Surprise, Carnival Cruise Line fans: You're getting a new ship!
Big news, Carnival Cruise Line fans: You're about to get a new ship.
The Miami-based cruise giant announced on Tuesday it would soon take over the operation of Costa Luminosa, a 13-year-old vessel currently in the fleet of sister line Costa Cruises.
Carnival said the vessel would join the Carnival fleet in September and begin operating voyages for the brand out of Brisbane, Australia, in November.
It'll be renamed Carnival Luminosa.
In tandem with the announcement, Carnival also revealed that it would no longer add a different Costa ship, Costa Magica, to its fleet later this year — something that had been in the works for nearly a year.
Built to hold 2,260 passengers at double occupancy, Costa Luminosa is a smaller vessel than the 2,718-passener Costa Magica. That means that the net result of Tuesday's announcements is that Carnival's fleet will have slightly less capacity by the end of the year than originally planned.
The announcements come as cruise lines continue to struggle to fill ships at reasonable prices as they ramp back up to full operations following extended COVID-19-related shutdowns.
Like many Costa ships, Costa Luminosa has a similar design to many vessels in the Carnival fleet. Measuring 92,720 tons, it's similar in size and shares many of the same design features as Carnival's four 88,500-ton Spirit Class ships — Carnival Spirit, Carnival Pride, Carnival Legend and Carnival Miracle.
Related: The 8 classes of Carnival ships, explained
The Spirit Class ships are known for their large number of balcony cabins and a pool area with a retractable roof — something that makes them useful in destinations with inclement weather such as Alaska.
Carnival said on Tuesday the newly named Carnival Luminosa would reposition to Seattle for the summer of 2023 for weekly sailings to Alaska. It'll then return to Australia for the following winter.
"Our Spirit-class ships are very popular with our guests, and Luminosa will be a great addition given the large number of balcony cabins which make her an ideal ship for this deployment," Carnival president Christine Duffy said in a statement accompanying the announcement. "And equally important, this will allow Carnival to finally start our highly anticipated itineraries from Brisbane, so we'll have two ships operating in Australia for the high season Down Under."
Related: The ultimate guide to Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Luminosa will be the 25th vessel in the Carnival fleet. The line also has a major new ship, the 5,280-passenger Carnival Celebration, scheduled to debut in December, bringing Carnival's ship count to 26.
On Tuesday Carnival said the line would make some modest updates to Costa Luminosa before returning it to service as Carnival Luminosa. However, the vessel will not immediately have all of the branded spaces that are common on Carnival ships.
Specific itineraries for the vessel after it begins sailing out of Brisbane will be announced shortly, the line said. The itineraries will include visits to the Great Barrier Reef and Airlie Beach in Australia and, eventually, such ports as Nouméa and Lifou Isle in New Caledonia, Port Vila and Mystery Island in Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.
Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:
- The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
- The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
- A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
- 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
- 15 ways cruisers waste money
- 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up
- What to pack for your first cruise
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.