Carnival Cruise Line  announced the appointment of the senior officers and lead entertainment team members for the newest addition to the cruise line’s fleet, Carnival Venezia.

Captain Claudio Cupisti, Chief Engineer Cesare Boldrini and Hotel Director Karl Hallberg are the ship’s senior officers. Entertainment Director Milena Krivokapic and Cruise Director Marques “MarQ” Matthias will ensure all of the Carnival fun is delivered on board the fleet’s 25th ship.

“As we continue to grow our operations, it’s key for us to build strong teams who can ensure the success of our new ships and their crew members. We’re fortunate to have some of the most experienced mariners in the cruise industry coming together to make Carnival Venezia feel right at home, for our guests, as part of the Carnival fleet,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

Meet Carnival Venezia’s Leaders

• Senior Officers
  • Captain Claudio Cupisti: Originally from Viareggio, Italy, Cupisti began working for Carnival in 1989 and brings 34 years of Carnival experience to the helm of Carnival Venezia. Capt. Cupisti has worked on 20 Carnival ships over the years, including Carnival Breeze, Carnival Elation, Carnival Splendor, Carnival Valor and many more.
  • Chief Engineer Cesare Boldrini: Starting with Carnival as an engine cadet in 1995, Boldrini quickly moved his way up through several promotions and has led several engineering teams as a chief engineer since 2011. He is originally from La Spezia, Italy. Boldrini has worked on several ships over the years, including Carnival Elation, Carnival Dream, Carnival Legend and Carnival Vista.
  • Hotel Director Karl Hallberg: Hailing from Sweden, Hallberg has served as the hotel director on 10 Carnival ships since he first started with the cruise line six years ago. Some of the ships where Hallberg has served as hotel director include Carnival Valor, Carnival Magic, Carnival Elation, Carnival Sunrise and Carnival Liberty.
• Entertainment Leaders
  • Entertainment Director Milena Krivokapic: Her love for cruising began at a young age as Krivokapic watched ships docking in her hometown in Montenegro in the Mediterranean. In 2015, she began her career with Carnival in the photo department as a photo host and installed digital galleries across the fleet before embarking with Carnival Entertainment as a content manager in 2018. Krivokapic has been a part of the Carnival Vista team and most recently lead the Entertainment team on board Carnival Horizon.
  • Cruise Director Marques “MarQ” Matthias: After taking his first cruise in 2015, Matthias fell in love with Carnival Cruise Line and joined the Fun Squad later that year and was part of the inaugural team on Carnival Vista. In 2016, he stepped into the cruise director role and has been leading the fun on several ships across the fleet ever since. Matthias has also worked on Carnival Dream, Carnival Liberty and Carnival Breeze.

Carnival Venezia will be the first ship to showcase Carnival Fun Italian Style, which combines the ship’s Italian theming with Carnival’s signature fun. Built in 2019, Carnival Venezia accommodates more than 5,000 guests and is set to begin year-round cruising from New York’s Manhattan Cruise Terminal on June 15, 2023 after its Transatlantic crossing during a 15-day Carnival Journeys cruise that begins in Barcelona, Spain on May 29, 2023.