Tag Archives: Costa cruise

Costa Smeralda, the Spectacular Floating Stage of Sanremo’s Music

Posted on by
Reply

Costa Cruises announced that it will be back in Sanremo with the Costa Smeralda for the famous Italian musical event that takes place from February 7-11. 

“Our presence in Sanremo will be even more spectacular than last year. From our floating stage, you will see just how much fun you can have on a ship like the Costa Smeralda because we will be hosting more than just performances: they will be moments where guests can dance, sing, feel good together with others and experience emotions to remember,” -said Mario Zanetti, president of Costa Cruises

The Costa Smeralda will host shows every night as a floating stage for the duration of the festival, featuring extraordinary artists, according to a press release. 

To celebrate the event, Costa Cruises has prepared a very eventful cruise featuring Italian travel agents, Italian clients and members of C|Club, the company’s loyalty club. 

The Costa Smeralda will be anchored in front of Sanremo from February 4 through February 12, 2023, allowing guests to experience Italian music, Italian gastronomy, selected Italian pastry as well as Italian comedy.

 Costa wanted to highlight the presence of partners with whom the cruise company usually collaborates. In addition to live broadcasts, experiencing the most popular Italian music event of the year from its “floating stage,” guests onboard will be able to enjoy exclusive experiences created for the occasion, which will change daily.

 The Costa Smeralda’s floating stage program includes special guests, tastings, previews, workshops, and sports courses. Additionally, guests will also be able to go ashore and explore the city of Sanremo during the music festival. 

Carnival to Sell Three More Ships, Two From Costa

Posted on by
Reply

As part of its fourth quarter business update, Carnival Corporation confirmed it would sell off three more ships, including two from its Costa fleet.

Carnival did not say which ships it was offloading.

“The company expects to remove three additional smaller-less efficient ships from its fleet,” Carnival said in a statement issued on Wednesday morning. “Two of these three ships are from Costa Cruises’ fleet as part of the company’s strategy to right-size the brand in light of the continued closure of cruise operations in China, and Costa’s significant presence there prior to the pause in the company’s guest cruise operations. Once completed in spring 2024, the company’s fleet optimization strategy will have reduced Costa’s capacity so that it approximates the 2019 capacity Costa dedicated outside of Asia to its core markets in Continental Europe.”

With the sale of the ships, Carnival said it now expects total capacity growth of 3 per cent for 2023 compared to 2019, at the lower end of the previous guidance range of 3 to 5 per cent.

The prudent capacity growth rate includes the benefit that newly delivered ships will represent nearly a quarter of the company’s capacity.

With three more ships set to leave, Carnival has divested approximately 26 cruise ships since the start of the pandemic.

Carnival Corporation Cruise Brands Ramp Up Ad Spending

Posted on by
Reply

Carnival Corporation is ramping up advertising spending across its portfolio of brands, according to President and CEO Josh Weinstein, speaking on the company’s year-end and fourth-quarter earnings call.

He said it was a move to support future demand.

“I’ve actively been working with each brand on their strategies and road maps,” Weinstein said. “As a result, I’ve authorized our brands to take a significant step up in advertising activities, including a nearly 20 per cent increase in our investment this past quarter over 2019, to elevate awareness and consideration and to drive demand for both the near and the longer term. This should be particularly impactful with those new-to-cruise, where we draw about one-third of our guests, as we position to take share from land-based alternatives.”

For example, Weinstein said that Princess Cruises would source more heavily in North America than in prior years due to source market disruptions elsewhere.

And the results have been good, Weinstein noted, with record Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales results at a number of brands.

“We think that advertising has a good amount to do with that, to really reach first-timers, generate awareness, generate consideration, and do so in a meaningful way. We’ve got great brands, and we’ve got tremendous brands, but we need to do a better job getting the voice out. And this is a good way to do it. And it helps not just us, it helps our trade partners, it helps the bookings across the board.”