Carnival Firenze
Carnival Firenze brings Italian-influenced design to Carnival's Long Beach fleet as the line's newest arrival from the Costa family
Carnival Firenze entered the Carnival fleet in 2024, transferred from sister brand Costa Cruises where she sailed as Costa Firenze from 2020. At approximately 4,232 guests and 135,225 GT, Firenze is larger than the Dream class and similar in scale to the Vista class. Her Italian heritage — designed with Costa''s visual aesthetic, Florentine art themes, and Mediterranean interior sensibility — is retained in the transfer and makes her the most visually distinctive ship in Carnival''s Long Beach lineup. She homeports in Long Beach, California, running Mexican Riviera and Pacific Coast itineraries.
The Costa-to-Carnival transfer preserved more of Firenze''s original character than previous fleet reassignments in the industry. The ship''s Italian Renaissance interior theme — named for Florence (Firenze), with murals and architectural details referencing the Uffizi collection and Florentine cityscape — remains intact. The result is a Carnival ship that looks different from every other ship in the fleet: the public spaces carry a European gallery aesthetic that sits alongside Carnival''s programming rather than competing with it.
Firenze carries the Carnival amenity update: Guy''s Burger Joint and the standard pool-deck food program arrive as part of the Carnival conversion. The main dining rooms and specialty restaurants reflect the original Costa build with Carnival updates. The WaterWorks water park and Serenity Adults-Only Retreat are present. The ship''s physical scale allows for more outdoor deck space and cabin variety than the older Fantasy and Conquest class ships that also homeport in Long Beach.
Long Beach is the primary Pacific cruise homeport for Southern California, and Firenze''s arrival gave the port a newer, larger ship for the Mexican Riviera market. The itinerary range (Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta) suits the ship''s scale. Guests who find Carnival Radiance too small or who want a newer ship at the same homeport have a natural upgrade option in Firenze.
The ship''s Italian identity is a genuine differentiator. Guests who care about aesthetics and want something that doesn''t look like every other Carnival vessel will find Firenze interesting. Guests who expect the full Carnival entertainment and dining program will find it present alongside the Italian decor. The combination is unusual in the Carnival fleet and worth seeking out for the right traveler.