will sail on her maiden voyage from New York City next month, following an extensive dry dock currently taking place in Spain.

New Itineraries Announced from Port Canaveral

Carnival Cruise Line is now accepting bookings for Carnival Venezia‘s newly announced itineraries, which include a series of departures from Port Canaveral for the winter season of 2024-25. After a winter in the sunny south, the Carnival Venezia will return to its New York homeport in the spring of 2025.

Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line: “The sailings we’re opening today will allow us to share this new signature fun with more guests and bring another truly dynamic offering to one of our most popular homeports. Carnival Venezia’s seasonal operation in Port Canaveral will bring our deployment there to five vessels and give our valued Carnival guests another great option when sailing from Central Florida.”

Departing from New York on December 6, 2024, Carnival Venezia will embark on a 12-Day Southern Caribbean Carnival Journeys Cruise, visiting destinations like St. Thomas, St. Croix, Aruba, Curacao, and Grand Turk. 

The ship will arrive in Port Canaveral on December 18, 2024, and embark on a four-day Bahamas cruise before kicking off its winter series of 15 seven-day cruises. The ship will also operate two special 14-day Carnival Journeys cruises before returning to New York in spring 2025.

Other Carnival Cruise Line cruise ships operating from Port Canaveral include Carnival Glory, Mardi Gras, Carnival Vista, and Carnival Freedom.

Port Canaveral Cruises onboard Carnival Venezia

The week-long sailings from Port Canaveral, set to commence in late 2024, will offer guests several different Caribbean cruise options. Six seven-day Exotic Eastern Caribbean Cruises will visit ports such as Grand Turk, San Juan in Puerto Rico, and St. Thomas. 

Two similar eastern Caribbean cruises, scheduled for January 5, 2025, and April 27, 2025, add Amber Cove to the list of calls. 

For guests interested in exploring the western region of the Caribbean, Carnival Venezia will sail various Exotic Western Caribbean cruises. Departing on December 29, 2024, January 26, 2025, and March 23, 2025, the itinerary includes visits to Mahogany Bay in Isla Roatan, Belize, and Cozumel, Mexico.

Other seven-day Western Caribbean cruises, departing on February 9, 2025, and March 9, 2025, include visits to Nassau in the Bahamas, Montego Bay in Jamaica, and Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. Another variation of this itinerary is available on April 6, 2025, and April 20, 2025, with calls to Nassau, Ocho Rios in Jamaica, and Grand Cayman.

In addition to its diverse lineup of seven-day cruises, Carnival Venezia will offer two special 14-day Carnival Journeys cruises from Port Canaveral.

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The first, a 14-day Southern Caribbean Cruise, will depart on January 12, 2025, visiting St. Thomas, Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, Barbados, St. Maarten, St. Kitts, and San Juan in Puerto Rico. 

The second 14-day Southern Caribbean Cruise departs on February 23, 2025, with a different set of destinations, including Grand Turk, Aruba, Curacao, Cartagena in Colombia, Colon in Panama, Limon in Costa Rica, and Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. 

Carnival Venezia to Sail from New York June 15, 2023

Carnival Venezia will operate from its New York homeport starting June 15, 2023. The ship will offer ten different cruise durations and 22 unique itineraries, visiting 25 ports across 14 countries from New York through December 2024.

The 135,500 gross tons Carnival Venezia has a passenger capacity of 4,208 guests at double occupancy and as many as 5,260 passengers at maximum capacity. The vessel is currently undergoing a major dry dock in Spain.

It will be the first ship to feature the ‘Carnival Fun Italian Style’ experience. Guests can look forward to enjoying many Carnival favorites, such as Guy Fieri’s Guy’s Burger Joint, the steakhouse Fahrenheit 555, Bonsai Sushi & Teppanyaki, and the Chef’s Table, among others. 

Several new dining and beverage offerings will also make their debut on the Carnival Venezia, including the new specialty restaurant, Il Viaggio, which offers a menu inspired by the diverse culinary regions of Italy.