Carnival Luminosa set sail on her first cruise since being converted over to a Carnival Cruise Line Funship. The cruise ship was transferred over from sister cruise line Costa Cruises.
Carnival Luminosa departed from Brisbane, Australia yesterday on the first of 28 cruises from the country. Guests on board this inaugural cruise from Brisbane, a seven-night Great Barrier Reef cruise, are the first to experience the unique features Carnival Luminosa brings to the Carnival Cruise Line fleet after transitioning from sister-brand Costa Cruises in September and undergoing enhancements and updates over the past two months.
“Bringing a Carnival ship to Queensland has been a long-term goal of ours, so this is a special occasion as it meets that goal and completes our two-ship deployment plan for Australia by complementing Carnival Splendor’s year-round service offerings from Sydney, while also underscoring our commitment here as we celebrate 10 years of operations in Australia,” said Carnival Cruise Line Chief Commercial Officer and Executive Vice President Ken Tate, who took part in the festivities ahead of the ship’s departure.
Carnival Luminosa is part of a significant fleet expansion for Carnival Cruise Line and began guest operations on the same day as the company’s newest Excel-class ship, Carnival Celebration, departed on its inaugural cruise from Southampton, England, to its homeport in Miami.
A third Excel-class ship, Carnival Jubilee, will join the fleet next year. Another part of Carnival’s growth plan includes a new concept, “Carnival Fun Italian Style” – with two additional ships from sister brand Costa Cruises, starting with Carnival Venezia sailing year-round from New York City in spring 2023 and Carnival Firenze following in 2024 with sailings from Long Beach, California.
After a season of sailing in Australia, Carnival Luminosa will head to Seattle for the 2023 Alaskan cruise season.