Carnival Cruise Line’s Luminosa will fly the Bahamas flag in Australia until the second quarter of 2023, after the company registered the ship under the Bahamas Maritime Authority’s (BMA) ship registry, a statement on the matter explained.
The statement said the ship was officially registered with the BMA yesterday in a ceremony, where a Bahamian working aboard the ship raised the flag.
It added that the ship is bound for Brisbane, Australia from Dubai.
“During the ceremony, Carnival Luminosa’s senior leadership team and the classification society completed all necessary registration processes, and Deck Cadet Mark Casson, a Bahamian citizen from Freeport, raised the new Bahamian flag,” the statement said.
President of Carnival Cruise Line Christine Duffy said the company has so far registered five other ships in The Bahamas.
She lauded the BMA as being a highly respected authority globally in the maritime sector.
“We’re proud and honored to have Carnival Luminosa join the five other ships we have registered in The Bahamas,” said Duffy.
“The BMA is among the most respected administrations in international shipping, and we value their level of cooperation and professionalism aimed to achieve the highest safety standards.
“This moment serves as a symbol of our ongoing commitment to this special country.”
After its stint in Australia, the ship is scheduled to sail from Seattle to Alaska beginning in May, “including some exotic, first-time-for-Carnival destinations”.
Carnival Cruise Line announced on Friday that it has reflagged two of its ships to The Bahamas’ ship registry, bringing the total number of ships to six.
The two additional vessels are the Carnival Legend and Carnival Spirit.
Last year, Carnival Cruise Line flagged its first vessel to be fueled by liquefied natural gas under the Bahamian flag.
Senior Vice President of Compliance for Carnival Domenico Rognoni said last November that insight and cooperation from The Bahamas plays a key role in the company’s overall maritime operations.
“We value our business relationships across The Bahamas, whether our investments in destinations and facilities such as the Grand Bahama Shipyard, the local tourism and excursion partners that employ many Bahamian citizens, or the Bahamas Maritime Authority that shares our commitment to safety and environmental protection,” said Rognoni.
“We’re proud and honored to continue to expand the number of ships we have registered here,” he said.
