Carnival Venezia Makes Long-Awaited Debut From New York City

The latest addition to the Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet, Carnival Venezia, has embarked on its inaugural voyage from New York City today. The arrival of the first ‘Carnival Fun Italian Style’ has been eagerly anticipated by fans of the cruise line and those eager to sail onboard the former Costa Cruises ship from the Big Apple. 

Carnival Venezia set sail to Bermuda after a spectacular and Fun naming ceremony on Wednesday evening, hosted by the first-ever Godfather for Carnival Cruise Line, Jay Leno. 

Special Inaugural Event Sets Sail

The latest addition to the Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet, Carnival Venezia, embarked on its inaugural voyage from New York City today, June 15, 2023.

The first cruise will sail to King’s Wharf, Bermuda, where she arrives on June 17. She will return for her next cruise, an 8-night cruise to the Eastern Caribbean, on June 19. The newest cruise ship in Carnival’s fleet made her grand arrival in the city on June 13.

Carnival hosted a welcome event at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal to commemorate the ship’s maiden voyage from New York. The festivities began on Wednesday evening with a naming ceremony onboard and continued into Thursday morning with the boarding of the first guests.

The event was highlighted by a special blessing from Father Enrique Salvo of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The 135,500 gross tons cruise ship also received a visit from Jay Leno, the acclaimed comedian and Late-Night television host, who has been named the first-ever godfather of a Carnival ship. 

In addition to his godfatherly duties, Leno performed a unique comedy show exclusively for the event attendees.

In her remarks, Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, celebrated Leno’s participation, stating,  “By highlighting his own Italian heritage, Jay is helping us celebrate the Italian theming guests will experience when they cruise on this beautiful ship.”

On Thursday morning in the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, Christine Duffy held a special event to receive guests boarding the newly named cruise ship. Accompanied by Captain Claudio Cupisti and a group of early boarders, Duffy led a ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the official start of the embarkation process.

Given the strong historical ties between New York City and Italy, Carnival Cruise Line could not have picked a better place to homeport its first-ever ‘Italian Fun Ship.’

“We’ve heard great reviews from guests who sailed on the ship’s transatlantic crossing, and now I am so happy to welcome our first guests joining us from New York to enjoy what’s in store for them,” Duffy said.

Carnival Venezia: Fun Italian Style

Carnival Venezia, a Vista-class cruise ship, was formerly a part of the Costa Cruises fleet, destined to sail in China. After an extensive refurbishment, the vessel now boasts popular Carnival favorites while maintaining its unique Italian flair, offering guests an experience of American spirit blended with Italian elegance. 

It marks the introduction of Carnival’s innovative “Fun Italian Style” concept, which integrates the line’s signature fun-filled elements with Italian design reminiscent of her past.

Following her inaugural cruise, Carnival Venezia has a summer schedule packed with four-, five-, six-, and eight-day sailings. 

Destinations include the Caribbean, Bermuda, and ports in Canada and New England. After the summer, from September 29, 2023, the ship will embark on eight- to 12-day cruises to the Eastern Caribbean, Southern Caribbean, and The Bahamas from Port Canaveral. 

Highlights include Saint Thomas, San Juan, Aruba, and four of Carnival’s private destinations: Half Moon Cay, Princess Cays, Amber Cove, and Grand Turk.

Carnival Venezia is the first of three new cruise ships joining the Carnival fleet over the next year. Next up will be Excel-class LNG-powered Carnival Jubilee, which is expected to make her debut on December 23 from Galveston, Texas. 

Carnival Firenze will be handed over to Carnival by Costa Cruises later this year and will debut from Long Beach, California, on May 2, 2024.