Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Luminosa is celebrating its 15th year of service this month. Originally built for Costa Cruises, the cruise ship began its inaugural season on May 5, 2009.
After being delivered by the Fincantieri shipyard, the ship, then known as Costa Luminosa, offered a ten-night preview cruise in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Departing from Venice, the voyage included stops in Mykonos, Rhodes, Piraeus and Olympia, Greece; as well as Bari, Italy; and Istanbul and Izmir, Turkey.
After a second cruise in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Luminosa finally embarked on its official maiden voyage on June 3, 2009.
Serving as a repositioning cruise to Northern Europe, the sailing started from the Italian port of Civitavecchia.
Before concluding in the Dutch port of Amsterdam, the open-jaw sailing also included visits to ports in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and England.
During the maiden voyage, the Luminosa participated in a unique dual christening ceremony in Costa’s spiritual home, the Italian port of Genoa.
Together with the Costa Pacifica, the 2,260-guest ship was named by godmother Valentina Vezzali, an Olympic fencing champion.
After more than ten years of sailing for Costa, the Luminosa was transferred to the Carnival Cruise Line fleet in late 2022.
Renamed Carnival Luminosa, the vessel underwent a significant refurbishment before starting service in Australia and the South Pacific.
During the refit, the ship received Carnival’s signature features, such as the Cloud 9 Spa, the Carnival Seaside Theater, the Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, the Alchemy Bar and the Limelight Lounge.
In addition to winter seasons in Australia, the Luminosa has spent its summers serving the North American market in Alaska and Canada.
Following a 31-night repositioning cruise from Brisbane, the ship recently began its second season in the region.
The program includes regular seven-night cruises departing from Seattle, which include visits to Victoria, Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, as well as scenic cruising at Tracy Arm Fjord.
