Carnival's new ship offers Italian-style cruising

Venezia's atrium sets the tone for the ship.

You don’t have to go to Italy to get a taste of Venice.

Carnival Cruise Line has added a new ship to its fleet, Carnival Venezia, which puts an Italian twist on the “fun ship.” The ship departed on its first sailing from the U.S. on Thursday, a four-day round-trip cruise from its New York City homeport to Bermuda.

The ship originally debuted as part of Costa Cruises – also part of Carnival Corporation – in 2019 to serve China, but with the country’s international cruise market dormant in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the vessel was rehomed.

Venezia is the first vessel in a new concept, Carnival Fun Italian Style, and marks a stylistic departure for the line, with interiors inspired by its namesake city.

“We’re leaning into Italy and saying this is like our adopted daughter,” Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president, told USA TODAY.

A second former Costa ship, Carnival Firenze, will also begin sailing for the line in 2024.

Where will Carnival Venezia sail?

The ship, which can accommodate nearly 5,000 guests, will spend the summer sailing four-, five-, six- and eight-day cruises to Bermuda, the Caribbean, New England and Canada. In September, Venezia will start sailing between eight and 12-day itineraries to the Bahamas, Eastern Caribbean and Southern Caribbean, with select sailings also including a stop in Miami.

What can guests expect from Carnival Venezia?

The ship strikes a balance between its Italian theme and the brand’s signature features guests know. Venezia underwent renovations in the spring, keeping venues like the ship’s gelato bar – which became part of the line’s JavaBlue Cafe – in place while adding some entirely new elements and Carnival-specific touches.

The line introduced Il Viaggio, a new specialty restaurant serving cuisine from various regions of Italy, as well as Amari – a venue similar to Alchemy Bar on other Carnival ships – which serves drinks with a range of Italian liqueurs and bitters. The ship also hosts a new Italian street party with live music and street food at the ship’s Lido pool.

Even Guy Fieri’s Carnival mainstay, Guy’s Burger Joint, returned with a twist: on Venezia, the casual eatery features special menu items like a burger with toppings including fresh mozzarella, diced tomato, balsamic and fried basil. Other familiar venues include the steakhouse Fahrenheit 555, Bonsai Sushi and Bonsai Teppanyaki.

The ship also has close to 2,000 staterooms, a bocce ball court (a first for the line), water park, gym, spa, and more, with details throughout that remind guests they are not on just any Carnival vessel: arches and faux-greenery covered columns abound at the Lido pool, for instance, and the Venetian gondola inside the Canal Grande restaurant is hard to miss.