Captain Francesco La Farina first started working for the company in April 1999
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Captain-Francesco-LaFarina3-92826-add51ab4e16b4114a3b39f33cab4ba34.jpg "Captain Francesco “Ciccio” La Farina")
Credit: Facebook
NEED TO KNOW
- A beloved Carnival Cruise Line ship captain has died of cancer after 27 years with the company
- Francesco La Farina joined Carnival in 1999 and commanded ships including Carnival Freedom and Carnival Magic
- Colleagues remembered the captain, known as “Ciccio,” for his steady leadership, humility and professionalism
After nearly three decades of service, a longtime Carnival Cruise Line captain has died of cancer, the company has confirmed.
A Carnival spokesperson confirmed captain Francesco La Farina has died in a statement shared with PEOPLE on Sept. 28
“Captain Francesco La Farina dedicated 27 years of service to Carnival, and throughout that time he earned the respect and admiration of colleagues across our fleet through his professionalism, steady leadership and kind nature,” the statement said. “We are deeply saddened by his passing, and our thoughts are with his family, loved ones and all those who had the privilege of serving alongside him.”
Credit: Carnival
La Farina, affectionately known as “Ciccio,” died the evening of Saturday, Sept. 26, according to a Facebook post from friend Jorge Solano.
“La Farina took his final voyage to heaven,” he wrote. “He fought bravely until the very end, but cancer is a battle that is so difficult to win.”
He adds: “In the final hours of his life, Francesco was surrounded by his family, who were able to be by his side and say their last goodbyes. Rest in peace, Francesco. May you sail peacefully on your ship in Heaven, where there is no more pain and no more suffering.”
Credit: Facebook
In the comments, Trevor Nugent said he worked with La Farina as he climbed the ranks as a safety officer, staff captain and captain.
“Very great man, very humble and respectful,” he wrote, adding that he’ll be “surely missed.”
According to La Farina’s LinkedIn profile, he first started working for the company in April 1999. CruiseHive reports he manned the helm for several ships over the years, including Carnival Freedom and Carnival Magic.
According to the outlet, La Farina operated Carnival Magic as strong winds in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, caused the ship to hit the pier. The vessel briefly departed with some guests still ashore. However, no injuries were reported to passengers and La Farina kept guests updated on the situation.
Credit: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty
In a cruiser’s opinions page on Facebook, user Linda Spanky Warhaftig remembered the captain as someone who enjoyed walking around the ship and interacting with guests.
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“Most of [you] all know — Francesco ADORED all of you!” she wrote to her fellow cruisers. “He genuinely loved mostly everything about being a ship captain.”
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