Citing uncertainty and recent world developments, Costa Cruises has announced changes to its 2022-2023 program in South America.
According to a statement issued in the local market, the company will no longer operate the 2021-built Costa Toscana in Brazil during the season.
Instead, the Costa Firenze will debut in the country, taking over the program previously announced for the LNG-powered ship.
Citing world developments in the energy market, Costa said it decided to “assure the arrival of three vessels in South America, bringing the new Costa Firenze in place of the Costa Toscana.”
The company said that the LNG needed for the Toscana “could only be sourced through international operations.”
With the change, the 2020-built Costa Firenze is now set to offer a series of seven-night domestic cruises in Brazil.
Departing from Santos and Salvador, the program takes place between December 2022 and April 2023.
Taking the title currently held by the Costa Diadema, the Firenze will become the largest ship ever operated by Costa in South America, the company said.
In addition to the Costa Firenze, Costa’s 2022-2023 program in South America also includes the Costa Favolosa and the Costa Fortuna.
Starting in December, the Favolosa is set to offer seven-night cruises to Argentina and Uruguay. The program runs through April and features departures from two Brazilian ports: Santos and Itajaí.
Returning to the region after a ten-year hiatus, the Costa Fortuna will also be based in Brazil. Sailing from Rio de Janeiro, the vessel is set to offer eight-night itineraries to several destinations in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.
Both ships will also offer departures from Buenos Aires and Montevideo.
Costa Mediterranea in the Port of Amsterdam, Photo credit Spacejunkie2
Costa Cruises has detailed its full cruise fleet restart plan, starting with the Costa Toscana sailing on March 5, according to the Carnival Corporation brand.
Deployment and sales are now open from spring 2022 to winter 2022-2023, with ships calling at 179 ports with cruises from three to 127 days.
“We are seeing the growth in demand for holidays, and I am sure that this trend will increase further in the coming weeks,” said Roberto Alberti, SVP & Chief Commercial Officer of Costa Cruises.
“We think our offer is the best ever, thanks to elements that combine unique experiences, both onboard and ashore. Our rich itinerary program suits every need and includes some great new features, such as cruises to Turkey. Our cruise experience has been profoundly enriched and will allow guests to discover destinations in an authentic way, also thanks to extended stops in some ports. Furthermore, our guests will be able to enjoy their vacations on a fleet with latest generation ships, which combine sustainable innovation with entertainment, hospitality and well-being.”
Summer Season Start-Up Program:
Costa Toscana – March 5 (Mediterranean)
Costa Favolosa – April 28 (Mediterranean)
Costa Venezia – May 1 (Mediterranean)
Costa Smedalra – May 7 ((Mediterranean)
Costa Pacifica – June 4 (Mediterranean)
Costa Luminosa – Atlantic Islands
Costa Fortuna – June 12 (Northern Europe)
Costa Diadema – May 5 (Mediterranean)
Costa Fascinosa – May 1 (Atlantic Islands)
Costa Deliziosa – April 15 (Mediterranean)
Costa Firenze – April 7 (Mediterranean)
For the height of the summer season, four ships, the Costa Fortuna, Costa Favolosa, Costa Fascinosa and Costa Diadema, will be deployed in Northern Europe.
Costa said that for winter 2022-2023, it will deploy the Firenze in the Middle East while the Venezia will stay in Istanbul for 11-day cruises for the winter. The Diadema will offer two-week sailings to the Canary Islands. The Costa Pacifica and Costa Fascinosa will be in the Caribbean while the Costa Smeralda will be offering one-week cruises in the Western Mediterranean. The Costa Toscana, Costa Favolosa and Costa Fortuna will be in South America.
In addition, the Costa Deliziosa will be offering a world cruise, departing from Venice on January 6, 2023, or from Savona on January 11, 2023.
The Costa Luminosa’s grand cruises are also back, departing from Genoa on January 8, 2023, and from Buenos Aires on February 27, 2023, going from the Mediterranean to Tierra del Fuego and back, sailing up the Amazon River to Manaus.
Also of note, Costa said the Serena’s program to resume cruising in Asia will be announced soon.
Carnival Corporation today celebrated the official opening of Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal with Shamal Holding following their strategic partnership signed in 2018 to develop the new cruise port as the main hub for cruise tourism in Dubai, according to a press release.
The occasion was marked with a walk-through by Abdulla Binhabtoor, chief portfolio management officer of Shamal Holding, and several Carnival Corporation executives, including Giora Israel, senior vice president of global port and destination development for Carnival Corporation; Michael Thamm, Group CEO of Costa Group and Carnival Asia; Felix Eichhorn, president of AIDA Cruises; Mario Zanetti, president of Costa Cruises; Michel Nestour, vice president of global port and destination development for the EuroMed & Arabian Gulf region at Carnival Corporation; and Torben Seidenschnur, director CEO office and strategic development at Costa Group.
With the arrivals of Costa Firenze and AIDAbella, the official opening was also marked by two passenger cruise ships visiting the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal for the first time, coinciding with the start of the cruise season and the ships’ homeporting seasons from Dubai.
Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal is capable of accommodating two large cruise ships simultaneously, according to a company statement.
The facility spans over 120,000 square meters (nearly 1.3 million square feet) and includes two purpose-built terminal buildings that offer passengers and crew a safe embarkation and disembarkation experience. The terminals are equipped with four Seaport Passenger Boarding Bridges that can simultaneously support the full turnaround of the largest class of cruise ships in the industry.
“After years of working closely with Shamal Holding, we are absolutely thrilled to welcome guests from around the world to Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal,” said Thamm. “As the world’s largest cruise company, our passion is providing our guests with extraordinary vacation experiences, and we are confident that our partnership with Shamal Holding will enhance the overall experience for our guests. The two terminals stand as a tribute to the remarkable appeal of Dubai and the Arabian Gulf as a cruise destination, and we look forward to working with Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal and its community partners to make Dubai Harbour a highly efficient and customer-friendly operation while facilitating new tourism opportunities through cruising in the region.”
“We’re delighted to see our partnership with Carnival Corporation and its brands hit another significant milestone as today we welcomed two extraordinary cruise ships to Dubai Harbour, the largest standalone dedicated twin-cruise terminal centre in the eastern hemisphere. It is exciting to see so many thousands of people enter the city through this stunning seafront district, the newest entry point to Dubai, which is already considered to be the ideal gateway to the region for cruise ships from around the world.”
Added Binhabtoor regarding the alignment with Dubai Tourism Strategy: “The Dubai Harbour development represents a historic milestone in Dubai’s role as this region’s foremost destination for lifestyle, leisure and luxury – a moment in history that brings forward the realization of Dubai’s ambition to become the most visited city in the world. However, it is not only an extraordinary destination for cruise passengers from every corner of the world, but also a natural gateway to the attractions that Dubai has to offer and, as a result of the city’s strategic location, other international destinations as well.”
Costa Cruises and AIDA Cruises first began operating in Dubai in 2006. In late November, AIDAbella arrived in Dubai at Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal for the first time, marking the first regular cruise passenger operation for the new terminals and the start of the ship’s winter season. In addition, Costa Firenze’s arrival in Dubai on Dec. 16 marked the start of the ship’s season from Dubai, where it is homeporting for the first time ever, through March 2022.
Together, six brands from Carnival Corporation – AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises (UK), Princess Cruises and Seabourn – will visit the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal by 2023 and in total, the six brands are expected by then to make 90 calls to the new twin-terminal cruise port.
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