Tag Archives: Costa cruise

German lockdown forces cancellation of Aida cruises

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German cruise brand Aida Cruises has cancelled all voyages planned between October 31 and November 30, following news of Germany’s lockdown.
The Carnival Corporation brand said in a statement: “As a result of Germany implementing far-reaching measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic, Aida Cruises today (October 29) announced it will temporarily pause its cruises for November, cancelling all voyages planned between October 31 and November 30.
“This follows the federal government of Germany’s October 28 decision to impose further restrictions on public life and travel to limit the spread of Covid-19, which Aida Cruises fully supports.
“As the leading cruise line in Germany and a part of Carnival Corporation & plc, Aida Cruises’ highest responsibility and top priorities are compliance, environmental protection and the health, safety and well-being of its guests, crew, shoreside employees, and the people and communities its ships visit – and that commitment is reflected in the line’s temporary pause in cruise operations.
“Aida Cruises recognises its decision is disappointing to its guests and appreciates guests understanding the importance of making health and safety the most important priority.”
The cruise line resumed operations in mid-October and “will closely monitor the further development of the pandemic” before starting cruises again in December onwards.
With Covid-19 cases surging across Europe, Germany’s month-long national lockdown starts on Monday (November 2) with the closure of restaurants, bars, gyms and theatres.
Meanwhile, France will be going into lockdown from Friday (October 30) with citizens allowed to leave home only for essential work or medical reasons.

Covid-19 forces Costa Cruises to revise the winter programme

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Costa Deliziosa
Carnival Corporation brand Costa Cruises has altered its schedule for winter 2020-2021 because of travel restrictions and the continuing Covid-19 crisis.

The Italian cruise line said Costa Smeralda will operate an Italian-only itinerary to replace a voyage to Italy, France and Spain that would have started from November 14.

Costa Deliziosa (pictured) will continue operating its current one-week itinerary in Italy and Greece until January 3, 2021, instead of visiting Montenegro and Croatia as originally planned.
Costa Diadema will postpone the start of long cruises in the Mediterranean to April 6, 2021, offering 14-day cruises to Turkey and 14-day cruises to Egypt and Greece.

Costa Firenze cruise ship

New ship Costa Firenze, which is currently in the final stages of completion at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, will be delivered as planned in mid-December 2020 but will begin offering its seven-day cruises in Italy, France and Spain only from February 28, 2021.

Finally, Costa Favolosa cruises in the Caribbean are cancelled and the ship will return to operate from April 2, 2021, with mini-cruises in the Mediterranean.

The 2021 world tour by Costa Deliziosa is also cancelled, with guests offered the chance to book the 2022 voyage.

Third Costa Ship Back Cruising: Smeralda Departs From Savona

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Costa Cruises now has three ships back in cruise operation as the Smeralda departed from Savona on Oct. 10 with guests aboard.

The ship joins the Deliziosa and Diadema as the Costa ships back in operation.

All three ships are sailing under the Costa Safety Protocol which is a strict set of new health and safety requirements including COVID-19 testing for all guests and crew. 

The LNG-powered ship will now offer five week-long itineraries through early November, calling at Italian ports La Spezia, Cagliari, Naples, Messina and Civitavecchia/Rome.

“It is very exciting to see our flagship depart once more from Savona, Costa’s main port in the Mediterranean,” said Michael Thamm, Group CEO of Costa Group and Carnival Asia.

“We are gradually returning to cruising with an increasing number of ships, in a safe and responsible way, thanks to new health protocols. The return of Costa Smeralda, which represents the most advanced vessel in our fleet in terms of reducing environmental impact, is also a renewal of our commitment to sustainable cruise development, which will be one of the key points in the recovery of our sector in the coming years,” Thamm noted.

Savona is playing a leading role in the company’s restart, with the Smeralda scheduled to homeport in the Italian city through the end of 2021. Plans call to offer different itineraries, per local regulations, that will include Italy, France and Spain.

Starting in November, the Costa Diadema will also dock at the Palacrociere cruise terminal in Savona and will offer 12-day cruises to the Canary Islands, 14-day cruises to Egypt and Greece, and 14-day cruises also to Turkey.

The Costa Fortuna, Costa Favolosa and Costa Fascinosa will also arrive in Savona, offering mini-cruises in the Mediterranean and 10-day cruises to Portugal.