CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE ANNOUNCES CARNIVAL CELEBRATION’S SENIOR OFFICERS

Experienced Team to Lead Next New Excel-Class Ship Arriving in Miami This Fall

As its newest ship is just three months away from joining the fleet, Carnival Cruise Line today named the senior leadership team of Carnival Celebration, set to arrive to Carnival’s hometown homeport, PortMiami, this November. Capt. Vincenzo Alcaras, Chief Engineer Fabien Gervaise and Hotel Director Pierre Camilleri will lead more than 1,700 crew members on the new ship.

Carnival Celebration is currently under construction at Meyer Turku in Finland, and its new leadership team is there getting acquainted with the new ship as construction is completed.

“We’re proud to assemble this team of talented and knowledgeable maritime professionals to lead a dedicated crew on our next innovative Excel-class ship, Carnival Celebration. We can’t wait to welcome guests to vacation with all this ship has to offer, and this team will ensure a great onboard experience for our guests,” said Carnival President Christine Duffy.

Get to Know Carnival Celebration’s Senior Officers

Capt. Vincenzo Alcaras: When Carnival Celebration completes its first week in service from Miami, Capt. Vincenzo Alcaras will also mark his 26th anniversary with Carnival Cruise Line. Starting in 1996, Capt. Alcaras, who is originally from Italy, worked on Carnival’s first Celebration iteration, the M.S. Celebration, as a second officer. He was promoted to first officer while on board M.S. Celebration and was then promoted to Safety Officer two years later. He first became captain in Sept. 2006 on Carnival Miracle. He’s worked on several ships throughout the fleet and he has been part of the inaugural team for newbuilds, overseeing the delivery of Carnival Breeze and Carnival Celebration’s Excel-class sister Mardi Gras.

“I have a strong connection with Carnival Celebration, like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep,” said Alcaras. “There’s nothing like standing at the edge of the ocean, seeing its vastness on the horizon, and doing so will be all the more special for me from this ship as it holds a special piece of my own personal history with Carnival Cruise Line.”

Five Facts about Capt. Vincenzo Alcaras

Favorite place on board: Wheelhouse

Favorite food on board: My recipe at Cucina Del Capitano

Favorite Playlist Show: Celestial Strings

Most memorable moment with Carnival: When I was appointed captain on Carnival Miracle in 2006.

Favorite things to do when not on board: I love to spend time with my family as much I can, read books and watch soccer.

Chief Engineer Fabien Gervaise: For more than 22 years, Fabien Gervaise has worked on many ships across the Carnival fleet, including several recent newbuilds. Born in France, he moved with his family to Italy when he was a child and went on to start with Carnival in April 2000 as a third engineer on Carnival Paradise. He was promoted within his first two years to second engineer and in the early 2000s, he also served as an onboard environmental officer. He became chief engineer in December of 2013 on Carnival Breeze.

Five Facts about Fabien Gervaise

Favorite place on board: The front of ship’s open deck

Favorite food on board: Bonsai Sushi

Favorite Playlist Show: Celestial Strings

Most memorable moment with Carnival: Alaska cruise with Carnival Legend among the fjords.

Favorite things to do when not on board: I’m a licensed amateur radio operator and I enjoy talking with friends all over the world and building electronic devices for communications. I also love fishing.

Hotel Director Pierre Camilleri: Now in his 18th year with Carnival, Camilleri joined the company in 2004 as hotel director after managing a variety of hotel and resort properties in his native Malta, as well as Europe and Asia. He has served as hotel director on several Carnival ships and has been part of the inaugural teams for Carnival Breeze, Carnival Vista, Carnival Horizon and Mardi Gras.

Five Facts about Pierre Camilleri

Favorite place on board: It will be The Gateway on Carnival Celebration

Favorite food on board: Big Chicken

Favorite Playlist Show: We Are One

Most memorable moment with Carnival: The day we sailed with guests on Mardi Gras during summer 2021 after the long pause.

Favorite things to do when not on board: Spending quality time with my three lovely daughters, Jessica, Julia and Ella based in England, Malta and Hungary.

Debuting from the redesigned Terminal F at PortMiami, Carnival Celebration will join sister Mardi Gras as the second Carnival ship in the fleet powered by a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) propulsion system, part of Carnival Corporation’s pioneering green cruising platform. Carnival Celebration will offer year-round, seven-day Caribbean sailings beginning with its inaugural cruise from Miami on Nov. 21.

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE TO BRING COSTA VENEZIA TO THE U.S. IN 2023, COSTA FIRENZE IN 2024, TO SAIL AS PART OF THE CARNIVAL FLEET

Carnival Cruise Line – proudly known as America’s cruise line announced today in a press release that they are teaming up with Costa Cruises – Italy’s favorite cruise line – creating a new concept for Carnival’s North American guests when COSTA® by CARNIVAL® debuts in the spring of 2023 and Costa Venezia TM   joins the Carnival fleet sailing from New York. Costa Venezia will be followed by Costa Firenze TM arriving in the spring of 2024 to sail from Long Beach.

Carnival will operate the ships, which will marry the great service, food and entertainment that Carnival’s guests enjoy with Costa’s Italian design features. “Costa Venezia and Costa Firenze will bring Carnival’s guests the ambiance and beauty of Italy,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.  “We’re going to invite our guests to Choose Fun with Carnival, Italian Style!”

“This is an exciting opportunity for us to operate two additional beautiful Vista class ships in the U.S. and bring a unique experience to those who love the culture, food and vibe of Italy,” said Duffy.  “There are lots of ways we plan to create an immersive fun experience for our guests who choose to sail on these ships, which have beautiful Italian-design elements, dining and retail that will deliver Carnival fun leveraging the spirit of Italy from our sister line Costa Cruises.”

Mario Zanetti, president of Costa Cruises, said, “We are excited to see these iconic ships make their debut in the U.S. under the leadership and operation of our sister brand.  Costa providing the beautiful ship with its’ Italian design and Carnival delivering FUN, Italian Style!”  Zanetti said that Costa will be informing clients impacted by this news.

Duffy said that the ships will continue operating their regular Costa itineraries until they are assigned to Carnival for dry dock work and deployment.  Deployment and itinerary plans are being finalized, with the Venezia announcement coming soon given the spring 2023 launch date. Costa Venezia and Costa Firenze are sister ships to Carnival Vista, Carnival Horizon and Carnival Panorama, weighing 135,500 gross tons and accommodating up to 5,260 guests.