Costa Restarts Cruises With New Program From March 27

Costa Cruises will be restarting service on the Costa Smeralda from March 27 and on the Costa Luminosa from May 2. This was announced by its parent company, Carnival Corporation, in a press release.

“The cruise ships of Costa Cruises … are ready to set sail again and offer guests holidays filled with leisure and relaxation, along with enhanced health and safety protocols,” the company said.

The Costa Smeralda program will consist of an unchanged itinerary across Italy for three- or four-day mini-cruises or, alternatively, a 7-day cruise, calling at Savona, La Spezia, Civitavecchia, Naples, Messina and Cagliari.

On May 1, the Costa Smeralda will return to one-week cruises in the Western Mediterranean with visits to Italy (Savona, Civitavecchia and Palermo), France (Marseille) and Spain (Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca).

The Costa Luminosa will be departing from Trieste from May 2, and the following day from Bari, confirming its program of one-week cruises in Greece and Croatia, according to the press release.

“Costa is working with national and local authorities of the countries included in the itineraries of its ships outside Italy to define the details of the restart of cruise operations, with enhanced health and safety measures through the implementation of the Costa Safety Protocol,” Carnival Corporation wrote. “The protocol contains operational measures related to all aspects of the cruise experience, both onboard and ashore, which were implemented in the past months of cruise operations.”

All other cruises scheduled until the end of May, and not included in the program updated on Feb. 17, will be cancelled. Costa is in the process of informing travel agents and customers affected by changes.

MSC Cruises aims to restart Greece sailings by Easter

MSC Magnifica take by Dave Jones

MSC Cruises has announced that it is working closely with the Greek Ministry of Tourism and other relevant authorities for the reopening of local tourist services in time to serve cruise passengers visiting Greece, starting with the upcoming Easter holiday period.

In related news, the Company also announced that it is cancelling all of MSC Magnifica’s scheduled cruises through to April 29. MSC Magnifica will thus be replaced for voyages to the Eastern Mediterranean, including Greece, during the Easter period and throughout the summer season. 

Guests booked on MSC Magnifica through to April 29 will be offered the option to rebook their MSC Cruises holiday at sea on one of the line’s other ships due to call Greece or on its flagship MSC Grandiosa, which is currently at sea in the Western Mediterranean. Alternatively, guests will receive 125% Future Cruise Credit, valid for all sailings taking place on or before April 30, 2022. 

MSC Grandiosa is currently operating weekly cruises leaving every Sunday from Genoa, Italy and calling Civitavecchia, Naples, Palermo/Cagliari in Italy as well as Valetta in Malta. Embarkation is available from each port in Italy.

www.msccruises.co.uk

Four MSC Ships to Cruise in Europe for Winter 2021-2022

MSC Magnifica

MSC Cruises announced that four ships will be deployed for the winter season in Europe for 2021-2022.

The MSC Grandiosa will sail from. Genoa as well as Barcelona and Marseille. In addition to these homeport options, the ship will call in the Palermo, Civitavecchia for access to Rome, and Valletta, Malta.

The MSC Fantasia will also sail a classic seven-night itinerary with the choice of multiple embarkation ports in MSC Cruises’ most visited destinations, Barcelona, Marseille, and Genoa, as well as Italian cultural highlights, including La Spezia and Napless, before calling in Palma de Mallorca.

The MSC Magnifica will offer extended 11-night cruises with two different itineraries. The first starts in Genoa and then to Greece, calling Katakolon, Piraeus, and Rhodes before reaching Haifa in Israel where the ship remains overnight allowing a full day to discover ashore, then on to Heraklion, Civitavecchia and back to Genoa.

The second itinerary visits five countries – starting in Genoa, Barcelona in Spain then on to Casablanca in Morocco for an extended stay, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Funchal in Portugal, Malaga in Spain, and then Italy with Civitavecchia and Genoa.

The MSC Poesia will offer 5- and 10-night cruises out of Genoa before embarking on the 2022 World Cruise from Genoa on 5 January.