Carnival Luminosa is looking ever more like an actual Carnival cruise ship as workers continue the whirlwind updates that have been ongoing now for some weeks. The newest ship in the fleet has already received a shiny fresh coat of paint, with the stunning new livery looking amazing.
The vessel also floated again for the very first time today as workers have completed the works to the ship’s hull, bow thrusters, and propellers.
One thing that does set Carnival Luminosa apart from the rest of the fleet is the funnel. While Carnival’s ships are known to have the iconic whale tale shape funnel, Carnival Luminosa has an entirely different design.
Carnival Luminosa Dry Dock Update
The newest cruise ship to join the Carnival Cruise Line fleet of ships, Carnival Luminosa, is getting closer to being completely transformed into a genuine Carnival Cruise Ship
Workers at the Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo, Italy, have been working hard to complete a massive list of works that will need to be done before Carnival Luminosa sets sail for the first time later this year.
Carnival Cruise Line took possession of the Spirit-class cruise ship last month, with the vessel operational for Italian cruise line Costa Cruises prior. Since the official handover ceremony at the shipyard on September 8, the shipyard has been a beehive of activity, of which the results look promising.
Already the vessel sports the new Carnival Cruise Line livery. First introduced on Mardi Gras, the hull now is a navy blue that swoops from the bow to close to the waterline, bordered by thin white and red lines.
Contractors at the shipyard also concluded the work that needed to be done to the hull below the waterline. Typically, during a dry dock, the shipyard will strip the hull from any growths compromising the vessel’s performance through the water.
In the case of Carnival Luminosa, all paint was stripped, and the vessel received a new hull coating. The coatings will reduce the resistance of the ship hull through water, reduce the needed engine power, and thus reduce fuel consumption.
Other jobs that have now been completed include maintenance on the vessel’s thrusters, which are used for maneuvering, and maintenance of the rudders and propellers. One area that does look distinctly Carnival, but in many ways does not, is the funnel.
What Happened to the Whale Tail?
Everyone who has looked to a port and seen a cruise ship lying there instinctively knows that a Carnival cruise ship is in due to the presence of the whale tail. The iconic whale tail has been a staple onboard Carnival’s ships since 1982 when it added one to the 1,412-passenger Tropicale.
However, the 92,720 gross tons, 2,826-passenger Carnival Luminosa is different. Instead of the whale tail, the vessel has kept the funnel design that it sailed with when operational under Costa Cruises.
Workers did apply the new livery colors, a three-quarter covering of navy blue, white line, and Carnival red. So, if Carnival is going through all the work of transforming the vessel, why not change the funnel?
Carnival Luminosa is part of a program called ‘Costa by Carnival.’ Carnival has decided to keep the original funnel and many interior design aspects that make Carnival Luminosa distinctly Italian to set the ships in the program apart from the rest of the fleet.
Carnival Luminosa is not the only ship to make its way to Carnival. Two more Costa Cruises’ newest vessels, Costa Venezia and Costa Firenze, will join the 2,260-passenger Costa Luminosa in 2023 and 2024. Costa Venezia will operate from New York, and Costa Firenze will sail out of Long Beach.
Carnival Luminosa will set sail from Brisbane, Australia, on November 6. From May next year, the vessel will be repositioning to Alaska. Homeporting from Seattle, Washington, Carnival Luminosa will offer guests 7-night cruises to Alaska.
