My latest cruise adventure finds me sailing on a unique ship in the Carnival Cruise Line fleet, the Carnival Venezia. Carnival Venezia might be trying to rock the Fun Ship energy the brand is known for today, but she actually started her life as a ship with a totally different vibe.

Originally built for Costa Cruises, a sister brand under the Carnival Corporation umbrella, the ship was first launched in 2019 as Costa Venezia. She was designed to cater specifically to the Chinese market, with décor inspired by—you guessed it—Venice, Italy. Think gondolas, golden accents, and a whole lot of over-the-top Italian flair.

However, as travel demand shifted, Carnival decided to bring the ship over to the U.S. fleet. Instead of spending a lot of money on a total overhaul, they leaned into the ship’s existing style and created a whole new concept: “Carnival Fun Italian Style.” The idea was to mix the best of Carnival’s signature fun with Costa’s elegant European touches, creating what one could call a “Carnival identity crisis.” In June 2023, after a bit of a makeover, she officially debuted as Carnival Venezia, setting sail from New York City.

Carnival Venezia is a Vista-class ship and shares much of the same layout as her sister ships—Vista, Horizon, Panorama, and another Costa ship given the same treatment, Firenze. Even though she still maintains a distinct Italian flair (her atrium is modeled after St. Mark’s Square in Venice), Carnival added their signature touches—like Guy’s Burger Joint, Bonsai Teppanyaki, a new-to-the-line Italian restaurant, and the ever-popular Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse. And yes, there’s still plenty of pizza because, well, Italy.

Atrium of the Carnival Venezia
Atrium of the Carnival Venezia

On the outside, Carnival Venezia does not have the signature Carnival whale-tail funnel, with the line opting to keep the yellow Costa “C” funnel. Additionally, her livery is similar to that of other Carnival ships, with the exception of the red stripe that runs from bow to stern—on Venezia and Firenze, it’s Costa yellow.

On the inside, the ship’s layout is pretty much what someone who has sailed on another Vista-class ship would find familiar. The three-story atrium remains the hub of activity for drinking, shopping, entertainment, and dining. The Lido pool area is much smaller, but not due to a shrinking of the ship—it’s because of theming elements such as pillars and nooks and crannies that take up a lot of space. A unique feature for ships sailing the Caribbean is the retractable roof over the Lido pool.

Carnival Venezia's Lido deck is modeled after the Italian Riviera that boasts a retractable roof, so the pool can still be enjoyed when the ship departs and returns to New York in colder months.
Carnival Venezia’s Lido deck is modeled after the Italian Riviera that boasts a retractable roof, so the pool can still be enjoyed when the ship departs and returns to New York in colder months.

Carnival Venezia Gets New Livery in Preparation for Fun Italian Style

So what does Venezia share with her Vista-class cousins?

Pretty much everything! With a few exceptions:

  • Havana staterooms with the private Havana pool and deck area are now called Terrazza staterooms.
  • The Havana Bar is replaced with the Carnevale Bar and Lounge.
  • Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse doesn’t have an in-restaurant bar for pre-dinner cocktails.
  • Where the Alchemy Bar would be, there’s the Amari Bar serving up classic cocktails.
  • Il Viaggio Italian restaurant replaces Cucina del Capitano with the Frizzante bar right outside. At $42 per person, it’s much more expensive than Cucina del Capitano on other ships but features a more robust menu.
  • Guy’s Burger Joint is onboard but features a tweaked menu with additional burgers that have an Italian twist.
  • BlueIguana Cantina (for tacos and burritos) is now Tomodoro, offering those Mexican faves plus a few Italian sandwiches.
  • There’s no RedFrog Brewery and Pub—in its place is Rococo Bar, offering frozen drinks. However, RedFrog beer is still available onboard.

Getting used to the layout…

The interior of Carnival Venezia is a vast departure from traditional Carnival ships and takes some getting used to. As I mentioned before, a lot of architectural theming takes up a LOT of space, making areas feel very crowded. I’ll be talking about this more over the course of the week—some areas are improvements, while some are complete pains in the proverbial butt.

Besides the noticeable changes in the public spaces, the staterooms are a big change—and one for the better. While the layout of the rooms is pretty standard, the décor is an upgrade for Carnival. Think faux dark wood, lots of gold accents, beautiful frames around mirrors, a more elegant bathroom with faux marble, and showers with glass doors! The staterooms feel more upscale, and even the hallways look much nicer than on other Carnival ships.

I’ll have lots to say about these things over the course of the week, but let’s turn to Day 1 and where I’ll be heading this time around.

This is a seven-day Western Caribbean cruise with stops in:

  • Nassau, The Bahamas
  • Montego Bay, Jamaica
  • George Town, Grand Cayman

Carnival Venezia sails from Port Canaveral, about an hour from Orlando and about three hours from where I live in Delray Beach. After driving up, my travel companions and I arrived at Terminal 3 just before 1 PM. Parking was a bear, and we snagged one of the last available spots on the roof of the parking garage.

Boarding & First Impressions

Check-in was smooth as silk. After a quick run through security—where, for once, there were no dogs sniffing for weed—we were onboard the ship in less than 30 minutes.

Before heading to my stateroom, I checked in to my muster station. Carnival Venezia, like other ships in the fleet, uses self-mustering. This involves walking to your assigned muster station, having your keycard scanned, and then watching the safety video on your stateroom TV. A simple process that takes just a few minutes.

