Tag Archives: Costa Favolosa

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.

Costa Venezia Set for Trieste Christening

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Costa Venezia

Costa Cruises announced that the new Costa Venezia will be christened in Trieste on March 1, 2019, before transiting to China.

She is one of seven new ships being delivered to Costa Group by 2023, marking a total investment of some 6 billion euro, the company said.

The Costa Venezia will be the company’s largest ship in China at 135,500 tons, and with capacity for 5,100 guests.

While christening details are still being worked out, Costa said there will be a full city-wide fireworks display, and multiple giant screens for spectators to watch the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The event will be attended by around 1,500 guests from China, South Korea, Japan and several European countries, and they will also have the opportunity to discover Trieste and its surrounding area, as the ship will be moored in the city until March 3, when it will depart for its first cruise.

“We are very happy to be celebrating the naming of Costa Venezia in such a beautiful Italian city as Trieste. Costa was the first company to operate in China in 2006 and over the years we have established ourselves as a leader, offering a product focused on Italian excellence. Costa Venezia will feature other unprecedented innovations, designed specifically to offer Chinese customers a real Italian experience, marking a new era for both Costa and the whole Chinese market, which is among the most promising in the world in terms of future growth,” Mario Zanetti, President of Costa Group Asia.

The Mayor of Trieste Roberto Dipiazza stated: “It is a great pleasure for the city of Trieste to host the naming ceremony of this new ship by Costa. With great pride, both from an institutional and personal point of view, I applaud this new jewel, which is the result of the work of the best talents in shipbuilding and Italian design who reside in our region and city. Our expertise, our values are well rooted in the Costa Group. This new ship, along with the other “queens” that we had the pleasure of admiring in our Gulf, will be another ambassador of Made in Italy in the world. There is a strong bond of mutual respect between Trieste and the Costa Group, that I am sure will continue to strengthen in the future.”

The first Costa Venezia cruise will depart from Trieste on March 3, 2019, and sail to Greece and Croatia. On March 8, the ship will be back in Trieste for the start of its maiden cruise: a 53-day journey as the ship moves to Asia.

The Costa Venezia will be the second Costa ship named in Trieste as in 2011 the Costa Favolosa was named in the port.