Carnival Luminosa officially arrived in Queensland, Australia, marking the first ship from the fleet to be homeported in Brisbane. Carnival Luminosa, which docked at the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal with a special “We Love Queensland” message to locals, will set sail on her first cruise on Nov. 6 and operate 28 sailings through April 13, 2023, visiting 60 ports of call across Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific including Airlie Beach and The Great Barrier Reef. These sailings will support Carnival Australia’s anticipated $165 million contribution to the Queensland economy this year.
Including Luminosa, Carnival is adding five beautiful new ships to its fleet over the next two years in a period of growth. Next in the lineup of exciting additions is the delivery of not one but two Excel-class ships – Carnival Celebration to Miami in late November and Carnival Jubilee to Galveston, Texas, next year.
As part of this growth plan, Carnival will also introduce a new concept, “Carnival Fun Italian Style” with two additional ships from sister brand Costa Cruises – starting with Carnival Venezia joining next spring and sailing year-round from New York City and Carnival Firenze in 2024 sailing from Long Beach and adding to Carnival’s strong presence on the West Coast.
“Carnival Luminosa is a testament to our ongoing commitment to Australia, and the start of a period of growth unlike any other in Carnival’s 50-year history,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Having a Brisbane-based ship has been a goal of ours for quite some time, so we are so happy that they are the first market globally to experience the big, bright, fun that this ship has to offer and so excited to give our guests more Carnival ships and itinerary options to sail over the next two years.”
Carnival Luminosa joined the fleet on Sept. 8 and underwent enhancements over the last two months including the addition of Carnival’s signature red, white and blue hull livery as well as guest favorites from other Carnival ships. Following her time in Brisbane, Carnival Luminosa will reposition for seasonal service from Seattle to Alaska next May, before returning to Queensland later in the year.