Carnival Venezia Stateroom 2338: Cove Balcony

For this trip, I’m sailing in a Cove Balcony stateroom, #2338, located on Deck 2 midship. A Cove Balcony is close to the waterline, so instead of a glass railing, you have an open-air “window” cut through the ship’s hull—still giving you fresh air and a nice view.

The room features:

  • Two twin beds (convertible to a king)
  • A desk/vanity with a hairdryer
  • Small cooler
  • Two USB ports, two US power outlets, and two different European outlets
  • A large-screen TV across from the bed
  • A sofa bed that can sleep two
  • An in-room safe
Stateroom 2338 on Carnival Venezia
Stateroom 2338 on Carnival Venezia
Stateroom 2338 on Carnival Venezia
Stateroom 2338 on Carnival Venezia
Stateroom 2338 on Carnival Venezia
Stateroom 2338 on Carnival Venezia

The bathroom is tiny, with a small sink, toilet, and a glass-door shower. One weird thing—there’s only shower gel in the dispenser, labeled as “Shower Gel & Shampoo.” Spoiler: It’s just shower gel, so bring your own shampoo.

Bathroom of Stateroom 2338 on Carnival Venezia
Bathroom of Stateroom 2338 on Carnival Venezia

The balcony itself is tight, with two chairs and a small table—all showing their age. If you’re someone who wants unobstructed ocean views, a Cove Balcony isn’t for you—as lifeboats hang above and limit the view.

Stateroom 2338 on Carnival Venezia
Stateroom 2338 on Carnival Venezia

Video Tour of Cove Balcony Stateroom 2338 on Carnival Venezia

Sail Away Party

When it was time for sail away, I headed up to the Lido Deck—only to be shocked at how “built up” it is compared to other ships. On a typical Carnival ship, the Lido Deck is the place for a HUGE sail-away party. Not here. The Italian theming takes up so much space that it kills that whole “let’s get the party started” vibe Carnival cruisers expect.

Trying to find a good spot on Deck 11 to catch the action on Deck 10 below was rough. This was made even worse by the crew stowing all the lounge chairs from Deck 11 along the railings overlooking the Lido Deck. This took away the only open viewing space for people to catch the already small sail-away party happening below.

The sail-away vibe was absolutely, positively NOT the same as other Carnival cruises. It felt more like a polite gathering than a rowdy send-off, and honestly, that was disappointing.

Sail Away Party on Carnival Venezia
Sail Away Party on Carnival Venezia
Sail Away Party on Carnival Venezia
Sail Away Party on Carnival Venezia
Sail Away Party on Carnival Venezia
Sail Away Party on Carnival Venezia

Super Bowl Sunday Onboard

Since it was Super Bowl Sunday, all of the evening activities centered around the big game, which was shown in multiple areas of the ship, including:

  • The main theater
  • The big screen on the Lido Deck
  • Inside Heroes Bar

Even Guy’s Burger Joint stayed open until 10 PM to keep the hungry football fans well-fed.

With most people glued to the game, the restaurants were EMPTY—including the main dining room. If you were looking for a quiet night to grab dinner, this was the perfect time to eat without a reservation.

Main Dining Room Menu

Main Dining Room Dinner

Around 8 PM, I headed to the main dining room since I had Anytime Dining. The process is easy—just open the Carnival Hub App, tell it you’re ready to eat, and when a table is available, you’ll get an alert to head to the dining room.

Needless to say, I didn’t have to wait and walked into a nearly empty dining room.

For dinner, I ordered:

  • Cobb Salad (as an appetizer instead of an entrée) – Fresh lettuce, veggies, grilled chicken, and vinaigrette. A good-sized salad, but if you ordered it as your entrée, you’d definitely want something else too!
  • Beef Short Ribs – Served with green beans and mashed potatoes. Super tender and flavorful!
  • Fresh Fruit for dessert – Keeping it simple!
Cobb Salad from the MDR on Carnival Venezia
Cobb Salad from the MDR on Carnival Venezia
Short Ribs from the MDR on Carnival Venezia
Short Ribs from the MDR on Carnival Venezia
Fruit Plate from the MDR on Carnival Venezia
Fruit Plate from the MDR on Carnival Venezia

While the food was decent, the biggest issue with dining in Carnival’s main dining rooms is how rushed the experience feels.

I noticed that as soon as I ordered, all three courses were brought out at the same time and left covered at the server station. As soon as the salad was cleared, the main dish was brought over. And when that was finished? Dessert immediately followed.

Honestly, I hate feeling rushed when I’m on a cruise. Dinner should be relaxing, not a speed run to get you out the door so they can turn the table. Start to finish, my meal was over in under 45 minutes. Not exactly the leisurely dinner experience I was hoping for.

If I had to rate the meal? 3 out of 5 stars.

Casino Time: No Luck, Lots of People

After dinner, I wandered into the casino, which was absolutely packed—even with the Super Bowl still going on. Finding an available machine was a challenge.

And when I did finally find one? Let’s just say… it took my money and ran.

A quick walk around the ship before heading to bed showed Eagles fans celebrating their win, but surprisingly, nobody was out of control. Carnival’s security team was out in full force, ensuring everything stayed calm. Their visible presence was definitely a good thing—it kept the party fun without letting things get wild.

Tomorrow: Nassau, The Bahamas

Our first port of call is Nassau, where Carnival Venezia is scheduled to dock at 10:15 AM.

I’ll be checking out what’s new at the port, exploring the ship a little more, and sharing my thoughts on how Carnival Venezia compares to other Fun Ships.

Stay tuned!

Carnival Fun Times for Day 1:

 

Personal Day-By-Day Carnival Venezia Cruise Review:

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