“Costa is one of those brands that’s really on the rebound,” said Josh Weinstein, president and CEO of Carnival Corporation, speaking on the company’s third-quarter earnings call.
Weinstein credits Costa President Mario Zanetti with leading the turnaround of the Italian brand, which is launching a new marketing campaign.
“Their research based on their market and the segment that they’re trying to hit in their market was all about experiences and leaning into particular messaging in particular ways to convey it because the product for Costa is already fantastic,” Weinstein said.
He continued that Costa and AIDA posted solid numbers for August, with occupancy coming in at 119 per cent, above the 109 per cent average number Carnival reported for its nine brands.
“In fact, in Q3, AIDA and Costa delivered higher yields than 2019,” he said, noting they did this with the absence of Saint Petersburg in what would have been high-yielding Baltic itineraries.
Costa Cruises announced that it was named the Official Cruise Line of the 2023 Ryder Cup 2023 competition which kicks off on September 28.
Costa Cruises will be attending the event with its own dedicated space inside the Ryder Cup Village, where it’s proposing a real putting challenge, during which visitors will be able to challenge themselves.
Guests onboard the Costa Toscana and Costa Smeralda will also get to experience the excitement of the Ryder Cup and attend the final days of the competition, which ends on October 1.
During the Ryder Cup, the cruise line is also offering its Cruise and Golf package, allowing guests to join a cruise aboard the Costa Toscana and Costa Smeralda during the two ships’ calls, to play at some of the most prestigious golf clubs in the Mediterranean and the United Arab Emirates.
Guests can choose up to four of the 24 best itineraries in Italy, France and Spain, such as the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, the Circolo del Golf Roma Acquasanta, the Golf Club Garlenda in Savona, the Golf Club Genova Sant’Anna, the Real Club de Golf El Prat in Barcelona, the Son Gual Golf in Palma de Mallorca and the Golf Bastide de la Salette in Marseille.
With the Costa Toscana, guests sailing during the upcoming winter will be able to discover up to four of the 15 most famous golf clubs in the Arab Emirates, Oman and Doha, such as the Emirates Golf Club or ‘The Els Club’ in Dubai, the Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Yas Links Golf Club in Abu Dhabi, the Almouj Golf Club and the Ghala Golf Club in Muscat, and the Doha Golf Club.
Additionally, there is a special offer for golfers to enjoy a range of restaurants available on the Costa Smeralda and Costa Toscana, such as the Archipelago restaurant and try some of the treatments and services in the “Solemio” spa and beauty salon onboard.
Costa Flaviosa entering Liverpool photo credit Spacejunkie2
Costa Cruises is launching Costa Voyages, a new cruise experience designed to explore extended itineraries, according to a press release.
Starting in September 2023, Costa Cruises will offer itineraries ranging from 10 to 14 days, allowing guests to visit destinations and explore them in-depth.
Voyages include visiting destinations such as the Canary Islands, Turkey, Egyptian pyramids, the Azores, Israel and Morocco and exploring the various European cultures, from Normandy to Spain.
In addition, guests can look forward to exclusive food and beverage experiences on every cruise including sampling the 14 new desserts created by the Master of pastry chefs, Iginio Massari.
The main restaurants will offer three different dinners including a new, exclusive menu included in the price and created by Costa chefs including Bruno Barbieri, Hélène Darroze, and Ángel León.
Onboard, guests can relax and enjoy a drink or two at the special Banquet Night Party, a buffet with ice sculptures carved by master ice sculptors and a live DJ set.
Rock and roll enthusiasts can look forward to the Rolling Stone exclusive show onboard while photography amateurs can engage in dedicated photography sessions organized by the Japanese brand Canon.
Costa Voyages will also organize games inspired by the 1960s and 1990s, such as “Double interview” for couples, “Musichiere” and “C-Music” with quizzes, challenges and more. There will also be a range of workshops and creative labs and an exclusive guided tour of the behind-the-scenes areas of the ship.
The Costa Voyages cruises will be available from September through November 2023, from April to June 2024, and from September to November 2024, onboard six ships, including the Costa Favolosa, Costa Fortuna, Costa Firenze, Costa Fascinosa, Costa Pacifica and the Costa Diadema.
The Costa Pacifica will take guests to explore Egypt and the Holy Land in 2023, while the Costa Fortuna will take over in 2024. The Costa Favolosa and the Costa Fortuna will take guests to Morrocco to explore local traditions and visit the Hassan I Mosque.
The Costa Firenze and Costa Fortuna will visit the Canary Islands in 2023 and the Costa Diadema in 2024. Four ships will take guests to Portugal in 2023, including the Costa Firenze, Costa Fortuna, Costa Favolosa and the Costa Fascinosa, while the Costa Diadema will join them in 2024.
The Costa Fortuna will be visiting Turkey in 2023 and 2024, while the Costa Firenze, Costa Fascinosa, Costa Diadema, and Costa Favolosa will offer sailings that combine the North and South of Europe into a single vacation.
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