Actor Jonathan Bennett christens Carnival Firenze in California

The vessel is the fifth new ship to be added to the Carnival Cruise Line fleet in 18 months

By Laura Hyde | 26 April 2024

Carnival Cruise Line has christened its newest ship, Carnival Firenze, at the Long Beach Cruise Terminal in California.

The ship’s godfather, American actor Jonathan Bennett, was joined by Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, and Captain Enzo Palomba at the naming ceremony. Celebrating all things Italian, the ceremony included a performance of Puccini’s Nessun Dorma by Carnival's Playlist Productions cast and Father Charbel Grbavac of the Mary Star of the Sea Catholic church, in nearby San Pedro, making a running jump onto the stage to deliver a blessing.

The naming ceremony celebrated all things Italian

Carnival Firenze, which was built in 2020 for Costa Cruises, joined the Carnival fleet in February 2024 before undergoing a 49-day dry dock in Cadiz, Spain, to add Carnival’s Italian-style features to the ship. Sister ship to Carnival Venezia, the ship features new concepts and experiences with an Italian twist on Carnival staples, including the speciality restaurant Il Viaggio (Italian for ‘The Voyage’) and special entertainment options, such as Festa Italiana, a top-deck street party.

Bennett, who is best known for his role in the 2004 comedy Mean Girls, was made an honourary Italian for the evening

The 5,000-guest Carnival Firenze is part of a significant expansion by Carnival Cruise Line, which has added five ships to its fleet in the past 18 months. It will sail year-round from the Port of Long Beach, joining the cruise line’s ships that currently homeport in California: Carnival Panorama and Carnival Radiance.

Currently sailing a seven-day cruise to destinations in Mexico, Carnival Firenze will sail a variety of different length itineraries utilising artificial intelligence to create optimal, energy-saving routes on each sailing.

By 2025, Carnival will embark more than 750,000 guests from Long Beach on more than 200 sailings, an increase of 100,000 more guests compared to 2019.

“We carry more guests than any other cruise line from California, and now this ship is giving us the opportunity to offer more fun to more people sailing from Long Beach,” said Duffy. “The recipe combining this ship’s beautiful Italian theming with the familiarity of our friendly team’s hospitality is, in a word, perfecto!”