Carnival Venezia

Carnival Venezia is a cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line, originally constructed and introduced as Costa Venezia for Costa Cruises. Both companies belong to Carnival Corporation and plc, which allowed the vessel to be shifted between the group's brands. The ship was built by the Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri at its yard in Monfalcone, near Trieste, and carries the IMO number 9801689. Her steel-cutting and coin ceremony took place on November 1, 2017, she was floated out of the building dock on June 22, 2018, and she completed sea trials in the Adriatic in late 2018 and January 2019. Fincantieri handed the finished ship to Costa Cruises on February 28, 2019. From the outset she was conceived specifically for the fast-growing Chinese cruise market, blending a classic Italian aesthetic with amenities tailored to Asian guests.

In terms of size and layout, the ship measures roughly 135,200 gross tons, stretches about 323 meters in length, and carries a beam of approximately 37 meters. She offers 14 passenger decks and accommodates around 4,208 guests at double occupancy, with a maximum capacity that climbs above 5,200 when every berth is filled. The defining design theme is a celebration of Venice, and the interiors draw heavily on the architecture, landmarks, and artistry of that city. The centerpiece is a grand multi-story atrium styled after the Piazza San Marco, which even features a full-size gondola as a decorative flourish. This Venetian motif carries through the theater, dining rooms, and public spaces, giving the ship a distinct sense of place regardless of which brand operates her.

Power comes from a diesel-electric arrangement built around MAN engines, combining two 14-cylinder units with three 8-cylinder units for a total installed output of roughly 62,400 kilowatts. This machinery drives the ship at a comfortable service speed in the low twenties of knots, suitable for the varied itineraries she has sailed under two different operators. Her scale and efficient propulsion place her firmly among the larger contemporary cruise vessels, though she is not among the very biggest ships afloat.

Sailing as Costa Venezia, the ship entered service on May 18, 2019, following a christening ceremony held on March 1, 2019 in which the honor of godmother went to a Costa loyalty guest, reflecting the vessel's Chinese-market focus. She was based year-round in Shanghai and operated cruises around East Asia aimed at Chinese travelers. The disruption of global cruising and shifting market conditions eventually ended her Asian deployment, and in May 2022 she was repositioned to the Mediterranean, sailing from Istanbul on European itineraries. That European chapter proved brief, and she wound down Costa service around December 2022 ahead of her planned move to another brand.

In a strategic realignment of Carnival Corporation's fleet, the company announced on June 22, 2022 that the ship would transfer from Costa Cruises to Carnival Cruise Line. The vessel entered the Navantia shipyard in Cadiz, Spain in March 2023 for a refit, and the formal handover and renaming to Carnival Venezia took place on March 22, 2023. Carnival introduced her under a novel marketing concept it dubbed "Carnival Fun Italian Style," a hybrid approach that preserved the ship's Italian character and Venetian theming while layering in the signature amenities, dining, and casual atmosphere that Carnival guests expect. Her first voyage for the new brand was a transatlantic repositioning crossing from Barcelona to New York that departed on May 29, 2023.

Under Carnival, the ship carries an array of top-deck attractions typical of the line's larger vessels, including waterslides and a splash park, a suspended ropes course, miniature golf, a running track, and sports facilities such as basketball and pickleball, along with multiple pools including one on the lido deck and another toward the stern. The dining and bar lineup reflects the Italian-fun fusion, pairing Carnival staples like Guy's Burger Joint, the Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse, and Bonsai Sushi with Italian-inflected venues such as the Il Viaggio specialty restaurant and a taco spot, with main dining rooms named Marco Polo and Canal Grande. Bars and lounges lean into the theme as well, with spaces like a spritz bar, a cocktail bar, and a Gondola Lounge complementing familiar Carnival entertainment venues.

The christening for the Carnival Venezia took place on June 14, 2023, with the American television host and comedian Jay Leno serving as the ship's godfather. She was established with a home port at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal in New York City, from which she sails a year-round program to the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and Bermuda, making her an appealing option for guests in the Northeast seeking to embark close to home. Beginning in December 2024, Carnival also scheduled seasonal week-long Caribbean sailings for the ship from Port Canaveral, Florida, broadening her deployment beyond New York.

As of mid-2026, Carnival Venezia remains in active service with Carnival Cruise Line, continuing to operate her mix of New York and seasonal Florida departures. She stands as a notable example of Carnival Corporation moving a ship between its brands to meet changing regional demand, and her enduring Venetian design gives the Carnival fleet a distinctive Italian-themed member that sets her apart from the line's purpose-built vessels.