Carnival Cruise Line to launch new 'Costa by Carnival' sailings using sister brand's ships
Carnival Cruise Line is set to welcome two more ships from sister line Costa Cruises.
As part of a new "Costa by Carnival" brand-within-a-brand experience that the line announced Wednesday, 4,208-passenger Costa Venezia and 4,232-passenger Costa Firenze will move to the Carnival fleet in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Costa Venezia and Costa Firenze — two of Costa Cruises' four newest vessels — will join the 2,260-passenger Costa Luminosa in transferring to Carnival. Costa Luminosa is scheduled to move to Carnival's fleet this September with a rebrand as Carnival Luminosa.
However, the former two ships, which have the same layout as Carnival's Vista-class vessels (Carnival Vista, Carnival Horizon and Carnival Panorama), will be operated without any physical rebranding. That means the ships will retain their original names and interior design aesthetic. As a result, passengers can enjoy Italian ambiance, combined with the food, entertainment, service and value they've come to expect from Carnival.
"This is an exciting opportunity for us to operate two additional beautiful Vista-class ships in the [United States] and bring a unique experience to those who love the culture, food and vibe of Italy," Carnival President Christine Duffy said in a statement. "There are lots of ways we plan to create an immersive fun experience for our guests who choose to sail on these ships, which have beautiful Italian-design elements, dining and retail that will deliver Carnival fun [and leverage] the spirit of Italy from our sister line Costa Cruises."
This might be the closest the cruise industry has come to a codeshare -- when airline brands form a partnership to operate flights on behalf of each other in an effort to cover more markets and sell more tickets.
Costa Venezia and Costa Firenze will continue to sail their scheduled itineraries for Costa until they move over to the Carnival fleet. The line has not yet released U.S.-based itineraries for either vessel, but Carnival has shared that the former will sail from New York City, and the latter will be based in Long Beach, California, near Los Angeles.
Sailings on the vessels will be crewed, operated and sold by Carnival, which means that passengers who book voyages on the ships after they relocate will earn loyalty credit toward Carnival's VIFP Club program, rather than Costa's C|Club.
In announcing the move, Carnival didn't give a reason for the vessel transfer between the brands or elaborate on why the ships would continue to operate under the Costa monikers. But the announcement comes as the line's parent company, Carnival Corporation, is in the midst of making changes to the fleets at several of its brands as it charts a path to recovery.
Carnival Corporation is the parent company of nine brands including Carnival, Costa, Princess Cruises, Holland America and Seabourn, all of which paused operations for months after the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020 and have only been slowly resuming normal service.
Carnival Corporation in March said occupancy on its ships was only at 54% during the first quarter of the year, far lower than normal. Only about 60% of the company's fleet capacity was back in operation in the first quarter.
As a result of the shutdown and slow restart, Carnival Corporation has lost billions of dollars over the past two years, forcing it to take on an enormous amount of debt. The company's debt load was $34.9 billion at the end of the first quarter.
Wednesday's announcement came just two days before Carnival Corporation was scheduled to discuss its financial situation in a conference call with Wall Street analysts.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.