Tag Archives: Malta

Disney revises Mediterranean voyage

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Disney Cruise Line altered a Mediterranean cruise next summer to eliminate port calls in Greece, Turkey and Malta.

The 12-night cruise on the Disney Magic is scheduled to depart Barcelona on Aug. 1.  Its original itinerary included Athens as well as Mykonos in Greece, Kusadasi in Turkey and Valletta in Malta.

Other cruise lines have scrapped calls to the Greek island of Lesbos because of the refugee crisis and Turkey because of security concerns.

Disney has revised the itinerary almost completely, leaving only one port, Civitavecchia, from the original lineup. The cruise will now call in Olbia, Sardinia; Civitavecchia, Naples and Livorno, Italy; Palermo, Sicily; Villefranche-sur-Mer and Cannes, France; and Palma de Mallorca.

In a letter to travel agents, Disney said, “We realize this is a considerable change from the previously published itinerary and hope you and your client understand our desire to only provide the best possible experiences to our guests.”

Customers have been given a choice of a refund, a change of sailings, or a $1,000 onboard credit if they stick with their original booking.

MSC to suspend Tunisia calls for winter season

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MSC Cruises said the recent declaration of a state of emergency in Tunisia has led it to suspend calls there for the 2015-16 winter season.

The line said its previously scheduled calls at La Goulette from Nov. 15 to April 23 on the MSC Prezisosa will be replaced by calls in Malta.

The MSC Magnifica and MSC Poesia during their voyages from Venice to Santos in Brazil and Buenos Aires in Argentina, respectively, in November and December 2015 will spend a full day in Alicante, Spain, instead of La Goulette/Tunis, MSC said.

Authorities in Tunisia declared the state of emergency after two terrorist attacks on tourists there in the past four months.

Costa Cruise’s Latest New Addition.

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Costa Diadema

Costa Cruises has received its newest cruise ship the Costa Diadema from the Italian ship builder Fincantieri.

The ship was built at the Fincantieri Marghera shipyard which is a popular choice for Carnival owned cruise ships. The large vessel will also be the new flagship of the Costa fleet. Costa Cruises has invested a total of around 550 million euro in the construction of the Italian based cruise lines most advanced ship.

The project has involved approximately 1,000 shipyard workers plus another 2,500 subcontractors and about 400 contracted suppliers, most of which are Italian firms, engaged for the fitting-out of the interiors of the cruise ship. Costa Diadema is the 12th cruise ship built-in Italy by Fincantieri for Costa, with a total investment worth more than 5 billion euro.

“Costa Diadema is our new flagship, she will set new standards in the European cruise industry and further strengthen Costa’s leadership in Europe. She is the best expression of our new brand positioning: Italy’s finest. It`s passion and modern Italian lifestyle, hospitality and elegance” commented Costa Crociere S.p.A CEO, Michael Thamm.

At 132,500 gross tons, more than 300 meters long and 37 meters wide, Costa Diadema has 1,862 guest cabins and will be an Ambassador of Italy’s finest offering the best of Italian lifestyle, entertainment, gastronomy and hospitality. The new flagship’s interiors are even cozier, roomier and more modern in terms of facilities and layout of her public areas. She is a cutting-edge vessel which offers large, split-level rooms directly overlooking the sea and conveniently interconnected, thus evoking the atmosphere of a buzzing Italian seaside resort.

The perfect example is the outside promenade on deck five – a real “terrazza all’italiana”, extending over 500 meters, where guests can go for a stroll and enjoy the spectacular view over the sea, or, even better, relaxing in one of the several bars and restaurants, drinking a cocktail or having a romantic dinner.

Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri S.p.A. said:“Costa Diadema is the 44th cruise ship we have built since 2002, the 12th cruise ship we have built for our friends from Costa Crociere. This is thus a very special occasion to us and we are very proud to present the latest result of the Italian excellence, which confirms our leading position in ship design and construction for cruise sector, a sector without parallel in terms of technological complexity and competitiveness.” Bono concluded: “Today, during this day of celebration, I express my wish that this fruitful cooperation between two main national companies may continue and bring good luck to the whole country.”

After the delivery, Costa Diadema will set sail from Venice on October 30 and will reach Trieste, from which her “vernissage cruise” will start on November 1, then will call at Dubrovnik, Corfù, Malta, Naples, to then end in Genoa on November 7, for the Christening event. After the vernissage, from November 8, she will depart for three 7-day inaugural cruises.

As “Regina del Mediterraneo”, Costa Diadema will be deployed in the Mediterranean Sea. From November 8 until the end of 2015 Summer season, the new flagship will leave from Savona on 7-day cruises in the western Mediterranean Sea, calling every week at Marseille, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Naples and La Spezia. They will offer the chance to visit during a single cruise Florence and Naples, two of the most popular Italian cities, and beautiful Mediterranean cities like Barcelona and Marseille.