Costa Venezia Set to Sail New Program from Istanbul

Posted on 1 May, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

Costa Venezia’s new cruises to Turkey and Greece will make their debut from Istanbul on May 1.

Costa said the new deployment marks the collaboration between itself, Turkish Airlines, the Turkish National Tourist Board and Galataport Istanbul.

The proposed formula is the “flight+cruise” package, available from all the main European countries, with scheduled Turkish Airlines flights, which will make it possible to reach Istanbul easily, and then embark on board Costa Venezia from the new Galataport cruise terminal, equipped with all the comforts and services for the next generation of ships.

“Our restart program ahead of summer is strengthened by a truly unique offer. The main new feature of Costa Venezia cruises is the possibility of visiting the best of Turkey in a single holiday, starting from Istanbul, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. We believe Turkey has great potential for cruises, and we are trying to be the first to develop it. Istanbul can be reached from the main European countries in just a few hours’ flight time, it has good air connections and modern ports, as well as a mild climate that makes it possible to operate all year round, and above all, it offers an incredible variety of experiences and attractions,” said Mario Zanetti, President of Costa Cruises.

The Costa Venezia’s program in Turkey includes three different itineraries, all with embarkation and disembarkation in Istanbul, designed to include longer calls in the ports to enjoy the destinations with plenty of time, among cities rich in history, splendid archaeological and UNESCO World Heritage sites and clear seas.

From May 1 to November 13 2022, the Costa Venezia will offer two one-week itineraries dedicated to Turkey and Greece, interchanging with each other, which can be combined into a single 15-day “super tour”, with eight calls in port longer than 10 hours.

The first itinerary is ideal for those who want to explore the best of Turkey and Greece in one holiday. It includes a two-day, one-night call in Istanbul, the Turkish destinations of Izmir and Bodrum, the island of Mykonos and Athens in Greece.

The second itinerary allows exploring some of Greece’s out-of-the-ordinary locations and the best of Turkey. It includes two two-day, one-night calls in Istanbul and Kusadasi, Turkey, before heading off to explore Rhodes and Heraklion, Greece.

In winter 2022-23, the Costa Venezia will be offering a third 12-day itinerary to Turkey, Egypt, Israel and Cyprus, visiting Istanbul (with a two-day, one-night call), Bodrum, Limassol, Haifa (also with a two-day, one-night call), Alexandria and Kusadasi. From spring 2023, the two itineraries in Turkey and Greece will resume.

Costa Marks Cruise Restart from Genoa with Firenze

Posted on 7 April, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

The Costa Firenze has made its debut in Genoa, marking the restart of Costa’s cruises from the city.

Guests will be able to disembark freely as the company will no longer require bubble-style excursions.

Costa said it will call at Genoa every Thursday through November as part of a one-week Western Mediterranean itinerary, which also includes Marseille, Barcelona, Cagliari, Palermo and Civitavecchia/Rome.

In addition to the Costa Firenze, starting in November and through the end of the year, the Costa Luminosa will also be in Genoa every Sunday, again for one-week cruises in the Western Mediterranean.

In 2022 Costa will be in Genoa for a total of 45 calls, after only a few calls in 2021 and 2020.

Numbers will continue growing in 2023 too with weekly calls on Fridays from the new Costa Toscana.

“After a two-year pause, we are finally returning regularly with our cruises to Genoa. We are doing so with a new-generation ship, Costa Firenze, and an even richer product that will allow exploring our destinations in the best possible way,” said Mario Zanetti, President of Costa Cruises.

“Costa Firenze, as well as the other ships in the fleet, offer the opportunity to generate shared value in the territories and contribute to creating models of future development that are sustainable and able to multiply growth opportunities for the territory. I am thinking, for example, of projects such as cold ironing, i.e., the use of land-based energy for ships calling at ports,” he said.

MSC Cruises to Increase Dominance in Europe

Posted on 6 April, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

MSC Magnifica in Queensferry Edinburgh, Photo credit Spacejnkie2

The European market will increase by dominated by MSC Cruises, according to the 2022 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.

By 2027 MSC will not only have the most passenger cruise capacity in Europe but also be the single largest brand, based on its new build program and projected ship deployments.

MSC Cruises, including its Explora Journeys brand, will have a total passenger capacity of 4.3 million in Europe in 2027, compared to 4.0 million for Carnival Corporation brands and 1.5 million for the TUI Group.

In addition, would be ships deployed from Carnival’s North American brands and by the Royal Caribbean Group, but their passenger sourcing, pending circumstances, is primarily from the U.S.

From 2022 to 2027, MSC will see its capacity grow by 36.2 per cent, Carnival by 3.3 per cent and the TUI Group by 41.7 per cent.

MSC is a pan-European brand, along with Costa Cruises, while national brands dominate some markets, such as P&O in the UK, AIDA and TUI in Germany.

The market capacity of the Europe-based brands is estimated at 9.2 million passengers this year and is projected to grow to 11 million by 2027.