Carnival Firenze christened in Long Beach

The ship’s godfather, American actor Jonathan Bennett, was joined by Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, and captain Enzo Palomba at the naming ceremony.

The 5,000-guest Carnival Firenze is sailing year-round from the port of Long Beach, joining the 5100-passenger Carnival Panorama and the nearly 4000-passenger Carnival Radiance, which both homeport year-round in California.

Duffy said: “We carry more guests than any other cruise line from California, and now this ship is giving us the opportunity to offer more fun to more people sailing from Long Beach. The recipe combining this ship’s beautiful Italian theming with the familiarity of our friendly team’s hospitality is, in a word, perfecto.”

The vessel, which has an Italian theme, is the first ship in Carnival’s fleet to utilise new technology and artificial intelligence to create optimal, energy-saving routes on each sailing. Carnival Firenze also has the capability to hook up to shore power while in port.

Originally built for Costa Cruises, Carnival Firenze is currently on its maiden voyage – a seven-day cruise to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán and Cabo San Lucas.