Carnival Luminosa/Alaska

[rnr4thatsme]

Ok, before you shoot me down, lol... we are a group of middle aged couples planning an Alaskan cruise - high priority on a nice ship/good entertainment - balanced with desire to see Alaska for the first time.  One party put forth the request to consider Luminosa as they love Carnival.  I see nothing on this board about them. I enjoy their southern cruises, I'm ok with the Walmart of the Seas in general, lol, and would go on a southern trip again with them.

[Ferry_Watcher]

The Luminosa is a much different ship that the usual Carnival fleet.  It was purchased from a European shipping company and went into service for Carnival last summer sailing out of Seattle.  It is a beautiful ship, and it looks more like a HAL ship rather than a Carnival ship (at least last summer the Luminosa didn't have the distinctive 'whale tail' on the smoke stack).  It also one of the smaller Carnival ships.

 

Here is a photo of the Luminosa that I took while on another ship in Alaska,

[karatemom2]

If you want to visit Glacier Bay in Alaska and have better port times, you might want to compare some alternate lines. But if you are fine with more limited port hours and less scenic glacier viewing, then it looks like a fine option if sticking with Carnival is a priority. You will still see Alaska, just not quite as much.

[Coral]

4 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

The Luminosa is a much different ship that the usual Carnival fleet.  It was purchased from a European shipping company and went into service for Carnival last summer sailing out of Seattle.  It is a beautiful ship, and it looks more like a HAL ship rather than a Carnival ship (at least last summer the Luminosa didn't have the distinctive 'whale tail' on the smoke stack).  It also one of the smaller Carnival ships.

 

Here is a photo of the Luminosa that I took while on another ship in Alaska,

 

 

It sounds like it was a Costa ship. So it was just transferred amongst the Carnival Cruise line family from one cruise line to another. I don't see where it was from a shipping company - can you clarify?

 

Costa is a line that caters to Italians.

Edited January 22 by Coral

[Ferry_Watcher]

1 hour ago, Coral said:

It sounds like it was a Costa ship. So it was just transferred amongst the Carnival Cruise line family from one cruise line to another. I don't see where it was from a shipping company - can you clarify?

All I remember is that the ship had already been in service elsewhere, and so therefore it was not a new ship.  There was a big celebration when it sailed out of Seattle on it's first cruise to Alaska.  It's also very different looking than the typical Carnival ship, it has more of a HAL vibe.- at least outside, IMO.

 

I used "Shipping Company" as a generic term describing a 'used' ship when I couldn't remember where it had originated.  LOL

 

You may be correct that it was a former Costa ship, I just don't remember. I do remember that management in Seattle was very excited that it was coming, there was press coverage about it being in Seattle, and it was a very festive first day sailing.

 

I expect that we will have a similar celebration for the first sailing from Seattle to Alaska of Celebrity's Edge this May.

[Coral]

6 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

All I remember is that the ship had already been in service elsewhere, and so therefore it was not a new ship.  There was a big celebration when it sailed out of Seattle on it's first cruise to Alaska.  It's also very different looking than the typical Carnival ship, it has more of a HAL vibe.- at least outside, IMO.

 

Here is the wiki on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival_Luminosa 

 

I think cities always seem to celebrate when a new ship hits their city or is home based in their city.

Edited January 22 by Coral

[aussielozzie18]

We cruised on the Luminosa in December 2022 for 7 nights to the Great Barrier Reef.  It was our first time on her and we loved the ship.  Had a nice layout, easy to get around, food & service in MDR was great.  I would cruise on her again in a heartbeat.  I can’t comment on her suitability for Alaska but being a summer cruise, we certainly spent a lot of time on the outside decks and our two standard balcony cabins were perfect for us.

[Heidi13]

18 hours ago, Coral said:

It sounds like it was a Costa ship. So it was just transferred amongst the Carnival Cruise line family from one cruise line to another. I don't see where it was from a shipping company - can you clarify?

 

Costa is a line that caters to Italians.

 

Affirmative, it was originally the Costa Luminosa, so simply a transfer between Carnival brands.

 

If I recall correctly, Costa had planned to enter the China market, but changed plans due to the continued COVID lockdown. Since they had spare ships, I believe as many as 3 were transferred to Carnival.

[Aquahound]

If you're a Carnival fan with high priority being on-board activities, and you simply want to get a taste of Alaska, Luminosa is probably your best option of the few Carnival ships that sail Alaska.  

 

 

[whynottry77]

We were on the Luminosa 4th of July week last year. We really enjoyed the trip and the ship. The only negative we had was the beds. Its personal preferences but we found them too firm. If you like softer plush bed, I dont think you will find it.