Weinstein: More Carnival Cruise Line Capacity Generating Outsized Returns

Moving two former Costa Cruises ships originally built for sailing Asia to the Carnival Cruise Line brand in North America has been an instant success, said John Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corporation, speaking on the company’s second-quarter earnings call.

Weinstein said that Carnival Cruise Line will amount to about a third of Carnival Corporation capacity in 2023 and 2024, compared to approximately 25 per cent pre-pandemic.

The Venezia debuted in New York earlier in June and is the first of two ships that will operate under the ‘Fun Italian Style’ branding, with the Firenze set to join the fleet next year, sailing from Long Beach.

“These transfers are part of our portfolio management strategy, which is contributing to Carnival Cruise Lines’s capacity, growing 22 per cent more than pre-pause expectations. And Costa’s capacity is reduced by 36 per cent, compared to pre-pause expectations,” Weinstein explained.

“The added capacity to Carnival Cruise Line will not only generate outsized returns for the company but rightsizing the Costa brand is also having these desired effects of supporting its revenue profile confirmed by recent booking and pricing trends,” he said.

“We remain committed to our strategy of owning a portfolio of world-class brands, many of which are truly dedicated to specific markets and it’s clear the strength of this portfolio is now shifting into high gear.”

Photo: Antonio Silva

Costa Serena to Sail from Taiwan to Japan this Fall

Taiwan International Ports (TIPC) announced that the Costa Serena, which returned to sailing in Asia this year, will offer cruises to Japan in the fall of 2023.

The Costa Serena will sail three cruises to Okinawa, Japan from the Port of Kaohsiung in time for the mid-Autumn and National Day holidays in September and October.

In addition to sailing to Japan, the ship will return to Taiwan for regular homeport cruises first based out of Keelung and then Kaohsiung from July through October.

The Port of Kaohsiung has already set an all-time record this year with 157 cruise ship calls as of May 28, including 27 port-of-call visits.

The TIPC has recently opened a new Kaohsiung Port Cruise Terminal Building where automated smart passenger handling systems are being tested at the moment.

Upon completion, TIPC also plans to expand and upgrade the Penglai Cruise Terminal.

Carnival Debuts New Dinner Menu Onboard Carnival Dream

Carnival Cruise Line is launching its new dining room offerings onboard the Carnival Dream on Tuesday, June 20.

The updated offerings include new entrees, appetizers and desserts as well as steakhouse selections. 

Some of the featured dishes that will be served onboard the Carnival Dream include:

• Beef Spring Roll with noodles and honey barbeque sauce;
• Hawaiian Shrimp Poke with avocado, edamame, rice and creamy spicy sauce;
• Southern Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes and scallions;
• Spaghetti Carbonara with parmesan and garlic;
• Eggplant Cutlet la Parmigiana with mozzarella, basil and crushed tomatoes;
• New York Strip Loin Steak;
• Grilled Lamb Chops;
• Nana Cream Pie;
• A selection of ice cream and sorbet.

Carnival Cruise Line announced earlier this month that it will be enhancing its main dining room offerings in the upcoming months to feature nearly 60 new entrée presentations on rotation across the fleet.

The updated menus were created by Carnival’s culinary team led by Chief Culinary Officer Emeril Lagasse.