Tag Archives: Costa Rica

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One of three Costa Cruises ships in South America this season, the Costa Diadema recently offered its first-ever cruise to Argentina and Uruguay.

The 3,700-guest ship debuted in the two countries as part of a seven-night itinerary that includes visits to Buenos Aires and Montevideo, as well as the Brazilian ports of Santos and Itajaí.

Sailing from multiple homeports, the cruise will be offered through early April and also includes three days at sea.

“We had great demand for this itinerary in the 2023-24 season, so we decided to increase our offering in this region,” said Renê Hermann, Costa’s Brazil president.

The Costa Diadema takes over the itinerary from the smaller Costa Favolosa, which had been sailing to Argentina and Uruguay for the past two summer seasons.

While most of the ship’s capacity will be allocated to the Brazilian market, passengers will also be able to embark in Argentina.

“We’ve also seen significant demand in the country, and we’ll have guests embarking there too,” Hermann told Cruise Industry News.

In addition to the Costa Diadema, Costa’s 2024-25 deployment in South America also includes the Costa Favolosa and the Costa Pacifica.

The Costa Pacifica opened the company’s season in South America after arriving in Brazil in late November.

Sailing from Santos and Rio de Janeiro, the 2009-built vessel will be fully dedicated to the Brazilian market through late March.

Offering longer itineraries in the region, the Costa Favolosa is also offering cruises to Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.

The vessel’s eight- to nine-night itineraries sail from Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Montevideo and visit destinations that include Punta del Este, Balneário Camboriú and Ilhabela.

After completing its schedule of seven-night cruises in the region, the Costa Diadema is scheduled to offer short cruises from Santos before returning to Europe in late April.

Carnival Spirit Offers Panama Canal Cruise Ahead of Summer in Alaska

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Set to operate in Alaska during the summer, the Carnival Spirit is currently offering a 16-night Panama Canal to the Pacific Northwest.

After completing its winter schedule in the Caribbean, the Carnival Cruise Line vessel left Miami on its repositioning voyage on April 16.

Cruising all the way to Seattle, the one-way itinerary features visits to ports in three different countries: Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico.

In addition to doing a complete transit of the Panama Canal, the Carnival Spirit is visiting Cartagena de Indias, Santa Marta, Puntarenas and Cabo San Lucas before arriving in Washington.

The 2001-built ship is then set to kick off its summer program in Alaska.

Beginning on May 2, the Spirit offers a series of seven-night cruises to the Last Frontier which also includes visits to Canada.

During the four-month program, the vessel will visit popular destinations in the region including Skagway, Ketchikan and Juneau.

Sailing roundtrip from Seattle, the Carnival Spirit also offers scenic cruising of the Tracy Arm Fjord, as well as visits to Victoria.

The schedule is part of Carnival’s 49-departure, three-ship summer season in Alaska, which also features the Carnival Luminosa and the Carnival Miracle.

Upon completing its Alaskan program in September, the Carnival Spirit is set to offer an additional Panama Canal cruise. Sailing from Seattle to New Orleans, the 16-night repositioning voyage precedes the ship’s debut in Mobile.

During the 2023-2024 winter, the Spirit is set to offer a series of different itineraries departing from the Alabama port.

Ranging from six to eight nights, the cruises sail to different parts of the Caribbean and the Bahamas, including Mexico, Honduras and Belize. In the Bahamas, the ship is set to visit Bimini, Freeport, Nassau and Princess Cays.

As the lead ship of Carnival’s Spirit Class, the Carnival Spirit originally entered service in 2001. Designed with a multi-deck atrium, a glass-enclosed pool deck and a large number of cabins with private balconies, the 2,100-guest ship was followed by the Carnival Pride, the Carnival Legend and the Carnival Miracle.

Phoenix Reisen’s Amadea First Ship to Dock In Venezuela in 15 Years

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On January 3, 2023, Phoenix Reisen’s Amadea became the first ship in 15 years to dock on Isla Margarita, Venezuela, the company said.

Venezuelan Minister of Tourism Ali Padrón arrived at the island, especially for this event and visited Captain Robert Fronenbroek and Cruise Director Manuela Bzdega onboard the Amadea.

“We at Phoenix Reisen thank you for the warm and colourful welcome provided to our guests and the crew,” the company wrote on social media.

The Bahamas-flagged ship docked at the Caribbean island of Margarita carrying almost 500 passengers, mainly from Spain, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.

“For many years Venezuela was off the radar of cruise ships,” said Tourism Minister Ali Padron, as he welcomed the historic docking.

The arrival of the Amadea may open the food for other cruise lines to return to the country. 

The Amadea is currently on its 23-day voyage which departed from Villefranche (Nice) France, on December 20 with calls in Cadiz, Spain; Funchal, Madeira; Bridgetown, Barbados and Scarborough, Tobago among other destinations. The journey will end in Puntarenas, Costa Rica on January 11.